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MLB News & Moments You Should Know – 9/10

Huge Changes Coming in 2023, Jeter Honored, Wander back & More

Steven Giangaspro
MLB Morning News 9/10/2022

Happy Saturday! Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.

 

Today’s Headlines

 

Crucial Changes Coming to MLB in 2023

MLB approved a significant wave of changes to rules that they are hoping will reinvigorate the game for good. Hemming and hawing with small tinkering changes did not do enough in their minds to drive the game into the future. It was time for the nuclear option.

The committee gathered and voted to install an outright ban on defensive shifts and implement the oft-teased pitch clock in 2023. This is to start the process once and for all speeding up baseball’s pace of play by initiating more action and offense.

As I wrote about back in March, all of these changes have been tested diligently at various levels of baseball.  Some of the metrics can be assessed from its time installed in the Atlantic League. Check out the article entitled Change Tested Over the Atlantic for more info on hypotheticals to get you up to date on the breeding ground of change!

We saw that the numbers tell a story of change. If the goal was to speed up the game, the pitch clock has significantly shortened the length of the game and more significantly improve the flow of the game.

This will be done at the sacrifice of what traditionalists hold dear.  The pitch clock will be strictly followed and will be implemented with a hawk’s eye by umpires.

On the defensive side, not following these rules will not be met with a warning, but it will immediately affect the game with the pitcher being tagged with an automatic ball. On the offensive side, the hitter not being in the box ready to go for the timer means they get hit with an automatic strike.

Consequences abound for all not following. Nothing stokes the flames of urgency like an immediate consequence.

With no more defensive shifts, alignment for fielders can’t be relied on to improve defensive strategy and ultimately will change the way the game will be played on both sides.

Pickoffs and stepping off the mound will start the pitch clock over, and they will be limited to 2 per bat. Limiting these will end the cat and mouse game between a speedy runner and the pitcher.

The bases will grow in size from 15 to 18 square inches. The goal of this size jump has safety in mind to decrease collisions on the base paths and by proxy make the distance between bases smaller.

Just one of these changes would be HUGE.

We are getting three monumental shifts and the game on the field will change in a big way. This also changes the way players will be valued and it remains to be seen how much better or worse some players become.

At the end of the day, getting fans engaged and keeping them passionate about the product on the field has always been the goal.

Although this may alienate some traditionalist fans, the spirit of these sweeping changes is with the best intentions. For better or for worse, they committed instead of tip-toeing with minor tweaks. We can finally put an end to the conversation of what if and talk about what happens now.

MLB Notifies MLBPA They’ll Recognize Minor League Union

This is certainly a surprising development.

It seems hard to believe that these changes will be met with little to no resistance, but Manfred made his intentions known on Friday afternoon.


Wander Franco Activated; Helps Rays Top Yanks!

 

Tampa Bay activated young stud, Wander Franco from the 10-day injured list for the opener in the Bronx against the Yankees. He made everyone remember how much of a difference maker he can be going 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs.

He’s been greatly missed as one of the most exciting stars in all of baseball when healthy. He has been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham for a bit now. Yankees fans were not so happy to see him, but he is a welcomed addition to this exciting playoff push.

Wander was sidelined for long two months. As you’ve read over and over again, he got injured and needed to heal up a hamate fracture in his right wrist, which happened back on July 9th. General soreness turned to seriousness; he underwent surgery a few days later, and you know the story from there.

Things just got a lot more interesting down the stretch! The Rays are 3 1/2 games back going into today’s games.

 

Jeter Honored in the Bronx 

 

Yankee Stadium was rocking again honoring one of the all-time greats to wear the uniform. Long overdue, the Yankees were able to afford him an official ceremony for his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame back in 2021.

This is all happening a year after he was ushered into Cooperstown due to delays and other hurdles that prevented it from happening sooner. As we all know, his induction had to wait a year because of the pandemic and his duties as an executive meant he was not readily available.

It’s been 5 years since Jeter’s felt the embrace of the fans and their roar. He hasn’t been back since No. 2 was retired officially in Monument Park back in 2017. He has not been at the Stadium often, so when he comes, it is a special occasion and the fans treat it as such.

Tonight was no different! What a moment for all that got to witness it.

 

 

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Trout Homers in 5th Straight

 

Coming up against Lance McCullers Jr. in the sixth inning on the road, Mike Trout powered a two-run tater, good for his fifth straight home run in as many games. The home run totaled his 33rd on the season and added to his already impressive 2022 campaign.

Mike Trout continues to be torrid offensively as the season wanes into his later months. As far as significance of the feat, his homer put him in a deadlock for the Halos team record for homers in as many games. The original record was established by Bobby Bonds back on Aug. 2-7, 1977.

 

Cards Shine Defensively

 

If you’re scoring at home: this was a 9-2-5-2-9 double play. Check this out

 

 

Pirates & Cards Pay Tribute to Past

 

The Cardinals were donned in stellar St. Louis Stars throwback uniforms as part of Negro League Legacy nights at PNC Park.

The Pirates wore Pittsburgh Crawfords uniforms. An awesome tribute and well done by both of these National League Central rivals.

 

Josh Jung Homers in First MLB AB

 

Part of the fun of September is seeing all of the young, talented prospects get the call. Josh Jung was no different, and he wasted no time getting started.

He is only the second player in Texas franchise history to blast a home run in his first Major League at-bat. The other was Jurickson Profar, who did it back in 2012. Welcome to the Show, kid.

If it wasn’t for being hampered by the nagging injuries early in the 2022 campaign, Josh Jung would have been on the tip of everyone’s tongues for quite some time. He was supposed to be here. Jung is the Rangers’ top prospect and everyone in Texas is excited to see what he can bring to an already emerging explosive lineup.

What a way to put your stamp on the game.

 

 

Lodolo Shines & Ks 11

 

In a duel of rookie hurlers, Nick Lodolo handily overpowered the Brewers lineup and outdueled Jason Alexander. Nick Lodolo is a promising young prospect and tonight he showed why he is as highly touted. Lodolo had career bests, dealing 11 strikeouts while going eight innings strong. It was an impressive outing from the Reds’ future cornerstone.

 

 

Cron’s Moonshot

 

CJ Cron’s enormous fourth-inning two-run blast was originally estimated at 504 feet. This was good to match the furthest home run hit at Coors Field in Denver since the inception of Statcast and when they started utilizing it to measure the length of home runs back in 2015. This is one you have to watch over and over again.

 

 

Injuries

  • Byron Buxton is still in the process of starting up baseball activities from his hip injury. Rocco Baldelli made it evident that “we’re not quite there yet.” (Source: Betsy Helfand)
  • Freddy Peralta was put on the 15-day IL with shoulder fatigue. (Source: Adam McCalvy)
  • Hunter Greene is slated to have a final rehab start with Triple-A Louisville on Sunday before potentially returning to the club. (Source: MLB.com)
  • DJ LeMahieu was put on the 10-day IL with a sprained toe. (Source: The Michael Kay Show on Twitter)
  • Justin Verlander has shown that he is making expected progress in the recovery process. Judging by his comments, it seems as if he will be sidelined a few more weeks potentially with an eventual return later in the month if things continue to go as planned. (Source: Chandler Rome)

 

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Fantasy Baseball Coverage

 

 

Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)

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