Global Rules (ie "non-US" therefore 'better') encroach in Bud's baseball--as promised

New "Rules" being given a trial run in baseball minor leagues are Selig style:

• Being sold as a way to 'speed the game up,' he puts public pressure on only 1 side of a 2 sided issue because he's afraid to deal with it directly. This way he'll be perceived as a saint rather than a passive-aggressive coward. The rule spotlights the pitcher, without giving specific time limits to a batter (except in a passive way). Before, there was give and take between the two:

MLB.com, 2/28/08: "New language inserted into Rule 8.04, which regulates the time that a pitcher has to pitch, has been amended to increase the time within which a pitcher must pitch from 12 to 15 seconds,

• but the timing will begin when the pitcher receives the ball without regard for whether the batter is ready for the pitch.

If the batter has had a reasonable opportunity to get ready and is not ready, he would be at risk for having the pitcher pitch, or, if the batter is out of the batter's box, for having an automatic strike called, as set forth in Rules 6.02(c) and (d)."

• (Moving on to team personnel visiting the mound):

MLB.com: "Another rule change will limit the number of visits to the mound by managers, coaches and infielders.

• Any combination of three or more manager/coach visits to the mound in a game without removing the pitcher will result in the automatic removal of the pitcher from the game on a fourth visit, regardless of whether prior visits were to the same or different pitcher(s).

• *Additionally, no more than one infielder at a time is permitted to visit the mound, including during any visit by a manager or coach."

*(I noticed this especially as Torre often had several players cluster around a pitcher, which I liked). sm

• (MLB.com): "The limitation on the number of mound visits is similar to the rules used in international and NCAA play, and the restriction on infielder visits to the mound is similar to the international rule."

(News of corruption in international sports must have escaped Bud. Not saying their rules are all bad, but save the rap that they're automatically something to aspire to because they're "international" or "modern"). SM

• (MLB.com): "The Playing Rules Committee is pleased to take these additional steps to modernize the Official Baseball Rules and to enhance their practicality wherever possible," said Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB's executive vice president of Baseball Operations and a member of the Playing Rules Committee. "We will be particularly interested in monitoring the new experimental pace of game procedures in the New York-Penn League and the Northwest League. The improvement of pace of game is an important goal common to all levels of professional baseball, and Major League Baseball will remain proactive in this effort."

• These experimental rules will be used in two Minor Leagues of the short-season Class A classification, the New York-Penn League and the Northwest League, for the 2008 season."....

[Now here's a flowery group Bud could dismiss with one sneeze--the "Playing Rules Committee:"]

• MLB.com: "The Playing Rules Committee consists of Solomon; John McHale, Jr., MLB's executive vice president for administration; Sandy Alderson, the chief executive officer of the San Diego Padres; Bob Beban, the president and general manager of the Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League; Hall of Famer Rod Carew, a 19-year Major League veteran; Terry Ryan, senior advisor to the general manager of the Minnesota Twins; John Schuerholz, the president of the Atlanta Braves; Bill Stoneman, senior advisor to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; and MLB umpire supervisor Larry Young, a 23-year Major League umpire.

Mike Gaski, president of USA Baseball and head baseball coach at UNC-Greensboro, is an advisory member of the Committee."

• (Wow). sm

• From MLB.com article by Jim Moloney, "MLB to test proposed rules in minors," 2/28/08

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