Otto von Ballpark

Reserve outfielder Randy Bush hits a grand slam and Kent Hrbek collects 4 hits in Frank Viola's complete game win in Baltimore. Viola's bid for a shutout is spoiled by a Fred Lynn home run in the 9th. WCCO notes ominously that the Twins road trip will continue the next two nights in New York... Watch that day's full newscast here. Presented in partnership with TC Media Now. View full video

Oh, and the obligatory required reading on the subject -- a comparison of near-identical games from 1984 and 2014: Why Baseball Games Are So Damned Long

If the batter's head is down, he's at risk of getting beaned. And the pitcher isn't looking at a clock, he's preparing to delivery his pitch based on the batter's visual readiness. If the ump tells the pitcher to suddenly deliver a pitch in that situation, they'd feel rushed and I'd guess most pitchers would choose not to. Then what does the ump do? Assign a ball to the pitcher? Or just let the whole thing go? It is much easier, safer, and more effective for the ump to simply call an automatic ball or strike (which is what the rule book already allowed, but umps were loath to enforce).

This particular video clip seems to be gone now, but I believe the batter's head was down and he was still getting set in the box 5 seconds after the pitcher received the ball, so that's the violation. The current rule is 14 seconds pitch clock with no one on base, and the clock starts when the pitcher receives the ball. Plus the batter must be ready with 9 seconds left on the clock. Some people think that is harsh, but batter was in that position only because he took 4-5 seconds to stare at the ground after his swing and miss, before he finally stepped out of the box and then back in. If he had stayed in the box, or just decided to step out and back in right away, it wouldn't have been an issue.

My guess is that MLB wanted a 1 year suspension for Bauer, and with Bauer refusing to negotiate, the best way to achieve that was to initially give him a 2 year suspension, with the expectation that at least 1 year will survive the appeals process.

When one of the adults is unconscious, it calls the “consenting” part into question. Legally, if they agree to the unconscious acts beforehand, there’s not much of a case for criminal prosecution as we have seen. But the MLB/MLBPA policy is not limited by that, and in fact is pretty clear on the matter: (emphasis mine) Here is a PDF link to the MLB/MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy: http://content.mlb.com/documents/2/9/2/296982292/Major_League_Player_Joint_DV_SA_CA_Policy_English_2018.pdf

Not true. The players can appeal, as Bauer will do. Most up until now have chosen not to appeal, in negotiating a reduced suspension.

For anyone that gets The CW Channel 23, the TV broadcast of the game is free tonight!

I read that too, but it's just referring to the other players suspended under this policy to date. As part of negotiating those suspensions, those particular players waived their right to appeal. But players in general still have the right to appeal, as Bauer plans to.

I was just considering player suspensions. Rose had given up his player/manager charade by then.

I wouldn't expect much (if any) more "action on the field" in purely absolute terms. The strikeout genie is way too far out of the bottle right now. (Maybe this combined with a few other changes could begin to move it downward, though.) But even if it's the same amount of action, at a crisper pace / less overall time, that's a win.

I believe this is the longest player suspension since the 1919 Black Sox players were banned for life.

Link: MLB.com: Trevor Bauer suspended 2 full seasons Remember to keep the discussion civil and appropriate.

I get that, but I think this is happening already anyway. It's not like the current slow pace is geared toward pitcher health in any meaningful way.

Another recent take came from Kyle Boddy of the Driveline pitching academy -- he's concerned about the effects on pitcher health:

That's a good point. Frankly I doubt it would make much difference in the running game -- it's not like stolen base success rates were higher back when pitchers worked at a much faster pace. But if it did help baserunners and encouraged more steal attempts, that would be good by me too (and would be in line with a few other MLB experiments to encourage baserunning right now). I'd be more receptive to this pitcher's issues with runners on base if he didn't also advocate for adding 3-4 seconds to the clock with no runners on, for no good reason. How does this guy think major league baseball was played for 100 years before he was born? And how it is still played at every other level?

Here's some feedback about the pitch clock from a minor league pitcher:

Whether you prefer the Beach Boys or the Funky Bunch, worst-to-first means the vibrations are good for both the Twins and the TD forums. Image courtesy of Twins Daily Whether you prefer the Beach Boys or the Funky Bunch, worst-to-first means the vibrations are good for both the Twins and the TD forums. Last Friday, the Twins were in last place. This Friday, they're in first place, with seven wins in a row. How did this turnaround happen? Many community members credit the pitching; a growing congregation recognizes a certain cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammal. There's still room on the bandwagon to contribute your own theory. Symbolizing the vibe is the aptly named @OptimisticTwinsFan, with a detailed breakdown of Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober: Reasons for Optimism - How optimistic should we be about the Twins rotation and their young starters? It's a compelling statistical case that the good vibrations can continue. Of course, statistics alone can't explain the wackiness of our walk-offs. Any win streak has a spiritual component, and @aTwinsFanInMaryland called our attention to the mystical power of Ritchie The Rally Goat. At a rumored price tag of $9.95, any positive effect from the goat is undoubtedly a good value too. Evidence of the improved clubhouse atmosphere came from one of our latest additions, with Correa open to long-term deal with Twins, reports @AlwaysinModeration. Carlos will likely cost more than Richie, though. But as the old baseball adage goes, "mo wins, mo problems." For one thing, we now have to wonder what pitcher is going to close out all of these victories. @LewFordLives has a suggestion: Archer as Closer? If the rest of our starting staff keeps performing well, the veteran Archer could really stand out in the pen. And for a refreshing change of pace, instead of complaining about the team, we direct our complaints toward those who disrespect our team instead. The healthy shoulders of our pitchers can give us fans a healthy chip on our shoulders, as @Brandon has stern words for the producers of this MLB.com power rankings BS. What's your explanation? And what's the roster going to look like after the May 1st cuts? Join a conversation or start your own in the forums. View full article

Here you go: ESPN.com: Lohse's future in doubt after damaging door, self

Thanks for sharing! I expanded on the game’s circumstances in a blog post: FLASHBACK 1986: Weather Delay in the Dome

They could do like Correa -- agree to 4-5 million up front, but then signal your willingness to accept ten times that.

I think that regard generally has to do with affordable housing, public education, poverty rate, health/safety, etc. -- all things that won't really apply to Correa in his income bracket. You should set up a play date! Ask Rocco when Correa's next scheduled day off will be.

Correa's kid was born in late November, so it's not much older than his Twins contract at this point. So the kid will remain blissfully unaware of ever living in Minnesota if Correa moves on before next winter. Previously, Correa lived in Houston year-round -- he is selling his home there, although judging by the listing, he might have been looking to upgrade anyway.