Die Anpflanzler [DA] » think its tough to make that out/saf

DUNEDIN, Florida - Blue Jays players assembled Monday afternoon for their annual spring meeting with the Players Association, the first gathering chaired by new executive director Tony Clark. Just as the meeting was beginning, Major League Baseball unveiled Rule 7.13, an experimental rule for the 2014 season aimed at eliminating what the league calls “egregious” runner/catcher collisions at home plate. See a full explanation of the rule here: http://tinyurl.com/l4zaqo5 Here is a link to a play at the plate last season, involving Phillies base runner Chase Utley and former Cubs catcher Dioner Navarro, now with the Blue Jays. Watch the clip, keeping in mind the new rule didnt exist, and guess based on the new rule whether Utley would be safe or out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0Qe310Bn4g Assembled media, waiting for Clark to emerge from his seminar with the Jays, couldnt agree on the call. Some saw fault with Utley for initiating contact with Navarro. Others believed Utley would be called safe because Navarro blocked the pathway of the runner to the plate prior to receiving the baseball. If you think Utley is safe, based on the new rule, Clark agrees with you. “My guess is, according to the rule, (Navarro) cant be sitting on the plate without the ball,” said Clark. “Its one thing to catch it and then move and block the baseline. Its another thing to block the baseline and not having the ball.” Blue Jays catchers hadnt seen the new rule as of Mondays availability and had plenty of questions, including the wisdom of asking an umpire to make a split-second determination about more than whether a runner is safe or out. “I think its tough to make that out/safe call at home and theyre always trying to get good positioning,” said Erik Kratz. “Now, is their positioning going to have to change? Are they going to have to talk about that? Are they going to have to look at the runner as hes running, ‘I saw the runners eyes, he was looking at the catcher. You did? What about the ball? What about the catchers eyes? Did he have his fist clenched?” “Im going to do you one better,” said Clark. “During a play on the field you may also have a rotation component here where youve got the home plate umpire running to third and the first base umpire running to home. Its a tough enough play as it is as hes running to try and call a close play but now youre also talking about trying to determine intent and where guys are positioned. Its difficult.” Many other nuances were discussed, which is why, according to Clark, the rule has been made public and is being explained to players only two days before Grapefruit League play is scheduled to begin. A Major League Baseball representative and an umpire will be visiting all 30 teams during spring training to further explain the rule. Manager John Gibbons has met with MLB Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Joe Torre and his right-hand man, Tony La Russa. The intent of the rule is to make close plays at the plate safer for both the catcher and the runner. A catcher in his playing days, Gibbons is skeptical. “I dont know about that,” said Gibbons. “I think when you start trying to mess with the game too much, I mean, youre going to run into problems. Its a big part of the game. The game on the line, thats the winning run or something, guys are trying to stop that run. Instinct tells them to do one thing. But if thats the rule then we live with that. Nothing we can do about that.” Clark of Free Agency Ervin Santana and Stephen Drew are two high-profile free agents whove yet to find work, in large part because there is draft pick compensation tied to their next contracts. “As a union its our responsibility to make sure that player rights are defended, protected and advanced,” said Clark. When asked over the course of the winter about the Blue Jays interest in select free agents, general manager Alex Anthopoulos repeatedly opined that market prices were too high and that the club was willing to wait for player demands to come down. Clark, speaking in general terms, not specifically about Anthopoulos or the Blue Jays, says the union will review the offseasons free agency activity. “If the free agent market as a whole is being manipulated on some level and we have an opportunity to reflect on this offseason, comments that were made, where those comments came from and how they may have affected the free agent market then it is a conversation were going to have going forward to make sure the integrity of the Collective Bargaining Agreement is upheld and that we dont find ourselves in a place where certain information is lending itself to certain understandings and appreciations publicly with respect to free agents,” said Clark. Clark on A-Rod Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez wont play in 2014, suspended for his role in the Biogenesis performance enhancing drug scandal. Rodriguez has since dropped a lawsuit which named, among others, the Major League Baseball Players Association. Clark says if A-Rod is playing in 2015, hell be welcomed back into the union he briefly considered taking to court. “Over the course of 140 years there have been, I believe, a little less than 20-thousand players who have ever worn a major league uniform for one day,” said Clark. “If you have worn a major league uniform for one day then you are part of that fraternity. There are guys that make decisions that guys dont appreciate, that guys dont like, but after Alex serves his suspension he will come back as a member of that fraternity and we expect to see him in 2015.” Clark on an openly gay player Jason Collins is back in the NBA, making history on Sunday night as the first openly gay athlete in the leagues history. Michael Sam appears poised to become the first openly gay player in the NFL. Is baseball ready for such a scenario? “I dont see it being an issue,” said Clark. “Our locker rooms are more diverse than most and as youve heard with a lot of the leagues, whether its the NFL or any other place, inevitably its going to come down to can you help us win ballgames?” Pitching Schedule Manager John Gibbons has drawn up his pitching schedule for the first five Grapefruit League games. Here it is: Wednesday at Phillies: J.A. Happ (2 innings,) Todd Redmond (2,) Kyle Drabek (1-2,) Chad Jenkins (1,) Neil Wagner (1,) Mickey Storey (1.) Thursday vs. Phillies: R.A. Dickey (2,) Esmil Rogers (1,) Dustin McGowan (1,) Brett Cecil (1,) Aaron Loup (1,) Jeremy Jeffress (1,) Rob Rasmussen (1,) Marcus Walden (1.) Friday vs. Pirates: Mark Buehrle (1-2,) Brandon Morrow (1-2,) Steve Delabar (1,) Sergio Santos (1,) Liam Hendriks (1,) Sean Nolin (1,) Aaron Sanchez (1,) Juan Perez (1.) Saturday at Orioles: Drew Hutchison (2,) Ricky Romero (1-2,) Marcus Stroman (2,) Tomo Ohka (1-2,) Deck McGuire (1-2,) Mickey Storey (1.) Sunday vs. Yankees: Esmil Rogers (2,) Todd Redmond (1-2,) Brett Cecil (1,) Aaron Loup (1,) Jeremy Jeffress (1,) Chad Jenkins (1,) Neil Wagner (1,) Casey Janssen (1.) NOTE: Brandon Morrow experienced tightness in his calf on Monday. Gibbons says there is no concern the injury is serious and the plan is for Morrow to pitch on Friday. Mark Stone Jersey .That is precisely what they got Sunday.The Ravens trailed at halftime and never built a comfortable lead against lowly Jacksonville, yet did just enough to squeeze out a 20-12 win to stay in the thick of the AFC playoff race. Matt Duchene Jersey .C. -- After turning Tobacco Road into "Raleigh Top," Tennessee is headed to the round of 16. http://www.senatorssale.com/authentic-daniel-alfredsson-senators-jersey/ . -- The Orlando Magic finally are showing the patience in critical moments that coach Jacque Vaughn has been waiting for all season. Custom Ottawa Senators Jerseys .J. Barea during a three-game shooting slump that was getting him booed off his home court with regularity. Ottawa Senators Jerseys . Today, he looks at the offensive line. 1. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (OT, McGill) You Should Know: Over the course of his university career, Duvernay-Tardifs commitments to medical school and the family business frequently limited him to one practice per week, yet he was still the Metras Trophy winner as the Top Lineman in CIS football in 2013. DALLAS -- Luc Mbah a Moute figured things out in a hurry with Minnesota. Kevin Martin and Kevin Love paced the Timberwolves like they do so often. Martin had 27 points with some key baskets down the stretch, Love had his usual double-double, and the Timberwolves snapped a three-game losing streak with a 112-106 victory Saturday night over the suddenly slipping Dallas Mavericks. "We found (Martin). They lost sight of him a couple times, and he ended up knocking down the big 3s," coach Rick Adelman said. "That just turned the whole game." Martin made two free throws with just under 6 minutes left to put Minnesota up 94-90. Ricky Rubio then had a steal that led to a long fast-break jumper by Martin, who later beat the shot clock with a jumper and then added a 3-pointer. That stretched the lead to 103-92, matching the Wolves largest, with 3:12 left. Love, who finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, also had a buzzer-beating shot. His 3-pointer with just under 2 minutes left made it 106-95, effectively ending any comeback bid for the Mavericks, who lost for the second night in a row and the fourth time in five games. "We made them take tough shots, and we live with the results," Martin said, crediting the defence more than his scoring. Mbah a Moute, acquired Tuesday from Sacramento for former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams, made his Minnesota debut after going through just one shootaround session with his new team. He played 26 minutes with four points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. "He looked good. A little rusty, but the more he plays, the more he gets in tune with what were going to, the better hes going to be for us," Love said. "Hes going to be very good for us because hes so versatile." All five starters scored in double figures for Minnesota, which had lost five of its previous six games. Nikola Pekovic also had 21 points, while Corey Brewer had 13 and Rubio 12. The Timberwolves also went to the free throw line 30 times, 19 more than the home team. "We were very active. We felt that we moved the ball," Adelman said. "When we went to our strength, they were going to have a hhard time guarding us.dddddddddddd" Monta Ellis scored 26 points and Dirk Nowitzki had 23 for Dallas. The Mavericks lost 88-87 at Atlanta on Friday night after blowing a 17-point lead in the second half and losing starting point guard Jose Calderon because of a bone bruise on his right ankle. Calderon didnt play against the Timberwolves, and coach Rick Carlisle described him as day to day. Ellis put the Mavs up 66-64 Saturday when Shawn Marion rebounded a shot and passed out for a 3-pointer. Ellis tipped in a miss by Marion to make it 68-64 midway through the third, though Dallas ended the quarter with the same seven-point deficit it had at halftime after both teams scored 30 points in the third. That was also part of the 5-minute span when a bloodied Nowitzki came out of the game, even though no foul was called when he got hit by Rubio in a scramble for the ball. He never left the bench, getting treatment for the bleed near the bridge of his nose. The game was tied at 71 when Nowitzki came back in with 3:50 left, and he almost immediately had an assist on a go-ahead, 18-foot jumper by Ellis. After J.J. Barea had a turnover on a bad pass, Nowitzki missed a 20-footer. Barea grabbed that rebound, leading to Loves tying short turnaround bank shot before Brewers 3 made it 76-73 and put Minnesota ahead to stay. "Were going to learn about our team right now," Carlisle said. "Lose four out of five, have a tough loss like last night and then another tough one like tonight -- its going to test the togetherness and the collective will." Notes: Gal Mekel, a rookie from Israel, made his first NBA start in place of Calderon. He had six points on 3-of-12 shooting with seven assists. Fellow rookie Shane Larkin had four points and two steals. "Its challenging with our young guys," Carlisle said. "I thought both guys did some good things. ... But our lack of experience there tonight was a factor." ... It was the 100th regular-season meeting between the teams. Dallas leads the series 57-43, though Minnesota has won the first two of four meetings this season. ... Mavs C Samuel Dalembert had 12 points on 6 of 7 field goals. 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