Major League Baseball sent a mixed message to its middle infielders last week.
They adjusted sliding rules in an effort to minimize the kind of devastating injury that ended the 2015 season of the Pirates' Jung Ho Kang.
At the same time, they decided the long-standing "neighborhood" play at second base would now be reviewable. That means it's subject to the kind of nit-picking frame-by-frame replay that now occurs when a player pops up from his slide and loses contact with the base for a split second while the fielder is still applying a tag.
(Quick parenthetical aside: Those who say baseball never changes haven't been paying attention. They're making changes so quickly it seems like the rule book is now contained in a loose leaf binder).
Base runners are now not permitted to go after fielders in order to break up a double play. That's all well and good, but the biggest mistake on Kang's play was made by Kang. A fielder can't plant himself in the base path without being prepared for an unfavorable outcome.
Most pivot men on the double play either skip to the side or go airborne to avoid the inevitable collision. Those escapes have been the basis for thousands of AP "action" photos over the decades.
Kang stood there, his leg firmly in the way. That's why one of this spring's storylines is speculating on when Kang might return to the lineup.
The "neighborhood" play has been around forever and mostly guided by common sense. If a fielder has the ball and is close enough to the base, he gets the out call.
Now that could go to the replay center/pizza party at the mysterious video review center.
Infielders will have to put a premium on making sure they have possession of the ball and contact with the base. Getting within an inch or two won't do any more.
This will undoubtedly disrupt the flow of the play. Smart fielders will slow down, take the sure out at second, then get out of the way of the onrushing base runner.
Fielders who aren't as smart will try to get that out at second, then complete the double play. It's not hard to imagine some nasty collisions in the seconds it takes for that to unfold.
So middle infielders could still be limping off the field with assistance from trainers. They just may be doing it for different reasons.
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--STAY SEATED
Western Pennsylvania native and Arizona coach Sean Miller got in a little trouble for complaining about the trend of fans storming the court after their basketball team wins.
Miller probably went too far in suggesting that one of his players might punch the invaders, but his fundamental point was correct.
Fans have no business on the court or the field or ice or wherever the game is being played. Your grandmother was right when she said that someone is going to get hurt. The rush of bodies is a force that will swarm, and possibly injure someone seriously.
There's no reason why players, coaches and game officials should find themselves surrounded by fans. Assume that most of them are happy, but what about the guy who has a beef with a call that was made in the first half?
A ticket to the game corresponds to a seat in the stands. Stay there.
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--WHITHER PEDRO?
At this typing, spring training camps are open and free agent Pedro Alvarez still hasn't signed anywhere.
He was never the hottest ticket on the market, but a guy with his power history should draw some interest from someone, even if it's only a non-roster tryout invitation.
Are there offers and Alvarez and his agent are turning them down? Or has he inspired this much apathy among major league teams?
If the latter is the case, his future might be in Japan.
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