The Atlanta Braves The Slide Rule And Reality

The Atlanta Braves The Slide Rule And Reality

There’s been a lot of discussion about the “new” slide rule and how it’s somehow unfair.  This morning Jeff wrote about the Nick Markakis slide and how poor Jose Bautista feels he was sliding within the context of the rule. Readers here will know how I feel about it but in the interest of clarity let’s look at the facts. In this case the facts are that there isn’t all that much new about the rule, it’s more about enforcement.

The New Rules

Every year MLB makes changes to the official rules, this year 20 changes were made many of them purely renumbering and format changes but a few have actual effect on the way the game is played and only one was actually new.  Briefly we see that:

• Rule 3.06 was amended to increase the measurement of a fielder’s glove to a maximum of 13 inches from top to bottom and Diagram #4 (Appendix 4) on page 156 was changed to reflect new maximum length of fielder’s glove.
• Rule 4.04(c) was amended regarding postponed games and “No Games.”
• Rules 5.04(b)(4)(A) and 5.04(b)(4)(B), the Batter’s Box Rule, was amended to include additional situations when the batter may legally step out of the batter’s box.
• 5.06(b)(3)(C) and 5.06(b)(3)(C) The comment was amended regarding a fielder stepping or falling into an out-of-play area
• Rule 5.08(b) was amended regarding game-ending plays.
• Rule 5.09(a)(1) The comment was amended to include that a fielder stepping into any out-of-play area will render the ball dead, and all runners shall be awarded one base.
• 5.09(b)(9),was amended concerning passing of runners, by adding Comment and Play.
• 5.09(c)(3) was amended regarding the batter-runner overrunning or over-sliding first base.
• 5.12(b)(6) was amended regarding a fielder stepping or falling into an out-of-play area after catching a fly ball.
• Rule 6.01(a)(1) was amended regarding interference by the batter-runner when he hinders the catcher attempting to field the ball after a third strike not caught.
• Added new Rule 6.01(j) regarding a runner sliding to bases on double-play attempts. Cross-references to this rule added to appropriate rules as necessary.
• 7.02(b)(4), 7.02(b)(4)(A), and 7.02(b)(4)(B), and 7.02(b)(5), and 7.02(b) The comment was amended regarding regulation, suspended, or tie games not completed prior to the last scheduled game between two Clubs
• The definitions of “Touch” and “Tag” following Rule 9.00, ‘The Rules of Scoring’ were amended and a new Comment to the definition of “Touch” was added.

The changes causing angst however regard the slide intended to “break up a double play.” Please note that nowhere in the above list taken from pages vi and vii of the 2016 version of  The Official Rules of Baseball is there a change to the definition of interference. That definition is important to understanding why in reality the rule change is merely a clarification of the already existing rule so let’s look at what constitutes interference.

Next: What is interference anyway