New Rules For The Upcoming Season

[missionhockey21]

Major League makes first rules changes in 11 years

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Major League Baseball has imposed a first set of rule changes since 1996 to address certain situations affecting play and issue guidelines governing official scoring decisions.

Rules governing penalties for pitchers applying foreign substances to the ball, catches made by players approaching the dugout or stands and the suspension of games that are tied after five innings were among 25 amended by the nine-member Playing Rules Committee effective for the 2007 season on Friday.

Pitchers found to apply a foreign substance onto the ball will face immediate ejection and an automatic suspension. Previously an umpire would declare a pitch a ball, warn the pitcher and announce the violation.

The new punishment brings the rule more in line with the automatic 10-game suspension levied on any player found to have defaced the ball by rubbing it with soil, rosin, sandpaper or other such foreign substance.

Fielders will not be allowed to step into a dugout to catch a foul ball. They will be allowed to reach in but must have at least one foot on or over the playing surface.

Should they fall into either a dugout or into the stands after making a legal catch, all baserunners will be allowed to advance one base.

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[Hammer]

"Should they fall into either a dugout or into the stands after making a legal catch, all baserunners will be allowed to advance one base. "

thats pretty goddamn ridiculous, poor derek

[missionhockey21]

What is this, football now?

Fielders will not be allowed to step into a dugout to catch a foul ball. They will be allowed to reach in but must have at least one foot on or over the playing surface.

Those damn MLB players and their crazy momentum... you know when you start running and it's hard to stop on a dime while attempting to catch a baseball. There are going to be so many pissed off fans the next time a great (and once legal) catch is made that is affected by these new rules.

As for the new substance rule with pitchers, can we just dub this "The Kenny Rogers Rule"?

[Halladay_is_God]

no more Super Jeter now

[DravenX]

This is so stupid. Why are there too many stupid people on this planet? Who else wants to be an alien?

[realmofotalk]

So is the rosin bag now obsolete?

[Kingdom]

Someone must not like watching web gems.

[HollywoodLeo]

What is this, football now?

Those damn MLB players and their crazy momentum... you know when you start running and it's hard to stop on a dime while attempting to catch a baseball. There are going to be so many pissed off fans the next time a great (and once legal) catch is made that is affected by these new rules.

As for the new substance rule with pitchers, can we just dub this "The Kenny Rogers Rule"?

I forsee a bad injury or two if someone tries to comply with this rule...

[Molina00]

"Should they fall into either a dugout or into the stands after making a legal catch, all baserunners will be allowed to advance one base. "

thats pretty goddamn ridiculous, poor derek

I agree with you all. This is a rediculous and horrible rule. Who doesn't like seeing a player going all out diving into the stands to make the catch? And now they are going to be penalized for it. Might as well start telling perfectly healthy players to only give 70-80% on the field instead of all they have.

[love_that_reefer]

I agree with Mission about the tunring into the NFL. The rule changes has pussified football forever. The docroing a ball rule was needed, the others were not!!