08-17-2016, 09:23 AM
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Major league teams will each have at least five games this spring where managers can challenge plays as part of the major expansion of instant replay which begins this season. Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez is looking forward to getting acquainted with it. "Those five games that we have the actual television, Im challenging everything just to get a feel for it," he said. "Im sure that the umpires will appreciate that." Gonzalez, Houston manager Bo Porter, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus and Nationals manager Matt Williams met with MLB executives Joe Torre and Tony La Russa for almost three hours Friday to go over the replay rules. The new rules allow each manager to challenge one call a game. If he wins the first one, hell earn another challenge. The crew chief can request a review after the seventh inning if the manager has used his challenges. Baseball has been reluctant to use replay and became the last major professional sport in North America to implement it late in the 2008 season. But it was very narrowly used — only close home runs could be reviewed. Now almost every call can be contested, with the exception of ball-and-strikes and checked swings. They also wont allow reviews of what is known as the "neighbourhood play" at second base on potential double plays. Gonzalez and Porter both acknowledged that the meeting was rather long, but they didnt mind. "Its historic for our sport," Gonzalez said. "Its never been done so we want to do it right." Porter agreed and said he left the meeting feeling very comfortable with the rules. "It was necessary," he said. "I thought that they did a tremendous job of putting the information together and giving us scenarios. It was long, but it was very much needed and very beneficial at the same time." The reviews during the regular season will be done by current MLB umpires at the replay centre in MLB.coms office in New York. Gonzalez said there will be eight umpires who will each be responsible for two games at a time. And as for people who worry that this will further slow a game that some people complain already takes too long, Gonzalez doesnt believe that will be the case. "As soon as they see something going on, they can go right to that play," he said. "They feel like theyll have an answer when the umpire comes to the headphones ... and theres no delay." Concerns about managers using replay challenges to buy time to warm-up a pitcher are probably unwarranted, Ausmus said. "It doesnt sound like theres going to be a lot of time," he said. The manager or other team officials in the dugout can talk with someone in the clubhouse watching a live feed of the game with replays available to help determine if the manager should challenge a call. Porter said he and his staff will work on how theyll decide whether to challenge plays all spring, not just in the games where instant replay is used. "Its more of getting into the practice and getting into the language you want to have transmitted during a close play and I think we can simulate it this spring," he said. Though hes certainly going to prepare to use instant replay, Gonzalez is not too sure how much hell actually use it in the season. "If you believe the numbers that they throw at you, we may go four or five games without even throwing a challenge," he said. "I believe, without having any kind of numbers behind it that this is going to show how good our major league umpires are." ST. LOUIS -- A.J. Burnett had a special fan watching him pitch for the first time Friday night and he wanted to impress. He did. Burnett scattered seven hits for his first complete game of the year and the Philadelphia Phillies won their season-high fifth in a row, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1. "It the first time in my career my grandmother has seen me pitch," Burnett said. "It was extra special. She came up from Little Rock, Arkansas, with my mom and brother. It was awesome. She saw a good game." "Im giving her the game ball," he said. The Phillies winning streak has come on the road. They have won nine of 11 overall. "Everybody is feeding off one another and its clicking," Burnett said. "Were having fun." St. Louis has dropped three in a row after winning five straight. "Were trying real hard," said Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who had two hits. "But were facing good pitchers. A.J. threw a good game, kept us off balance." Burnett (5-6) threw 111 pitches to earn his 24th complete game. He struck out three, walked one and hit two batters. "Complete games dont happen very often," Burnett said. "I got quick outs, groundball outs. I threw my changeup a lot. I bet I threw 20-plus tonight. It was one of the days when the hook wasnt there. Normally, we keep pounding the hook trying to get it, but the changeup was effective. That pitch helped more than anything." That was the key, Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg said. "He had command of three pitches and he seemed to really pound the zone," Sandberg said. "When we gave him the lead, he really held his stuff. He still had good stuff in the ninth inning. He did a lot of things to help himself win the game." That included his bat. Burnett, who came into the season as a career .110 hitter, contributed an RBI double and scored. The ball bounced on the track in front of the 400-foot mark. "With the infield in, Ive got hit it in the air, right?" Burnett said with a laugh. "I put a pretty good swing on it thought. Thats all I got, though. If that ball doesnt leave, its not going to leave at all." Marlon Byrd homered and John Mayberry Jr. added two hits and scored twice. Jimmy Rollins drove in two runs and extended his hitting streak to 14 games with two hits.dddddddddddd Jaime Garcia (3-1) pitched into the sixth inning, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks. He lost his third start in a row to the Phillies. "He pitched close enough to give us a chance," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "He had good movement, he just got hit a couple of times." The game began after a 50-minute rain delay. St. Louis took a 1-0 lead in the third when Matt Carpenter was hit by a pitch with two outs and later scored on a single by Matt Holliday. The Phillies scored twice in the fifth and three more in the sixth. Mayberry, Burnett and Rollins doubled in the fifth. Burnett drove in his first run of the season and Rollins stretched his longest hitting streak since a 14-game run in 2007. "Any way I can help," Burnett said. "Whatever it takes." The Phillies chased Garcia in the sixth. Byrd led off with a homer. After Domonic Brown doubled, Seth Maness relieved. Mayberry hit an RBI single and scored on Rollins sacrifice fly. NOTES: The Cardinals did not take batting practice before the game. ... The Phillies activated 3B Cody Asche (left hamstring) from the 15-day disabled list and put 3B Reid Brignac on the DL with a sprained left ankle. Brignac hurt his ankle in a play at first base Thursday when he tried to beat pitcher Shelby Miller to the bag. Asche grew up in nearby St. Charles County and played for the first time at Busch Stadium. ... Cardinals P Kevin Siegrist (strained left forearm) played long toss from 120 feet. He has not pitched since May 23. He said he might throw bullpen session Sunday. ... Cards GM John Mozeliak said P Trevor Megill, the Cardinals third-round pick in the amateur draft, has opted to return to Loyola Marymount for his senior season. Mozeliak said the team no longer will scout Megill, adding that Megill wanted more than the designated slot value of $504,400. ... Mozeliak said P Joe Kelly will have a "rigorous bullpen" Sunday and then a "baseball decision" will made about when Kelly might begin a rehab assignment. ... Rosemary Depler, of Peoria, Illinois, celebrated her 101st birthday by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. ' ' ' NFL,NHL,NBA,MLB,soccer,NCAA jerseys Wholesale
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