Baseball commissioner Selig: No shortened Series games allowed (INDICT BUD SELIG)

The Canadian Press ^

[ml/nj]

PHILADELPHIA — Bud Selig was determined there wouldn't be a rain-shortened World Series game on his watch.

Selig met in the umpires' room with officials of both teams an hour before the start of Game 5 on Monday night and told them no matter how long it took, the game would not be cut short.

"I was not going to allow that to happen," he said, clutching a rule book in his left hand

[ml/nj]

At least I'm not the only one who gets it.

But it's worse than just a rule which favors one team, like allowing pro-football players to exhort their home crowd to make noise so the visitors cannot hear the QB calling signals. This was a "rule" unknown to people watching the game and probably made up after it started.

ML/NJ

[TaDiddy]

I’m not usually big on fair, but in this case letting the Phillies bat in the bottom of the inning would have been the right decision. Let both teams have an equal number of at-bats in the horrible conditions. As it is the Rays won’t have to contend with the same conditions that allowed them to score in the top of the inning.

[pepsi_junkie]

I agree with the rule probably being made up after the fact. If they had all agreed that whatever happened the game would be played out, why would anyone in their right minds want to play it out in those conditions? Certainly the Rays wouldnt, playing from behind and all. But they didnt protest; I beleive that's because they thought that ending the game would have given them a loss.

Baseball went astray when they made an owner the commissioner. Yeah, I know, he stepped away from his team but the concept of an independent overseer was dead from that point. And thus decisions which were based purely on what led to the biggest buck took over. Hence we saw a lost decade where players were all juiced up and nobody did a thing. I think the damage from that has yet to be played out because baseball is a game whose very lifeblood is its history and its statistics. Those are now corrupted. Thanks Selig.

[microgood]

He wasn't going to let the Series end with a rain shortened game.

No postseason game in baseball history has ever ended this way. Shortened games only happen during the regular season.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

I agree with you about thr world series. I’m paying it almost no attention at all. First time in my life I could say that and I’ve been watching baseball since 1969. To have to world series running into late october / early november is silly. If they’re gonna have 3 rounds of playoffs they need to start the playoffs earlier and they can’t schedule the playoff games around certain Fox tv shows. But I agree with playing the game in its entirity. You cant have abbreviatd games during the post season.

[nufsed]

And the series used to not be played the last week of October in the north east at night.

[RckyRaCoCo]

One would think (with modern forecasting, radar, etc.)they knew the weather was going to be crap and should have canceled it earlier in the day. I have not seen the ratings, nor watched most of the post season for that matter, but I have heard the ratings were pretty poor for the Series(the little elites didn't get THEIR teams in there).

For that reason and, perhaps, FOX just wanted/hoped to end it yesterday and give "his unholiness" undivided attention to the 30 minute "Sermon On The Mount"(Cyanide)tomorrow night.

[microgood]

And the series used to not be played the last week of October in the north east at night.

True, but I postseason games have been rained out before and the same rule applies. They have actually changed the rules several times and the latest is in 2006 which looks like there are no shortened games allowed even during the regular season:

c) A suspended game shall be resumed at the exact point of suspension of the original game. The completion of a suspended game is a continuation of the original game. The lineup and batting order of both teams shall be exactly the same as the lineup and batting order at the moment of suspension, subject to the rules governing substitution. Any player may be replaced by a player who had not been in the game prior to the suspension. No player removed before the suspension may be returned to the lineup. A player who was not with the club when the game was suspended may be used as a substitute, even if he has taken the place of a player no longer with the club who would not have been eligible because he had been removed from the lineup before the game was suspended.

[ml/nj]

I’ve been watching baseball since 1969

Just so you know, the first World Series Game I attended featured the most replayed play, to date, in sports history. The first regular season game I attended was Jansen out pitching Spahn at the Polo Grounds in August 1951. In 1969 I was at Shea when the Mets won the Series, and by that time I was smart enough to have saved my scorecard(s) and ticket stub.

ML/NJ

[nufsed]

When I worked the minor leagues we had the old 5 inning rule. Is that no longer in effect?

[Hegewisch Dupa]

He’s not baseball, Abner (yeah yeah, I know: ALEXANDER) - you want he make a rule over himself regarding his expectations? I love a good righteous indignation, but you’re so off base they throw directly to the second baseman to pick you off first.

[ml/nj]

but you’re so off base they throw directly to the second baseman to pick you off first

Let me guess: you're less than 30 years old, and have a public school education?

ML/NJ

[Hegewisch Dupa]

gotta admire your stick-to-it-ivness - you keep trotting out to the mound regardless how many Ls ya pick up

[microgood]

Actually, for regular season games your rule still applies because sections 3,4,5 and 6 apply during the regular season and not postseason. Here is the text:



(1) The visiting team has scored one or more runs to tie the score and the home team has not scored;

(2) The visiting team has scored one or more runs to take the lead and the home team has not tied the score or retaken the lead. National Association Leagues may also adopt the following rules for suspended games in addition to 4.11 (d) (1) & (2) above. (If adopted by a National Association League, Rule 4.10 (c) (d) & (e) would not apply to their games.):

(3) The game has not become a regulation game (4 1/2 innings with the home team ahead, or 5 innings with the visiting club ahead or tied).

(4) Any regulation game tied at the point play is stopped because of weather, curfew or other reason.

(5) If a game is suspended before it becomes a regulation game, and is continued prior to another regularly scheduled game, the regularly scheduled game will be limited to seven innings.

(6) If a game is suspended after it is a regulation game, and is continued prior to another regularly scheduled game, the regularly scheduled game will be a nine inning game.

EXCEPTION: The above sections (3), (4), (5) & (6) will not apply to the last scheduled game between the two teams during the championship season, or League Playoffs. Any suspended game not completed prior to the last scheduled game between the two teams during the championship season, will become a called game.

So, except for the last game of the season and the playoffs, the 5 inning rule applies and the game can be cancelled.

[Doc Savage]

First of all the game never should have been played. They knew the weather report, they knew that both Tuesday and Wednesday were complete write-offs due to weather. They also knew the forecast for Philadelphia for Thursday was bright sunshine and warmer temperatures. They should have moved the game to Thursday.

That being said, Selig is a 'self-appointed' stiff who had NO right to change the rules of the game of baseball. As it turned out the Rays saved his ass by tying the game.

That having been said, next year's WS is scheduled to conclude on or about November 7th which, by any stretch of the imagination, is complete and utter insanity. Since the teams don't want to rduce the number of games, and can't start the season any earlier than they already do, I suggest they schedule a number of double-headers - say 15-20- during the season so that the WS starts earlier and is played in better weather. Either that, or get rid of the stupid playoffs.

[big'ol_freeper]

especially when the Mets aren't involved

I don't think you need to worry about the post-season rules my friend....not for a long long time...

[editor-surveyor]

And you stutter too...

[devere]

In 104 years no world series game has ever been ended by the weather. Not a single game.

The commissioner and umpires have no obligation to end a delayed game. They could make everyone sit in their dugouts until weather conditions clear, for weeks if necessary. That would be fun to watch; sort of a baseball version of Luis Bunuel’s “Exterminating Angel”

Personally I would prefer if they got rid of the rainout rule entirely ( including in the regular season ), and play all suspended games to a finish.