NEW YORK (AP) — A major league position player who scuffs or defaces a baseball would be ejected and receive an automatic 10-game suspension under changes approved Friday by the sport’s playing rules committee.

Previously, the penalty was to call the pitch a ball and warn the player. For pitchers, umpires have the discretion to issue only a warning if they determine the pitcher’s actions weren’t intended to alter the characteristics of a pitch.
As part of the first changes to baseball rules since 1996, the committee approved a recommendation from general managers to largely eliminate tie games.

Before this year, when an official game was called due to weather and the score was tied, the statistics counted and a new game was replayed from the start. Under the change, when a game is tied in the bottom of the fifth inning or later and is called because of weather, it will be suspended and resumed before the next scheduled game between the teams at the same ballpark.

If no more games remain between the teams at the same ballpark, it will be resumed when the teams meet at the visitor’s ballpark. If it is the final scheduled meeting between the teams, it will be replayed from the start if it is needed to determine a postseason berth.

Under another change, a player may no longer step into a dugout to catch a foul ball. He still will be allowed to reach into a dugout.

A batter running to first base also will be allowed to exit the 3-foot lane in foul territory “for the sole purpose of touching first base,” and a batter will lose the ability to run to first on a dropped third strike if he leaves the dirt circle around home plate unless he does so while trying to reach first base.

Previously, a player could run to first until he reached the dugout or his defensive position.

Another change is, a batter who hits an apparent game-ending home run with less than two outs would be allowed to circle the bases if a runner ahead of him doesn’t continue to home plate, thinking the game is over. If there are two outs when the play begins, however, the runner who abandons trying for home plate would be the third out and the home run would not count.

Another change allows pitchers to wear a multicolored glove if the umpire determines it isn’t distracting. And a pitcher in the stretch position instead of a windup with no runners on base no longer will have to come to a complete stop.

With no runners on, a pitcher will be required to pitch within 12 seconds, the timing starting when the pitcher is in possession of the ball and the batter is in the batter’s box, alert to the pitcher.

In addition, several changes were made to the scoring rules.

The center fielder form the Cincinnati Reds said he was wrestling with two sons and daughter last december. When his oldest son fell awkwardly on Griffey’s left hand and broke it according to fox sports. “It was nothing that could violate my contract,” he said Friday after reporting early for training camp. “It was Dad being Dad.”

Griffey has stated that his injury is healing quickly and he should be ready to play when spring training begins. Of course, the teams medical staff will make the final decision as to whether Griffey is ready to play, he is confident his injury wont be a problem. “It’s just getting stronger, that’s the biggest thing,” Griffey said. “I don’t have any loss of range of motion. It’s just a matter of getting everything stronger.”

I know this video doesn’t have anything to do with the Nationals but I just had to include it. The Arkansas player (at bat) first fakes getting hit by the pitch. Where he makes a very convincing display that he has been injured. He eventually gets over it. Then, after striking out, he throws a tantrum that gets him ejected from the game.

I’m glad he got ejected from the game, this sort of tom foolery shouldn’t be allowed in the game. Take a look at the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26axJdDKYWw

While this has been mostly a forgettable season for the Nationals, there have been plenty of highlights. Zimmerman has had a fantastic rookie season, Nick Johnson has played well overall, and the Kearns/Lopez trade was a success. But of course, Soriano stole the show- literally.

On Friday night, Soriano stole his 40th base, becoming the 4th man in MLB history to do so. He joins the likes of Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez, and Barry Bonds- and is arguably the most popular and likeable guy out of the bunch. He will be inducted into Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club on Thursday, which is an honor in itself. But most importantly, his jersey will hang in Cooperstown- a jersey that will celebrate his first and most likely last season in Washington.

One can only hope that this isn’t the last time that the Nationals see a 40/40 player, and one the likes of Soriano. And one hopes that the team will see more players of Soriano’s caliber sooner rather than later. Soriano has been one of the bright spots in an otherwise dull season, and it will be a shame to see him go.

I found this post over at the MLB message board and I thought it had made a few good points about how baseball has changed over the years…

The season was shorter. The big money wasn’t there and the players didn’t work as hard to stay in shape. The travel wasn’t nearly as exhausting.

The owners were as greedy, but didn’t realize how much they could get away with. The players on teams were mostly the same from one year to the next and as a result there was a hometown identity between the players and the fans.

The athletes were probably not as talented, but the level of overall talent on an individual team was probably higher. Fewer teams meant the talent wasn’t spread as thin. The game was at the forefront of sports, not second to football. Affordability led to crowds that drew from the working class, the middle class and the upper class in a truly democratic mix.

Games didn’t last an average of three a half to four hours and consequently were more interesting, as the commercial breaks were considerably shorter, there was more foul territory so innings didn’t last as long, and it was unheard of to stop the game to warm up a pitcher to pitch to one batter. Rain delays didn’t last several hours. If it was raining that hard the game was called.

Players mingled with the fans and signed autographs, mostly for kids, and the autographs were treasured for the memories they brought, not sold on eBay for hundreds of dollars. New York had no trouble supporting three teams within a subway ride of one another, Chicago and St. Louis, two teams, and nobody bought up the rival’s TV rights.

AND PERHAPS BEST OF ALL, TV broadcasts featured knowledgeable, talented announcers who focused on the game at hand (I realize now in the days of ESPN, this one is particularly hard to believe, but trust me, boys and girls, it’s true!).

The Nats seem to making some home game improvements to their stats. In their batting performance that is… Last year they were averaging 3.57 and are now up to 4.56. Unfortunately this improvement hasn’t revealed itself at away games which average 4.32 runs. So, unlike last year, the Nats appear to be taking advantage of their home game advantages unlike last year. Which is great news, hopefully we can continue to improve our averages both at home and away.

Most of this marked batting improvement can be attributed to a handful of the Nats batters. Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Zimmerman love playing in DC at RFK and their performance reflects that. Also, players like Vidro and Guillen seem to have grown more accustomed to the nuances of the field at RFK and are batting much higher at home than on the road. Nick Johnson has always been a reliable hitter, but this year he is showing a bit stronger in RFK than on the road.

It feels encouraging that these players are keeping hope alive for the Nationals and putting some points on the board but the Nats as a whole still have a lot of work to do in other areas of their performance.

The primary building contractor for the stadium, Clark Construction, has set up a website - http://dcballpark.com - where you can see news about the building progress but even better, you can see a live webcam of the actual building site. The site went on-line on June 15th and posts a still photo about every 15 minutes. So far, all the images are archived and available to view. We have also added Stadium News on Nats Chat.

I’m excited about the new stadium. I always loved RFK, going back to the old Senators days and the heyday of the Redskins (under George Allen). I was shocked, though to see how it has deteriorated since Fed-Ex Field opened. But we also realize that RFK really is behind the curve in terms of fan amenities - just ask any woman trying to use the “facilities”.

So for now, we’ll happily check out the daily progress on our brand new playhouse and dream of next year in Anacostia.

The Nats, after a lackluster start to the season, seem to have solved their opening woes. Usually a 12-inning affair, like the game with the Phillies on Friday night, would end in a Nats loss- but not anymore. The team has finally found its winning groove, despite pitching and hitting issues. The real question is, how long can this last? No one thought it would last up to this point, so there’s hope yet. Some are actually talking about playoff chances, but that’s pie-in-the-sky talk at this point. Remember last year? They were solidly in the playoff hunt until the second half of the season. Anything can happen, especially if Soriano gets traded by the July 31 deadline, which is likely. He told the Washington Times that he would not want to stay if Jim Bowden stays as the GM. Who can blame him? Soriano provides the offensive spark that the Nats need, and has proved to be a pretty decent left fielder as well. It will be a shame to see him go.

Meanwhile, at RFK, the Nats need to replace their awful stadium announcer. The guy is incompetent. A ten-year-old could do a better job of making the announcements. At opening day, he couldn’t give the names of some of the players on the field, just their numbers. Real helpful, thanks. At another game this season, he announced that “Vinny Castilla” was coming up to bat. The problem was, the Nats were playing the Pirates and it was Jose Castillo. At one of the games vs. the Dodgers, he announced that Derek Lowe, the “catcher,” was coming up to bat. The list goes on and on. Perhaps this is something that Lerner/Kasten can add to their list of RFK improvements.

Although Bowden said the team is “not under a time crunch,” he does feel they’re in need of a jumpstart and hopes a roster change will be just the spark to ignite a second half charge. 

Whatever the Nationals decide Bowden needs to figure out a solution quickly. And frankly calling up players from the minors may not be the best way to solve the teams woes. Ever since calling up Alex Escober from double-A Harrisburg he has made two trips to centerfield and struggled on both occasions. The Nationals are too afraid of cutting a potential star that they’re failing to develop a good farm system, problems dating back to their time in Montreal.

Unfortunately the Nationals are just a bad baseball team. Despite the success of Alfonso Soriano who has made himself at home in RFK stadium, he has no one to back him up. Early season hotshot Nick Johnson is in a 6-33 slump dropping his batting average under .300 and the owner, Stan Kasten is only concerned with a new stadium. 

Several weeks ago I was at RFK for a Sunday Night baseball game against the Braves that was televised nationally. For five dollars I got a seat four rows behind the dugouts against one of the historically best teams in the National league. Perhaps the Nationals should be more concerned with building a franchise than getting a new stadium since they can barely fill the one they already have.

Last year the Nationals were able to slide by with a mediocre record because of their hot start and fan-base. However, now in their second year fans are going to begin expecting results. Manager Frank Robinson needs to figure out way to fix his roster and allow for prospects to be called up. And owner Kasten needs to perhaps pump some of those millions into some pitchers who are still in their prime, not five years past like starter Livan Hernandez. Whatever the solution may be, the Washington Nationals are in trouble, and before anything, need to end their 7 game error streak.

WOW! Obviously pink bats, pink wristbands and pink ribbons suit the Nats. Of course a huge lapse of enthusiasm by Braves’ 1B LaRoche didn’t hurt. But I’d like to propose petitioning Bud Selig to let players use pink bats in ANY game. Our guys can use all the help they can get. Maybe the baseball muses felt they owed us one after last night’s heartbreaker.

And how about this Wiki Gonzalez? I’m looking forward to a speedy return of Brian Schneider but it’s nice to see the Nats have found a not-so- bad replacement for the short term.

The Nats have all day Monday to savor this lovely win as they travel to Chicago. My dad taught me how to score a baseball game at Wrigley Field and my granddaughter saw her first baseball game there. I have wonderful memories of the Cubs. But GO NATS!