Ineligible Man Downfield: MLB's extra-innings rule isn't good, but it's what we've got
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Embrace the weird
Cleveland right handler Mike Clevinger understandably has strong feelings about Major League baseball’s extra-innings rules for the 60 game season.
“This isn't travel ball,” he said after his club lost to the Royals 3-2 over the weekend in the 10th inning. “You know how hard it is to get a runner on second base off the back end of any bullpen, how incredibly hard that is? I'm not happy about it. I'm sure when other teams face the situation and this happens to them, you're going to get similar reactions.” Clevinger later expressed his opinion again on Twitter:
In a normal year, Clevinger would be 100% right. Tinkering with the game can work and make it better. But something about giving teams an advantage like that simply to speed up the game feels wrong. Thankfully, it won’t be in effect for the playoffs.
But this is not a typical season. This is not a 162-game marathon stretched out over spring, summer and fall. This is a 60-game sprint, where teams are trying to complete a season as safely as possible amid a pandemic. (The safety thing isn’t going so great.)
Safety is why the extra-innings rule is in effect in the first place, as MLB.com’s Anthony Castronvince pointed out. The idea behind the rule is to end games quickly if they hit extra-innings, thus limiting the need for teams to pull in relievers who aren’t with the core team and could potentially bring the coronavirus in with them. Remember: MLB isn’t doing a bubble. Its return is modeled after Germany’s Bundesliga, which completed its season earlier this summer and withstood positive tests during the restart to complete the season.
Every sport that has returned — be it the UFC with no fans, the NBA and WNBA in their respective bubbles, mascots roaming around empty stadiums, etc. — has its quirks. Better to embrace those quirks than the alternative. — Chris Manning
ICYMI
Browns veterans reported to camp Tuesday
Training camp will be televised
The organization wants fans at games
The Browns’ coronavirus plan has been approved by the NFLPA
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The rotation is really, really good
Francisco Lindor got his first home run of the season
A plan for the Cavs, other non-bubble teams to practice and scrimmage is in the works
Terry Francona held another team meeting to emphasis coronavirus safety
A small bit of KPJ love from Zach Lowe
The Kluber trade isn’t working for either team
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Self plug alert: A new series at Fear the Sword goes deep into the Cavs’ various needs
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Chris Manning: Site Manager at Fear the Sword, co-host of the Locked on Cavs podcast, words at places like Cleveland Magazine and Forbes. On Twitter @cwmwrites
Jordan Zirm: Social editor at @TheCheckdown. Formerly of ESPN Cleveland. Words at B/R, SB Nation and UPROXX. On Twitter @clevezirm