MLB, MLBPA announce new pace-of-play and take-out slide rules

Although there were only a few rumors, it was widely believed MLB and the MLBPA were working this winter on rule modifications to further improve the pace-of-play and make take-out slides safer. On Thursday they announced exactly that. The full press release it right here. Here’s a quick breakdown.

Pace-of-Play Rules

Starting this season managers and pitching coaches will have only 30 seconds for mound visits. The distance from the dugout to the mound is not the same at all 30 ballparks — Bob Melvin in Oakland is screwed with all that foul territory — but I guess the league doesn’t care. I bet we’ll see pitchers meet the manager/pitching coach at the foul line so they can walk to the mound together and buy a little more time.

Also, MLB is cutting between-inning commercial breaks by 20 seconds this season. That’s surprised me. Those 20 seconds equal real advertising dollars. Anyway, teams now have two minutes and five seconds between half-innings for local broadcasts and two minutes and 25 seconds for national broadcasts going forward. They have to be ready to play once the little clock in the outfield hits zero.

Take-Out Slide Rules

With all due respect to Jung-Ho Kang, a take-out slide rule change was inevitable as soon as Chase Utley broke Ruben Tejada’s leg on national television during the NLDS. Under the new rules, the runner must attempt a “bonafide slide” when charging into second base, otherwise they will be called for interference. A “bonafide slide” occurs when the runner …

1. begins his slide (i.e., makes contact with the ground) before reaching the base;
2. is able and attempts to reach the base with his hand or foot;
3. is able and attempts to remain on the base (except home plate) after completion of the slide;
4. slides within reach of the base without changing his pathway for the purpose of initiating contact with a fielder.

The runner is still allowed to make contact with the infielder trying to turn the double play as long as he performs a “bonafide slide.” The runner can’t roll into the base and they can’t go out of the base path to break up the double play, even if there is no contact. If the runner violates the new rule, both he and the runner going to first are called out.

Neighborhood Plays

For the first time, neighborhood plays at second base will be reviewable. It’s amazingly contradictory MLB and the MLBPA agreed to make take-out sliders safer only to eliminate the neighborhood play, which is a way of making the double play pivot safer for infielders. They’re putting the infielders right in the path of the oncoming base-runner now. I mean, yeah, if you don’t touch the base it shouldn’t be an out, but I’m okay with non-egregious neighborhood plays. This is going to be “reviewing the play because the runner was off the base for a fraction of a second after a slide” level annoying.