MLB - NEWS & NOTES

Cody Bellinger sets major league record with 21 home runs through first 51?games

Cody Bellinger boosted the Dodgers? lead from 1-0 to 4-0 with a three-run home run against Mets starter Zack Wheeler in the first inning. In doing so, he tied the major league record as the fastest to reach 20 home runs. Bellinger, Gary Sanchez (2016), and Wally Berger (1930) each needed 51 games. Bellinger set a new record in the second inning, belting a solo homer off of Wheeler to boost the Dodgers? lead to 7-0.

Bellinger didn?t make his major league debut until April 25. Still, Monday?s first-inning homer moved him into a tie with the Brewers? Eric Thames for the National League lead in home runs at 20. His second-inning blast moved him into the NL lead and tied him with Logan Morrison for second-most overall. Aaron Judge leads with 23.

Bellinger entered Monday?s action batting .261/.333/.628 with 43 RBI, 37 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 210 plate appearances. Pretty good numbers from a guy the Dodgers expected to send back to the minor leagues once their other outfielders got back to full health. (PHT)

 

^^ nice record but he has as a long way to go to 49.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/w...t-home-plate-collision-by-cubs-anthony-rizzo/

i thought collisions were banned? and how can you tag a runner out if you're not blocking the plate? im all confused as usual.

 

I agree with Andy Green... his catcher, under the new rules, should have been protected. Rizzo should have been suspended.

Personally, throw the new collision rules away and play ball!

The phantom play at second is a change I agree with, but blocking home plate is a baseball play that's been around forever, but the rule states that shouldn't have happened.

 

see i thought a catcher could not block the plate at all ? to me the catcher Austin Hedges was blocking the plate. And in the same breathe, a player cannot run over the catcher, so who was right here ? to it's way too confusing ?

 

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/k...zo-be-suspended-for-his-home-plate-collision/

^^ watch this angle. rizzo is guilty ! suspend him !

 

Legendary umpire West to ump 5,000th game

'Cowboy' to become just third to reach historic milestone...

 

Rizzo in my opinion went out of his way to bull over Hedges... he is also guilty of violating rule 7.13... I wonder what if anything MLB does to correct this. I think they just blew it and there's not much that can be done.

 

It's not confusing at all. The catcher has much more leeway under the new rule than the runner does. He can absolutely 100% block the plate when he is in possession of the ball (as Hedges was here). He can also block the plate if he is in the act of fielding a throw (umpire's call whether he is "legitimately in the act of fielding the throw"). He can even block the plate without the ball if in the umpire's estimation the runner could have avoided contact by sliding.

The runner, OTOH, is strictly forbidden from deviating from his path to the plate to initiate contact with the catcher as Rizzo did here. That was a perfect example of the kind of collisions that the rule was supposed to eliminate.

But the biggest problem is that the umps don't call the rule correctly. There's absolutely zero excuse under the rule for the umpire to have been waiting to see if Hedges held onto the ball before calling Rizzo out because the rule dictates he should've been out regardless.

The ump and Rizzo both deserve suspensions.

 

too bad he's the worst ump in MLB for many years now.

 

maybe not confusing but letting the ump decide if something was done legitimately or not is one ump's opinion vs another. i like things more defined and not up to the ump digression.

 

In the sense that they can't even call the clearly defined part of the rule correctly, I'm with you.

OTOH, basically every single pitch/play of every single game is subject to the umpire's opinion, so unless and until they go fully robotic, that's always going to be a huge part of the game.

 

last year explayer Eric Byrnes watched a automatic strike zone box call balls and strikes vs a live umpire for comparisons in a minor league game. i do think more robotics in some way are coming,.

 

how the hell are the phils going to get Stanton which would be at least 3 top picks and Yelich? No way!

 

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/yasiel-puig-admired-home-run-long-mets-cow-135229232.html

Puig pisses off Mets!

 

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nation...llpen-blowing-yet-another-lead-014715602.html

Guy takes a shot at the Nats bullpen in his obituary! wow. lol.

 

Rays acquire Adeiny Hechavarria from the?Marlins

The Rays have acquired shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria from the Marlins, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. The Marlins will receive minor league outfielder Braxton Lee and pitcher Ethan Clark. The Rays are expected to assume the remainder of Hechavarria?s $4.35 million salary for the 2017 season.

Hechavarria, 28, has only played in 20 games this season due to an oblique injury. He has mustered a meager .277/.288/.385 triple-slash line with four extra-base hits and six RBI across 67 plate appearances. He still plays decent defense, though, so that may be enough for him to take the everyday shortstop job in Tampa.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/charli...xpensive-babe-ruth-memorabilia-211323369.html

Charlie Sheen selling a Babe Ruth Championship WS Ring and the contract trading him for huge money. Record setting amounts!