Washington

Perspective | The writing’s on the wall for baseball’s unwritten rules

Published

3 years ago

April 23, 2022

Perspective | The writing’s on the wall for baseball’s unwritten rules

Dave Martinez gave the impression to be lamenting the tip of one thing sacred. There have been no clouds contained in the Washington Nationals’ media room Saturday afternoon, so Martinez wasn’t yelling at them. He didn’t take a sip of prune juice earlier than beginning a again in my day rant and by no means warned fellow supervisor Gabe Kapler and the San Francisco Giants to get off his garden.

However when he was requested for his ideas about competing in baseball, Martinez ended with one thing that seemed like matter-of-fact resignation. The large leagues now not totally resemble the sport that he broke into a long time in the past, when Martinez was praised by mentor Joe Maddon for taking part in the fitting means.

“I’ve been doing this for a really very long time, however the sport’s modified. So clearly [the Giants] do issues otherwise,” Martinez mentioned.

He was referring to the way in which San Francisco not too long ago flaunted baseball’s unstated guidelines. Sigh, these guidelines.

Subsequent to grandpa’s hooch and a Bing Crosby report relaxation the leather-bound volumes of baseball’s imaginary guidelines: hit a house run, then run robotically across the bases. In case your staff is up massive late within the sport and also you get a pitch to hit on a 3-0 depend, you higher hold that bat in your shoulder. And as a further article to that final rule, as soon as the lead swells previous the eighth inning, simply cease competing all collectively.

Nationals shake issues up, however offense nonetheless seems rattled as Giants roll

The unusual factor about these books that govern a sport so rigidly and may fill cabinets upon cabinets? The pages are clean. Nobody has taken the time to jot down down these guidelines. If you realize, you realize. And but if groups or gamers resolve to play by their very own guidelines — because the Giants did within the ninth inning Friday night time when infielder Thairo Estrada aggressively tried so as to add one other run to their 7-1 lead — the offended events have the fitting to fuss and howl and act as if they only dissed their mama.

That individual rule is someplace within the empty ebook, too.

Martinez is aware of the sport is altering. However as a result of these guidelines stay on, it’s not altering shortly sufficient. At the same time as baseball tries to faucet one foot in 2022 by advertising and marketing shape-shifting stars corresponding to Shohei Ohtani or future MVPs corresponding to Juan Soto, the sport has firmly planted the opposite within the ’90s — the Eighteen Nineties.

Ever watch ballplayers earlier than a sport? Past the ropes and seemingly a fantasy world away, their leisure is enviable. They by no means look to be in a rush. They take it straightforward and carry out the identical warmup routines they as soon as did as Kiwanis membership little leaguers. They make boredom look wonderful.

But through the precise sport, underneath the heat of a lazy and brilliant solar, these boys of summer season can typically develop uptight, chaining themselves to final century’s guidelines and sapping the fun out of competitors.

For all his years within the majors, Alcides Escobar is taken into account a veteran infielder. However in actual life, he’s simply 35 years previous. He ought to by no means be confused with a grumpy previous man, however there he was Friday night time yelling towards the Giants’ dugout after Estrada tried to play the sport till the ultimate out. Estrada was thrown out, which ought to have been justice sufficient, however that didn’t appease Escobar. He needed to defend the principles.

After the sport, Martinez shared solely terse phrases about Estrada’s frisky play. However by the following morning, with tempers cooled down, he defined his philosophy on taking part in with an enormous lead late within the sport.

Some MLB broadcasters nonetheless aren’t again within the highway, and viewers are noticing

“We gained’t attempt to run up the rating. I’ll simply say that. I don’t actually consider in that. However you realize, it’s not a rule. All of us perceive that. However the guys that performed the sport lengthy sufficient — and I do know their veteran gamers [over] there very properly; I respect them rather a lot,” Martinez mentioned as a smile sneaked by. “You may wish to ask them about it.”

5 years in the past, when Martinez buttoned up a Nationals jersey over a costume shirt and crimson necktie as the brand new supervisor, he was hailed for his old-school mentality. He even name-dropped the old-timers he realized from, taking pleasure in these classes.

“I had some actually good lecturers again then,” Martinez mentioned in 2017. “I realized how one can play the sport the fitting means.”

These lecturers in all probability gave him his tattered opus of the principles. However nowhere in that ebook does it inform a baseball staff to cease hitting in any respect prices as a result of the Nationals positive didn’t accomplish that throughout their July 2018 rout of the New York Mets. They gained a laugher, 25-4, and didn’t pity the Mets when infielder Jose Reyes took the mound. As a substitute they confirmed respect: When Reyes threw massive, fats juicy steaks over the plate, the Nats ate. When an expert is on the mound, you don’t deal with him like junior varsity reject. You retain hitting.

Additionally, the ebook of unwritten guidelines says nothing of the type that comebacks ought to be off limits.

Whereas a comeback just like the Nationals wanted Friday not often occurs, when it does, the achievement is usually a historic footnote inside a championship season. Nobody who was round Nationals Park on Sept. 3, 2019, will ever overlook that night time, when Washington scored seven runs within the ninth to beat the New York Mets, 11-10. Possibly the Mets ought to have stored piling on within the high of that body to maintain the Nationals from making the largest comeback within the ninth inning or later in franchise historical past. Or possibly they have been too busy following the principles.

There was no magic like that right here for the Nationals on Saturday when the Giants took the second sport of the collection, 5-2. The ultimate rating was smart, so fortunately, no guidelines have been damaged. As a substitute, 1000’s of followers confirmed up, allowed themselves to be drenched by the solar, chilled out and had fun cheering on their 6-11 baseball staff.

Absolutely, for a lot of of these followers who fell in love with the sport once they have been youngsters, the attract of baseball is usually a wink and nod towards an easier period. However for these of us within the bleachers who’ve advanced and hold ready on progress, baseball stays stunted by the governance of guidelines that make little sense.

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Washington

New law: Maryland highway safety change in effect Jan. 1

Published

7 hours ago

December 31, 2024

Press Room

New law: Maryland highway safety change in effect Jan. 1

If you speed in a Maryland highway work zone, be prepared to pay a hefty fine.
A new tiered system of fines will go into place Jan. 1, and drivers could pay as much as $1,000.

Maryland lawmakers passed the Road Worker Protection Act after a driver crashed into a construction zone in Baltimore County in 2023, killing six workers.

“The speeding has got to stop,” said John Seng, who chairs Safe Roads Maryland

That’s what lawmakers are hoping will happen. The new tiered system of fines will be based on how much the driver exceeds the speed limit.

For example, if you’re going between 12 and 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, the fine will be $60. Fines get progressively higher from there — for super speeders going 40 or more over the limit, the fine is $500, if workers are present, it’ll cost you a grand.

“When it’s a work construction zone with a concentration of people simply trying to do their jobs, it sends the message to people that, again, enough is enough,” Seng said. “Well, you pay and you’re going to pay until you slow down.”

The law also requires signs and blue flashing lights when workers are present so drivers will have plenty of warning the work zone is ahead.

“We want everyone to travel safely through our work zones,” said Teri Soos of the State Highway Administration. “Travel at a safe speed, move over when possible and really pay attention to those barrels and those lights and those signs.”

The new law also allows for more cameras in larger work zones and better camera technology to detect speeders.

Advocates say the point is to slow drivers down, but if they won’t, they’re hoping the fines will encourage them to let off the gas.

Last year, nearly 336,000 citations were issued for work zone speed camera violations in Maryland.

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Washington

The Atlantic snags Washington Post staffers as it prepares to 'rigorously' cover Trump

Published

16 hours ago

December 31, 2024

Press Room

The Atlantic snags Washington Post staffers as it prepares to 'rigorously' cover Trump

Progressive outlet The Atlantic has snagged some of The Washington Post’s top political journalists ahead of the new year.

According to a new report from The New York Times, the outlet is looking to boost its political coverage for the second Trump presidency.

The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, told The Times, “We want to cover the incoming administration rigorously. I want to build our team with the best political reporters and editors I can find.”

WAPO STAFFER UNSURE PAPER CAN RECOVER AS BEZOS-OWNED OUTLET SHEDS 250,000 SUBSCRIBERS OVER ENDORSEMENT FIASCO

The Washington Post is losing some of its top political writers to rival liberal outlet, The Atlantic. (Oliver Contreras/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The outlet’s political expansion made waves after it recently snagged two prominent Washington Post reporters for its own roster – The Post’s senior national political correspondent Ashley Parker and national political reporter Michael Scherer.

The Times mentioned that the two prominent journalists will “join a formidable political team at The Atlantic that includes Elaina Plott Calabro, McKay Coppins and Mark Leibovich.”

The outlet wants to hire “roughly a dozen new reporters and editors to beef up its politics coverage,” The Times wrote, citing an Atlantic spokesperson.

The Atlantic is in talks to hire even more Washington Post reporters soon, the outlet said, citing sources familiar with the discussions. It also hired Washington Post national security reporter Shane Harris earlier this year.

The hiring spree comes after a year of success and growth for the liberal publication. The Atlantic announced that it had surpassed one million subscribers earlier this year and has since added over 100,000 more.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

The Atlantic is looking to hire political journalists from rival outlets to cover the second Trump administration. ((AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File))

Billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs, has a controlling interest in The Atlantic through her ownership of Emerson Collective. She is also a Democratic megadonor and close friends with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Meanwhile, The Post has endured a year of turmoil.

Executive editor Sally Buzbee left the outlet in June in a surprise move that was followed by a newsroom restructuring that insiders have described as “head-spinning” and “poorly handled.”

This all happened as financial woes continued to plague The Washington Post, which has struggled to remain profitable in recent years. The paper lost over $70 million and half of its audience in 2023.

The paper is on track to lose $77 million in 2024.

Just before the election, The Post lost 250,000 paid subscribers, multiple editorial board members and editor-at-large Robert Kagan after owner Jeff Bezos prevented the paper from endorsing a 2024 presidential candidate. The paper was set to endorse Harris before Bezos intervened.

The Washington Post did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.

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Washington

Louisville vs. Washington: Predictions, odds and how to watch the Sun Bowl

Published

1 day ago

December 31, 2024

Press Room

Louisville vs. Washington: Predictions, odds and how to watch the Sun Bowl

The college football bowl season continues on New Year’s Eve with the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl featuring the Louisville Cardinals facing off against the Washington Huskies.

The Cardinals, who finished the regular season with an 8-4 record and placed fourth in the ACC standings, are on a mission to redeem themselves after a disappointing performance in last year’s Holiday Bowl against USC. Their quarterback, Tyler Shough, leads the offense and was one of three recipients of college football’s Comeback Player of the Year Award, having bounced back from injury to throw for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns this season.

Under the guidance of first-year coach Jedd Fisch, the Huskies have embarked on a new journey, finding themselves in a different postseason bowl after reaching the national championship game last season. Washington will now look to freshman quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to lead the offense. In the few games he played, he achieved an impressive 76.6% completion rate, throwing for 570 yards and four touchdowns. Williams Jr. is supported by a solid running back, Jonah Coleman, who recorded 1,011 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of kickoff for the Sun Bowl.

Sun Bowl predictions: Louisville vs. Washington

USA TODAY Sports: Majority pick Louisville

Scooby Axson: Louisville
Jordan Mendoza: Louisville
Paul Myerberg: Washington
Erick Smith: Louisville
Eddie Timanus: Louisville
Dan Wolken: Washington

ESPN: Louisville 33, Washington 24

Adam Rittenberg writes: “Louisville certainly wants to avoid a repeat of the 2023 Holiday Bowl, when it allowed 42 points, 372 passing yards and six touchdowns to USC and Miller Moss. The Cardinals certainly could have contended for the ACC title and a potential CFP spot this season, and boast a nice young core with running backs Isaac Brown and Duke Watson. Washington has an eye toward the future after a predictably rocky first season under coach Jedd Fisch. The good news is running back Jonah Coleman will return, and promising quarterback Demond Williams Jr. will get another chance for valuable experience. Other than the Stanford debacle, Louisville played very well down the stretch and should have enough offense to handle Washington.”

College Football Network: Washington 27, Louisville 20

Staff writes: “Washington isn’t facing the same issue, but it will turn the keys of the offense over to true freshman Demon Williams Jr., who has shown flashes in spurts throughout the season. While typically, you wouldn’t want to put money on a true freshman, Williams has the dual-threat ability to mitigate processing issues under center. Would you rather bet on Louisville’s backup redshirt freshman Pierce Clarkson, who has appeared in just two games this year, completing 3 of 4 passes for 11 yards? I expect Williams and Co. to put up enough points to leave the Sun Bowl with a dub over the short-handed Cardinals.”

Tickets to the Sun Bowl with StubHub

Sun Bowl odds, lines: Louisville vs. Washington

The Louisville Cardinals are favorites to defeat the Washington Huskies, according to the BetMGM college football odds.

Odds as of Friday, Dec. 20 afternoon.

Spread: Louisville (-2.5)
Moneylines: Louisville (-140); Washington (+120)
Over/under: 49.5

How to watch Louisville vs. Washington in the Sun Bowl

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 31
Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Stream: Fubo
Where: Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas)

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