JAY DUNN: How Yankees manager Aaron Boone’s creative thinking led to new MLB rule

Yankees manager Aaron Boone joined an exclusive list last year.

To a degree, at least.

It isnt an official list.

Its my list my list of baseball geniuses such as John McGraw, Branch Rickey, Eddie Stankey and Gene Mauch.

All of these men changed the game of baseball with one or more innovations.

They came up with tactics or strategies that had always been readily available, but they were the first to think of them.

Their creations were soon copied by others and, in some cases, spawned adjustments to the rulebook.

Boones innovation isnt as momentous as some of the others, but it has already been copied by rival managers and caused a new rule to be hastily put in place for the upcoming season.

Perhaps too hastily well get to that in a moment.

Boones new strategy comes alive whenever there are runners at first and third with two out.

If a ground ball is hit to an infielder, he wants both runners to run hard to the next base.

No, that much isnt new.

Heres whats different.

He wants the runner headed for second to remain upright, rather than slide into the sack.

He wants him to approach the base with reckless abandon, even though that guarantees that after making contact with the bag he will overrun it.

Thats the whole idea.

If the defense attempts to make the third out at second base, that runner might be able to beat the play initially.

Thats good enough, even though hell eventually be tagged out and the inning will come to an end.

In that situation theres a huge difference between a force out and a tag play.

If a runner is forced at second for the final out of an inning, no run can score on the play.

Even if the runner on third crosses the plate before the out is secured, the run does not count.

But ...

If a hard-charging runner beats the play initially there is no longer a force play.

The runner wont be out until the defense tags him, and they wont do that before they figure out where he went.

By that time the runner on third should have reached the plate and the run counts.

Consequently, Major League Baseball has instructed the umpires to call the runner out for abandoning the base as soon as he overruns it.

Frankly, I dont think that will discourage anyone from utilizing the play.

Abandonment cannot be called until the runner has taken at least one stride beyond second base, and it is clear he is not attempting to run to third.

If his teammate is hustling, he ought to be able to score before the call is made at second.

If MLB really wants to take this play out of the game it will probably have to adopt a rule that an out for abandonment is the same as a force out and, if its the third out, nullifies any runs that have scored on the play.

*** There is another new rule in place this year, but it is entirely possible it will never be invoked.

It involves an illegal infield shift.

The rules for the shift are the same as last year.

When the ball is pitched there must be two infielders on each side of second base and they cannot be on the outfield grass.

What is new is the penalty for non-compliance.

Last year any pitch made with an infielder in an improper position was automatically called a ball, unless the batter put the ball in play and the offense elected to take the play rather than the penalty.

This year there will be no penalty at all unless the ball is put in play and the offending infielder is the first to touch it.

If that happens the batter will be awarded first base and all base runners will be permitted to advance one base.

If that call is ever rendered it could be a nightmare for the official scorer.

The fielder who is out of position will be charged with an error, but the batter will not be charged with a time at bat.

If runs score in the inning, the determination of which are earned and unearned is very complicated.

*** I think the most significant rules change is one that hasnt been made.

Not yet, anyway.

During spring training games batters and pitchers are being permitted to challenge ball-strike calls and demand an electronic review, which is rendered very promptly.

The rule applies only to spring training games and will not carry over into the regular season.

What a pity.

The system appears to work very well and lessens the chance that an inaccurate call will impact the game.

I would love to see MLB reverse itself and apply this system to call games immediately.

At the very least it needs to be adopted in time for the 2026 season.

A FEW SPRING TRAINING STATISTICS (Wednesdays games not included) : Kenta Maeda of the Tigers has struck out 19 batters and walked only one in four spring starts.

Nevertheless, his record is 0-2 and his ERA is 5.68 ...

Nationals infielder Nasim Nunez has a .450 batting average, but nine of his 10 hits have been singles.

However, he has also stolen six bases ...

The Mets team ERA (3.62) is the second best among the 30 clubs, but its a very distant second.

The Braves are first with 2.96.

Interestingly, neither club has a winning record ...

Journeyman Trayce Thompson is making a splash with the Red Sox.

Not only is he batting .375.

but six of his nine hits have been home runs.

Two others have been doubles ...

Whatever happened to the Go-Go Sox of yesteryear? This years White Sox are a mere 6-for-11 in stolen base attempts ...

After missing almost two seasons with injuries, Antonio Senzatela of the Rockies seems to be mounting a strong comeback.

He has allowed only four hits in 12 innings and sports an ERA of 0.50.

Former Hall of Fame voter Jay Dunn has written baseball for The Trentonian for 57 years.

Contact him at [email protected].

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