Rangers notes: MLB picks up the pace with more rules changes – Fort Worth Star Telegram
Major League Baseball continued its race against time Friday, announcing additions to its pace-of-the-game program and several modifications to the instant replay system.
Players breaking the rules will be subject to warnings and a fine system, including discipline for flagrant violators.
Fines won’t begin until May, giving players and umpires spring training and the month of April to get used to the timing changes.
Among the updates to the pace of play is a stricter enforcement of the batter’s box rule, which requires that all batters keep at least one foot in the box unless an exception occurs.
Exceptions include swinging, foul balls, foul tips, brush-back pitches, time granted by umpires and wild pitches. It’s the same rule that was in play in the minors in 2014.
Additionally, official timekeepers will measure nongame action and break time between innings and pitching changes. One clock will be installed near the outfield scoreboard and a smaller clock will be installed on the facade behind home plate near the press box.
After the third out of each half-inning, the timer will count down from 2:25 for locally televised games and 2:45 for nationally televised games. An MLB representative attending each game will operate the timers and track violations.
Among the changes to replay include managers now being able to challenge a call from the dugout. To challenge an inning-ending call, however, managers are required to leave the dugout immediately in order to hold the defensive team on the field.
Other changes include:
▪ Reviewing whether a runner left base early on a tag-up play.
▪ Managers now retain their challenge after each call that is overturned.
▪ Postseason games, regular-season tiebreaker games and the All-Star Game now include two challenges for managers.
Feliz feeling frisky
Neftali Feliz isn’t lacking for confidence, which is a significant turnaround from where he was at this time a year ago.
The right-hander said Friday, as Texas Rangers pitchers and catchers reported for spring training, that he is the undisputed closer, that he will have the job at the end of camp and that he will save 40 to 50 games in 2015.
If so, the Rangers will have one less worry about their bullpen. If so, the Rangers could very well be a contender. But as is always the case with Feliz, he will have to prove it.
At least he looked the part of the closer last season when he saved 13 games down the stretch and flashed his trademark upper-90s velocity. It wasn’t that way last spring, when his velocity was down, his arm was tired and he was optioned to Triple A Round Rock.
“I’m more confident and my arm feels much better,” said Feliz, whose recovery from Tommy John surgery in 2012 lingered into last season. “I’m 100 percent ready to go, and I’m going to keep working hard and get ready to go for the season.”
The Rangers believe they have a fall-back option if Feliz falters, though fellow righty Tanner Scheppers is coming off an elbow injury after a failed experience as a starter last season.
But Feliz, who was pushed by a personal trainer in the off-season, said there will be no need for Plan B. He is the Rangers’ closer.
“One hundred percent,” he proclaimed.
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