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Originally posted by PASig:
Another record for the Phillies

The Phillies have now set the all-time record for strikeouts in a World Series with 71. The previous record was 70 by the 2020 Rays and 2001 Diamondbacks.

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HOUSTON, Texas -- The MLBPA announced Justin Verlander, Mychal Givens, Tommy Pham and Jordan Lyles resolved options in their contract and are now free agents.

Verlander opted out of the last year of his deal with the Houston Astros, which was due to pay him $25 million in 2023. The 39-year-old righty had one of the best seasons of his career in 2022, posting a 1.75 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP, striking out 185 batters in 175 innings over 28 starts for the World Champion Astros. His strong campaign made him a finalist for the Cy Young Award, which will be announced next Wednesday.

The decision to opt out immediately makes Verlander one of the best free-agent pitchers.

Givens hits the market after the Mets declined their end of a mutual option, a decision previously announced by Mets general manager Billy Eppler. Givens will collect a $1.25 million buyout and head into a free-agency. New York acquired Givens at the trade deadline from the Cubs, who signed him to a one-year, $5 million contract in the offseason. Givens had a strong first half with Chicago, posting a 2.26 ERA in 40 2/3 innings but struggled in Queens, with a 4.79 ERA in 20 2/3 innings for the Mets.

For Pham, the Red Sox declined their end of a $12 million mutual option for 2023, giving the outfielder a $1.5 million buyout and sending him into free-agency. Boston traded for Pham at the trade deadline, acquiring the 34-year-old outfielder from the Cincinnati Reds. In 622 plate appearances between the Red Sox and Reds, Pham hit .236/.312/.374.

Lyles becomes a free-agent after the Orioles declined the righty's $11 million club option for 2023, triggering a $1 million buyout. Baltimore signed Lyles to a one-year, $7 million contract in 2022 and in 32 starts, the righty posted a 4.42 ERA with 144 strikeouts in 179 innings, the most on the team.

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The 2023 Major League Baseball season brings a wave of rules changes collectively aimed at improving the game’s pace of play and increasing action on the field.

The arrival of the pitch timer, restrictions on defensive shifts and bigger bases makes for one of the more ambitious adaptations to the rule book in the modern era.

So here’s a handy guide to understanding the new rules and why they are being implemented.

What are the new rules?
There are three, and we’ll break them down in detailed sections below.

1. Pitch timer: The length of games will still be determined by innings, not minutes. But to create a crisper pace, there will be a 30-second timer between batters and then a shorter time limit between pitches. Pitchers will be required to begin their motion 15 seconds after receiving the ball with the bases empty or 20 seconds after receiving the ball with runners on base. If they don’t, they will be charged with an automatic ball.

Pitchers will also be limited to two disengagements from the mound (i.e. pickoff attempts or step-offs) per plate appearance with a runner on first. The disengagements reset the clock.

Batters, meanwhile, must be in the batter’s box and alert to the pitcher by the 8-second mark on the clock, or else be charged with an automatic strike.

2. Shift restrictions: The defensive team must have a minimum of four players on the infield, with at least two infielders completely on either side of second base. These restrictions are intended to increase the batting average on balls in play, and allow infielders to better showcase their athleticism with great defensive plays.

3. Bigger bases: First, second and third have been expanded from 15 inches on each side to 18 inches on each side, while home plate remains unchanged. The primary reason why the bases are bigger is safety, giving fielders and runners more room to operate without colliding. But the slightly decreased distance between bases could help runners on stolen-base attempts and bang-bang plays.

When do the new rules go into effect?
They will be in effect for all of Spring Training to provide an adjustment period before Opening Day of the 2023 season. Umpires have been instructed to begin calling violations with no grace period.

Will they also be enforced during the postseason?
Yes.

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Originally posted by nhracecraft:
ALL of that is, or in the case of the shift, was part of the game. The Batter can 'ask' for time, but the Umpire is NOT obligated to call time...Just Sayin'

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Originally posted by nhracecraft:
Baseball is not only a game of skill, but a game of confidence...As a coach, it's clear that provided the requisite player talent/skill exists, it's basically 95% confidence! The ritual in the batters box, asking for time, the shift, waving off signs by the pitcher, the high inside strike, etc are ALL components of the chess game component of Baseball. They are designed to either interrupt the rhythm of the opposing player (pitcher or batter), or boost their comfort level in order to execute on a particular play/at-bat. All of this affects confidence, positively or negatively, therefore potentially influencing the outcome of the game.

IMO bigger bases and restricting the shift is just plain STUPID...

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Originally posted by nhracecraft:
Man, if Batters would just punch one through the uncovered part of the infield on a semi-regular basis, or 'could' bunt, such that it was a actual threat, the shift would be a non-issue. The problem is that 90% of the time, the Batter hits into the Shift...And so defensively, the Shift works!