Marlins bench coach Carlos Tosca thinks it’s a good rule. He just wished he would have known about it a little sooner.

 

Tuesday against the Braves in Lake Buena Vista, first base umpire Joe West cited Josh Johnson for two balks. A ball was added to the count on both occasions. Apparently, Major League Baseball implemented some rule changes and didn’t bother to inform the Marlins.

 

Before, a pitcher could go to his mouth then directly to the ball when NOT standing on the mound. Now, a pitcher can still go to his mouth, but he has to wipe off his hand before rubbing down the ball. Johnson was lost.

 

“The first time he said, ‘You can’t do that,’� Johnson said. “I thought I went straight to my mouth on the mound, so I said, ‘OK.’ Then he started yelling at me the second time I did it. He said, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ I said, ‘Wait a minute, what are you talking about here?’ He said you can’t go from your mouth straight to the ball anymore.�

 

The second time, Tosca emerged from the dugout. He oversaw the club in Lake Buena Vista while manager Fredi Gonzalez directed the other half in Viera.

 

“I had to ask Joe what was going on,� Tosca said. “He told me they got some kind of memo [Monday] night. I said, ‘Well we didn’t get a memo.’ Evidently, there’s like 18 pages of stuff that we don’t know anything about…[umpire Jeff Nelson] said something at home plate at the beginning of the game. He said, ‘The new rules start today.’ I didn’t know what he was talking about so I said ‘OK, fine.’ He did say something about going to your mouth. Up until now they’ve been able to go to their mouth as long as they’re off the clay. Now you have to wipe, which I think is a good rule. They didn’t waste any time implementing it.�

 

Added Johnson: “I do that a lot. I have to rub the ball up, especially now that the air is dry and it’s not real humid outside. It’s tough for me to get a good grip on the ball…[The umpires] are not real happy about it because they just got told [Tuesday] morning. They’re getting thrown into the fire and saying you have to start calling it right now. Not real good for me. I just have to start doing it the other way.�

 

 

http://blogs.sun-sen...rnbow-done.html

I thought this was going to be about foul language.

Over/Under JJ's balks this season: 5.5

Over/Under JJ's balks this season: 5.5

 

Under. 2

This is hilarious. I can picture the conversation between JJ and the umpire.

Of all people - Joe West - lololololololololololololol

He said, ‘The new rules start today.’ I didn’t know what he was talking about so I said ‘OK, fine.’

 

Anyone, especially an umpire, says "The new rules start today" someone unaware of any new rules and with any sense at all responds with "What new rules?"

 

Which may explain why Tosca no longer manages other than in ST split-squads and when Fredi gets tossed.

He said, ‘The new rules start today.’ I didn’t know what he was talking about so I said ‘OK, fine.’

 

Anyone, especially an umpire, says "The new rules start today" someone unaware of any new rules and with any sense at all responds with "What new rules?"

 

Which may explain why Tosca no longer manages other than in ST split-squads and when Fredi gets tossed.

Yeah, that's pretty stupid.