17
2013
Thoughts On This Season’s Rule Changes
An article by 
Two notable rule changes will take place this season.
One will be that translators are now allowed to come with coaches during mound visits. The other will be the banishment of the fake-to-first, throw-to-third move.
I want to analyze both, but before I do it’s important to be cognizant of the sensitivity surrounding the former. I write this with a complete understanding that many fans will be a part of the just-learn-English crowd. Albeit, that’s an oversimplified solution to the issue, I still don’t necessarily think that the rule is a good idea.
Here’s why:
When I first read about the allowance of translators on the mound, my initial thought was about NFL quarterbacks. Since the mid-90s, quarterbacks have had their plays piped in over a walkie-talkie installed in their helmets. I thought, “If we’re making it that easy, why don’t they just let pitchers wear headsets on the mound and get their pitches transmitted to them from the dugout.”
Like I said early, one’s response can’t just be to learn English. English is an incredibly difficult language to learn—maybe even the hardest along with some other Asian languages. I’ve tried to learn another language before. The older you get, the harder it becomes. My school of thought though is that if you’re going to make a choice to come to America to play a professional sport, you should at least have the courtesy to learn the native language. If I was getting paid six figures, I would feel a little obligated to learn. It’s not an issue of right or wrong, but that’s just my opinion.
I also feel that implementing such a rule makes it logical to think that players have less incentive to learn English. Subsequently, we will see less English-second-language players speaking English fluently—if at all—at fan events or even press conferences. Do we all remember Sammy Sosa magically forgetting how to speak English when asked about steroids? Accountability is important to me. Without transparency, it ceases to exist.
Lastly, if there wasn’t enough of a perception about athletes being spoiled, there could be even more now. As simple as it is to say, “Just learn English” it’s just as easy now for pitchers to flip it around and say, “I don’t need to learn English to be a pitcher in Major League Baseball so screw it.”
I have a lot of respect for players that decide to leave their native country to play in America. Without trying to sound too prophetic, those people are what makes this country great. It takes a lot of courage to make that kind of decision, but that’s exactly what it is—a decision. It’s a decision a player makes on their own volition. So to rebut by saying, “How could you say, ‘Just learn English?’ Learning a new language is hard,” doesn’t exactly fly with me. These players willingly know what they’re getting themselves into.
Fake to third, throw to first
My initial reaction to this was “thank God.” Now that I sit here and think about it, I can’t help but apply the classic adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Fake to third, throw to first is a ridiculous move. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. Why ban it though?
If you’re a pitcher and you’re naïve enough to think that it’s an effective move then go for it. Just know that America will be laughing at you every time you do it. It’s a little-league play and it just looks silly when it’s attempted.
It’s also strange to me because this rule gives baserunners the advantage of knowing that if a pitcher goes to third then the baserunner’s never going to get checked by him at first. The pitcher would have to throw to another base first and that player can throw to first. I guess this means a runner can lackadaisically run halfway to second on a pickoff attempt to third and essentially walk back to first without worrying about getting picked off by the pitcher. Maybe I’m missing something here, but it seems kind of unnecessary.
What are your thoughts on the new rules?
About the Author: Daniel Nelson
Dan Nelson is a junior at San Francisco State University majoring in Journalism and minoring in Economics. He was born in Fair Lawn, New Jersey where he grew up watching the Mets. Dan was also the recipient of the 2013/2014 Otto J. Bos Memorial Scholarship, the largest scholarship the SF State journalism department has to offer. You can follow him on Twitter @pacific_theme
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 24 | 18 | .571 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 20 | .535 | 1.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 23 | .465 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 16 | 24 | .400 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 32 | .256 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/18/2013
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Daniel – I think the idea that this creates a slippery slope with regards to language is fair but I also think you can’t tell somebody they have to learn english.
When you apply for a job there are requirements. For example, my daughter goes to a doctors office in a city with a very large hispanic population. The nurses etc there are likely required to know both languages before being hired.
If you’re MLB you can’t do that. Why? Well take Yu Darvish for example. Are you going to tell Texas that before you pay this kid to make an impact on your team, he needs to learn english? Of course not.
Believe it or not, most players who use English as a 2nd language do try to learn it when they come here. There’s a difference between LEARNING the language and being COMFORTABLE in the language.
When there is a visit to the mound lets say – a pitcher needs to understand fully whats being said and also needs to be able to inform the coach or trainer exactly what he thinks or feels. That can’t get lost in translation or misunderstanding of words.
A lot of coaches are learning spanish in the minors. You’d be surprised at how many coaches are at least bilingual. The problem is mostly the asian population who mostly come directly from their pro league to ours.
I think MLB needs to be sensitive to that and I think it’s a very fair rule for them to allow a translator to the mound. The slippery slope is, what about the umpire or base coaches etc. I don’t think it will get to that, but it’s the slope that is created by this.
I wonder if they would have allowed translators to go the mound with Stengel to translate whatever the hell he was saying to pitchers…..LOL
I just don;t get why anyone would make a rule against a fake throw to third because every american has a god given right to look foolish anytime he wants…
It’s not a balk and the reason why it is done is in hopes of catching a runner going…
And what if there is a runner on third? Isn’t faking a throw over there justified?
This sounds like they ran out of things to make rules about and just made some up to justify thier existence.
‘I wonder if they would have allowed translators to go the mound with Stengel to translate whatever the hell he was saying to pitchers’
hahaha – good one.
We could really use a Stengel for the entertainment value to us right about now don’t you think? LOL
‘Can’t anybody here play this game????’
“If you don’t have a catcher your going to have a lot of passed balls”
And Thole proved him right! LOL
Metsie, Metsie, Metsie. Isn’t that what Stengel said most of the time? He gave you your nickname. lol
And he said it with the same sounds of DREAD most people around here say it with! LOL
Most non American players who don’t speak English I believe make an attempt to learn it when they come over here. For some, it just takes time. If you remember, listening to Reyes talk when he was a rookie was a lot harder then it was in later years.
Some that come over from Japan probably don’t have enough time to learn the language before they make their MLB debut. Probably the same for some Cuban defectors.
I understand your point about making it easy for them not to learn the language but I think even with this new rule, most will make the attempt anyway. So I really don’t have a problem with this new rule.
The other rule, while I agree that faked attempt very rarely works, I’m not sure why they felt the need to ban it. Was it harming anything? Anyone know?
Most who learn it I think do so because if they want thier day in the sun (in front of the Camera) they kind of have to learn it….
As for the japanese players I have yet to see one last long enough in the league to master the language.
Hot commodities for a year maybe two and then they seem to be done.
Don’t know why that is true but it could explain why players who can’t get jobs here go to Japan to revitalize thier career.
Daniel, regarding the translator to mound rule, I think it’s plain stupid. My reason is different from yours though. I have visions of the translators getting into arguements with the umpires, and being run from the game, then what happens? I don’t think it’s a huge leap for a player from another country to learn a few simple english phrases, like “throw a strike, dammit”, or “don’t throw this guy a curve”
The third to first play is dopey, but so are a lot of plays in baseball. Banning doesn’t make sense. It’s like the arguement regarding the intentional walk. Should the manager be allowed to signal the umpire he wants a guy walked, and not have a pitcher throw 4 balls? Sometimes a player hits one of those four balls, just like sometimes the silly 3rd to 1st play works. Don’t ban it.
“candlesticks are always a good gift” plays in every language too.
No problem on the translators. Baseball is an international game and we have Latin American, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, and I bet soon even some players from Russia, China and other countries. Ok by me and I bet when American players go to Japan they are allowed the same courtesy. Probably the banning of the fake to third throw is a small attempt to speed up the game. We’ll see a lot more of these types of plays in the future. I predict someday we’ll see the automatic walk rule where ther catcher tells the umpire of an intentional walk and the guy takes the base. If umpires would enforce the pitch rule it would go quicker. Start your clock” the pitcher waves off the catcher on three pitchers, the catcher calls time. goes to the mound, finally the umpire comes out and talks to them and says hey guys move it along. The batter hasn’t moved his bat, and nothing is getting done. Fix that crap!
My opinion, for what it’s worth:
I dont really have a problem with translators going to the mound.
Of course, when they also bring the infield in, it will look more like a board meeting with about 7 people on the mound, but ok.
I am glad to see that ‘fake throw’ thing go away. I’ve never understand why that is not considered a ‘balk.’ After all, a balk is any attempt to devieve a runner.
And yes, it looks stupid
Most organizations have programs for international players that help them adjust not the language, but the lifestyle as well. Some are better than others, but still, it is there.
But, maybe some guys simply aren’t good at foreign languages. Oh well. I don’t see how taking a translator out there is different than a trainer.
As for the third to first thing…really? Was this really and issue? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have a rule about doing 30 checks to first when a guy like Daniel Murphy is on base?
This makes me think of the story of Sandy Amoros, the Dodgers outfielder from the Brooklyn days, trying to find his way to spring training while living off apple pie a la mode ’cause it was all he knew how to say in English (there was an updated fictional version of that story in that movie about the minor leaguer a few years ago, but with waffles?). I think teams should do everything they can to get the best possible performance from players, and treat them well too, and clear communication is an important part of that. What is the problem with having a translator? What is so wrong with it? What harm does it cause? Not everyone can be completely bilingual, and English does take a long time to learn even if you have a knack for languages. I know lots of people who have to spend substantial time in places where they do not know the language who don’t speak the local language very well, if at all, and I have never heard of them having help be a problem. Most employees I imagine would prefer to have as much translation as possible if hiring someone with a language issue is needed, so unless you want some sort of literacy or fluency test to sign a contract…
Plus think about the United Nations, all those people wearing the headphones, all those translators working there. Do you think they all not responsible enough to learn English? Does the argument that they knew they were coming here they should learn English apply to them too? Or do they have more important skills relative to the job, which in baseball would be a great fastball, curve, etc?