As we begin the new season, there are some rule changes and rules that need to be clarified. When I get home, I’ll update the rulebook and send out a new version, but for now, here’s what’s going to be different this year or needs clearing up.
1. High-Stress Inning: Once a pitcher has to face the seventh batter of an inning, his endurance is reduced by five. This applies to every high-stress inning. So if a pitcher with an endurance of 25 has five seven-batter innings, his endurance is reduced to zero. A pitcher can pitch himself into “tired” in a high-stress inning. That is, if his endurance is reduced to the point where he would be tired with the new reduced endurance, he becomes tired right away.
2. Tired Injury Check: If your pitcher is already tired, a roll on the umpire chart becomes walk + check for injury to the pitcher. This only applies if the pitcher is already tired, not merely if he’s reached his endurance but hasn’t allowed two base runners.
3. Players with “NO” limit: A player with NO on his card (or no at-bats remaining) can come in to a game as a pinch-runner or defensive replacement, but can only stay in the game to hit if the opposition changes to a pitcher against whom he is eligible while he’s in the game and before (or as) he comes to bat. If a player with a “NO” limit on one side enters the game with at-bats available on the other side, with a pitcher against whom he has at-bats remaining on the mound, he may stay in even if there’s a switch to a pitcher with whom his “NO” applies and may hit on his card.
4. Counting Runners: For the purposes of tiring a pitcher, a batter reaching base while a base runner is retired on the same play does not count as another base runner.
5. Hit-and-Run is no longer allowed with two out, even if the hitter has the symbol.
6. A limited player must have three at-bats available against the side the starting pitcher throws from in order to start a game.
7. If there is a double steal attempt, the lead runner must get the jump and the manager must declare that it’s a double steal.
8. A player on an R4 contract is optionable.
I think that’s it as far as DLB rules changes we’re adopting (1, 2) and clarifications (3-8). Everything else we can discuss at the summer meeting we’re going to be scheduling soon.
Thanks, and let’s play geekball!