Baseball’s Necessary Changes?

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Jim Tunney Ed.D
On the TunneySide of Sports
August 29, 2022 #915
Up next…

After further review… Some of Major League Baseball’s rules are confusing: like the pitcher and the use of him as the designated hitter. You can Google that the starting pitcher is also the designated hitter and then see what happens when that starting pitcher is replaced but can continue as the designated hitter. The manager (that’s what baseball calls the head coach) must list 10 players, not nine, when he presents his lineup at the start of the game, if the said manager, is planning that move. For many years it was only the American League that used the designated hitter to step in for their pitcher. Now both leagues use the designated hitter. There are recent new rules as to how often a team can change pitchers. Oh, my!

In 2023 MLB will prohibit the infield shifts making all infielders play in their normal positions, The purpose of that is to open the hitting and thus have more scoring.

The expansion of the pitching clock debate is not yet settled since it is negotiable between MLB management and the MLBPA. This is an attempt to speed up the game. The MLB tests in the minor leagues showed a decrease in the time of the games. When the step-off or pick-off attempts were limited to two, the runners attempted more base stealing which eventually led to more scoring.

It appears that PitchCom will be coming to MLB in 2023. PitchCom is a wireless communication system allowing the catcher to request pitches without using visible signals. The pitcher, shortstop, second baseman, and centerfielder will have such hearing devices. All in the name of stopping sign-stealing. As it is in other sports with the replay system, MLB has that too, the powers-that-be are trying to get a game that is not perfect. Hmm!

Just last week a San Francisco vs. Colorado game was decided when replay ruled a runner had, indeed, been tagged out when the third base umpire ruled him safe on a close play. “Game over,” said the umpire.

Will you agree that MLB needs to make changes to its game and if so what changes?

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Jim’s Bobblehead is still available for $30. He has added one of his books (your choice – you pick one from his website www.jimtunney.com) at no extra charge. 

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.

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And Bring Your Playbook!

Posted on August 21, 2022 by Jim Tunney Ed.D
On the TunneySide of Sports
August 22, 2022 #914
Up next… 

After further review… “Coach wants to see you … and bring your playbook.”

As the NFL nears the end of its 2022 pre-season, fans can hardly wait for the regular season to start. The real games start when the teams play their “first-string” players. For the preseason most every team has played its reserve players so as not to get their regular players injured. They call it the championship season since preseason games don’t count toward the playoffs.

While that system is OK for the regulars (those players in the high salary brackets) the fans aren’t thrilled that the cost of the tickets is still high and they are watching their team play with players who will be “cut” when preseason ends. You see, each team brings 100-plus players into their training camps so that during the preseason the coaches can evaluate them for a spot on their regular roster. That’s what fans are seeing in the preseason. Coaches then begin to cut those they can’t keep.

“Coach wants to see you … and bring your playbook.” That’s the opening line from an assistant coach who is sent to deliver the message to a player about to lose his job. That pause is because that coach hates to deliver the bad news. When that “knock-on-the-door” comes as preseason ends and, for some, even sooner, it’s a most difficult time for all concerned. It means you’re fired! For players on the roster bubble, it’s tough.

Have you ever been fired? If you haven’t, let me tell you it’s a very trying experience. Imagine you are a standout high school and college player and have dreams/aspirations of playing professional football and now you get the ”knock on your door.” Your heart is in your throat and knots in your stomach. Your first thought is “What do I do now?”

What about your head coach who has to give you the bad news? Some coaches may appear cavalier about it as if you should have expected it. Most coaches understand this kind of news is a real heart-breaker and are most considerate about your future. Herm Edwards, who was the head coach of the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, said it’s the most difficult part of his job. He took time and counseled each player he had to cut. He assured each one they had a future, while it may not be with his team or even in pro football. He emphasized that you should believe in your abilities and something will open up.

Will you build confidence in those you may have to fire?

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Jim’s Bobblehead is still available for $30. He has added one of his books (your choice – you pick one from his website www.jimtunney.com) at no extra charge. 

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.

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A Tribute To Vin Scully

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Jim Tunney Ed.D
On the TunneySide of Sports
August 15, 2022 #913
Up next… A Tribute to Vin Scully

After further review…

The acronym G.O.A.T. is too often used to describe athletes for outstanding achievements. The term has also been applied to anyone who achieves some spectacular feat. G-O-A-T is translated to mean the Greatest Of All Time! I have often derided those who want to claim their “hero” is the G.O.A.T. as records are meant to be broken. Vin Scully is an exception!

In 1975, I terminated my job as principal of Hollywood High School (Yes, THAT Hollywood High School, corner of Sunset and Highland in Hollywood) and accepted the position of Assistant Superintendent in the Bellflower Unified School District in Bellflower. The phone rang. It was Vin Scully. I had met Scully a few times over several years when my close friend, Rollie Seidler (he married Terry O’Malley Seidler) had entrance to the Dodgers broadcast booth from where Scully was to broadcast the games. My grandsons Jake and Nash were with me on occasion as were my own kids Maureen, Mike, and Mark.

Anyway, the phone call from Scully said he had been hired by CBS to broadcast NFL games along with George Allen as the analyst. Allen was the former coach of the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins. I wished him good luck with that one! I had known Allen when he coached at Whittier College. Scully said he would like to meet with me to discuss NFL rules and interpretations. I was honored! It was my 16th year as an NFL official and I was giving rules presentations to NFL teams in pre-season, so I felt comfortable meeting with Scully. We agreed on meeting at Dodgers Stadium in August when the team was in town.

We met, just Scully and me, for an early dinner (4:30 p.m.) before his broadcast. We met 5-6 times at that hour. Vin was insightful and inquisitive. He was a lifelong learner (Fordham University grad). During that 1975 season, we crossed paths a few times at games we both worked. The last game  Scully did was “The Catch” — Joe Montana to Dwight Clark in the 1982 NFC Championship game at Candlestick. I was the referee.

Years passed and I hadn’t seen Vin for a while until one day as I exited the Spanish Bay Inn in Pebble Beach I spotted him. Scully was picking up his luggage and loading it in the trunk of his car with his back toward me. As I approached (and he couldn’t see me) I said,” There’s a fanny I’ll never forget! “And I never will!

Will you remember the style and class of Vincent Edward Scully, as I will, forever?

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Jim’s Bobblehead is still available for $30. He has added one of his books (your choice – you pick one from his website www.jimtunney.com) at no extra charge. 

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.

Posted in NFL, Sports, Tunney Side of Sports Columns | Tagged | Leave a comment