The April 21 Nine to Know:
Minor league umpiring in a minor league park in a major league game
Aaron Boone’s ejection
The White Sox win a road game
Three touchdowns and a field goal for Cincy
Milwaukee thievery
National League team stolen base leaders
The Dodgers’ bullpen usage
Batting by division
What’s your walkup song?
It’s one thing to play in a minor league park; it’s another thing to have beer league rulings. Max Fried had a no-hitter going into the 8th yesterday as they played the Rays in their interim home of George M. Steinbrenner Field, New York’s spring training facility. Then, suddenly, Max Fried did not have a no-hitter going into the 8th as Rays official scorer Bill Mathews changed a Paul Goldschmidt error that allowed center fielder Chandler Simpson to reach first in the 6th inning to an infield single. The justification was that it was “very apparent” Simpson would have beaten out a potential throw. There wasn’t a tremendous amount of arguing that the decision was correct; the timing of the call still feels inappropriately late, with Mathews taking two innings for the reversal. There was a lot of arguing when home plate umpire Adam Beck and third base umpire Scott Barry claimed that an Aaron Judge home run was a foul ball. The replay appeared to show Judge’s ball was fair, but the Yankees lost the challenge when the Supreme Court ruled that they did not have enough conclusive evidence to overturn the call on the field.
This just in: Don Denkinger, who passed away in 2023, has just changed his call from Game 6 of the 1985 World Series.
Boonie’s W-L record in ejected games
Following the Aaron Judge miscalled homer, the big guy was called out on strikes on a borderline pitch. As he started to lose it with home plate umpire Adam Beck, Yankee manager Aaron Boone rushed out there to protect and protest and got himself tossed for the first time this season. It was his 40th regular-season ejection as the Yankees' manager, and with the win yesterday, it leveled his record in games he has been ejected at 20-20.
After losing their first eight road games, the White Sox beat the Red Sox at Fenway yesterday. The Sox have split six games this season, with the final meeting coming this morning. Last season, when the White Sox were historically awful, they still managed a 3-4 record against Boston.
Cincinnati defeated the Orioles 24-2 at Camden Yards. Cincinnati scored 24 runs for the fourth time since 1901, with the last time coming at Colorado on May 19, 1999.= when they had 25 hits, just like yesterday. Reds catcher Austin Wynns had six of the hits. Charlie Morton (0-5) allowed seven runs in 2.1 IP and has an ERA of 10.89. Baltimore scored on a safety.
Milwaukee defeated the A’s, 14-1. The big story here was thievery. Not John Fisher stealing the A’s from Oakland, but the Brewers who ran wild. Milwaukee swiped six bases in the 1st inning, and then set a club record for steals in a game with nine.
NL TEAM STOLEN BASE LEADERS
THE DODGERS BULLPEN
The Dodgers are using their bullpen frequently these days. However, they used it even more last season in their first 23 games. This season, the Dodgers’ starters have faced 455 batters; the bullpen has faced 392.
BATTING BY DIVISION
The AL East leads the other five divisions in batting average (BA), on-base percentage (OBP), slugging percentage (SLG), and on-base plus slugging (OPS). But the NL Central leads in runs scored. The NL Central also has twice as many steals as the AL Central. That division also leads in strikeouts and walks. The AL Central is the only division with 100 homers.
What’s your walkup song?
Subscribers (paid only) name the song you would want played as you approach home plate with bat in hand, and I will make every attempt to post it here on Billy-Ball. Just tell me the song’s name, performer, and how I should refer to you. Mine’s by The Marvelettes:
Not being disrespectful - just being myself.
I’m hoping that there is a contest for the best-written screenplay about how JD Vance killed the pope. I’d watch it on BritBox.