NBA officiating is in crisis mode, and the players have a point The NBA may or may not have an officiating crisis. But it definitely has a crisis of confidence, which is the only kind that matters.Even in the age of big data and AI-generated LeBron songs, we still do not have a reliable way to track if an NBA game was officiated well. This isn’t automatic balls and strikes; we’re talking about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo’s elbow intentionally struck Al Horford in the head during that poster dunk, if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander initiated contact when his defender stupidly jumped at a pump fake for the 19th time, whether Jaden McDaniels gave Jamal Murray adequate landing space on his shot despite every player jumping different distances when they shoot and McDaniels understandably is not staring at Murray’s feet when he’s shooting a three. That kind of stuff.So people clamor for accountability. Players freak out, including Devin Booker saying in a press conference that Alex Caruso asked the ref to call a technical on Booker and he just did for some reason? Fans of teams that feel they got jobbed lose it, demanding changes (what changes?), oversight (how?) and to please please please stop allowing Gilgeous-Alexander to magnet-pull himself to a defender and get two free throws!But refereeing is such a stupid concept that there is no possibility to improve, only to complicate. Sure, we have Last Two Minutes reports, but those are simply compiled by other referees offering a different interpretation with the assistance of slow-motion replay — or as I like to call them, completely useless since no referee could ever review every single call of the last two minutes in slow-mo in real time lest they want to make the game completely unwatchable.Refereeing basketball games is not an exact science; in fact, it’s probably not a science at all. When you consider all the contact, all the dust-ups, all the arm-flailing, all the pump-fake magnetism and all the floppity flops, officiating this environment is far closer to oil painting than it is mathematical proofs. Fouls are interpretations of a fluid game in which contact is legal, and referees must use words like “wind-up,” “follow-through,” “incidental,” and “reckless” (what does any of that mean?) to determine if something is a foul, a flagrant, a technical or nothing at all.In short, there is really no way to officiate a sport where contact is kind of legal. It’s not like football and hockey (which have plenty of officiating problems), where contact is mostly legal and something has to be fairly heinous to result in a foul for being too physical; basketball allows contact to a certain extent. What that extent is has evolved over time, such as throwing elbows, hand checking, the block-charge and more fun stuff we all complain about. All NBA refs are really doing is trying to keep the game safe and reasonably fair; an impossible task, but one they are heroically trusted with anyway.The NBA has thus complicated officiating to no end, only watering the roots of an issue that have continued to grow. A blatantly incorrect reading of this situation is that the Oklahoma City Thunder foul-bait more than any other team — they were 17th in free throw attempts per game this season. Nor is it statistically provable to say that teams foul-bait more than ever, as team fouls-per-game has gone down sharply in recent NBA history. But teams have exploited the infinite complication of officiating to great effect, notably how pace, size and explosive super-athletes can create impossibly subjective interactions. Gilgeous-Alexander bears the brunt of this criticism, given that he’s likely about to be the league’s back-to-back MVP winner, but he wasn’t even first in free-throw attempts this season. Everyone does it, and I think we really peaked with 2022 Giannis Antetokounmpo, who, for two playoff rounds, barreled into Nikola Vucevic and Grant Williams and whoever else dared to oppose him with impossible speed, power and extreme arm-angles that were always some kind of foul. On who? On Giannis? Who knew.The root problem is that a shooting foul is the most valuable offensive action in basketball. With league-average shooting percentages, two free throws have an expected point-value of 1.57, while a three-pointer is worth 1.08 points and an at-rim look worth 1.20 points (shoutout to Ian Levy for pointing this out to me; it changed my life). If you can get your free-throw percentage up above average (>78 percent), now we’re really cooking something spicy. Gilgeous-Alexander shoots 88 percent from the line, so by far his best option on every possession is to get to the line.Like with tanking and the draft lottery, if the NBA’s rules provide a clear best option to succeed, smart players and teams will always figure out how to maximize their return. It’s like when the MLB figured out walks were actually good — whatever macho man mentality (and steroids) sustained the “always swing and swing for power” world died in the darkness wrought by sabermetrics and taking a 3-1 fastball that’s a little high.The NBA public freaking out about officiating these playoffs doesn’t actually want fewer fouls, they just want fouls to feel like fouls — you know, things that aren’t allowed, rather than the calculated, orchestrated manipulations of a subjective rule set and mathematical reality that they have become. A fix would be a point of emphasis from officials that radically expands the scope of “who initiated contact” and categorically refuse to call fouls when the offensive player visually initiates the interaction.But we all know how that would end: teams and players would reset, take some time to analyze the situation and then find whatever the new best way to get to the free-throw line is. Short of a literal free-throw quota, an insane idea that would turn the game into gladiatorial combat, teams will figure out how to foul-bait even if foul-baiting is outlawed. But an emphasis against offensive player-initiated defensive fouls would be a good start, given that this is all a visual question anyway — as said before, the total number of fouls has decreased in recent years. We’re solving a crisis of confidence, not an actual crisis.Sports have their own built-in honor codes that are unique and deeply personal, but not flopping is generally agreed upon as lame by the people of the world. And those same people will shed blood, sweat and tearful Tweets when they believe the sanctity of the game they love is under assault. Maybe it isn’t, but it looks like it is. And keeping up appearances is key. #NBA #officiating #crisis #mode #players #point

NBA officiating is in crisis mode, and the players have a point
The NBA may or may not have an officiating crisis. But it definitely has a crisis of confidence, which is the only kind that matters.
Even in the age of big data and AI-generated LeBron songs, we still do not have a reliable way to track if an NBA game was officiated well. This isn’t automatic balls and strikes; we’re talking about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo’s elbow intentionally struck Al Horford in the head during that poster dunk, if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander initiated contact when his defender stupidly jumped at a pump fake for the 19th time, whether Jaden McDaniels gave Jamal Murray adequate landing space on his shot despite every player jumping different distances when they shoot and McDaniels understandably is not staring at Murray’s feet when he’s shooting a three. That kind of stuff.
So people clamor for accountability. Players freak out, including Devin Booker saying in a press conference that Alex Caruso asked the ref to call a technical on Booker and he just did for some reason? Fans of teams that feel they got jobbed lose it, demanding changes (what changes?), oversight (how?) and to please please please stop allowing Gilgeous-Alexander to magnet-pull himself to a defender and get two free throws!
But refereeing is such a stupid concept that there is no possibility to improve, only to complicate. Sure, we have Last Two Minutes reports, but those are simply compiled by other referees offering a different interpretation with the assistance of slow-motion replay — or as I like to call them, completely useless since no referee could ever review every single call of the last two minutes in slow-mo in real time lest they want to make the game completely unwatchable.
Refereeing basketball games is not an exact science; in fact, it’s probably not a science at all. When you consider all the contact, all the dust-ups, all the arm-flailing, all the pump-fake magnetism and all the floppity flops, officiating this environment is far closer to oil painting than it is mathematical proofs. Fouls are interpretations of a fluid game in which contact is legal, and referees must use words like “wind-up,” “follow-through,” “incidental,” and “reckless” (what does any of that mean?) to determine if something is a foul, a flagrant, a technical or nothing at all.
In short, there is really no way to officiate a sport where contact is kind of legal. It’s not like football and hockey (which have plenty of officiating problems), where contact is mostly legal and something has to be fairly heinous to result in a foul for being too physical; basketball allows contact to a certain extent. What that extent is has evolved over time, such as throwing elbows, hand checking, the block-charge and more fun stuff we all complain about. All NBA refs are really doing is trying to keep the game safe and reasonably fair; an impossible task, but one they are heroically trusted with anyway.
The NBA has thus complicated officiating to no end, only watering the roots of an issue that have continued to grow. A blatantly incorrect reading of this situation is that the Oklahoma City Thunder foul-bait more than any other team — they were 17th in free throw attempts per game this season. Nor is it statistically provable to say that teams foul-bait more than ever, as team fouls-per-game has gone down sharply in recent NBA history.
But teams have exploited the infinite complication of officiating to great effect, notably how pace, size and explosive super-athletes can create impossibly subjective interactions. Gilgeous-Alexander bears the brunt of this criticism, given that he’s likely about to be the league’s back-to-back MVP winner, but he wasn’t even first in free-throw attempts this season. Everyone does it, and I think we really peaked with 2022 Giannis Antetokounmpo, who, for two playoff rounds, barreled into Nikola Vucevic and Grant Williams and whoever else dared to oppose him with impossible speed, power and extreme arm-angles that were always some kind of foul. On who? On Giannis? Who knew.
The root problem is that a shooting foul is the most valuable offensive action in basketball. With league-average shooting percentages, two free throws have an expected point-value of 1.57, while a three-pointer is worth 1.08 points and an at-rim look worth 1.20 points (shoutout to Ian Levy for pointing this out to me; it changed my life). If you can get your free-throw percentage up above average (>78 percent), now we’re really cooking something spicy. Gilgeous-Alexander shoots 88 percent from the line, so by far his best option on every possession is to get to the line.
Like with tanking and the draft lottery, if the NBA’s rules provide a clear best option to succeed, smart players and teams will always figure out how to maximize their return. It’s like when the MLB figured out walks were actually good — whatever macho man mentality (and steroids) sustained the “always swing and swing for power” world died in the darkness wrought by sabermetrics and taking a 3-1 fastball that’s a little high.
The NBA public freaking out about officiating these playoffs doesn’t actually want fewer fouls, they just want fouls to feel like fouls — you know, things that aren’t allowed, rather than the calculated, orchestrated manipulations of a subjective rule set and mathematical reality that they have become. A fix would be a point of emphasis from officials that radically expands the scope of “who initiated contact” and categorically refuse to call fouls when the offensive player visually initiates the interaction.
But we all know how that would end: teams and players would reset, take some time to analyze the situation and then find whatever the new best way to get to the free-throw line is. Short of a literal free-throw quota, an insane idea that would turn the game into gladiatorial combat, teams will figure out how to foul-bait even if foul-baiting is outlawed. But an emphasis against offensive player-initiated defensive fouls would be a good start, given that this is all a visual question anyway — as said before, the total number of fouls has decreased in recent years. We’re solving a crisis of confidence, not an actual crisis.
Sports have their own built-in honor codes that are unique and deeply personal, but not flopping is generally agreed upon as lame by the people of the world. And those same people will shed blood, sweat and tearful Tweets when they believe the sanctity of the game they love is under assault. Maybe it isn’t, but it looks like it is. And keeping up appearances is key.
#NBA #officiating #crisis #mode #players #point

Sports news nba April 24, 2026

The NBA may or may not have an officiating crisis. But it definitely has a crisis of confidence, which is the only kind that matters.

Even in the age of big data and AI-generated LeBron songs, we still do not have a reliable way to track if an NBA game was officiated well. This isn’t automatic balls and strikes; we’re talking about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo’s elbow intentionally struck Al Horford in the head during that poster dunk, if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander initiated contact when his defender stupidly jumped at a pump fake for the 19th time, whether Jaden McDaniels gave Jamal Murray adequate landing space on his shot despite every player jumping different distances when they shoot and McDaniels understandably is not staring at Murray’s feet when he’s shooting a three. That kind of stuff.

So people clamor for accountability. Players freak out, including Devin Booker saying in a press conference that Alex Caruso asked the ref to call a technical on Booker and he just did for some reason? Fans of teams that feel they got jobbed lose it, demanding changes (what changes?), oversight (how?) and to please please please stop allowing Gilgeous-Alexander to magnet-pull himself to a defender and get two free throws!

But refereeing is such a stupid concept that there is no possibility to improve, only to complicate. Sure, we have Last Two Minutes reports, but those are simply compiled by other referees offering a different interpretation with the assistance of slow-motion replay — or as I like to call them, completely useless since no referee could ever review every single call of the last two minutes in slow-mo in real time lest they want to make the game completely unwatchable.

Refereeing basketball games is not an exact science; in fact, it’s probably not a science at all. When you consider all the contact, all the dust-ups, all the arm-flailing, all the pump-fake magnetism and all the floppity flops, officiating this environment is far closer to oil painting than it is mathematical proofs. Fouls are interpretations of a fluid game in which contact is legal, and referees must use words like “wind-up,” “follow-through,” “incidental,” and “reckless” (what does any of that mean?) to determine if something is a foul, a flagrant, a technical or nothing at all.

In short, there is really no way to officiate a sport where contact is kind of legal. It’s not like football and hockey (which have plenty of officiating problems), where contact is mostly legal and something has to be fairly heinous to result in a foul for being too physical; basketball allows contact to a certain extent. What that extent is has evolved over time, such as throwing elbows, hand checking, the block-charge and more fun stuff we all complain about. All NBA refs are really doing is trying to keep the game safe and reasonably fair; an impossible task, but one they are heroically trusted with anyway.

The NBA has thus complicated officiating to no end, only watering the roots of an issue that have continued to grow. A blatantly incorrect reading of this situation is that the Oklahoma City Thunder foul-bait more than any other team — they were 17th in free throw attempts per game this season. Nor is it statistically provable to say that teams foul-bait more than ever, as team fouls-per-game has gone down sharply in recent NBA history.

But teams have exploited the infinite complication of officiating to great effect, notably how pace, size and explosive super-athletes can create impossibly subjective interactions. Gilgeous-Alexander bears the brunt of this criticism, given that he’s likely about to be the league’s back-to-back MVP winner, but he wasn’t even first in free-throw attempts this season. Everyone does it, and I think we really peaked with 2022 Giannis Antetokounmpo, who, for two playoff rounds, barreled into Nikola Vucevic and Grant Williams and whoever else dared to oppose him with impossible speed, power and extreme arm-angles that were always some kind of foul. On who? On Giannis? Who knew.

The root problem is that a shooting foul is the most valuable offensive action in basketball. With league-average shooting percentages, two free throws have an expected point-value of 1.57, while a three-pointer is worth 1.08 points and an at-rim look worth 1.20 points (shoutout to Ian Levy for pointing this out to me; it changed my life). If you can get your free-throw percentage up above average (>78 percent), now we’re really cooking something spicy. Gilgeous-Alexander shoots 88 percent from the line, so by far his best option on every possession is to get to the line.

Like with tanking and the draft lottery, if the NBA’s rules provide a clear best option to succeed, smart players and teams will always figure out how to maximize their return. It’s like when the MLB figured out walks were actually good — whatever macho man mentality (and steroids) sustained the “always swing and swing for power” world died in the darkness wrought by sabermetrics and taking a 3-1 fastball that’s a little high.

The NBA public freaking out about officiating these playoffs doesn’t actually want fewer fouls, they just want fouls to feel like fouls — you know, things that aren’t allowed, rather than the calculated, orchestrated manipulations of a subjective rule set and mathematical reality that they have become. A fix would be a point of emphasis from officials that radically expands the scope of “who initiated contact” and categorically refuse to call fouls when the offensive player visually initiates the interaction.

But we all know how that would end: teams and players would reset, take some time to analyze the situation and then find whatever the new best way to get to the free-throw line is. Short of a literal free-throw quota, an insane idea that would turn the game into gladiatorial combat, teams will figure out how to foul-bait even if foul-baiting is outlawed. But an emphasis against offensive player-initiated defensive fouls would be a good start, given that this is all a visual question anyway — as said before, the total number of fouls has decreased in recent years. We’re solving a crisis of confidence, not an actual crisis.

Sports have their own built-in honor codes that are unique and deeply personal, but not flopping is generally agreed upon as lame by the people of the world. And those same people will shed blood, sweat and tearful Tweets when they believe the sanctity of the game they love is under assault. Maybe it isn’t, but it looks like it is. And keeping up appearances is key.

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#NBA #officiating #crisis #mode #players #point

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Page Not Found The 29-year-old, who missed over seven months due to a cruciate ligament tear in 2024 and has had several knee and hamstring injuries this season, was forced off during City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday. #Page

Deadspin | Yordan Alvarez, Astros strive to do damage against Yankees’ stellar pitching staff <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28762119.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28762119.jpg" alt="MLB: St. Louis Cardinals at Houston Astros" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 18, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) runs towards home plate after a home run to center field against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images  </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>The New York Yankees experienced a four-game blip with their pitching last week when they were unable to consistently record outs against the Los Angeles Angels.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>The pitching has corrected itself during sweeps of the Kansas City Royals and Boston Red Sox, and the Yankees are on a six-game winning streak as their pitchers will attempt to keep MLB home run leader Yordan Alvarez’s bat quiet in Friday night’s opener of a three-game series in Houston.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>The Yankees enter with an MLB-best 3.07 ERA. Since allowing 32 runs and settling for a four-game split against the Angels, the Yankees are pitching to a 1.17 ERA in their current winning streak.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>New York followed its sweep of the visiting Royals last weekend by allowing three runs in a three-game sweep at Boston. The Yankees secured a 4-2 victory on Thursday when Cody Bellinger delivered a pinch-hit, two-run single in the seventh inning after the lineup struck out 11 times in the first six innings against Boston rookie Payton Tolle.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>“Wins are precious any time of year, especially within the division,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>Bellinger is batting .325 (13-for-40) over his past 11 games, and his hit on Thursday occurred on a night when Cam Schlittler was efficient in getting through eight innings after Max Fried pitched eight innings on Wednesday. The Yankees also had Luis Gil pitch 6 1/3 innings on Tuesday and Ryan Weathers 7 1/3 innings on Sunday.</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>Houston owns the AL’s third-worst record behind the Royals and Red Sox, but not because of Alvarez. He leads the majors with a .347 batting average, 11 homers, 26 RBIs and an OPS of 1.245.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-8"> <p>The Astros won two of three games on the road against the Cleveland Guardians after dropping 12 of 14 contests as Alvarez drove in five runs in the series. After Houston blew a late lead on Tuesday in an 8-5 loss, Alvarez hit a two-run homer in the first inning of a 2-0 victory on Wednesday.</p> </section> <section id="section-9"> <p>“To be honest, 2026 Yordan is the closest I’ve seen to Barry Bonds,” Houston shortstop Carlos Correa said. “Definitely, this version of him is the best. I haven’t missed one swing of his all year because he’s must-watch.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>“It’s almost like you expect him to make an out at some point because this game is so hard, but he just keeps raking.”</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>After the deep outings by Fried and Schlittler at Boston, Yankees right-hander Will Warren (2-0, 2.49 ERA) will open the series in Houston and is coming off one of the best outings of his career.</p> </section><section id="section-12"> <p>Warren last pitched Saturday in a 13-4 win over Kansas City and allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings. He also tied a career high by getting 11 strikeouts and notched double-digit strikeouts for the third time in his career.</p> </section><section id="section-13"> <p>Warren’s only career start against the Astros occurred on Sept. 3, 2025, in Houston when he allowed two runs on five hits in five innings of a no-decision in New York’s 8-7 loss.</p> </section><section id="section-14"> <p>Houston’s 5.81 ERA is the worst in the majors, and Lance McCullers Jr. (1-1, 6.20) will open the series. McCullers has allowed 10 runs in 9 1/3 innings during his past two starts and took the loss Saturday when he allowed four runs on five hits in five innings of a 7-5 defeat to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.</p> </section><section id="section-15"> <p>McCullers is 2-0 with a 2.97 ERA in five regular-season starts against the Yankees.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-16"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section> </div> #Deadspin #Yordan #Alvarez #Astros #strive #damage #Yankees #stellar #pitching #staff

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell stuck his toe in the water this week and nary a ripple was created.

In grumbling about how the Los Angeles Dodgers are effectively allowed to carry 14 pitchers on their active roster because of Shohei Ohtani, instead of 13 like everybody else, Counsell essentially admitted that he understands why it is allowed.

“There’s not another player like that, but one team gets different rules for that player,” Counsell told reporters before a game at Wrigley Field, basically confirming the reason the allowance exists.

There truly is no other player like Ohtani, which is why the Dodgers are paying him $700 million for 10 seasons. The fact that most of the money is being deferred is another topic entirely. With the signing, the Dodgers were paying for an MVP-caliber designated hitter who could also take the mound on occasion.

This season, Ohtani has pitched about once every week.

Through multiple elbow issues, Ohtani continues to do both jobs at an elite level. Had he been at or below average in one or both, maybe there would not have been an objection.

In his return to his first full season as a pitcher since 2003, Ohtani has allowed just one earned run over his four starts, through an outing Wednesday at San Francisco. It leaves him with a 0.38 ERA through his first 24 innings and a bit of Dodgers history.

Only Kenta Maeda (2016) and Fernando Valenzuela (1981,1985) have gone their first four starts of a season with an ERA that low in the team’s Los Angeles era.

Add in the five home runs, 11 RBIs and 15 runs scored, and the Dodgers’ real advantage becomes clear. They have a player like no other.

“It’s a rule to help offense, I think, more than anything, if you ask me,” the Cubs’ manager said. “And then there’s one team that’s allowed to carry basically one of both, and that he gets special consideration. Which is probably the most bizarre rule.”

Actually, there might be an Ohtani rule that is even more bizarre.

On days Ohtani pitches, he gets to remain in the game on offense as the designated hitter when he leaves the mound. That exemption came about in 2022 and was actually dubbed “The Ohtani rule.”

Prior to that, if an American League team wanted to let its starting pitcher occupy a spot in the batting order, that spot would then be assigned to the relief pitcher who replaced him.

That might be the rule that brings into question the spirit of the game, more than pitching staff limits.

Counsell’s complaint seemed to piggyback a social media post from former MLB general manager Jim Bowden, who said last weekend the league needs to “… eradicate the exemption the Dodgers get to carry an extra pitcher.”

In the same post, Bowden is actually “ok with allowing (Ohtani) to DH when he pitches and remain in game.”

Here’s the thing about Ohtani’s two-way reality. Like any other pitcher, he also is doing his in-between start work. And then he puts in the full-time work of a hitter.

While taxing himself as a two-way player, Ohtani has blown out his pitching elbow twice in under five years. It’s not as if there isn’t a tax to pay.

And yet Counsell is not wrong. The Dodgers do have an advantage with Ohtani. But it came about because his original organization in Japan took the time and the investment risk to nurture both disciplines. The Nippon-Ham Fighters developed perhaps one the most unique talents of all time.

Nothing but risk assessment is stopping MLB clubs from doing the same. No team wants to expose one of their better hitters to a pitching injury, or have one of their best pitchers to come up lame on the bases.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts ultimately responded to Counsell’s complaint.

“It certainly benefits us because we have the player,” Roberts said. “But that’s something that any team that had Ohtani would have. We’re more than willing for other teams to go out and find a player who can do both.

“He’s an exception because he’s an exceptional player.”

The juicy part comes next. The Dodgers play host to the Cubs for a three-game series starting Friday. And no, Ohtani will not be pitching in any of the games but he is expected to come to the plate four times a contest.

#Shohei #Ohtani #Rule #Explained #Dodgers #Extra #Pitcher #Deadspin.com">

Shohei Ohtani Rule Explained: Why Dodgers Get Extra Pitcher | Deadspin.com Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell stuck his toe in the water this week and nary a ripple was created.In grumbling about how the Los Angeles Dodgers are effectively allowed to carry 14 pitchers on their active roster because of Shohei Ohtani, instead of 13 like everybody else, Counsell essentially admitted that he understands why it is allowed.“There’s not another player like that, but one team gets different rules for that player,” Counsell told reporters before a game at Wrigley Field, basically confirming the reason the allowance exists.There truly is no other player like Ohtani, which is why the Dodgers are paying him 0 million for 10 seasons. The fact that most of the money is being deferred is another topic entirely. With the signing, the Dodgers were paying for an MVP-caliber designated hitter who could also take the mound on occasion.This season, Ohtani has pitched about once every week.Through multiple elbow issues, Ohtani continues to do both jobs at an elite level. Had he been at or below average in one or both, maybe there would not have been an objection.In his return to his first full season as a pitcher since 2003, Ohtani has allowed just one earned run over his four starts, through an outing Wednesday at San Francisco. It leaves him with a 0.38 ERA through his first 24 innings and a bit of Dodgers history.Only Kenta Maeda (2016) and Fernando Valenzuela (1981,1985) have gone their first four starts of a season with an ERA that low in the team’s Los Angeles era.Add in the five home runs, 11 RBIs and 15 runs scored, and the Dodgers’ real advantage becomes clear. They have a player like no other.“It’s a rule to help offense, I think, more than anything, if you ask me,” the Cubs’ manager said. “And then there’s one team that’s allowed to carry basically one of both, and that he gets special consideration. Which is probably the most bizarre rule.”Actually, there might be an Ohtani rule that is even more bizarre.On days Ohtani pitches, he gets to remain in the game on offense as the designated hitter when he leaves the mound. That exemption came about in 2022 and was actually dubbed “The Ohtani rule.”Prior to that, if an American League team wanted to let its starting pitcher occupy a spot in the batting order, that spot would then be assigned to the relief pitcher who replaced him.That might be the rule that brings into question the spirit of the game, more than pitching staff limits.Counsell’s complaint seemed to piggyback a social media post from former MLB general manager Jim Bowden, who said last weekend the league needs to “… eradicate the exemption the Dodgers get to carry an extra pitcher.”In the same post, Bowden is actually “ok with allowing (Ohtani) to DH when he pitches and remain in game.”Here’s the thing about Ohtani’s two-way reality. Like any other pitcher, he also is doing his in-between start work. And then he puts in the full-time work of a hitter.While taxing himself as a two-way player, Ohtani has blown out his pitching elbow twice in under five years. It’s not as if there isn’t a tax to pay.And yet Counsell is not wrong. The Dodgers do have an advantage with Ohtani. But it came about because his original organization in Japan took the time and the investment risk to nurture both disciplines. The Nippon-Ham Fighters developed perhaps one the most unique talents of all time.Nothing but risk assessment is stopping MLB clubs from doing the same. No team wants to expose one of their better hitters to a pitching injury, or have one of their best pitchers to come up lame on the bases.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts ultimately responded to Counsell’s complaint.“It certainly benefits us because we have the player,” Roberts said. “But that’s something that any team that had Ohtani would have. We’re more than willing for other teams to go out and find a player who can do both.“He’s an exception because he’s an exceptional player.”The juicy part comes next. The Dodgers play host to the Cubs for a three-game series starting Friday. And no, Ohtani will not be pitching in any of the games but he is expected to come to the plate four times a contest. #Shohei #Ohtani #Rule #Explained #Dodgers #Extra #Pitcher #Deadspin.com

mwasimuddin125 0

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell stuck his toe in the water this week and nary a ripple was created.
In grumbling about how the Los Angeles Dodgers are effectively allowed to carry 14 pitchers on their active roster because of Shohei Ohtani, instead of 13 like everybody else, Counsell essentially admitted that he understands why it is allowed.
“There’s not another player like that, but one team gets different rules for that player,” Counsell told reporters before a game at Wrigley Field, basically confirming the reason the allowance exists.
There truly is no other player like Ohtani, which is why the Dodgers are paying him $700 million for 10 seasons. The fact that most of the money is being deferred is another topic entirely. With the signing, the Dodgers were paying for an MVP-caliber designated hitter who could also take the mound on occasion.