Yanks' mound meetings slow Series, give MLB pause

By BEN WALKER
AP Baseball Writer

PHILADELPHIA — All those meetings on the mound called by
catcher Jorge Posada and the New York Yankees are giving Major
League Baseball pause, too.

Posada and pals visited pitcher CC Sabathia eight times – in a
single inning – on Sunday night, grinding Game 4 of the World
Series to a standstill. Agitated Phillies fans booed each trip.

MLB vice president of umpiring Mike Port said frequent mound
meetings by all teams likely would be discussed by baseball
officials this offseason.

“It would fall under the province of pace of game,” Port said
before the Yankees beat Philadelphia 7-4 to take a 3-1 Series
lead.

Baseball has tried speed-up rules and guidelines in recent
years, with varying results. Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon was
fined a few times this season and even had a ball called on him
for taking too long to pitch. Hitters are encouraged to stay in
the batter’s box.

One trip to the mound is allowed per inning – by a manager or
coach – before a pitcher must be pulled. There is no limit,
however, on players-only meetings.

The Yankees held six in the first inning of Game 4. Then came
eight more – four alone with Jayson Werth hitting – in the
fifth. Damaso Marte relieved Sabathia in the seventh. After two
pitches, Posada made the 60-foot, 6-inch trudge yet again.

Sabathia wound up striking out Werth with two runners on.
Perhaps the Phillies could have used a meeting to figure out who
covers third base if Johnny Damon steals second against an
overshifted infield.

“It’s just part of the game,” Posada said. “We want to talk with
each other so we know what we’re doing.”

Plate umpire Brian Gorman clapped his hands while Posada and
Andy Pettitte met in Game 3, trying to hurry them along. The PA
system at Citizens Bank Park played “Fly Like an Eagle” by the
Steve Miller Band – the song starts out “Time keeps on slippin’,
slippin’, slippin’ into the future” – when Posada and Sabathia
talked.

The World Series opener lasted 3 hours, 27 minutes. The next
three games all took exactly 3:25.

Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett and personal catcher Jose Molina
visited seven times during an inning in the AL championship
series. New York pitching coach Dave Eiland made no apology.

“Every pitch is a big pitch this time of year. Seriously. You
want to make sure everything’s covered,” Eiland said Sunday
night.

As for making a rule limiting catchers’ trips to the mound,
Eiland scoffed.

“No, don’t take three minutes between innings. You know how many
times a pitcher is standing on the mound waiting for the
umpire’s call to throw the first pitch?” he said.

“You can’t take away the beauty of the game,” Eiland said. “I
know fans get upset and I know Major League Baseball may get
upset with that. But that’s part of the game. There’s no rules
against it, and I don’t see any rules changing for that. That
would be ridiculous.”

Sabathia had no problem with the confabs, either.

“We were just trying to make sure we were on the right page,
getting the pitches right, whatever it takes. There’s really no
time limit on the game,” he said.

The Yankees’ mound visits throughout the postseason can serve
another purpose. In a sport that’s not supposed to have
timeouts, it can help slow opposing hitters.

“Sometimes it’s a momentum-breaker,” Eiland said. “If we feel
like they have the momentum we kind of want to take a little
momentum timeout and stop it and regroup, and I want to make
sure the pitcher’s mind is right. So a lot of things go into
it.”

Added Yankees manager Joe Girardi: “There’s a lot of
situations.”

“Sometimes it’s easier to go talk about what you want to do as
opposed to putting down signs and then keep shaking,” he said
before Game 5 Monday night.

Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino dismissed speculation that
the Yankees held so many meetings because Philadelphia was
swiping their signals.

“Obviously,” he said, “if we’re stealing signs we would be doing
better than what we’re doing right now.”

Actor Robert Wuhl found it all amusing.

Wuhl portrayed coach Larry Hockett in the movie “Bull Durham”
and made a much-quoted trip to the mound when the guys got stuck
on what to get a teammate and his bride for their wedding.
“Candlesticks always make a nice gift, and maybe you could find
out where she’s registered … maybe a place setting, or a
silverware pattern. OK? Let’s get two,” Hockett said.

Wuhl was behind the backstop watching the Yankees take batting
practice before Game 5. He’d also noticed New York’s many
meetings.

“Here’s what I don’t get in baseball,” Wuhl said. “You have a
Korean pitcher, a Dominican catcher, a first baseman from French
Canada and a third baseman from Mississippi, and they can’t
understand each other already. Then they cover their mouths with
their gloves. Then the catcher puts down one finger for
fastball. What was that all about?”

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AP Baseball Writers Mike Fitzpatrick and Ronald Blum contributed
to this report.