I don't believe - but am not 100% certain - that the "scrum" qualifies as violating the anti-blocking rule. I think the key aspects of the play were that, a) the C did not impede the runner's path to the plate, and b) the C failed to retain possession of the ball. I've been wrong once or twice in my life. I could be wrong here.
I still don't understand why once he got control of the ball he didn't tag Gurriel, why show it to the ump...probably asking himself the same question. Heat of the moment, maybe he thought he'd fool the ump that he did control the ball and tag the runner if he showed him the ball.
Sid I see The Athletic has up a "Best Defensive" outfields. Astros were 1st but Dodgers were 2nd. Dodgers have a helluva defense with the #1 infield and the #2 outfield. Bet their pitching staff appreciates that! Hey how about Verlander striking out 15 Brewers in 7 innings only giving up 4 hits! Unfortunately 3 of those 4 hits were HR bombs. Astros lose in 14 on another HR bomb.
On this day in history Babe Ruth had his Jersey retired in Yankee Stadium. He was so weak he borrowed a bat to use as a cane, he was dead in 2 months.
On this date in 1948, George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. had his No. 3 jersey retired by the New York Yankees. Ruth advanced the sport of baseball immeasurably, dominating as both a pitcher and hitter like no one had ever seen before him. Before joining the Yankees, a 21-year-old southpaw named Ruth led the American League in 1916 with a 1.75 ERA and nine shutouts. Then, in 1920, Ruth was traded to the New York Yankees, marking the beginning of a truly unprecedented career. The Babe averaged 44 homers and 132 RBI in each of his 15 seasons with the Yankees, amassing 659 home runs, 1,978 RBI and 2,518 hits in pinstripes. The statistics are almost unimaginable even today: The Sultan of Swat ranks first all-time in Yankees history in runs (1,959), home runs (659), walks (1,852), average (.349), slugging percentage (.711), and on-base percentage (.484). His 714 career home runs rank third all-time in baseball history, helping to preserve The Bambino as a household name more than eight decades after his last Major league appearance. Baseball fans may never see another player as dominant as Ruth, but will always be able to remember his legacy and the staggering accomplishments and memories he made in 'The House that Ruth Built.'
Simply the "Greatest Who Ever Played". Single-handedly saved the game after the Black Sox scandal and then re-designed it with his power. And was a great ambassador all along the way. Here is a photo which is a still taken from a colorized home movie of my 16 year old father-in-law to be and the Babe. I have another the home movie as well with some close ups of Babe taken at the West Orange NJ Country Club on the practice tee. By the way, my father in law just turned 90 and I was with him in the Bahamas.
Turns out that not only did the Babe play golf, he was obsessed with it and was very good at it. Great article on him and golf at the link. He was more famous as a golfer than Bobby Jones who at that time was the greatest golfer in the world. Babe Ruth Was Once America's Most Famous Golfer
The Athletic has another excellent story, this one on the baseball and it's current impact on the home run production the last couple of years.
Gary Sanchez has hit at least five HRs this year in the first two months over 461'. Now those are out of old Yankee Stadium, Forbes Field, you name it. Mound height, composition of the baseball and / or bat , I don't know. I yearn for the good old days, I can tell you that for sure. This is like softball. Then you add in the shift and the five inning quality starts. I don't even know what I'm watching. And the injuries? These guys are made out of Baccarat crystal. Giancarlo Stanton swung through a fastball and has been out for over two months since. Same with Aaron Judge. Aaron Hicks pulled a stomach muscle and missed the first seven weeks. Stanton re-injured himself twice during re-hab ! Gardener throws his helmet and the carom came back and cut his bottom lip open in the middle of the game. He got stitched up on the spot and stayed in. At least I can respect that.
Re: injuries. I'm mystified. Today's players appear to be bigger, faster, stronger than those of prior eras, but are they really? Bigger, yes. Faster, probably. Stronger, not so much IMO. Could the focus on weightlifting be taking its toll in a sport where additional strength gained through weightlifting doesn't necessarily enhance natural ability? I don't have any answers, but I'm good at asking questions. George's metaphor of Baccarat crystal, while making me laugh, is not far off the mark.
Yankee's get Edwin Encarnacion! He's another power hitter and they have their big guns coming back soon. They are recreating the murders row of the 27 Yankees and they've been winning with out them. So what happens now to those guys who filled in for their star sluggers so well? Trade bait for pitching? Bad news for the AL East. Astros are close to getting both Jose Altuve and George Springer back, they'll be going for minor league rehab pretty soon. Backups have been doing a pretty good job, just like the Yankee's. This new guy Yordan Alvarez has really gotten off to a great start, of course we won't know much till he's been around the league a bit and pitchers get to know him. But he's a big, big man and if he can handle MLB pitching it's a big + for the Astros. Only question is that he's not a great defensive player, but he's really too young to just be slotted as a DH. Played LF the other day and was OK, he's never going to be great because he doesn't cover enough ground.
So many modern players are weightlifters, but they don't know what they're doing. They just toss iron around the weight room or lift like football players. They forget about stretching and cardio. Mike Trout of the Angels is in his 9th year and he's missed very few games to injuries, yet he looks like a middle linebacker. It can be done.
So....for the very first time in Cardinals Baseball history....Matt Carpenter Bunts for a "Stand up" Double. Yes, I said "Stand up".