The Magic of Baseball Rule 10.23

Terry O'Keefe · Jul 28, 2007

This is too funny.

Magic of Rule 10.23
posted: Friday, July 27, 2007 | Print Entry

When is a home run in July not a home run in July?

When the always-entertaining fine print in the baseball rule book gets in the way.

And today, that fine print might actually get in the way of Alex Rodriguez's 500th homer -- if he goes deep in the resumption of the Yankees' June 28 game with the Orioles that got suspended by rain.

The fine print in question can be found in the very last rule in the rule book -- Rule 10.23.

That rule, for some reason, has never been as universally beloved as, say, Rule 1.01. ("Baseball is a game between two teams of nine players each ... ") Or Rule 5.04. ("The offensive team's objective is to have its batter become a runner, and its runners advance.")

But if Rule 10.23 comes into play in this suspended game, it will definitely be the most popular rule on eBay, because it will throw the 500-home run memorabilia circuit into massive chaos.

Here's why:

What that rule says, essentially, is that everything that happens after the resumption of a suspended game will be deemed by the proper authorities to have taken place on the date the game started. Doesn't matter what day, month, year, decade or century the resumption itself takes place.

So if A-Rod homers during that resumption Friday, it won't matter that the calendar on his iPhone says it's July. According to baseball, it will still be June 28.

Which means his 500th home run would actually be considered his 493rd home run.

And his 499th home run, hit Wednesday in Kansas City, would then be declared the official 500th home run, even though nobody knew it at the time.

And it also means that the historians will tell you some day that he became the first man ever to hit his 500th home run before his 32nd birthday, even though he made his 500th home run trot on his 32nd birthday.

So there. Got all that?

Only in baseball is time travel legal, friends -- all because of the magic of Rule 10.23. It's a beautiful thing.
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Gator Bill · Jul 28, 2007

I got it!, now let's see what happens today!

Bear Down Rick · Jul 28, 2007

CBS Sportsline message for fantasy leagues:

Yankees/Orioles Suspended Game
The suspended game will resume Friday, July 27th. The stats accumulated today will not be applied to this week's scoring period, but will be applied to period 13, when the game started. The stats will be updated sometime on Saturday morning.
Click to expand...

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The Magic of Baseball Rule 10.23

Terry O'Keefe Well-Known Member Administrator

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The Magic of Baseball Rule 10.23

Terry O'Keefe Well-Known Member Administrator

Gator Bill Well-Known Member Administrator

Bear Down Rick Well-Known Member

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