MLBits: White Sox Ninth Inning Meltdown, (One) MiLB Labor Lawsuit Settled, Báez and Hinch Ejected, Shohei Slam, More

May 10, 2022, by Patrick K. Flowers Chicago Cubs

Sometimes you’re the windshield, and sometimes you’re the bug … Josh Naylor was the windshield on Monday night, and the White Sox were the bug.

Josh Naylor (Nearly) Single-Handedly Beats the White Sox

When Andres Gimenez hit a solo home run to open the top of the ninth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field on Monday night, a Cleveland fan was sitting a section away from me who was suddenly very chirpy despite his team still trailing by five. We exchanged looks, and I laughed and told him to look at the scoreboard. I would come to regret that statement.

Then came an Amed Rosario single in which he ended up at third base on a throwing error by Tim Anderson. Austin Hedges drove in Rosario on an error by Yoán Moncada. Still, the White Sox led by four. Tanner Banks got the first out on a strikeout of Myles Straw, but a fielder’s choice and a walk prompted Tony La Russa to summon Liam Hendriks from the bullpen. Hendriks surrendered a single to Owen Miller to load the bases. I honestly still wasn’t worried. Hendriks had strung together six scoreless appearances since April 30 and was off on Sunday. Why would I worry?

Josh Naylor stepped to the plate, and I joked with the Guardians fan that I would have a medical emergency if Naylor did what he was hoping he would do. Everyone in the area shared a laugh. Then, that Cleveland fan had the last laugh …

The Guardians score SIX RUNS to tie it in the 9th with a Josh Naylor grand slam! pic.twitter.com/gjObbhXtg8

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 10, 2022

The White Sox had the bases loaded in the ninth. Jose Ramirez laid out to snare a shot down the line by Adam Engel that would have won it and fired a wide throw to first, but Josh Naylor hauled it in on a full extension stretch to save the game. The White Sox had the bases loaded in the 10th. Emmanuel Clase tight roped his way out of the jam.

Then came the 11th and more Josh Naylor heroics:

Josh Naylor has 8 runs batted in tonight.

King stuff. 👑#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/ErwoAXkBUg

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 10, 2022

Naylor drove in eight, the White Sox blew a six-run lead in the ninth, and I didn’t get home from the ballpark until 12:30. I hate baseball sometimes. Seriously though, the White Sox defense was brutal and has been atrocious this season. A six-game winning streak by the wayside and an absolute gem by Michael Kopech wasted.

Still, Kopech is now the MLB leader in ERA at 0.93 after throwing six innings of a two-hit ball while allowing zero runs and striking out seven. So, there’s that for White Sox fans. Silver linings, right?

The lowest ERA (0.93) in the league belongs to Michael Kopech. pic.twitter.com/4cLl0lWaa0

— MLB (@MLB) May 10, 2022

The Guardians broadcast team’s reaction to Gavin Sheets’ first-inning error pretty much sums up my response to everything that happened between innings nine and 11 on Monday night (listen to the end):

Apparently the Guardians broadcast team was as shocked as #WhiteSox fans by Sheets play. pic.twitter.com/LUlIjaupCi

— White Sox Daily (@dailywhitesox) May 10, 2022

Class Action Lawsuit Against MLB Settled

This afternoon, Evan Drellich reports that a 2014 class-action lawsuit filed against MLB by minor leaguers has been settled. Major League Baseball and its counsel argued in court that minor leaguers should not be paid during training periods, including Spring Training, because they are receiving training that would otherwise cost them upwards of $2,200 weekly, according to Elise Bloom of Proskauer Rose.

“It is the players that obtain the greater benefit from the training opportunities that they are afforded than the clubs, who actually just incur the cost of having to provide that training,” said Elise Bloom of Proskauer Rose, a firm that is also advising MLB in its lockout of major league players. “During the training season, the players are not employees, and would not be subject to either the Fair Labor Standards Act or any state minimum wage act.”

The details of the settlement are unknown at this time. You can get up to speed on the case in a recent story by Evan Drellich:

BREAKING: The class action lawsuit filed by minor leaguers, Senne vs. the Commissioner’s Office, et al., has been settled. Terms not immediately known. A trial was set to begin in June. The lawsuit was filed in 2014. Here’s an earlier story on the case: https://t.co/md2BqNjr0X

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) May 10, 2022

Tempers Flare in Motown as Baez, Hinch Ejected

Javy Baez was ejected after arguing a questionable (albeit borderline) strike three call with home plate umpire Nick Marley on Monday night in the bottom of the ninth. Hinch was ejected when he came to Baez’s defense. Baez can be heard telling Marley, “you don’t give f***,” during the argument at home plate.

This has been a growing trend this season as players continue to grow more and more tired of calls like these. You’ll recall a former teammate of Baez, Kyle Schwarber, receiving a similar ejection for arguing a strike call in the bottom of the ninth in a tight contest in Philadelphia recently. While balls and strikes will, in all likelihood, eventually be called electronically, the fate of these calls remains in the hands of the home plate umpires for now. It’s important to note that MLB grades umpire’s calls of balls and strikes with a lot more room for error than the television illustration of the strike zone shows us.

"You don't give a fuck"

Javy Baez and AJ Hinch were both ejected after arguing a third strike call pic.twitter.com/RjuYwVzfiF

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 10, 2022

Odds and Ends …

• The Cardinals have demoted shortstop Paul DeJong to Triple-A Memphis:

The Cardinals have sent shortstop Paul DeJong down to Triple-A Memphis, sources tell The Athletic.

DeJong, a 2019 All-Star, was hitting .130 with a .417 OPS over 77 ABs. It’s expected Tommy Edman will slot to shortstop in the interim. #STLCards

— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) May 10, 2022

• These were FILTHY:

Jimmy "The Human Glitch" Herget, 91mph Sinker and 84mph Slider, Individual Pitches + Overlay.

19" of run on the Sinker. pic.twitter.com/wBCXJiIvCY

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 10, 2022

• The Miami Marlins are teaming with Magic City Apes to bring the NFT’s to LoanDepot Park:

A first-ever event coming to loanDepot park as the Miami Marlins team with Magic City Apes to introduce the Miami Marlins Bored Ape NFT Art Display on Friday, June 3 pic.twitter.com/PcVyNJjrYw

— Marlins Communications (@MarlinsComms) May 10, 2022

• Well, that’s interesting:

interesting tidbits in an interview with the KBO commissioner Heo Koo-Yeon

Heo said that Manfred reached out about the possibility of having the 2024 MLB opening day in Korea. Heo also wants to talk to MLB about having a KBO opening day game in LA (!!).https://t.co/C8lbYZGvY3

— Sung Min Kim (@sung_minkim) May 10, 2022

• The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers will wear pride hats on the field during a game for the first time in MLB history on June 11:

The June 11th game between the Dodgers and Giants will be the first time in MLB history both teams are wearing pride hats on the field pic.twitter.com/nufTgoo0WC

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 9, 2022

• Carlos Rodón with the filthy pause and then 97 mph gas. Rodón has a 1.80 ERA and a 53-12 K/BB ratio through seven starts with the San Francisco Giants.