World Series champion rips ESPN over baseball rule changes

You’d think the reigning champion Houston Astros would have no worries as spring training gets underway.

Consider:

Justin Verlander will be in Houston the entire year after going 9-1 in half a season, including the playoffs, in 2017.

The team brought in former All-Star Gerrit Cole from Pittsburgh — as its No. 3 starter.

And superstar shortstop Carlos Correa isn’t planning on missing 53 games like he did in 2017.

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So what could possibly be bothering the champs?

Three words: Pace. Of. Play.

All-star Lance McCullers Jr. is none too happy about MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s plan to limit the number of mound visits per game.

That’s not particularly surprising — but where the righty is directing his anger? Well, that raises a few eyebrows.

In a since-deleted tweet, the pitcher took dead aim at none other than ESPN and its morning shout show, “First Take.”

McCullers, who won Game 7 of the World Series for the Astros, didn’t stop there.

This tweet was also deleted.

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A valid McCullers point is the concern over sign-stealing, usually from a runner on second base. Many times, that’s why pitchers and catchers have their conferences.

Everyone wants to blame pace of play on mound visits or time in between pitches… well MAYBE address the real issue at hand instead of trying to cover it up and forceably insert rules that may affect the integrity of the game and alter the fairness of the game.

— Lance McCullers Jr. (@LMcCullers43) February 20, 2018

We can be sure that nobody’s going to be overly happy with the rules changes; they’re a work in progress.

But McCullers would be better served worrying about opposing hitters rather than the number of mound visits.

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