Well, this is a new one.
Because Cactus and Grapefruit League games don’t actually count for anything, teams tend to be much looser in their approach, employing mass substitutions in an effort to get minor-league prospects and fringe roster types as many opportunities as possible. While teams would obviously prefer to win, the goal of spring training is for players—most of them coming off a winter-long layoff—to work their way into game condition ahead of Opening Day.
The laidback nature of preseason baseball has become increasingly apparent this spring with frequent ties and a new rule allowing teams to pull the plug on an inning, regardless of how many outs or men on base, if a player has thrown more than 20 pitches. Spring training games have long been a farce but never more so than Saturday in Scottsdale, where the Giants hosted the Indians in a Cactus League matinee. After completing the top of the ninth inning with San Francisco ahead 5-4, the two teams agreed to play the bottom half of the frame, despite the Giants already having won. Not privy to this arrangement, the umpires decided their day was finished, leaving the clubs to their own devices.
Though you won’t see it in the official box score, the Giants and Indians continued on, staging the bottom of the ninth without an umpire in sight. It seems this was done so Cleveland could get two of its pitchers, Phil Maton and Kyle Nelson, more work. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Joey Bart walk to first after taking ball five in a game the Giants won a half-inning earlier.
Just when it looked like the teams had finally hit their chaos quota for the afternoon, the Indians ratcheted up the absurdity by calling on a new pitcher, signaling to the bullpen for reinforcements.
Having exhausted all their baseball material, the Giants broadcast team figured now was as good a time as any to discuss Daylight Savings.
Go home, spring training. You’re drunk.
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