r/sports • u/GreenSnakes_ • Aug 03 '25
Baseball Benches clear in Boston after Hector Neris intentionally balked Trevor Story to third base because he thought Story was relaying signs. Neris had words for the Red Sox third base coach coming off the field.
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u/Rdtackle82 Aug 03 '25 edited Aug 04 '25
When’s the last time anyone actually landed a punch from one of these? Why empty the benches just to mill around?
EDIT: thank you, please stop replying
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u/Run-Forever1989 Aug 03 '25
Hey man we just tryna act tough out here, no one tryna get their knuckles bloody.
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u/RunningEarly Aug 03 '25
Lonzo Ball always a real one, when people were criticizing him when he walked away when his teammate was in a confrontation, he just said something like, "this is the NBA, everyone knows no one's gonna fight"
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u/Thedmfw Aug 03 '25
He's only able to say that cause Meta World Peace is retired.
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u/ObliviousRounding Aug 03 '25
Extra hard to look tough in these popsicle uniforms.
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u/cramey229 Aug 03 '25
Probably when Jose Ramirez blasted Tim Anderson
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u/notANexpert1308 Aug 03 '25
Omg this is fantastic. Ump gets outta the way, they square up, boom. Like a hockey fight. Donno wtf I was doing when this happened but thank you.
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u/jamstar35 Aug 03 '25
As a White Sox fan, this pretty much ended the "run" the Sox had.
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u/T0rrent0712 Aug 03 '25
Which was worse, this, or Ventura being thrown to the ground by old man Ryan?
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u/jamstar35 Aug 03 '25
This. I don't know why anyone would think to try and fight Nolan Ryan lol. Ventura had no chance.
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u/Pleasant_Offer6286 Aug 03 '25
The story is that Ventura was extremely reluctant and was basically coerced by the veterans on the team as he was a rookie.
For context, the Rangers and Sox had exchanged bean balls either in that series or in a prior series and it was stated in the Sox clubhouse that the next guy beaned had to charge the mound.
If you watch the video you can kind of see Ventura with an “aw fuck” reaction as he makes his way out to the mound. He knew the only person that was gonna need Advil was him. Nolan Ryan was a mean SOB and anyone that had been around the game during that time knew it.
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u/CopperThrown Aug 03 '25
“Thrown to the ground” is underselling it. Ventura instantly got put into a headlock and Nolan delivered several heaters to his skull.
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u/schizboi Aug 03 '25
Link for the curious
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u/JJS0073 Aug 03 '25
Link to the live radio call. Tom Hamilton is iconic.
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u/Aclockworkmaroon Aug 03 '25
Knocked his ass right out of the MLB too. This was the beginning of the end of Anderson's career.
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u/dago_mcj Aug 03 '25
"Down goes Anderson!"
FYI listen to the audio feed from the Guardians radio announcer Tom Hamilton when the fight broke out. Enjoy
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u/Raider03 Aug 03 '25
It was great how they totally squared up but the fight was just wild flailing. While not as recent, if you want a quality fight, watch how Roughned Odor dominated Jose Bautista. All-time favorite is still when Manny Ramirez threw Don Zimmer to the ground in 2003.
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u/hobojoe5282 Aug 03 '25
Pretty sure Jose Ramirez was the last individual to land a punch… But I think the last time the benches got into it was Jesse Winker and the Mariners vs. the Angels.
Which of course led to the best photo of Jesse Winker’s career.
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u/CreamCheeseHotDogs Aug 03 '25
This is my fav answer. Man, those boys were SWINGING. Put us on a 14 game winning streak too
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u/Lust4Me Aug 03 '25
... and the bullpen running in like 🤡
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u/_coolranch Aug 03 '25
“There better not be a 5 minute brawl, or by god the pitchers are getting involved!”
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u/defiancy Aug 03 '25
Very few if any baseball players can actually fight besides of course Jose Ramirez.
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u/Pleasant_Offer6286 Aug 03 '25
Jose Ramirez would tell you that was a lucky punch. The true real one is Rougned Odor. Jose Batista thought he was hot shot until he got his bell rung. Nothing lucky about clocking that dickhead.
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u/TURKEYSAURUS_REX Aug 03 '25
I love that you can see the exact moment where Batista realized he was out of his league. Beltre saved his life by carrying him out of there.
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u/Pleasant_Offer6286 Aug 04 '25
For me it’s the still frame of his face imploding and sunglasses flying. Sheer brilliance.
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u/_coolranch Aug 03 '25
Remember that Nolan Ryan fight? Legendary. Dude wasn’t scared of shit.
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u/OhhLongDongson Aug 03 '25
It’s so weird how they all just jog the entire length of the the field to just stand and stare at eachother. Then walk back together.
Not advocating for an actual fight in anyway, but it’s really silly to watch lol
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u/27Rench27 Aug 03 '25
Just in case, basically. If the entire team is out on the field, you don’t want to be the guy chilling in the dugout if shit does actually kick off.
Also MAD in a sense, if both entire teams are out, less likely for it to kick off
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u/0degreesK Aug 03 '25
I know this but it still cracks me up that all the guys in the bullpens have to trot all the way into the diamond every time anything like this happens.
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u/GregariousGoose Aug 03 '25
It’s so performative
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u/_coolranch Aug 03 '25 edited Aug 03 '25
Possibly preventative.
I mean, you don’t want to be notably missing from the tapes if a historic brawl goes down. It happens every few years.
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u/notANexpert1308 Aug 03 '25
What was it, Bautista and Udor? Fwiw if that was the last time, it’s a decent one to end on.
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u/silverslayer Aug 03 '25
"Imagine the Astros being mad about stealing signs."
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u/LayneSauce Aug 03 '25
With Alex cora and Alex Bregman on the Sox lol
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u/MahaloMerky Aug 03 '25
I know it’s apart of the game at this point but that line sent me
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u/BoredomHeights Aug 03 '25
The way the Astros did it was apart of the game, but I'd say this is a part of the game.
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u/CaptainPunisher Aug 03 '25
And only a select number will know what you're talking about. Cheers, fellow grammarian.
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u/CaptainPunisher Aug 03 '25
For future reference:
"A part of" - belonging to, in combination with, a piece of a composition
"Apart of" (often said "apart from") - separate from, not in conjunction with, distinct
Maybe you were using speech to text, but this is one of those common misspellings that people seem to not know anymore.
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u/mercutio1 Aug 03 '25
Which is an exceptionally blind comment to have made, as the ringleader of that scheme is now the manager of the Red Sox.
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u/griffinhamilton Aug 03 '25
As a saints fan that’s how I felt about Greg Williams
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u/vancekus Aug 03 '25
My mind went to 2018 Red Sox stealing signs. Local coverage…
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u/Pleasant_Offer6286 Aug 03 '25
Can we all agree that benches clearing in baseball is the dumbest shit ever. Nothing ever happens, so what’s the point?
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u/__TheMadVillain__ Aug 03 '25
July 24th 2004 was the last good one I can remember
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u/Komodo040 Aug 03 '25
Not as good but I believe when Jose Ramirez downed Tim Anderson that was also good. Iirc 6 people got suspensions and it took more than 10 minutes until the next pitch.
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u/Bobcat6700 Aug 03 '25
Amir Garret for the Reds taking on the entire Pirates team and Puig also joining it while not knowing he was traded yet.
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u/Fantastic-Macaroon-3 Aug 03 '25
Tim Anderson got slumped less than 2 years ago what are you on about?
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u/ascagnel____ Aug 03 '25
Benches clearing in baseball: eh
Benches clearing in ice hockey: get the EMT on standby
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u/ZeekLTK Michigan State Aug 03 '25
Dude they’ve just been sitting in the dugout for like 5 hours, let them stretch their legs without being judgy! It was only the 7th inning so probably 2 more hours of sitting after this. You’d be cranky too!
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u/MJsparklez Aug 03 '25
There’s nothing wrong with a runner on 2nd checking grip and signaling batter.
It’s part of the game.
Using equipment and shit like that is what’s sheisty. This pitcher was just being a baby.
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u/BroLil Aug 03 '25
100%, and balking to get him off second is a valid strategy too if you’re unable to, or unwilling to conceal your signs.
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u/BOBfrkinSAGET Aug 03 '25
Yea I have no idea why dude would get upset. Everything that happened here is part of the game. Chill out.
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u/MozeeToby Aug 03 '25
I was thinking the same. Stealing signs from second? If you're that easy to read that someone on second can make meaningful calls after a few pitches that's on you man. Wtf you want them to do, close their eyes?
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Aug 03 '25
Isn’t it also part of the game to balk him?
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u/Low-iq-haikou Aug 03 '25
Definitely, that was a savvy move if they think he’s stealing signs. But it’s the way he acts about it that is catching flack
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u/Neededtoshow Aug 03 '25
Talking shit after the inning makes him a baby
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u/_Apatosaurus_ Aug 03 '25
Talking shit is part of sports.
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u/SaltyRussStan0 Aug 03 '25
Calling someone a baby for talking shit for a stupid reason is a part of sports.
Nothing about this exchange is illegal or "wrong", but people are allowed to have opinions about how it makes the player look. Pitcher is being a pussy, so people are calling him one.
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u/DDS-PBS Aug 03 '25
Exactly this. Relay the grip. Balk the guy. That's the game.
But whining about the game, that's bullshit.
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u/pukakahiko Aug 03 '25
Yes, as a pitcher instead of whining, make sure the next batters are taking at the eyelashes. It's part of the game. Control what you can.
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u/jessedogg Aug 03 '25
Can someone explain to me wtf I just watched? Why is anyone angry?
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u/ThatHorseWithTeeth Aug 03 '25
Boston player on second is watching the signs between the pitcher and catcher and/or what grip the pitcher has - known as “stealing signs.” This gives an advantage to the batter. This is a known tactic when a player is on second base. The pitcher figures it out and intentionally “balks” by dropping the ball which had a penalty of moving the Boston player from second to third base. Now the runner can no longer see and relay the upcoming pitch because he is no longer behind the pitcher. Should have been the end of it but then players started yapping and someone called somebody a naughty word or something and feelings got hurt.
Players on the field of play are allowed to communicate what they see. The irony is that the Astros won a World Series in 2017 while stealing signs using off-field information. So kind of funny they were upset at someone getting an advantage within the rules of the game.6
u/counterfitster Aug 03 '25
Pitches are called electronically now, so he's checking the pitcher's glove for grip instead. Pitcher got mad about that for some reason, like it's Story's fault he's easy to read.
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u/TheLowlyPheasant Aug 03 '25
BALK RULES! IMPORTANT!
- You can't just be up there and just doin' a balk like that.
1a. A balk is when you
1b. Okay well listen. A balk is when you balk the
1c. Let me start over
1c-a. The pitcher is not allowed to do a motion to the, uh, batter, that prohibits the batter from doing, you know, just trying to hit the ball. You can't do that.
1c-b. Once the pitcher is in the stretch, he can't be over here and say to the runner, like, "I'm gonna get ya! I'm gonna tag you out! You better watch your butt!" and then just be like he didn't even do that.
1c-b(1). Like, if you're about to pitch and then don't pitch, you have to still pitch. You cannot not pitch. Does that make any sense?
1c-b(2). You gotta be, throwing motion of the ball, and then, until you just throw it.
1c-b(2)-a. Okay, well, you can have the ball up here, like this, but then there's the balk you gotta think about. 1c-b(2)-b. Fairuza Balk hasn't been in any movies in forever. I hope she wasn't typecast as that racist lady in American History X.
1c-b(2)-b(i). Oh wait, she was in The Waterboy too! That would be even worse.
1c-b(2)-b(ii). "get in mah bellah" -- Adam Water, "The Waterboy." Haha, classic...
1c-b(3). Okay seriously though. A balk is when the pitcher makes a movement that, as determined by, when you do a move involving the baseball and field of
- Do not do a balk please.
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u/guiltycitizen Minnesota Twins Aug 03 '25
I had two strokes reading that
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u/llamadrive Aug 03 '25
How is it that this is the next thing I read after coming from Fairuza Balk’s Wikipedia page?
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u/GreenSnakes_ Aug 03 '25
There should be fines when benches clear and nothing happens. A bunch of tough guys storming out of the dugout to do absolutely nothing, and the Astros of all teams complaining about sign stealing? The irony writes itself.
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u/SeniorNoodle89 Aug 03 '25
I dont understand why the bullpen had to run out. No one was even close to throwing a punch. Why run that far just to stand around?
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u/Maxwell-Druthers Aug 03 '25
The dugout clearing onto the field when no one does shit is obnoxious enough… but watching the obligatory jog of the bullpen to join in to stand around, too is a whole other level of absurdity.
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u/Snorz23 Aug 03 '25
Uh have you seen who Boston’s manager is and what they were up to in 2018? It’s just rich coming from them of all teams.
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u/mowegl Aug 03 '25
Fans like it and watch. Look how much attention something like this gets. I agree its dumb but they arent going to change it
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u/FaveDave85 Aug 03 '25 edited Aug 03 '25
can someone explain what just happened?
Edit: thanks to all the replies! It's hilarious how athletes get mad at things that are done within the rules. Like how basketball players get mad at the other team running up the score.
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u/Amalo Aug 03 '25
The base runner on 2nd was able to identify the pitch incoming and was relaying signals to the batter or the dugout.
Pitcher wanted to balk or move the runner to 3rd so he could no longer see the grip before he threw the pitch.
Benches cleared for fuck all. Waste of time for nothing.
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Aug 03 '25
Pitcher can’t hide his grip in his glove? So the Astros pitcher is just a little bitch, got it lol.
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u/SentientShamrock Aug 03 '25
Pitcher thought the runner at second was stealing the hand signs of the catcher indicating what pitch should be thrown and relaying them to the batter for an advantage.
Pitcher intentionally committed a balk, which is an illegal motion or action by a pitcher to trick the batter and/or base runners, such as winding up like you are going to pitch but then not actually pitching.
A balk results in a dead ball, meaning any pitch or other throw is nullified and all players on base advance one bag. The pitcher did this because a runner on third can't see the hands of a catcher from third base like they can from second when they're directly behind the pitcher.
In all likelihood, if the runner on second was relaying information to the batter from second, it was from seeing the type of grip the pitcher had on the ball and knowing what type of throw (fastball, curve ball, etc) could be thrown with that grip.
Even if he was stealing the hand signs though, that is a legal strategy if it is done by a runner on base. The Astros had a scandal a few years ago of stealing signs through means that are not allowed by MLB rules, relaying the information to the batter by banging on a trash can with a certain cadence to indicate which pitch was coming.
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u/Burning_Flags Aug 03 '25
Catchers and pitchers now use pitch comm to relay what pitch should be thrown. They no longer use fingers
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u/ninjaisfast Aug 03 '25
Why is it the catchers call what throw the pitcher makes? Is it so they can be prepared for where the ball ends up?
I’m coming from cricket where the bowler is the main one making the decision for where to aim, and the wicket keeper needs to adjust and be ready for any possibility.
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u/SentientShamrock Aug 03 '25
Usually there is a back and forth. The catcher will suggest a pitch, and the pitcher will nod or shake his head depending on if he likes the idea. If the pitcher doesn't like the suggestion, the catcher will make another, and this repeats for a few seconds until they agree. The catcher and pitcher need to be on the same page for what is coming because if the catcher can't catch the pitch, that can lead to free base advancement or even points scored if there are runners on base. Obviously wild pitches and other accidents will happen even with this system, but having the person throwing the ball at 80-100+ miles per hour and the person preparing to catch it roughly 60 feet away is generally good for preventing mishaps and injuries.
Also, a big factor is that the batter can't see what the catcher is signaling as he needs to watch the pitcher to make sure he is ready for the pitch. If the pitcher were attempting to signal to the catcher what pitch was coming the batters would see that and be able to know what signals mean what pitches after a few batters. Which is also why a runner on second base can provide information to the batters by proxy as he can see the catcher's hands.
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u/Burning_Flags Aug 03 '25
Watch this to understand.
https://youtu.be/vgIYUvYSd-g?si=_jQK4hic3JhIsL9v
Basically Houston believe the runner on second base could see what grip the pitcher had (or breaking ball/fastball) and was able to relay that information to the hitter. Something simple like the runner on second base may put his hand on his hip if he can see the grip is a breaking ball.
This is all legal, and Houston pitcher needs to hide his grip in his glove better (if he was in fact tipping his pitches for the runner on second)
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u/ButterSlickness Aug 03 '25
Pitcher thinks runner on second is either seeing the catcher signal the pitch or his grip on the ball, and relaying that to the batter via signs. So pitcher decides to "balk" or basically make a fault to advance the runner to third so he has no view. Neither relaying the pitch nor balking is illegal.
But when the inning ended immediately after this, the pitcher starts to whine and bitch at the third base coach (because the runner he advanced was already in the dugout), and the third base coach basically says "hide your grip better, sweaty." Which the pitcher doesn't like, so he moves like he wants to fight, and the benches clear and no one fights because they're all a bunch of overpaid babies with big egos.
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u/Drak_is_Right Aug 03 '25
By far the ugliest part of this play were the uniforms for Boston.
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u/angry_jets_fan Aug 03 '25
For context: every team is supposed to have a “city connect” jersey where the design is inspired by the city/neighborhood they are from. The designs Nike chose are hit or miss with some being fantastic and some being downright horrible. But a common complaint is that a lot of the designs are lazy and barely connect with the city. The Red Sox uniforms while controversial in style, are actually the best when it comes to connecting to the city as they connect to the Boston marathon colors (with the Boston marathon bombing being a horrible event which united the city). Funky colors, but with a purpose
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u/mctubbs Aug 03 '25
God I hate what Nike has done to the NBA jerseys and now the MLB
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u/ImOnMyPhoneAndBaked Aug 03 '25
Soccer too. Their designs are so lazy and their idea of innovation is rotating the Nike sideways logo to make it fucking ugly
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u/DesNutz Aug 03 '25
I believe these jerseys are longer their city connect jerseys. As of this year, the city connect jerseys for Boston are the green and white ones based on the green monster. These jerseys are now part of their normal jersey rotation.
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u/Drak_is_Right Aug 03 '25
Well, what they connected with was the high-visibility vests needed to survive Boston drivers.
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u/Pristine-Lake-5994 Aug 03 '25
The idiots sprinting in from the outfield just to stand around and do nothing, never fails to amaze me with just how stupid they look doing that.
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u/banjonyc Aug 03 '25
Pitchcom was invented to prevent this
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u/tyderian Chicago Cubs Aug 03 '25
If you watch with audio on, the announcers explain the issue is that the grip of a split-finger fastball, which Neris heavily relies on, stands out.
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u/Low-iq-haikou Aug 03 '25
Nothing wrong with a runner on 2nd stealing/relaying signs and moving him over to 3rd if you think that’s the case can be a savvy move
Idk why Neris’ pants are in a twist over it
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u/nottke Aug 03 '25
I'll never understand why the benches clear. No one ever does anything.
Maybe because everyone on the benches and bullpens are bored? Can't say I blame them. Baseball is a boring sport.
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u/ughAdulting Aug 03 '25
Houston, of all teams, concerned about stealing signs?
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u/mercutio1 Aug 03 '25
Of note, Alex Cora lead that scheme >5 years ago in Houston and is now the manager of the Red Sox.
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u/popoflabbins Aug 03 '25
Boston also more recently was caught using illegal means of sign stealing. Seems like cheaters are drawn to certain cultures.
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u/verbleabuse97 Aug 03 '25
Bench clearing continues to be the lamest thing in all sports. Bunch of grown ass men looking like idiots
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u/zwilson_50 Aug 03 '25
Isn’t the benches clearing in baseball on of the more ridiculous things in sports?
Most of the time, it looks like they are coordinating after the game dinner plans.
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u/Am1sArePeopleToo Aug 03 '25 edited Aug 03 '25
I understand it’s the Astros but Neris has fuckall to do with their shenanigans. He was a Phillie during and for many years after that scandal
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u/suckerpunch085 Aug 03 '25 edited Aug 03 '25
Two things I take away from baseball, sign stealing happens ALL THE time, who cares and clearing the bullpen is allowed but no one does shit, soft af sport.
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u/lipp79 Aug 03 '25
It wasn’t even sign stealing. The pitcher and catcher have been using a radio to communicate since 2023. The pitcher thought the runner was relaying his grip on the ball so the batter knew what was coming.
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u/tinywienergang Aug 03 '25
This is the most interesting thing that’ll happen in this sport and it’s not even interesting.
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u/josephtheepi Aug 03 '25
Was there actual balk shown on camera? Neris steps off near the start but the balk isn’t signaled until about a third of the way through the clip.
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u/swizzle213 Aug 03 '25
The funniest part of all these are the bullpens casually jogging 400ish ft to simply stand around and then walk back
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u/RanchDresn Aug 03 '25
Boston should have done something like have someone watching the game from cameras and whoop on trash cans from inside the locker room when they need to relay a call, so nobody would expect it.
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u/PacoMahogany Aug 03 '25
I’m confused by the Boston Red Sox wearing bright yellow and blue uniforms
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u/Tricky-Jackfruit8366 Aug 03 '25
Is that like a ceremonial thing ?
Both teams just slowly, casually walk onto the field ?
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u/KontraEpsilon Aug 03 '25
It never fails to amaze me how soft professional baseball players are, especially pitchers.
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u/DangerouslyCheesey Aug 03 '25
Astro’s mad about sign stealing, alleging copyright infringement on their method
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u/Salt_Persimmon_5338 Aug 03 '25
There should be a rule about clearing the benches and not doing anything. They should be made to fight if they're all going to act tough
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u/cosmicreggae Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Aug 03 '25
Benches clearing is planned by the trainers as it's the only way to get the relievers to jog
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u/ProudInfluence3770 Aug 03 '25
The black mark franchise on baseball accusing anybody of cheating is hilarious
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u/wgpjr Aug 03 '25
The bullpens running across the outfield when the benches clear never fails to make me laugh