After the St. Louis Cardinals got away with a violation in their 4-1 win over the Mets on Wednesday, some fans wondered why New York and manager Luis Rojas didn’t play the game under protest.

Well, guess what? That’s not a thing anymore.

We didn’t know either, because it has been a thing forever. But we’re told that MLB changed the longstanding rule for this season.

Here's how is now reads:

OBR 7.04 Protesting Games

Protesting a game shall never be permitted, regardless of whether such complaint is based on judgment decisions by the umpire or an allegation that an umpire misapplied these rules or otherwise rendered a decision in violation of these rules.

The violation in question on Wednesday came in the fourth inning, when St. Louis pitcher Kwang Hyun Kim’s interpreter visited the mound to speak with the pitcher and infielders.

The umpires should not have allowed this, as the league’s Manual requires that an interpreter be accompanied on the mound by a coach. In the past, the Mets might have considered playing under protest. Now, they can’t.

The upshot is that the Cardinals broke a rule that appears to have no clear consequence. The Mets are looking into what, if anything, can be done about it.

Popular in the Community