Buc Notes: February 25, 2016

MLB changed the rules today.  Some good has come from Jung Ho Kang’s injury when he was taken out by Chris Coghlan in a nasty slide.  The new rules would prevent the Coghlan take out of Kang by ensuring a “bona fide” slide took place.  In short, the slide has to be all about the slide.  Contact is allowed if the slide is a “bona fide” slide.  Given what happened last year to Jordy Mercer and Jung Ho Kang – not to mention the Mets’ Ruben Tejada – this minor rule change will certainly make Manager Clint Hurdle happy. He’s been pretty pissed off about the Kang takeout ever since it happened.

Kang made it into Adam Berry’s story, speaking through his interpreter, he said of the rule change “I’m all for it”.  Mercer, on the other hand, was less clear about his feelings on the rule change: “It’s the game of baseball, man. It’s been played like this for a long time.’ That’s why I’m on the fence about it.”

Ryan Vogelsong’s atonement was the theme at the Post-Gazette.  Vogelsong, once a pitching disaster for the club, is back – older, wiser, more mature and ready to help Pittsburgh win. Bill Brink does a great job with this article. The notion of Vogelsong’s achieving Pirate redemption is appealing to fans that are worried about the rotation.  It also seems, well, possible.

It’s not like it has all been trials and tribulations in Vogelsong’s career. Yes, those things are there.  But this is still a pitcher that in 2011 made 30 starts with a 2.71 ERA.  He’s also collected two WorldSeries rings.