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DUNEDIN, Florida - Blue Jays players assembled Monday afternoon for their annual spring meeting with the Players Association, the first gathering chaired by new executive director Tony Clark. Just as the meeting was beginning, Major League Baseball unveiled Rule 7.13, an experimental rule for the 2014 season aimed at eliminating what the league calls “egregious” runner/catcher collisions at home plate. See a full explanation of the rule here: http://tinyurl.com/l4zaqo5 Here is a link to a play at the plate last season, involving Phillies base runner Chase Utley and former Cubs catcher Dioner Navarro, now with the Blue Jays. Watch the clip, keeping in mind the new rule didnt exist, and guess based on the new rule whether Utley would be safe or out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0Qe310Bn4g Assembled media, waiting for Clark to emerge from his seminar with the Jays, couldnt agree on the call. Some saw fault with Utley for initiating contact with Navarro. Others believed Utley would be called safe because Navarro blocked the pathway of the runner to the plate prior to receiving the baseball. If you think Utley is safe, based on the new rule, Clark agrees with you. “My guess is, according to the rule, (Navarro) cant be sitting on the plate without the ball,” said Clark. “Its one thing to catch it and then move and block the baseline. Its another thing to block the baseline and not having the ball.” Blue Jays catchers hadnt seen the new rule as of Mondays availability and had plenty of questions, including the wisdom of asking an umpire to make a split-second determination about more than whether a runner is safe or out. “I think its tough to make that out/safe call at home and theyre always trying to get good positioning,” said Erik Kratz. “Now, is their positioning going to have to change? Are they going to have to talk about that? Are they going to have to look at the runner as hes running, ‘I saw the runners eyes, he was looking at the catcher. You did? What about the ball? What about the catchers eyes? Did he have his fist clenched?” “Im going to do you one better,” said Clark. “During a play on the field you may also have a rotation component here where youve got the home plate umpire running to third and the first base umpire running to home. Its a tough enough play as it is as hes running to try and call a close play but now youre also talking about trying to determine intent and where guys are positioned. Its difficult.” Many other nuances were discussed, which is why, according to Clark, the rule has been made public and is being explained to players only two days before Grapefruit League play is scheduled to begin. A Major League Baseball representative and an umpire will be visiting all 30 teams during spring training to further explain the rule. Manager John Gibbons has met with MLB Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Joe Torre and his right-hand man, Tony La Russa. The intent of the rule is to make close plays at the plate safer for both the catcher and the runner. A catcher in his playing days, Gibbons is skeptical. “I dont know about that,” said Gibbons. “I think when you start trying to mess with the game too much, I mean, youre going to run into problems. Its a big part of the game. The game on the line, thats the winning run or something, guys are trying to stop that run. Instinct tells them to do one thing. But if thats the rule then we live with that. Nothing we can do about that.” Clark of Free Agency Ervin Santana and Stephen Drew are two high-profile free agents whove yet to find work, in large part because there is draft pick compensation tied to their next contracts. “As a union its our responsibility to make sure that player rights are defended, protected and advanced,” said Clark. When asked over the course of the winter about the Blue Jays interest in select free agents, general manager Alex Anthopoulos repeatedly opined that market prices were too high and that the club was willing to wait for player demands to come down. Clark, speaking in general terms, not specifically about Anthopoulos or the Blue Jays, says the union will review the offseasons free agency activity. “If the free agent market as a whole is being manipulated on some level and we have an opportunity to reflect on this offseason, comments that were made, where those comments came from and how they may have affected the free agent market then it is a conversation were going to have going forward to make sure the integrity of the Collective Bargaining Agreement is upheld and that we dont find ourselves in a place where certain information is lending itself to certain understandings and appreciations publicly with respect to free agents,” said Clark. Clark on A-Rod Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez wont play in 2014, suspended for his role in the Biogenesis performance enhancing drug scandal. Rodriguez has since dropped a lawsuit which named, among others, the Major League Baseball Players Association. Clark says if A-Rod is playing in 2015, hell be welcomed back into the union he briefly considered taking to court. “Over the course of 140 years there have been, I believe, a little less than 20-thousand players who have ever worn a major league uniform for one day,” said Clark. “If you have worn a major league uniform for one day then you are part of that fraternity. There are guys that make decisions that guys dont appreciate, that guys dont like, but after Alex serves his suspension he will come back as a member of that fraternity and we expect to see him in 2015.” Clark on an openly gay player Jason Collins is back in the NBA, making history on Sunday night as the first openly gay athlete in the leagues history. Michael Sam appears poised to become the first openly gay player in the NFL. Is baseball ready for such a scenario? “I dont see it being an issue,” said Clark. “Our locker rooms are more diverse than most and as youve heard with a lot of the leagues, whether its the NFL or any other place, inevitably its going to come down to can you help us win ballgames?” Pitching Schedule Manager John Gibbons has drawn up his pitching schedule for the first five Grapefruit League games. Here it is: Wednesday at Phillies: J.A. Happ (2 innings,) Todd Redmond (2,) Kyle Drabek (1-2,) Chad Jenkins (1,) Neil Wagner (1,) Mickey Storey (1.) Thursday vs. Phillies: R.A. Dickey (2,) Esmil Rogers (1,) Dustin McGowan (1,) Brett Cecil (1,) Aaron Loup (1,) Jeremy Jeffress (1,) Rob Rasmussen (1,) Marcus Walden (1.) Friday vs. Pirates: Mark Buehrle (1-2,) Brandon Morrow (1-2,) Steve Delabar (1,) Sergio Santos (1,) Liam Hendriks (1,) Sean Nolin (1,) Aaron Sanchez (1,) Juan Perez (1.) Saturday at Orioles: Drew Hutchison (2,) Ricky Romero (1-2,) Marcus Stroman (2,) Tomo Ohka (1-2,) Deck McGuire (1-2,) Mickey Storey (1.) Sunday vs. Yankees: Esmil Rogers (2,) Todd Redmond (1-2,) Brett Cecil (1,) Aaron Loup (1,) Jeremy Jeffress (1,) Chad Jenkins (1,) Neil Wagner (1,) Casey Janssen (1.) NOTE: Brandon Morrow experienced tightness in his calf on Monday. Gibbons says there is no concern the injury is serious and the plan is for Morrow to pitch on Friday. Cheap Shoes Australia Free Shipping . Now, the hottest team on the ATP are pointing their sights on qualifying for the eight-team season finals in London next November. Pospisil has now established the year-end World Tour Finals as the benchmark for a breakthrough season, with Pospisil and Sock provisionally standing ninth. Womens Shoes Australia . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. http://www.cheapshoesaustraliaonline.com/ . -- Miami Dolphins defensive co-ordinator Kevin Coyle defended the management style of coach Joe Philbin in the wake of the teams bullying scandal. Wholesale Shoes Australia .com) - The Atlanta Hawks have stepped up to every challenge during their 14-game winning streak and will face another daunting task Friday with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder in town. Cheap Shoes Australia . It is unclear how long Kallstrom, who was brought in to alleviate the teams midfield problems, will be sidelined. Arsenals communications director, Mark Gonnella, says the club decided to proceed with Kallstroms signing despite the injury.Chip Kelly got another versatile playmaker for his offence. The Philadelphia Eagles acquired running back Darren Sproles from the New Orleans Saints for a fifth-round draft pick on Tuesday. The Eagles also agreed on a two-year contract with former Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll. "Darren Sproles is an unbelievable offensive weapon," Kelly said. "He can do it all: run, catch, plus hes a proven winner. And on top of that, he can bring all of those dynamic skills to the return game as well. There is no question we were all excited once we found out we were going to be able to trade for him." The 30-year-old Sproles is coming off one of his least productive seasons. He ranked in the bottom five among punt returners with a 6.7 yards per return average and was third worst among kick returners with an average of 21.3. Sproles offensive numbers also went down for the third straight year. He had 71 catches for 604 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 220 yards and two scores. He joins an up-tempo offence that was quite dynamic in Kellys first season in Philadelphia. The Eagles set team records for points (442), total net yards (6,676), touchdowns (53), and gross yards passing (4,406). All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy had a franchise-best 1,607 yards rushing and 2,146 yards from scrimmage. Pro Bowl MVP Nick Foles had the third-highest passer rating (119.2) in league history. "Darren is a player that we have admired for many years," Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. "Hes a proven performer at a high level. Hes such a dangerous back and hes a great piece to add to our offence and to our special teams. We spent a considerable time in order to try to make this happen and we were very happy to get a deal done with New Orleans." Sproles played his first five seasons in San Diego and last three with the Saints. He has run for 2,221 yards and 11 TDs and caught 378 passes for 3,381 yards and 27 TDs. Since 2007, Sproles leads the NFL with 13,806 all-purpose yards and ranks first among running backs in receptions (375), yards receiving (3,371) and TD catches. He also has five return touchdowns on punts (three) and kickoffs (two). The Saints get thee second of Philadelphias two fifth-round picks in May.ddddddddddddThe Eagles acquired that pick from the Patriots in a trade for defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga last October. New Orleans beat the Eagles in Philadelphia in a first-round playoff game in January. The Saints have been successful with several fifth-round picks in recent years: wide receiver Kenny Stills, cornerback Corey White, 2012 Pro Bowl punter Thomas Morstead, two-time Pro Bowl left guard Carl Nicks, and defensive end Rob Ninkovich. Whose success has come with New England. Carroll is the fourth free agent signed by the Eagles since Tuesday, joining former Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins and special teams standouts Chris Maragos and Bryan Braman. Carroll had three interceptions and two sacks in 12 starts last season. Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher were Philadelphias starting cornerbacks in 2013 and Brandon Boykin started in the slot. The Eagles finished last in pass defence. "Nolan Carroll brings good experience to our team," Kelly said. "Hes been a starter in Miami. Hes a good athlete and hell bring good depth to our cornerback position with Cary, Fletch and Brandon. His skill set fits what we are trying to do on defence and special teams." Carroll allowed just 43 receptions in 451 coverage snaps last year, according to Pro Football Focus. Opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of only 65.0 when targeting him. "Nolan is a guy we have studied for a while and the thing you see is his size, speed and press ability," Roseman said. "He will add depth to a cornerback group we already feel good about. You can never have enough big, long corners on a football team. Hes also a player that has proven to be a productive gunner on special teams." The 27-year-old Carroll had 135 tackles, five interceptions, 22 passes defended and three sacks in four seasons in Miami. Before NFL free agency opened, the Eagles re-signed wide receivers Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin and gave contract extensions to All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters and centre Jason Kelce. They also re-signed punter Donnie Jones this week. ' ' '