Last Updated on August 8, 2011 6:23 pm by admin
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona says he wouldn’t be surprised to get a letter from Major League Baseball after his team’s four-hour, 15-minute game against the New York Yankees on Sunday night.
Pace of play has been a hot-button issue in the league office in recent years, with the Yankees and Red Sox two of the biggest targets. Both teams have hitters who like to work deep into counts and pitchers known for taking their time on the mound, such as Boston’s Josh Beckett, who started on Sunday.
Francona says he didn’t think Beckett was stalling deliberately in the 3-2 victory, which took 10 innings. But umpires never said anything to him about the pace.
Francona says the Red Sox have received letters on occasion after long games.