Focusing on February Heart Health Month

ABIG Thank you to Nicholas Foligno, an American Professional Ice Hockey Left Winger for the Boston Bruins, Janelle Foligno, Author and Blades, the team mascot for the Boston Bruins for coming to visit the students at South Boston Catholic Academy. They came to tell us about the importance of heart health and how we can keep our heart healthy by exercising and eating right.

Janelle Foligno, wrote a book entitled, “Dear Heart, A Letter To My Special Heart” that she dedicated to her daughter Milana. Janelle read her inspiring story to the students. Quoting Janelle, “Milana’s journey has taught us a lot. It’s identified the important need for congenital heart defect research and heart research in general, which has spear-headed our efforts to make a difference for those battling heart disease. Our mission is to live a heart healthy life. Not only for Milana, but for ourselves and others. We strive to create a family foundation that can grow as we do. It’s important for us to give back through philanthropy and show our children the positive impact it can have to their communities.”

The Foligno family is dedicated to helping others learn more about the importance of our heart health. For more information about them and our heart health, go to http:// heartsplaybook.com/our-story.html. Thank you again to The Foligno Family and the Boston Bruins for this very special visit to SBCA. The students loved meeting them and learning about the importance of keeping our heart healthy.

February is Heart Health Month. Stepping away from the computer once a day to get some fresh air and sunshine can improve your mood by increasing serotonin levels and the production of endorphins. Getting outside can also increase red blood cell production, which carries oxygen throughout the body and to your brain. New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

It’s here. Spring Training has arrived. Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training this week, and for the Boston Red Sox, their first full squad workout takes place on Monday. The Red Sox begin their spring training schedule with a game against the Northeastern Huskies next Friday, Feb. 24, followed by their first spring training game against an MLB team, next Saturday, Feb. 25 against the Atlanta Braves.

It will be strange not seeing Xander Bogaerts in Fort Myers. But at least the offseason ended on a positive note, with the Sox signing Rafael Devers to an 11-year, $331 million contract extension. In other good news, Chris Sale is present and is throwing normally. His presence and health will be key for Boston in 2023.

What will also be key is adjusting to the league’s new rules. That’s right, new rules. There are three major rule changes in 2023, which will be officially implemented in MLB during spring training games. Those three new rules are: pitch timer, shift restrictions, and bigger bases.

Here’s how MLB.com breaks down all three:

Pitch timer: The length of games will still be determined by innings, not minutes. But to create a crisper pace, there will be a 30-second timer between batters and then a shorter time limit between pitches. Pitchers will be required to begin their motion 15 seconds after receiving the ball with the bases empty or 20 seconds after receiving the ball with runners on base. If they don’t, they will be charged with an automatic ball.

Pitchers will also be limited to two disengagements from the mound (i.e. pickoff attempts or step-offs) per plate appearance with a runner on first. The disengagements reset the clock.

Batters, meanwhile, must be in the batter’s box and alert to the pitcher by the 8-second mark on the clock, or else be charged with an automatic strike.

Shift restrictions: The defensive team must have a minimum of four players on the infield, with at least two infielders completely on either side of second base. These restrictions are intended to increase the batting average on balls in play, and allow infielders to better showcase their athleticism with great defensive plays.

Bigger bases: First, second and third have been expanded from 15 inches on each side to 18 inches on each side, while home plate remains unchanged. The primary reason why the bases are bigger is safety, giving fielders and runners more room to operate without colliding. But the slightly decreased distance between bases could help runners on stolen-base attempts and bang-bang plays.”

All three rule changes will also be enforced in the postseason, but they will not be used in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, which begins in March. The changes were all tested in more than 8,000 games at the Minor League levels. According to MLB.com, last year, nineinning Minor League games that used the pitch timer were 25 minutes shorter than games in 2021 that did not use the pitch timer, on average. Additionally, stolen-base activity increased from 2.23 attempts per game to 2.81. The stolen-base success rate improved from 68 percent to 78 percent.

And limits to the defensive shift helped increase batting averages across the Minor Leagues from .247 to .249.

I personally think the pitch clock is going to create a somewhat chaotic experience the first few seasons in use. I hope I’m wrong but think about the play clock in the NFL. That’s just one clock. In the MLB, you’re now going to have four different timers. You’ll have the 30-second timer between at-bats, a 15-second timer for the pitcher with bases empty, a 20-second timer for the pitcher with a runner on base, and an eight-second timer for hitters to get in the batter’s box and be ready for the pitch.

Based on what we know baseball to be — a game that’s played with no timer whatsoever — I can absolutely see all four of these clocks run close to 0:00 before almost every pitch. And you’re telling me that won’t end up being a little chaotic for both the umpires and the players?

Umpires will reportedly be wearing a device on their wrists thatw ill buzz when the clock expires, so it will be on them to call the violation.

So, now we’re trusting umpires with not just getting balls and strikes correct, but we’re also asking them to combine that with real-time reactions that could cost pitchers and hitters balls and strikes?

Yeah, this should go well.

Follow Danny on instagram @ DannyPicard.