Tigers Stay Focused Despite Josh Naylor’s Antics in Game 5
Seattle Mariners Brush Off Mind Games as Playoff Series Intensifies
Seattle Mariners Face On-Field Antics from Josh Naylor
As the playoffs heat up, the Seattle Mariners are maintaining their focus despite efforts to rattle them with on-field shenanigans. During Game 5, if Seattle’s Josh Naylor reaches second base and starts signaling to Mariners hitters, the home team is prepared to dismiss the antics, according to Tigers manager AJ Hinch.
Gamesmanship and Paranoia: The New Norm in Baseball
Modern baseball has its share of mind games and techniques aimed at gaining an edge. “That is pretty standard nowadays,” stated Hinch. “With so many debates on what’s real or just gamesmanship, different teams are pushing boundaries with more outlandish tactics—and the paranoia among players is real.”
Pitchers have become highly vigilant about not tipping pitches, even with innovations like the PitchCom system that removes traditional catcher’s signals. The location of the catcher behind the plate remains a focal issue, as was demonstrated during recent games.
Josh Naylor’s Tactics in the Spotlight
Concerns arose during Game 4 when Naylor appeared to be signaling pitch locations during a match against Casey Mize. Despite arm gestures from Naylor, Seattle hitters, including Eugenio Suarez, remained unfazed. “I never looked at Naylor,” Suarez shared with reporters.
Initially, Mariners catcher Dillon Dingler altered his set-up behind the plate to counter Naylor’s tactics but soon realized that the gestures were merely distractions. “A lot of times people do that just to try to get into pitchers’ heads,” Dingler explained to Emegypt. “But they repeated the same thing without making adjustments, so we knew there was nothing to it.”
Mariners’ Focus for Upcoming Game
Regardless of any diversion tactics, the Mariners remain concentrated on their strategy as pitcher Tarik Skubal takes the mound in the upcoming game. “We focus on what matters to us,” Hinch commented. “If it’s not helping them, it’s not worth our energy to react to it.”
