Spartan Daily Vol. 161 No. 20

CA implements Greek life bill

By Julia Chie STAFF WRITER

Disclaimer: Executive Editor

Matthew Gonzalez is a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.

The Campus-Recognized Sorority and Fraternity Transparency Act, or Assembly Bill 524 was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 13, 2022, requiring all California institutions with fraternity and sorority chapters to publish and distribute an annual transparency report.

Assembly Bill 620 currently requests California public postsecondary education to publish policies on harassment, intimidation and bullying in the rules of student conduct.

the number of community service hours completed and the total amount of money fundraised.

The bill also requests the report to include the location, date and time of all sanctioned events and any additional information the institution requires.

Paul Ayuso, mechanical engineering junior and Pi Kappa Phi fraternity president, said the new bill doesn’t seem far off from what San José State is already requiring.

“Whenever we have new members trying to apply, we basically ask them to submit a form,” Ayuso said.

“The form contains information like GPA, year, time left and all that sort of stuff. So we usually have a good idea as to who’s joining us and academically, they’re able to be part of the organization.”

minimum of 10 years, and sent through a campus-wide email to all enrolled students by Oct. 1 annually.

He said he doesn’t see this bill causing any particular harm.

“One of the main reasons why I think it was being supported was in cases of sexual assault or sexual harassment, those fraternities are being held accountable,” Ayuso said. “That information is being made public, to all students so that way they know what they’re getting themselves into.”

Lauren Kann, liberal studies junior and Kappa Delta sorority president, said the bill ensures accountability because of the pressure from the public eye.

Kann said the form was tricky for her to fill out because she wasn’t aware of it beforehand.

suspended because of different incidents that involve alcohol, hazing, all of that,” Gambarin said. “I think having a report that shows what incidents certain fraternities or sororities have been involved with can help people decide if that's an organization they want to associate themselves with. And I know we have something like that on our Student Conduct page.”

Kann said she thinks sororities are held to a higher standard than fraternities, especially during recruitment.

She said many sororities are not allowed to hold events or parties unless affiliated with a fraternity.

extremely cautious of following rules to ensure Kappa Delta avoids any issues with its broader national organization, but also said fraternities might walk a finer line.

Ayuso

GRAPHIC BY ALICIA ALVAREZ

Any sorority or fraternity that does not comply with these requirements would be suspended from campus recognition, according to the bill.

Katelyn Gambarin, political science and philosophy senior and Alpha Xi Delta member, said she has a positive opinion about the bill.

The new report includes specified information about each chapter, according to Assembly Bill 524. This includes the number of active and new members, the average GPA of each member, the bill.

“A lot of fraternities in San Diego State, for example, have been

“I feel like we’re watched more closely with dry rush, which is basically Substance-Free recruiting,” Kann said. “There’s not a lot of consequences for the guys who associate with us. We’re not allowed to be associated with fraternity men, but they feel totally fine coming up

Kann said her

The bill would also require the report to be posted on each campus’

ire the ampus’

report posted ca Greek Life website homepage ampus e for a

ve been to us at our tables, [. . .] and we can get in trouble for that,” Kann said her sorority is j

“It’s also because we focus a lot on not hazing and not doing anything that could get us in trouble,” Kann said. “We try really hard to follow the rules, but I think that sometimes the guys have a harder time because there’s more things that they can get caught for.”

Ayuso said accumulating funds can be difficult, and can deter some people from joining.

“It can put a lot more pressure on members to try and accrue more money, or it can give subconscious bias to some people,” Ayuso said.

Ayuso also said fraternities may have to postpone doing certain events because they just don’t have the money for it.

Gambarin said it can be important to show students how effective Greek life fundraising is.

“A lot of people don’t usually realize that it’s to raise money for an organization. And I think the way we do it can be really helpful, just kind of creating competition because people always love to get competitive,” Gambarin said.

She also said raising money for a cause is a great way to get close with your fraternity brothers or sorority sisters as well.

Kann said accountability is always a positive thing and posting the average of each chapter’s overall GPA holds everyone academically accountable.

Kann also said she doesn’t think it really affects anyone personally, and ensures they are staying competitive with their GPAs and focusing on academics.

“We’re here to be students first,” Kann said.

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SJSU talks risks of losing DACA

By Aaliyah Roman STAFF WRITER

The Department of Homeland Security is continuing to process new applications for the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA), as the program is at risk of being removed, according to a Sept. 21 article

from the LA Times. DACA prohibits the deportation of immigrants who came to the United States as a child and allows them to stay in the country according to the National Immigration Law Center.

Texas U.S. District Judge

Andrew S. Hanen ruled DACA

was “unlawful” on Sept. 13th and ordered to put a hold on all pending applications, according to the same article.

“It’s frustrating for students because it doesn’t allow them to plan accordingly. [There’s] so many uncertainties,” UndocuSpartan Program Coordinator Ana Navarrete said.

“No matter how hard they plan ahead, unfortunately all of this is just creating more instability in their life.”

San José State University’s UndocuSpartan Resource Center provides assistance to undocumented students as they transition into college according to Navarrete. This includes help

with DACA applications.

Navarrete, a DACA recipient herself, said she acts as a counselor for undocumented students and helps them with anything as far as questions relating to taxes and getting a driver’s license.

She said college in 2017 was

DACA | Page 2

It can put a lot more pressure on members to try and accrue more money, or it can give subconscious bias to some people.

Paul

mechanical engineering junior and Pi Kappa Phi fraternity president

Lyft offers new feature

Uber there have been countless times where she felt uncomfortable while riding with male drivers.

nerve-wracking,” Muncada said. “It would just ease a lot of worries overall.”

By Vanessa Real STAFF WRITER

Lyft is helping its passengers and drivers feel more secure with every ride by adding Women+ Connect, a new preference feature that’ll be used to match women and non-binary drivers to other drivers and passengers of the same sex.

This feature offers passengers the option to prioritize finding drivers who are women or nonbinary, according to Lyft’s official website. When a passenger is looking for a ride with the feature enabled, a message reading “count me in” will pop up on the screen. If there are no women or nonbinary drivers available, a passenger will still be matched with a man, as Women+ Connect is a prioritization feature, not a guarantee.

Microbiology

freshman Nicole Gabriel, said she has already used the Women+ Connect feature.

Gabriel said one of the many benefits of this feature is that more women and nonbinary people will start to use Lyft.

“I found out that same day I could possibly have a female driver which was an added bonus to the ride,” Gabriel said. She said while using

The Lyft Community Safety Report stated in 2019 that there were 1,041 reports of nonconsensual touching of a sexual body part, and 156 reports of non-consensual sexual penetration during rides according to a Community Safety Report released by Lyft.

Music composition

According to a 2018 Uber Safety Report, there were 1,560 incident reports for the category ‘Non-Consensual Touching of a Sexual Body Part’ and 594 incident reports for ‘NonConsensual Kissing of a Non-Sexual Body part.’

Like Muncada, communications senior Ana Mendoza also said she thinks Uber and similar transportation companies should have an option such as the Women+ Connect, but said she can see potential issues for male drivers.

“Some negatives [about Women+ Connect], might be male drivers feeling now they’re not going to make as much money,” Mendoza said.

There are currently five cities where the Women+ Connect feature has launched; Chicago, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and San José according to Lyft’s website.

a “transformational period for undocumented folks in California” because prior to college, navigating life was easier.

INFOGRAPHIC BY AALIYAH ROMAN AND ALICIA ALVAREZ

SOURCE: U.S. CITIZEN AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES

authorization so therefore, I’m able to work here. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn’t even be here,” Barajas said.

sophomore Sheyn Allison Muncada, said she doesn’t think this feature will do any harm.

Muncada also said she thinks other ride-sharing apps should implement the same feature.

“I think other applications should really consider [adding a similar option], because being in a car with someone you don’t know can be very vulnerable and

The website said customers should expect to see more cities become available soon, with other promised features as well, according to the same website.

Lyft plans to release and create more improvements such as scheduled rides, airport pickups and riding filters in the upcoming months, according to the same website.

“Women+ Connect is all about providing more women and nonbinary people the opportunity to earn money on their terms and giving riders more choice,” Risher said. more Risher said.

“You don’t have to provide a social security number to be able to receive resources at the high school level and once that switch happened, that’s when I started realizing this is what it means to be undocumented as an adult,” Naverrete said.

Residential Life Coordinator Mara Tinajero Daza said she found out about DACA on the news but at the time, did not have much knowledge about it.

Tinajero Daza said it took time to gather the required documents and payment for the program’s application.

“I’m low income. To be able to just have 500 extra dollars to put towards an application was pretty tough,” Tinajero Daza said.

She said she didn’t feel any different from her classmates growing up until after high school.

“It was upsetting to know that even though I felt like I grew up here all my life, I wasn’t treated the same way as my peers and I had to go through this different process,” 2Tinajero Daza said. “It felt very alienating.”

Sociology senior Patricio Barajas has received support from DACA since 2015 and could only imagine how difficult it must be for others without the program’s support.

Barajas said the program didn’t fix problems for immigrants. However, it helped him navigate life as an immigrant in the United States.

“It provides work

As UndocuSpartan student assistant and peer mentor, Barajas said he wanted to give back to the undocumented community and create a safe environment for those who were once in his shoes.

He also said students should be sharing their cultural capital with each other according to Barajas.

“Genuinely, that’s what I think a lot of us deserve,” Barajas said. “You know, just knowing somebody that knows where to send you for resources, even if you don’t know yourself, it just helps. It’s just important things that we should have.”

Navarrete, who is also a peer mentor for the center, said DACA is a “temporary solution” considering that the program has reappeared in the court for years.

Barajas said his experience as a recipient of DACA is like a “roller coaster.”

“Sometimes you’re doing so good, but then reality hits you and you get a reality check,” Barajas said.

He said the new court decision prevents the newer generation of undocumented students from seeking future opportunities.

In the past two years, the number of requests for DACA has seen a significant decrease from 470,636 applications in 2021 to 71,669 in 2022, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

“You may start to feel sometimes melancholic or depressed because you feel you have all these aspirations, yet you cannot launch them because sometimes they’re not even a possibility so you have to be creative,” Barajas said.

Navarrete said opposition for DACA contributed to its reappearance in the federal court and can soon appear in the supreme court.

Tinajero Daza said opposition for the program is generally from people who believe immigrants take jobs and have no contribution to society.

“People frame it as a financial issue [or] a political issue back in the day. To me, it’s a human rights issue,” Tinajero Daza said.

Tinajero Daza said the possibility of the DACA program being revoked could lead to panic for those who built their life on top of a ground the program helped build.

She said those who already have jobs and degrees would not know if those opportunities would be there without DACA.

“If I have my degrees, but I don’t have DACA, what does that still mean for me?” Tinajero Daza said.

Tinajero Daza said people in the United States are told that if they work hard enough, they can achieve their goals.

She also said that mindset is based on a broken meritocracy ideal.

“I’ve done everything I could,” Tinajero Daza said. “I’ve taken advantage of opportunities, I’ve worked hard [and] I have my degrees. Yet, because of a program like this, that could potentially be taken away.”

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Ride-share app allows users to request drivers based on gender

I think other applications should really consider [adding a similar option], because being in a car with someone you don’t know can be very vulnerable and nerve-wracking,”

Sheyn Allison Muncada music composition sophomore

Circle A ollies into a new location

By Lamar Moody STAFF WRITER

Beloved by local skaters but damaged from petty theft and rising property value forced local skateboard shop, Circle-A Skateboards and Coffee, to a new home.

Commonly referred to as “Circle A”, the skateboardinspired coffee shop was founded by professional freestyle skateboarder Bob Schmelzer in the mid ’80s, according to its website.

In June 2023, the shop was moved to its new location at 380 South 1st St. The shop hosts a variety of events such as skate video premieres, art shows and skate events according to the same website. He referred to Circle A's old location as the “fish bowl,” which was located right across from the Hammer Theatre Center on South 2nd Street and Paseo de San Antonio. Ng said that the move was necessary because of rising rent and theft.

“It was time to get out of there because late at night, people would break in through the windows and steal stuff and instead of calling the cops, other people would walk by and steal even more stuff out of the shop,” Ng said. “We were

located at the old spot for about 25 years but then this year in June 2023, we moved over to the metro building,” he said.

Store manager Nathan Ng said Circle A aims to provide a hang out space for skaters to explore hardware, apparel and potentially new friends. He said the shop benefits both the local youth and adults who share the passion of skating.

Ng said Circle A now occupies the front lobby of Metro Silicon Valley, a free weekly newspaper

located on South 1st St., according to its site.

Ng said that Schmelzer and founder of Metro Silicon Valley, Dan Pulcrano both liked the location and idea of keeping the coffee-oriented aspect as a part of Circle A.

“This new location is better because Schmelzer and Pulcrano are good friends and they both know that South 1st Street is a nice and busy street to have business on with SoFA Market across the street,”

Ng said. SoFA Market is a neighborhood market right across the street from Circle A. The market has high quality food and thrives whenever there are events being hosted in downtown San José, according to its website.

Public relations junior Ian Garcia said the most beneficial part of Circle A is the employees experience and knowledge of skateboards. He also said Circle A has

many accessible supplies skaters could use to enhance their skateboarding experience.

“Circle A is a significant store for the skaters because skaters can go get supplies such as decks, wheels, hardware, clothing, things of that nature,” Garcia said.

Garcia said he misses the old location because it provided an open space for skaters to practice tricks and ride their boards right outside the store.

“I know a good demographic of Circle A's clientele would be high school students,” Garcia said. “Those students would sometimes find older role models to look up to, who also share skateboarding as a hobby.”

San José native Brian Martinez said that he goes to Circle A to get new wheels and hardware for his skateboard and he often refers Circle A to his family and friends who share the same interest in skating.

“When I purchase all my skateboard pieces from Circle A they fix and assemble my skateboard free of charge," Martinez said. “Circle A is where my friends and I go to link up and spend our free time.”

Becky G gets personal in her new album

By Melany Gutierrez STAFF WRITER

Bilingual reggaeton artist and actress from Inglewood, Calif. Rebbeca Marie Gomez, otherwise known as Becky G, just released her new album called "ESQUINAS" on Sept. 28.

"ESQUINAS" is her third studio album following its pop-like predecessors “ESQUEMAS” and “MALA SANTA.”

"ESQUINAS" has been a passion project for Becky G for the last 3 years, and is a lot more intimate than her previous albums.

This album completely exceeded my expectations in every possible way and every song left me speechless.

The album is very much a display of how far Becky G has come since her days as “Becky from the Block,” a remake of Jennifer Lopez’s “Jenny from the Block.”

Becky G’s previous albums “ESQUEMAS” and “MALA SANTA” were both very successful and gained her widespread popularity.

Though her previous albums have some of my favorite songs such as “BAILÉ CON MI EX (I DANCED WITH MY EX)” and Gomez’s collaboration with Colombian reggaeton artist Karol G for the song “MAMIII,” "ESQUINAS" is so different from them, in a good way.

"ESQUINAS" shows her versatility in emotion and tone in her music with the album defying labels of genre.

I have felt she could construct great rhythms and lyrics to make a successful

"ESQUINAS"

Rating:

reggaeton song, but this is a new side of Becky G’s music.

It’s sadder but it's a new dimension of her as an artist to appreciate.

This album is so intimate as Becky G brings in so many aspects of her personal life to the songs, something we don’t often see from her.

In my takeaway of the album, there are 3 recurring themes.

The first has to do with Becky G’s recent break up with her fiance, Argentinian-American soccer player Sebastian Lletget, who she had been with for 7 years.

The songs, like “2NDO CHANCE” and “CRIES IN SPANISH,” where she is clearly hinting at the cheating rumors about Lletget are so passionate, emotive and probably very relatable for someone who has been in that situation.

Her songs, such as “BIEN CANIJO (Very Weak),” and “LOS ASTROS (The Stars)” sound like tugging of heart strings. She goes back and forth between still loving and missing the person, and saying the relationship is not the same anymore and that the infidelity was wrong.

This seems to confirm that Lletget was indeed unfaithful to her.

“2NDO CHANCE” is Becky G’s song with Mexican singer-songwriter Ivan Cornejo. In the song she sings, in Spanish, “I don’t know whether to say I love you or I hate you or I want to see you.”

These lyrics are the sort of tug of war between mind

Artist: Becky G Release Date: Sept. 28, 2023

Genre: latin pop

and heart that Becky G is trying to depict. To me it sounds like the confusion of feeling hurt, but still loving the person who hurt you.

As the song goes on, she sings about her struggle between forgiveness and allowing second chances, and feeling wronged and guarded.

Becky G’s song “BIEN CANIJO,” also carries the same emotion.

The song talks about how she and Lletget see each other differently and even kissing each other does not feel the same, “I want to be happy but I don't know if I’m happy with you. It's time for me to go with my heart broken.”

“LOS ASTROS (The Stars)” is a bachata style song, Becky G sings about a type of love written in the stars.

“It’s you, the one who can take my clothes off without touching me, the one who kisses my mouth without actually kissing me, it's clearly you.”

Then of course, she has a fun upbeat revenge song, “CUIDADITO (Be Careful),” with singer Chiquis, the daughter of iconic singer Jenni Rivera.

The song is my favorite because it is a tribute to Jenni Rivera and it sounded like a Norteño, a regional Mexican style of music.

Becky G and Chiquis sing a whole list about what to do if one gets cheated on.

“I'm not a jealous girl, but if that happens I’ll become one, I'll pop your tires, you'll sleep outside, and that same night I’ll call my mother-inlaw to tell her to collect the filth that she gave birth to, I’ll key your car, break your windows and call all my friends to help me.”

I’m not saying any of these things she sang are nice but I get where she’s coming from.

The fact that she can make a catchy song out of such an eccentric message, it sounds so beautifully unhinged.

The second theme of the album is Becky G honoring her Chicana identity and roots through song covers and references. She covers “Un Puño De Tierra” originally by Antonio Aguilar and "Por Un Amor” by Vicente Fernandez, who both were Mexican mariachi singers who have since passed away.

In the song “LOS ASTROS,” she made a reference to the popular Spanish song “Piel Canela” by Eydie Gomez and Los Panchos by singing a verse “Tu y tu…y solamente tu.”

The album has collaborations with many different Latino artists such as Ivan Cornejo, Peso Pluma, Yahritza Y Su Esencia, Chiquis Rivera, Dannylux, Leandro and

Ángela Aguilar.

The third theme of the album is an homage to her grandfather Miguel Gomez who passed away. The song is called “QUERIDO ABUELO.”

My favorite part is when Gomez sings, in Spanish, “What I told you about as a little girl is now reality and I know watching from above you’re proud of me, I want you to know it’s an honor to represent your blood.”

Most of the song itself is about how Becky G misses her grandfather and how home is not the same without him.

At the end of the song she included an audio recording of her grandmother and grandfather where her grandfather tells her to never forget that she comes

from humble, kind people. I think that is what this album was really about, she gave us a magnifying glass looking into her life. Her transparency made me love her even more than I already did and I truly believe this album is only going to strengthen her career and herself going forward.

I don’t think anyone could have done a better job at evoking this much emotion in different ways all in one album.

LAMAR MOODY | SPARTAN DAILY

Union City Native and Circle A Store Manager Nathan Ng replacing the wheels on a skateboard.

ILLUSTRATION BY TRACY ESCOBEDO

SJSU seeks first away win at Boise State

The San José State football team will attempt to do something that it’s never done in school history: win a game at Boise State.

The Spartans (1-4, 0-1 MWC) are coming off a bye week and most recently lost to Air Force 45-20 on Sep. 22, their fourth loss in

the last five games

“We’re going on the road again to play another challenging opponent,” said SJSU head coach Brent Brennan about facing Boise State.

SJSU’s history against Boise State (2-3, 1-1 MWC) has not been good as the Spartans have an all-time record of 1-13 against Boise State. But this game could be very different for SJSU.

The Broncos have not shown that they are the same perennial conference powerhouse that they have presented themselves to be in the last decade.

Boise State is coming off a 35-32 loss to the

University of Memphis last Saturday. The Broncos held a 17-0 lead in the second quarter, but collapsed down the stretch.

In many ways, Boise State’s season has somewhat mirrored SJSU in that it has been blown out by top-25 teams and has lost games where it was in control.

The Broncos are also dealing with a quarterback controversy that has dominated headlines in Idaho. Sophomore Quarterback and 2022 Mountain West Freshman of the Year, Taylen Green, was pulled late in the third quarter against Memphis in favor of freshman Maddux Madsen.

Madsen plays an entirely different style than Green as he is a pure pocket passer while Green is a dual-threat quarterback. Boise State head coach Andy Avalos said Monday the quarterback position will be evaluated throughout the week.

SJSU coaches said they are preparing to play both quarterbacks on Saturday.

“You don't have one guy that you gotta deal with,” said SJSU defensive coordinator Derrick Odum. “They both are very efficient in what they do. They both have a little different skill set, but they both generate a lot of offense when they're in.”

On the offensive side

of the ball, SJSU could have an advantage in the passing game. Boise State is the eighth worst passing defense in the country, allowing 289.2 passing yards per game.

Wide receivers Nick Nash, Charles Ross and Malikhi Miller could all have big games against a softer Broncos’ secondary.

“I feel good about where we are as a wide receiver group,” Nash said. “I feel like we've been putting in a lot of work as a wide receiver group and hopefully we can go out and show it.”

The Spartans have some familiarity playing on Albertsons Stadium’s

blue turf, as SJSU played in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, losing to Eastern Michigan 41-27.

“I think it's always good to know where you're playing,” said SJSU safety Tre Jenkins. “You can envision the field and that's why it's important for us before we play in the game.”

SJSU’s matchup with Boise State is scheduled for 5 p.m. PDT Saturday at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho.

By Nathan Canilao

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

JULIA CHIE | SPARTAN DAILY

San José State's Chase Williams (left), Bryun Parham (center) and Taniela Latu (right) jog off the field in the Spartans' loss to Air Force on Sept. 22 at CEFCU Stadium.

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Reflecting on MLB rule changes

enforced. Now head coaches and pitchers will have less time to control the most important games of the season.

Mat Bejarano

SPORTS EDITOR

Now with MLB regular season officially over and the postseason started, it’s time to reflect on the new rules that were implemented this season

Were they a base hit or a strikeout?

Pitch Clock: Base Hit

Since its start in 1876 MLB has never needed a clock. One of the biggest changes to the game this season is the pitch clock. Pitchers now have 15 seconds to begin their windup and 20 seconds with runners on base.

If the pitcher did not begin its windup the batter would be issued an automatic ball.

On the other hand, batters had to be in the batter’s box and alert by the eight-second mark or they’d be issued an automatic strike.

Clearly fans were in favor of the rule, MLB’s total attendance grew from 64,556,658 fans in 2022 to 70,747,365 in 2023 according to a Monday MLB.com article. It also helped that games were much shorter, the average game time stemming at 2 hours and 39 minutes this past season.

It was easier for fans to come out to the ballpark and watch a game knowing they weren’t going to have to stay over 3 1/2 hours to watch a complete game.

Although this is a positive thing for the sport, I personally hate this rule.

With games being shorter I feel like I’m not getting my money's worth because I’m paying the same price – and in some cases even more – to catch a shorter and faster game.

Now that MLB is in the postseason, it irks me to see the pitch clock

Again I’m not a fan of this rule, but I completely understand the importance of it. To see more people engaged in the game is only a good thing.

Disengagement

Violation: Strike Out

Another way MLB has sped up the game is by limiting pitchers the amount of times they’re able to attempt to pick-off a runner.

A pitcher now has two disengagements (pickoff attempts or step-offs) per plate appearance. A third disengagement would now be considered a balk and the baserunner is automatically awarded their next base.

the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. He would simply be awarded the base after Rivera’s third pickoff attempt.

And yes, pitchers did take advantage of the game when there was no rule in place by committing a disengagement time after time, but I think it’s more important that we allow the sport to be played out.

were limited on where they can position themselves on the baseball diamond. With new imposed regulation on shifting, all four infielders are now required to have their feet on the infield dirt or infield grass. There also now must be two infielders on each side of second base.

This rule helped increase MLB’s offense as batting averages grew

a position players can appear on the mound.

The league enforced a new rule in which a team winning the game could only have a position player on the mound if the team is up by 10 or more runs in the ninth inning.

For losing teams, you were only allowed to have a position player on the bump anytime as long as they were down by 8 runs.

advertisement on their sleeve.

Teams are going to shy away from having patches that commemorate organizational anniversaries as well as tribute patches.

The San Francisco Giants had to shift their memorial patches for Gaylord Perry and Vida Blue from their right to left sleeve to make room for an absolutely atrocious advertisement patch from Cruise.

The rules provided a great “risk-reward” scenario as players can take a lengthy lead in the hopes that the pitcher will commit three disengagements to be awarded the next base.

e is the y’re ck-off ad t hree e s e

At the same time it’s lame. It now gives baserunners an extremely unfair advantage.

Pitchers already face the pressures of a winding down clock, so why should they also have to worry about the number of pickoff attempts they throw first?

MLB’s concerns with speeding up the game also hurts itself in the process. Baseball is great because it's a song and dance between pitcher, batter and baserunners.

If this rule had been implemented since the beginning of MLB it would erase some of the games’ most iconic moments.

There would be no Dave Roberts stealing second base off Mariano Rivera to help the Red Sox comeback against

GRAPHIC BY MAT BEJARANO

Bigger bases: Base Hit

The league officially expanded each base from 15 to 18 square inches.

This is a positive thing for the game as larger bases prevent injuries and helps incentivise baserunners to steal more.

We got to see the first 70-plus stolen base season by Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. since Jacoby Ellsbury in 2009.

The total number of attempted stolen bases increased from 1.4 attempts in 2022, to 1.8 attempts this season. The number of stolen bases per game increased from 1 to 1.4 per game.

The Shift: Base Hit

This season’s infielders

from .243 in last season to .248 in 2023. Last season’s .243 league batting average was the lowest MLB saw since 1967.

Viewers witnessed teams get more creative with their defense positioning. Ball clubs would have outfielders now positioned on the bottom of the outfield grass serving as a “fifth infielder.”

This is a better maneuver for the shift as it becomes more of a risk to have an outfielder leave their designated position for a possible ground out.

Position Players

Pitching: Base Hit

In another rule change MLB has limited the number of times

This one serves as a base hit because it keeps the game more

t he game competitive. as it i w

As cool as it is to have moments in which Anthony Rizzo strikes out Freddie Freeman, it is silly to have a player who doesn’t consistently practice pitching taking the bump when their team is up.

Ant hony R i stri kes ou Freeman to hav cons pra pit ta k bu th is Jer A dvertise St rike O

Jersey Advertisements: Strike Out

Now if a team with a uniform advertisement makes it to the Fall Classic they will have to eliminate their logo patch to make way for the World Series one.

I know that some fans will argue that teams are able to generate more revenue with jersey advertisements, but I really doubt that the money will be reinvested on the field as MLB is littered with owners who constantly cry for public funds to renovate or build stadiums.

This is far t hat has

This is by far the worst change that has ever happened in the history of MLB.

I kid of course, but it is a travesty to watch such legendary uniforms be tarnished by huge and ugly advertisements.

All teams were allowed to begin to add advertisement patches to the sleeves of their jerseys this season. Not all ball clubs have them (yet), and some teams added them mid-season.

This is bad for the game because it just looks so ugly on their uniforms. The term “sticks out like a sore thumb” really doesn’t do justice for how pathetic this looks.

All the patch sizes are different as well which can be such an eyesore when watching the San Diego Padres play with a giant Motorola “M”

This is only the beginning of these iconic uniforms becoming build boards as teams are officially allowed to sell advertisement space on the sides of batting helmets during the postseason this year.

RECAP

MLB is mostly making progressive steps to get more fans involved in the game and that is nothing but good.

In the future, I do hope more rules are imposed on the game like challenges for balls and strikes as well as the possibility of robotic umpires. But please MLB, do not allow anymore ad space on the uniforms.

ILLUSTRATION BY JOANNA CHAVEZ