Jeff McNeil has already anticipated the first time he’s on defense this season and approaches with the ball in his glove two runners standing on the same base on a non-force play. 

“The guy who had the base first has the right to the base and you tell the guy who is safe that he’s out and you let him know that he’s out so he stands off the base and you tag him,” the Mets second baseman/outfielder said Monday. “If you are convincing enough and say, ‘You’re out, you’re out,’ and he takes a foot off the base even though he’s safe, you tag them, they are both out. 

“I learned that in college, but if you don’t brush up on it some guys here don’t know those rules. If you are on offense both guys should stay on the base, don’t move, the umpire will tell you who is out. It’s knowing what to do in every situation.” 

McNeil cited that particular play in recounting video sessions implemented by manager Buck Showalter during spring training designed to reinforce the rules. 

Such preparation was on display a day earlier, when J.D. Davis thwarted Arizona’s appeal play at third base by attempting to steal second. Confused, pitcher Oliver Perez made a play on Davis, which by rule negated any appeal on Dominic Smith’s tag up at third base. Davis got a stolen base on the play and Smith’s run couldn’t be overturned (although replays indicated he hadn’t left early in the first place). 

“This was honestly the first time I have seen this executed in a game because before we have talked about it, but this time we actually did it,” Pete Alonso said. “It takes a lot of stones to actually try it in a game because you can talk about it is one thing, but being able to say, ‘Let [Davis] go, we’re going to do it,’ that is a lot.” 

Francisco Lindor noted that Mets players were in the dugout trying to get each other’s attention when it became clear the Diamondbacks were going to appeal. 

“We were all aware of it,” Lindor said. “We knew what was going to happen.” 

The spring training videos testing players’ knowledge of the rules were a first that Alonso could remember during his Mets tenure. 

“If you can trade an out for a run, that is huge,” Alonso said. “There’s plenty of different opportunities where if you know the rules and know how the rule book is written and how things are impacted on the field, you can take advantage of that and maybe get an extra run or here and there. 

“If there is anybody who knows the rule book it’s got to be [Showalter]. Knowing the rules and certain parameters of the game, that is great for us to capitalize on.” 

Beyond the rulebook, McNeil has come to appreciate Showalter’s inquisitiveness during games. He cited an example from Sunday in which the manager wondered aloud why the Diamondbacks were changing their infield defensive alignment. 

“The shortstop and second baseman flipped with two strikes and [Showalter] kind of looks at me and goes, ‘Why do they do that?’ ” McNeil said. “Then Lindor hits it up the middle and the guy can’t make the play. I go, ‘I think it’s wrong.’ I don’t even know what it was but it didn’t work. Buck notices that stuff and kind of wants to know why they are doing that and what our opinion is. He likes asking questions and if it’s going to help the ball club in some way he is going to try it.”