The list of things I lack the ability to comprehend is long and gets longer every day. A relatively new addition to it is the placement of a runner on second base to begin every half inning of every MLB game this season. The rule was agreed upon by the club owners and the players' union so everyone shares a bit of responsibility for it.
I, self-admitted dinosaur that I am, think of me as PopPopasaurus, simply do not get it. Unless of course, the Lords of Baseball, wanting to keep the game relevant in the 21st Century, simply pursued a course of action that appears to have permeated every part of society these days, which is rewarding someone for having done absolutely nothing. In fact, this rule goes beyond that because the player who begins the inning on second base, dusting himself off as if he had just hit a double, is the player who made the final out the last time his team was at bat. His reward for having failed to earn his way on base the last time he had the opportunity to do so? An all-express paid trip to second base this time around and an opportunity he has himself not earned to score the go-ahead or the winning run.
Idiocy. Nothing less.
-AK
It's to start every extra inning or every inning? I've seen it in extra inning games only that's why I ask (I still hate the DH so this rule sucks nearly as bad as far as I'm concerned). How about if we go to extra innings we shorten the pitch count to two strikes and three balls; which are three more than the Lords of Baseball currently possess.
ReplyDeleteIt's only for extra innings but it is - in my opinion - idiotic. Cheapens the game.
ReplyDeleteThe extra base runner was added last year for covid protocols. It’s trying to prevent long extra inning games.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, double headers are now only 7 innings as opposed to the normal 9
Schiff