Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association jointly announced a series of rule changes for the upcoming 2022 season Thursday. There are no real surprises, as all of today’s changes had already reportedly been under discussion. Among them is an amended designated hitter rule — already commonly referred to as the “Shohei Ohtani Rule” — that allows a starting pitcher to remain in the game as the designated hitter even after he has been removed from the game as a pitcher. Similarly, a two-way player can also be lifted from the game as the designated hitter but remain in the game as a pitcher (though instances of that figure to be less common).
MLB also unveiled some tweaks to the active roster limits in an effort to cut down on injuries following a shortened Spring Training. Rosters will expand from 26 players to 28 players from Opening Day (April 7) through May 1. During that time, teams will be permitted to carry 29 players on days that doubleheaders are played. (It’ll be 27 players per doubleheader day thereafter.) The standard 13-pitcher limit per roster will not apply from April 7 through May 1 but will resume on May 2, when rosters revert to 26 players.
While the minimum length of stay on the injured list for pitchers and two-way players is increasing to 15 days this season, that won’t go into effect until May 2, either. From April 7 through May 1, pitchers and two-way players can be placed on the 10-day injured list. Today’s release also indicates that optional assignments prior to May 2 will not count toward the newly implemented maximum of five optional assignments per player, per season.
Most controversially, the league and the union announced that the extra-inning rule automatically placing a runner on second base will remain in place “in an effort to preserve player health and safety during the condensed schedule.” Notably, today’s announcement specifies that this rule is remaining in place “for the 2022 season” and makes no mention of 2023 and beyond. Of course, it’s certainly possible the two parties will discuss its continuation down the line. Automatic runners who score will not count as an earned run for the pitcher; they’ll be treated as a player who reached on a fielding error (although no error will be credited to the opposing team).
Today’s release also specifies that last year’s new rookie eligibility thresholds will remain in place. Per MLB’s press release, rookie qualification is defined thusly: “A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he had (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League Club or Clubs during the Championship Season (excluding time on the Injured List).”
Next year they will start a runner on 2nd base in the 9th inning of a tied game. Why not? Gotta preserve player health…. and laziness
There’s some blame pie to go around for both sides. The league is so stressed about time of game, it’s easy to see how it shares some too.
Managers should just play rock, paper, scissors after 9 and be done with it.
More mandates coming down from “the smuggest clown of all”
Gee, thanks Manfred, you’ve turned baseball into a Barnum & Bailey act
I’ve said enough on the subject since last year. For the regular season if you change the rules allow ties after 12 innings.
Then we could keep stats on the managers’ won/loss records! It is as relevant as “pitch framing”, which gives catchers credit (or blame) for bad umpiring.
Just play Rock Paper Scissors at game time and we can get home in five minutes. If a quick game is the goal…
I agree. I personally wouldn’t do this during the postseason, but this is how they do it in Japan. It makes more sense than the “Manfred Man” idea. Obviously, I would rather not have either and go back to how it was pre-2020, but having a tie after 12 innings makes more sense than the ghost runner.
Agree I hate long games
Yeah, imagine how terrible it was for those Giants fans in 1963 who had to watch Warren Spahn and Juan Marichal battle it out for 16 innings only for Mays to hit a home run to win the game 1-0. I am sure the fans, if any stayed around, tried to forget the game. Luckily, we have ghost runners today and pitchers who can’t throw 201 or 227 pitches in a game (spahn’s and marical’s pitch count respectively) so we will never have to endure such pain. Time of game? 4 hours 10 minutes.
Of course, the poor Milwaukee Braves fans had to endure their own terrible extra inning game when Harvey Haddix of the Pirates took a perfect game into the thirteenth in Milwaukee. The fans probably would have preferred ghost runners. (The ending of this game is as bizarre as it gets.)
Haddix had like 120 pitches in his 12-plus innings.
The Players want the ghost runner rule. TV wants the ghost runner rule. Managers and coaches want the rule. Attendance and ratings support the rule change. Stadium workers, traveling secretaries, and so on.
There is plenty of blame to go around but owners, and by extension Manfred, are not the ones pushing this.
Actually I really prefer this rule. Starting the extra inning with a runner on 2B is much more exciting. It makes defense and strategy more important.
Those of you that don’t like it, probably don’t like OT play in the NHL either?
I hate the regular season NHL overtime rules (4 on 4 and shootouts). Love sudden death playoff hockey that goes until someone scores regardless of how long it takes.
I’m not too fond of the ghost runner either, but it’s not that big of a deal really. I’d rather keep that and have full 9-inning double header games than vice versa.
If I were actually at the game though I’d definitely prefer no runner on base. I’m not going to turn down the opportunity at more free baseball.
I disagree, love the NHL overtime rules (3 on 3 btw). Makes it exciting to watch them on the open ice.
Don’t like the ghost runner in the 10th. Should be one inning of regular extra innings, 11th ghost on 1st, then 12th and beyond ghost on 2nd.
Its 3 on 3 in hockey OT, fyi
I disagree. What strategy? 2 sac flies or a sac bunt and sac fly. A ball hit to 2nd base and a sac fly wins the game.
I don’t get the strategy argument either. Every half-inning is the same. How many time did we see bunt, int walk, int walk, sac fly. Pitchers are trying to strike everybody out.
Trying to compare it to 3-on-3 hockey is silly. Hockey is a whole lot more physically demanding than baseball (literally 3 players are doing something and the rest are standing or sitting). I think we can understand why they don’t play forever in hockey in the regular season.
Agree Funkytown. Nothing wrong with regular season ties unless you get on the favorite and gave points/runs. That’s the real reason for no ties in the majors four sports.
Why artificially change the rules? How about in golf, if there are times they move the cup in and just have a closest to the pin contest? The best drama is playoff hickey and the last set of the U.S. Open or Wimbledon. Can’t have that in baseball but artificially trying to create drama is not the answer either.
I don’t like the ghost runner at second rule either but, like your idea much better if they insist on this rule change. Or, just start the runner at first every extra inning after the 10th inning.
Sacrifice but in today’s game? I say keep the shift and each time creates an old fashioned kangaroo court where the players pay in certain situations (no one on base) when they don’t beat the shift. Money goes to the clubhouse attendants and non-players who support them during the season.
I hate the rule but if they start it in the 12th, it really impacts 2 games a year per team. At that point, it is not a big deal. I just don’t like it impacting 15 games a year.
Concession workers pack up in the 8th inning… so they couldn’t care less about extra innings. Just security remains after then.
Which is probably why they want it… teams can’t make any more money on food after the 8th, so let’s all go home.
Bull! Actually, I hope my strident reaction to your counterintuitive take was not too harsh.
The above was directed at Dogbone.
Halo11Fan, of those you mentioned, who has the final word and ability to preserve the integrity of the game?
What are your sources?
Yet they never even talk about the single most obvious and easy way to speed up the game a bit: make the hitter stay on the box and give him like 5 seconds to get into his hitting stance. Back when games were much shorter, you didn’t see guys completely rearranging every part of their uniform. Take a deep breath and get right back in.
I have to disagree that the owners dont want this rule, they’re the ones who have to pay extra to the city for police OT, staff , keeping the lights on, etc—concessions are closed so its not like theyre making anymore money by a game going longer
The league should not let TV ads run the show.
IMO, they did good with the 3 batter minimum. Pitch clock means nothing. But stop letting TV slow the game down.
Next they’re gonna be like MLB the show and have random counts when the batter gets to the plate.
First pitch of the game, and the count is 1-2 on Acuna.
Quit destroying baseball MLB and MLBPA! Get off my lawn as well.
If you want to cut down on game time, stop the batters from;
thumping the plate 10 times with the bat between pitches & taking 10 practice swings
rearranging their cups
erasing the batters box lines with their digging in
picking their noses & wiping off sweat
wiping away fantasy insects
pointing to the outfield where their home run will go (damn Babe Ruth)
if a batter hits a homer, don’t let him run the bases
stop knocking dirt off their cleats
what do ya think Manfred & co., will that help?
And especially, get off Fred McGriff’s lawn!
And STOP ADJUSTING THEIR BATTING GLOVES AFTER EVERY PITCH!!!
That’s one I missed
Just don’t do what Juan Soto does after every pitch, Curly and all will be well. Oh, and yes, stay off McGriff’s lawn and we mean it!
stay off the lawn and stay in the box
There was a time when batters would actually swing at the 1st pitch and pitchers would get to an 0-2 count and not automatically intentionally throw 3 straight pitches ( at least) out of the strike zone.
This length of game garbage started when they began using four pitchers per team for a 4-2 game. Let the panty-waists pitch a complete game. You don’t have to throw 100 miles an hour 75 times a game. Learn to pitch.
Come on guys, stay off his lawn!
Y’all really gotta get off this man’s lawn. First you don’t elect him to the hof and then you stand on his lawn, shame on you!
next year they will apply the nfl overtime scoring rule, when, in extra inning the wHining team (sore loser) fails to score in either inning but the opposing team does, the game shall continued tied until such wHining team has 9 more chances to score a run.
Doesn’t that take away the 2nd best thing a pitcher can do the perfect game? Not trying to reply, didn’t see a spot to just post.
Beginning in the 12th inning, batters will be hitting off of a tee and defenses will not be allowed to have more than 2 infielders on either side of second base unless they leave their glove in the dugout.
Or the 7th inning of a double header. Leave crap alone … let baseball be baseball. They work so hard to in their eyes to shorten the game and gain interest from old and new generations , meanwhile they bicker for 3 months over nonsense taking a wrecking ball to the fan base. Go figure. Baseball can stop tomorrow for all I care.
I do get the benefit of the extra inning rule for the players health etc., but boy do I dislike it as a fan. Hope that the reference to only this season means that it will go away thereafter…
Ehhh, it’s not related to health. It’s related to game time.
There have been extra inning games since baseball started. NOW it’s about player health?
Please.
If that’s the issue, once the game gets to the 12th inning, allow an additional bench piece or two to be used in addition to the 26 players etc.
Or, just increase the roster size to 28-30 and leave it at that.
The extra inning rule is so lazy and gimmicky. Idk how MLB expects to increase its fanbase if they keep making weird changes to the game
Just wait until they start setting up makeshift walls 10ft off the infield dirt for extra innings. Knock it over the little league wall, you win!
Supposedly the tv ratings for the ghost runner extra inning games are very good. If that’s the case, it’s likely here to stay and the people complaining the most are in the minority.
Are those better because people enjoy it, or because they don’t lose the Eastern half of the US at a point? Any late night tv, ratings always dip. I could see how that might make for an argument to keep it, but I don’t think it should. At some point the integrity of competition has to matter. I’d honestly rather have ties than this.
It’s possible that is the reason for the ratings. When I saw it mentioned, they didn’t go into detail.
Though I’d rather have anything than ties. If a game is allowed to end in a tie, there was no reason to keep score.
My issue is this: say my favorite team or yours loses a game in May to a ghost runner, which is harmless at the time. But say they finish 1 game out of first after 162. That, to me, impacts the integrity of competition.
I can respect that. I still enjoyed rule change, though in the beginning I was dead set against it. I will always consider ties an abomination.
No reason to play if you are just going to hand a team a free win either. May as well just flip a coin and give them their participation trophy. I live on the east coast and i watch my teams game, This is the same garbage that is killing current scripted tv shows and causing people to cut their cords. Tv shows are going on hiatus and breaking seasons into 2-3 parts because they will lose a few viewers one weekend to the next. They also announce shows on their regularly scheduled day only to pull it that night because they decide another day will get more views. Ncis and flash have both done this recently. It will not be long until those shows lose all their viewers as they grow frustrated. Baseball is doing the same here. Every poll i have seen has had a minimum of over 70 percent against the ghost runner rule. The poll on this website was around 80 percent opposed.
@AppalOutlaw
Integrity? Ties!!!???
There’s no crying in baseball – and there are no ties in baseball either.
Your take on “integrity” is laughably subjective, to the point of parody.
I could see the using of a gimmick as the reason for the increase.
Imo. Its for the players. To rest.
5 hour game for instance, then not much rest for the next game sometimes.
I can dig that. Its an easy concession for me. But then I dont care for the oddities in sports like some purists do. I dont care to see a position player pitch . Or teams preparing to have pitcher crap pitchers on the roster just in case of an unlimited extra innings . After a certain amount of extra innings, its a watered down game either way.
But mostly keep players healthy and ready for the next game.
@Goob- Is it? If neither team has won, a tie is what they earned through competition. I’m not advocating for ties over playing the old way, without gimmicks, as long as it takes for a winner. But I’d rather see a tie than a ghost runner because it’s reflective of what happened when the two teams played. Explain the “parody” there, I’d like to hear it. This should be riveting.
@AO It could be argued that keeping players healthy is more integral to the game than what happens after the 9th inning.
@Breckdog If both of the teams get the runner, how is one team being handed a win? Fairness is about opportunity, not outcomes.
Well, then your team needs to understand that games in May matter. Every game you play matters. Don’t let it come down to a final game/weekend/week to determine your playoff odds.
Run the scores up early.
Score often.
Prevent runs in April & September.
Why would you think that these changes are weird and won’t increase fan base. Every sport goes through these type of changes. Name a sport that hasn’t gone through some sort of change and has remained the same since it’s first inception. It’s evolution.
Sure, some of the changes are evolution (ex. Ohtani rule), but there’s a not-so-hidden intent by MLB to attract more fans with some of these rule changes (ex. Ghost runner). Rules that are unpopular with the current fanbase certainly aren’t going to be the reason new fans draw to the sport. MLB has been toying with the rules for the past few seasons and viewership/ratings have continued to trend downwards
The fact that some change is good does not mean that ALL change is good.
Because baseball is the only pro team sport which doesn’t use a time clock and the defense controls the ball. I appreciate that but it looks like we’re slow deviating from its uniqueness.
Dracula is on first, the mummy is on third & the ghost is on second. Are the bases loaded or is Manfred?
Maybe, but everyone involved loves it and the ratings show most fans do too. It doesn’t ruin anything as far as integrity of the game, just keeps games from going 18+ innings and overall that’s probably not a bad thing.
There is nowhere near enough data to deduce causation between attendance and this particular rule change. Not even close.
@Cosmo2 Well said. There is also not enough data to know if the new rule actually speeds up games. Very small sample size in the grand scheme of things.
Since both teams still have equal chances of scoring in extra innings, will there actually be, over an entire season, fewer innings played? I wonder what the probability is of a game ending earlier.
Typically, extra inning games lose most viewers. They never end sometimes and most people would rather do something else.
Maybe you love the unpredictability of an end time, but you are in a small minority. If this causes you walk away from the sport, they’ll find fans to replace.
I like the extra inning rule. I actually want to tune into games for teams I don’t care about just to see the result.
can’t wait for the 2023 ghost runner excuse. does the league ask the players to fake a strike as an excuse this time? maybe some natural disaster? the suspense is killing me!
Maybe when Manfred was a teenager he never got past second base?
Manfred was a virgin until he was 30.
NCAA has had the Pitcher/DH rule for years.
Cool.
Listing the starting pitcher as a DH in the batting order is nothing new. it’s been done in amateur ball for years.
This isn’t amateur ball though, so it’s “new” for the professional ranks.
Extra inning runner should be a permanent rule. Don’t care about the aesthetics, it’s a completely practical change on many levels. Full stop.
How is something that fundamentally changes how the game is played so easily dismissed as aesthetics by you?
@ AppOutlaw, same way I accept the DH, no 2 way players in football, 3 point line in basketball and whatever rule changes the NHL made because too many goals were scored then too few then too many again…
I have no problem watching a game play out “normally” but I can appreciate not having to watch at 1 am or position players pitching.
13 inning+ contests are of little importance to the industry. This rule certainly is not going to dissuade new fans, in fact it probably attracts them. Existing fans, as much as they may complain about this rule or another, just are not leaving the sport over it, at least not
to a degree that’s going to affect the game’s bottom line.
I’m fine w/ the rule, makes sense. But, my issue is the blaming it on players health and not just saying that we’re trying to prevent long drawn out games.
It’s literally the dumbest rule ever.
It has nothing to do with players health. Its in place because people today have a 25 second attention span.
Full stop.
The run isn’t earned, and the player ‘reached base on an error though no error is given to the opposing team’ seems like something that doesn’t resemble practical at all.
Should probably put a designated runner rule in place too. Best runner always starts out at 2nd, and use another DR for batters who don’t run well. As soon as contact is made, he darts from the 1st base dugout.
Lol. That one made me spit out my coffee. So funny.
How many games are affected by this stupid rule? 20-25 games a year? Stupid gimmick. I would rather have a tie.
This person always got a trophy. ^
There’s literally no reason to tie. This is a sport. You play to win. Ties are stupid.
I don’t care if it comes down to who can hit the farthest HR as a sudden death, who can replicate Turners slide the best, or which team can have a player drink a slurpee while eating nachos rounding second and slide feet first into third and spill the least amount – someone has to win.
It would be even more exciting to start extra innings with the bases loaded. Why stop at just one ghost runner? It might add to the opening inning as well! How about every inning? Lets make runs against any pitcher meaningless!
Go one step farther, home team wins automatically if tied after 9.
It’s terrible. Too much of an outlier. Too outside the spirit of the game.
right. just “aesthetics”. just like the sun is just a big yellow sphere…
The sun is a big yellow sphere
If the players are in such bad shape they can’t handle a couple extra innings a couple times each week, they should retire
Where are the robot umpires? !
Plotting to conquer Earth.
“Gort, Barrada Nicto”
If you recognize the reference, you old…..
*Klaatu* barada nikto.
Remember not to leave off the “don’t” in telling Gort “don’t destroy everything”.
Remade in 2008, btw.
Klaatu
The Day the Earth Stood Still, an only 50, but watched a lot of sci-fi before cable….nice reference…
Imagine if, when a player or manager is being obnoxious, Gort turns to him, and you can see the visor opening…..or umpire God staring inside the dugout because he’s being harassed…..
Hopefully headed to the landfill
Does the ghost runner start in 10th again? There was talk of like the 12th inning or something.
It applies to all extra innings, yes.
If the ghost runner scores on a base hit, does the batter receive a RBI? Will the ghost runner still be the player who made the last out from the previous inning?
If they really want a “ghost runner” then they should get into the spirit (pun intended). The “ghost runner” should be forced to wear a white sheet over his head and poke out some eye holes.
I’d be okay with it if he shotguns a Busch light before he goes out like we do on my softball team where we have this rule they should start with one out also to keep things moving
No one I have talked to or heard of on here or any other site says they like the runner on 2nd rule yet the league keeps imposing it. Why?
“in an effort to preserve player health and safety during the condensed schedule.”
Or because players, management, and writers don’t want to work overtime.
Because People under the age of 30 have little to no attention span.
And players aren’t paid enough to work any OT, plus owners can’t afford to pay any extra for stadium rental, lights, or concession workers.
I agree. Especially players making league minimum. Those guys only make $700,000 a year. How is anyone supposed to live on that?
have you ever complained about young stock brokers who can make millions right out of college? they are not even playing games but playing with, mostly, other people’s money..
Are they complaining about not making enough money, on a contract that they agreed to play for?
Or do they sign a contract w/ out any incentives based on performance or similar, then want to hold out for more money because they had a good year?
Do they offer to give back some of that money when the suck the next year and are literally below replacement player value?
I’m under the age of 30 and I hate the runner on 2nd rule. So does everyone I’ve spoken to about the matter, regardless of age.
Although I’d prefer to wait until the eleventh inning, after seeing it, like it.
I’m 50 years old, and I like the rule.
A bunch of guys in this thread like it. So do I.
Love to fundamentally alter the rules of the entire sport in order to avoid the type of games that happen exactly twice a year, for the net benefit of adding exactly zero fans and annoying the fans who already exist. Just great planning.
Both hockey and football do it, so why not baseball too?
@Dorothy_Mantooth
Baseball is a very streaky game. Giving a team a free base runner is absolutely ridiculous. It should take more than one single to score a run.
For my team, I hate the rule, I want the game to be decided the way it always has been.
But if I’m just watching a baseball game and I don’t really care about the outcome, it’s more fun.
An extra inning of a baseball game has far more effect on a baseball team than it does any other sport. You get a week off or more before the next football game for example. In baseball you have to determine how much that extra inning win is worth to you. Do you go for the immediate win and blow your bullpen now, do i sacrifice next days starter? Do i chance running guys out their on short notice for all of next week? Is it worth just taking the loss now to set my team in the best position for tomorrows game? Degrom is pitching tomorrow? Better try to get that win today then. I watched a playoff series determined by an extra inning game. That one game had repercussions for at least the next three games and i am glad that they dont use the ghost runner in the playoffs. The ghost runner is taking away more than people realize.
They were going to have extra innings decided by rock/paper/scissors until deciding that scissors were too risky for player safety. Fantasy owners of Byron Buxton breathed a sigh of relief
With the limit on pitchers (13 max after May 1st), continuing the ghost runner in extra innings makes sense especially with the maximum of 5 minor to major league call ups per year. Prior to this rule, if a game went 17 innings, a lot of teams would bring in a pitcher for 3-4 innings who they could immediately send down to the minors and replace him with a fresh arm. Those types of transactions are limited to 5 per season, per player now so teams need to be strategic with call ups over a 162 game schedule. While traditionalists don’t like it, the results speak for themselves and accomplish what they hoped it would do; limit games that go 13 innings or longer. I didn’t like it at first but I got used to it and I’m okay with it continuing for at least this season, if not longer.
Pitchers will be a problem. Even last year there were plenty of 12-3 games because managers were pulling the plug in the 4th inning four runs behind. This year will be worse. However the options before early May are not counting against the 5-option limit.
Extra innings should feature a mine cart ride. There will be two separate tracks that run parallel to each other. Each team will choose three players to participate. The road team will pitch (underhand) while the home team hits. The first to three wins the game. This means that the road team must get three swings and misses by the home team before the home team gets three hits that are not caught by the road team. Pitches that are not swung at as well as hits that are caught do not count for anything.
Harrison Ford will decide any ties….
Rather than a ghost runner, I would rather see a change that requires pitcher to pitch entire inning in extras unless injury. To prevent fake injuries pitcher would be required to miss next few games. It’s the pitching changes that slow game and break up the tension in extra innings.
They implemented a 3 batter rule for pitchers.
They should not only decouple the DH completely from the pitcher, but treat it like any other “position,” allowing the DH to move to a defensive position without fear of losing the DH.
Ghost runner sucks.
Rob. That makes a ton of sense.
see, when I read about the rule change I had to stop and think about it. why was it ever like this? the DH IS a position. why was it ever tied to being a SP?
This is correct. That coupling was never anything more that an unnecessary fig-leaf. The entire pretense of connecting the pitcher and the DH should now be discarded.
They have had the ghost runner on second in the minors for years and it works well. All for it.
Different animal. Minors rosters change weekly. Plus the minors are a developmental league. I don’t think people follow it as closely, and aren’t as invested in the championships.
Not sure why the rookie eligibility rules are based off of ABs or IP. Seems to me it makes more sense to have the thresholds as Plate Appearances or Batters Faced.
Forgive my lack of knowledge “Automatic runners who score will not count as an earned run for the pitcher…”
Will the run count as a run scored for the players stats?
Yes it will count as a player stat. It just won’t count as a strike against the pitcher’s ERA.
The run will go against the ghost pitcher’s stat line. The batter who drives him in will get credit for 2 RBI, plus an automatic 15% salary bump and 1% ownership stake.
So a pinch runner starting the game on second will be given an 0-1 (fielding error)? How the heck is that fair
That’s not what the article says.
No, they don’t give a reason for him being there in the box score. He’s just…there.
So was Ohtani allowed to DH and pitch before?
No. Previously he hitching and pitching negated the DH for the whole game. So when he stopped pitching, that P would be scheduled to hit. I agree w Halo, that they should decouple P/DH. I’ve been saying it should be considered as 2 players
I was hoping to see the Effffing Shift was gone!!!
Not yet, though!!!
It seems to me the shift disappears …every time a HITTER comes to the plate.
Not a Chicken Platter?
Need some other name for this. Back when we played wiffleball/softball/baseball, a “ghost runner” was used when too few kids were playing. There was no actual runner there like there is in this MLB farce. Just my 2 cents.
Ghost-runner is only bad for fans who like long games. I wouldn’t like it on a warm, sunny, afternoon but, more often these days, I find myself preferring a more finite(?) experience.
GR forces teams to pay attention so its usually good baseball.
Yup. LOVE the ghost runner rule. Other sports have overtime, shootouts. All fan favorites. It’s better than allowing ties and far better than those incredibly tedious, staff-killing 18 inning snoozers. There’s a reason we play baseball not cricket.
Adding a runner to a base automatically is just too radical of a departure from the game’s spirit in my opinion.
The game has been changed many, many times. There is no “game’s spirit”.
@seam
Yep, and notions like that are totally subjective.
There is a spirit to things, although it is subjective to an extant. This nonsensical notion that because the game sometimes changes that therefore NO CHANGE CAN EVER BE CRITICIZED is a complete fallacy! There are good changes and changes that are bad and go to far. Why pretend not to understand this basic concept?
So if I’m reading this correctly, you could have two two-way players, one who pitches lefty and one righty, and you could lefty-righty your way through lineups by constantly shifting one to DH, then back to the mound. Or is it a one-time-per-game thing?
So does the 10 day / 15 day IL only app,y to pitchers and two players after May? In other words for the entire season the 10 day applies to position players, and 15 day applies to pitchers? I feel like the rules for the position players are not clearly defines.
I’d consider myself mostly a baseball purist and I love the extra-inning rule for the simple fact that IT WORKS!!!
It’s designed to keep games from dragging out and completely burning out each teams bullpens for the next week and yes…limit injuries!
There’s little point in playing 3-4 guys who were supposed to/need to get that day off to try and get one lousy win, you’ve had 27 outs worth of chances to win and get equal opportunity with the ghost runner in extras, it keeps the game from becoming a marathon….not to mention the strategy involved with how to play the extra-innings with the ghost runner! Bunt him over, play for a run, swing away and put up a crooked #, makes it more interesting and certainly works for ending the games earlier! Makes Perfect Sense to me! 🙂
And this happens how often? Disagree completely with your position.
FACT: There has been ONE game go over 13-innings the last TWO seasons with the ghost-runner rule, there were 23 games in the 2019 season ALONE!
Thats a pretty big difference, especially if you know what those kind of games do to those players/bullpens in the aftermath!
Fact: in a 162 game season there are 2430 games total.23 long games is less than 1% of all games. Not exactly a staff killing problem. Always follow the money. Television does not want the disruption of unanticipated game lengths.
Ok, then start the rule in the 12th. It definitely stops super-long games but do we really need it impact hundreds of games in the 10th and 11th when a vast majority of extra-inning games resolve themselves the normal way.
@In nurse follars
“Television does not want the disruption of unanticipated game lengths.”
Ever watch a Yankees – Red Sox game? Anticipated length: 3 hours. Usual length: 4- 5 hours.
I don’t get this. yes it shortens the game, but a lot of people dont really care about this or care very little. in the minds of these people it “work[ing]” means nothing because it’s “solving” a non-issue.
Imagine the revenue a team gets from gaming choices with the ghost runner…..endless possibilities. Consider every rule change from now on through the perspective of gaming, the owners new cash cow.
Which the players will not participate in. (Ya they really accomplished something). (barf).
The extra inning bogus base runner is beyond stupid. Gimmicks to accommodate television interests, and make no mistake this is a follow the money rule, are insulting to fans and the royalty that made baseball a once great game. Can you imagine Ernie banks saying, not let’s play two but instead “I’m tired. Let’s put fake runners on base because I don’t want to work hard enough to win? It’s disgusting.
The ghost runner rule fundamentally changes the game and is downright asinine. If they must, use a ghost runner starting in the 12th. I’d much rather have games end in a tie after the 12th or 13th innings than see this silly, gimmick put into place.
How does anyone consider a tie a possible outcome of a game?
I think you mean “legitimate” in place of “possible” and if so I ask, how can anyone consider one bloop single, without anything more, to equate to a legitimate outcome of a game?
Yeah legitimate is the better word. As to your question, at least there is a winner and a loser. Ties are as bad as participation trophies and not keeping score. A pox on ties.
because it’s something that’s used in the most popular sport in the world, the most popular sport in this country, and used in other baseball leagues?
The most popular sport in this country also allows tackling. I’m all for Judge and Stanton blitzing Altuve.
Bad suggestion.
When Altuve starts jukin’ Stanton might end up on the DL.
Oops, IL.
Baseball keeps moving closer and closer to Caddyshack 2
I am so excited to watch Shohei Ohtani play this season. Although I don’t think he’ll perform better offensively, I think he has a real shot of pitching more innings than last year (130). This should put more attention on his ability as a pitcher as well.
I absolutely despise the ghost runner rule. If you are going to keep it then start it in the 11th or 12th inning.
I wish they would change the ball to a octahedron.
As far as the ghost runner rule, I was a clubhouse attendant and batboy for a bunch of years. You tell me if you’d want to work an 18 hour day cleaning cleats at 4 in the morning then have to be back the next day at 1 for a 7pm game. It’s about time.
Clubhouse attendant AND batboy, at the same time? Boy the Pirates will do anything to save a buck won’t they. Ahahahaha!
I happen to like extra innings as it adds much needed excitement to the game. But of course let’s ruin it why not. Hell let’s preserve player health by playing only 1 inning and loading up the bases in the 2nd.
There are so many things wrong w/ the runner on 2nd but a massive issue is just that for 75% of the games, it makes them longer! It absolutely pretty much prevents super-long 15 inning games or more so sure collectively, it saves a few minutes But each inning takes longer to play. 40-50% of all games end normally in the 10th anyways – there’s 0 benefit for those games.
Secondly, it is boring. A runner auto-placed on 2nd leads to each half-inning being a total slog, more pitching changes, etc. You are never going to have a quick half-inning.
Finally, it is totally unfair. Home teams have won over 70% of all games w/ this format as the home team knows how many runs they need and if it is just 1 win, it is pretty easy to just bunt/sac fly a run home.
The rule just doesn’t work. I doubt they ever get rid of it either and it really does make the game fundamentally worse-off than it was before. Keep adding this to the ever-growing list of issues w/ the game and don’t be surprised that fewer and fewer people care.
I do find it crazy that players 30 years ago could play more games a season, pitch 250 innings but yet far superior athletes can’t. Citing player safety for everything is utter nonsense.
mlls100—QUIT MAKING STUFF UP–in 2020—ROAD TEAMS were 41-35 in extra innings and thru Sept 9 of last year (only article I could find) the ROAD TEAMS were 101-89 in extra innings.
Road teams have gone from 48% to 53% winning with the new rule—FAR FROM the 70% winning percentage you state for home teams.
You literally wasted five paragraphs of space hoping and thinking someone would believe you.
I misread something else about it. I was wrong on that but you don’t need to be a jerk about it.
Ghost runner?
Fins, but if they keep this in the future they should have to rename the game and call it NeoBaseball or something, and put a large asterisk by all future box scores.
Here’s the rule that needs to be changed—-and I don’t care about the field aesthetics—allow the runner going to first base to run INSIDE the baseline, perpendicular to the base. Do not require them to run in foul territory, inside a running lane, all the way to the base and then slightly veer back to hit the bag. This is the dumbest rule in baseball. Bar none.
@mike127, I understand but there are a lot of quirky things about baseball that nevertheless are part of the tradition.
In these rule discussions, it is the tradition we should care about, not whether one thing or another makes sense to one person or another.
TRADITION, friends, just like in Fiddler on the Roof, it is tradition that matters.
And no, I don’t happen to be Jewish, but I can nevertheless understand this important matter of tradition.
Fred, I think we’d be hard pressed to find anyone that finds running outside the baseline and “not straight” to the base one of the traditions of baseball.
Making running directly to a base, in a straight line, illegal, is plain and simple a stupid rule.
““in an effort to preserve player health and safety during the condensed schedule.” the Ghost Runner rule will be replaced with a rule that the first team to score gets credited with two runs for each actually plated. The second team must match or exceed the actual total to tie or win the game.
The runner on 2nd makes sense since it’s exactly what 8 year olds do and MLB is being ran by one.
Manfred is running nothing. Just a toady of the owners.
He may be only 8 y.o. but his grammar is excellent.
As the salaries go up the physical nature of the game gets softer. Ghost runner is, in part, an example of this.
That’s a lame “tough-guy” take.
There’s nothing soft about facing-off against 95-100+ mph fastballs, which is way, way more common than in past eras of the game. The “physical nature” of that is an increased element of danger. Not that you would have any idea about something like that…
I have no problem with these rule changes, but who do I have to see to get the idiotic, ridiculous, maddening TV blackout policy changed and/or eliminated!!!
Your local cable company
MLB.tv and a VPN.
Or MLB.tv, watch next morning.
“Similarly, a two-way player can also be lifted from the game as the designated hitter but remain in the game as a pitcher.”
Why not make it so a DH can remain in the game as any player, not just a pitcher? Just for Ohtani? Another dumb move by MLB.
An additional rule was announced. When players are just too tired and don’t give a damn any more in the 8th inning of what could become an extra inning game they can just simulate the rest of the game online.
I’m totally against roster limit on pitchers. Let teams go past 13. I think you’ll see some bogus injuries even though the min days on IL went up
20 years from now, games will be 7 innings.
20 years from now the game will be a memory. The death spiral is gaining speed.
Played with a softball
He “Ghost Runner” sucks.
Face it. Today’s country club players are simply not as tough as the players that came before them. The game was wussified when player collisions were outlawed (Pete rose) when you could no longer pitch inside (bob gibson) and when pitch counts and stats became dominant in the game. When players went from athletes to profit center corporate assets. It’s just not the game I watched with my father. It’s no wonder it became slow, boring and full of pampered over paid cry babies.it’s hard to watch and even harder to be a fan. Heaven forbid anyone be inconvenienced by an extra inning game. Might as well play on a computer.
do you hate color tv too?
By the way. Baseball has NOT changed much in over 100 years, fans need to stop pretending otherwise. Just because someone doesn’t accept THIS change doesn’t mean they hate ALL change and the fact that baseball has had SOME change is not an argument for supporting EVERY change.
We must be watching a different game. I guess you never saw Rod Carew.
If rod Carew played in the shift era he’d bat .600.
Well, teams wouldn’t shift on Carew.
Some stat geek would say do it. But there are no more rod Carews’ but he was and is the best of baseball.
Well, teams would essentially REVERSE SHIFT on Carew and it would be interesting to see how that would work.
In nurse: C’mon now. Rod Carew played a different style but that’s not the same thing as a radical rule change. You’re conflating things. Style of play and rule changes are in different planes of existence.
If you think MLB games are too long, don’t watch. Real fans–old, young, whatever–understand it is a thinking man’s game, and we don’t need constant action. And players’ health? Lol, the same players who will ingest almost anything if it gives them an advantage?
My son’s little league didn’t even invoke this stupid rule. I guess the players dont want to work overtime without getting paid extra? Offer extra pay for each extra inning, and the players will abandon this rule in a heartbeat.
MLB is beginning to look like the Democrat party, trying not to hurt anyone’s feelings unless they voted for Trump. How does putting a man on second preserve health? Reducing extra innings? This isn’t Old Timers Day. These kids are average age around 28. They can handle 15-18 innings.
You’re the Old Timer if you “remember” baseball at the Polo Grounds in ’62.
Oh, that’s right. Youre a Republic.
All Republic Party members play Polo.
Say hi to Ralph Lauren.
And Tucker.
And Putin.
I’ve never played polo.
I don’t have a problem hurting your feelings. Shut up about politics.
One of the things I like about baseball is I don’t have to give a damn about who voted for who, why, or why other people think why. Please drop the politics here.
In 2004, before game 7 of the ALCS, the rump predicted the Yankees would win. He’s been a loser for an awful long time.
Load the bases, defense gets 3 extra fielders, 3 guys bat. Inning over. Then the other team. If still tied, repeat until one team wins. If tge visiting team scores for runs, game over.
Fixed last sentence: If the visiting team scores four runs, the game is over.
Universal DH And the ghost runner nonsense sucks
Ghost runner is Backyard league. I can’t believe people support it. I don’t disagree they could do something better. The Atlantic league does something like a shoot out. Instead of extra innings, if the game is tied after 9 they each pick their best hitter and have a 5(not sure exactly)pitch home run derby. If it’s still tied, pick another guy and do it again until someone wins. More exciting and likely faster.
The ghost runner does feel a bit bush league, but i acknowledge that limiting marathon games in the regular season is probably for the best and i can’t immediately come up with a better way to do it.
Start runner on 2nd in 12th.
If it was up to me instead of the ghost runner stuff I would just end games that are tied at the end of the 12th inning. Not many games last that long to begin with and most fans are gone by that time and the TV audience has found better things to do. Standings would be determined by a points based system like in the NHL. 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss.
The Premier League appreciates your proposal but it wouldn’t fly in an Americanized sport.
Good. Wouldn’t want all those underpaid players having to work extra for their money.
I feel like the only person who thinks the ghost runner idea works better if the runner is on first base instead of second base.
This way the batting team would have to manufacture the run instead of just getting a base hit, and it puts the defense at double play depth to start the inning.
God, I really wanna kick Manfred in the balls
He lost his cojones a long time ago. It’s an empty sack where his balls used to be.
What about a home run derby kind of thing when it reaches the 12th inning three players each team and they pitch to their own guys. Batting Practice style only one round, three pitches each guy and if tied at end, then sudden death. Or add a ghost runner each inning until bases are full.
Tv would love either… what do you think?
Sac bunt and sac fly and you score while the pitcher hasn’t given up anything is just shameful. Imagine no walk, error, or hit and yet you gave up a run….pure bull that is
I dunno why everyone’s so against a ghost runner. I can’t wait to see Ty Cobb run the bases.
If the “ghost runner” returns next year. Can we all collectively form a group and Will Smith the f— out of Manfred?
yeah, i would like that very much!
Ghost runner? Not the same game that I used to watch? DH? I don’t care I will be watching baseball until the day I die.
Babyball.
I don’t like the extra inning rule. But I will say, it has helped me out on occasion. The first year they implemented it in AAA, I was at a River Cats game that went to the 10th. If it weren’t for the ghost runner, I would’ve had to leave to catch the last train home for the night (Sacramento annoyingly shuts down at 10:30pm) and would’ve at least missed the postgame fireworks.
I prefer the 28 player rule be adopted as a permanent rule change. It makes the game more interesting and improves the quality of play. I think watching a position player pitch or a pitcher pinch hit does nothing to improve the game. Only 13 or maybe 14 pitchers however. Having more players provides more options and more strategy in the game and better competition. Obviously the union would love this idea. Having larger rosters would permit players like Pujols to play longer.
Why not start a runner on 3rd in game 7 of a tied ball game of a tied World Series, you won’t do it there, but you do it in regular season games when sides can miss a play-off position by 1-2-3 games. Putting a runner on is a lottery. What a joke this is. If they had some common sense, they could have played 3 extra innings standard rules, and then left it as a draw as they do in Japan, then at least both sides get something, which they should. The automatic runner on 2nd in extra innings is a farce.
I’ve seen too many photos of Manfred since December.
Leave the gimmicks for after the 12th inning. Normal extra inning baseball is fun to watch, atleast give us 3 innings of it.
All of that and no pitch clock, which is the one thing baseball actually needs
Disagree.
Next year.
Baseball is not too slow. Anyone who is making that argument doesn’t understand the real issue.
Look at football, which is the most popular sport, it’s BRUTALLY slow and yet no one complains about Footballs’ “pace of play”. The reason why is because football easy to follow the the majority of America’s simple minds.
In baseball, you HAVE to watch every pitch or you will miss it’s exciting moments (especially live). Football, runs replays of every play no matter how boring it was on their screens in the stadium. You cannot do that with every pitch in baseball because a.) no one wants to see it and b.) it’s too fast. You’ll watch one pitch and miss the other. The ignorant person misses the exciting plays because they are too distracted by their cellphones and limited attention span and as a result says “oh, baseball is too slow”
What baseball has to do, really, is ban the shift. As much as I hate limiting defensive strategy, this would make baseball a lot more entertaining for the novice fan. I also think baseball needs to do something about how often a pitcher “checks” on a runner. No one wants to see half ass efforts where the pitcher throws over five times, no real effort or expectation to pick off the runner but throws over to keep them honest.
IMO, it shouldn’t come into play until the 11th.
10th inning = normal.
11th inning – “ghost” runner on 1st
12th inning – “ghost” runner on 2nd
13th inning – ‘ghost” runners on 1st & 2nd
14th inning – bases loaded w/ “ghosts”
15th inning – “ghost” runner 45’ from home plate on 3rd base line (/s)
Just move the fences in for the extra innings. 10 feet closer each inning. Good times.
Don’t put a runner on second base, put the pitcher on second base. Good times.
Put Manfred on second base. The first batter that hits him with a line drive, that team wins. Good times.
Let the players load up on steroids after the ninth inning. Good times.
There was, at one time, a number of tied games in Baseball, largely because of the lack of lights including some of the best seasons in Baseball. including 1949 when the Dodgers had TWO ties.
retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1949/B07250BRO1949.htm
They should just call games after 1AM. Here is one BETTER to get them to speed up the game… call the game after 3 hours for nine innings, and at midnight for any extra inning games.