MARCH 17: The extra inning ghost runner is “trending back toward reality for the 2022 season” reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Heyman adds that MLB has yet to make a call on reinstating the rule, but is listening to team managers who want to “avoid testing arms”, and thus would be in favor of the rule’s reinstatement, after a truncated spring camp.
MARCH 14: The extra innings ghost runner might be sticking around in Major League Baseball, report Jayson Stark and Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Players, who “heavily support” this new feature from the last two seasons, tell the reporters they expect it to be enacted this week with the announcement of health and safety protocols.
Though the automatic runner on second base in extra innings was originally put in place as a COVID response, ultimately the players like it because it has mostly killed the marathon extra innings game.
Stark and Gelb note that the apparition may not necessarily appear in the 10th inning, but instead could surface in the 11th or 12th. With the National League adopting the designated hitter this year, baseball traditionalists are doing plenty of grumbling this week.
No. Leave your beer league softball crap rule away
Its not a beer league softball rule. Its an International baseball rule.
Everywhere else, they call this game Batball.
Disgusting. Just eliminate extra innings after 11 or 12. Nothing wrong with regular season ties other than to bettors.
Or fans who enjoy long games
Here’s a list of some of the great moments in MLB history that would likely never have happened if this stupid phantom runner rule had been in effect:
1) Muncy’s walkoff homerun, 18th inning, 2018 World Series Game 3.
2) Brandon Belt’s 18th-inning homerun, 2014 NLDS Game 2.
3) Chris Burke’s 18th-inning homerun, 2005 NLDS Game 5.
4) Billy Hatcher’s 14th-inning homerun, 1986 NLCS Game 6.
5) Robin Ventura’s 15th-inning Grand Slam Single, 1999 Game 5.
6) Jim Leyritz’s 15th-inning walkoff homer, 1995 ALDS Game 2.
7) Geoff Blum’s 14th-inning homerun, 2005 World Series Game 3.
8) Big Papi’s walkoff single with 2 outs in the 14th inning, 2004 ALCS Game 5.
9) Big Papi’s 12th-inning walkoff homerun, 2004 ALCS Game 4.
And so many more I haven’t mentioned.
I hope they don’t do it. It would (along with the NL DH and the banning of the shift) kill what small love I have left for baseball. However if they must, I hope they limit it to the regular season.
I’m sorry, but I’m not sitting through 11 innings just to have a tie. That may work in other sports, but not here.
When games go that long, they seem to be more memorable.
Before Manford put that temporary rule in, long games would get better as the innings stacked up. A lot more battle field thinking and it always resulted in memorable games.
No. Let’s take care of the low percentage of bed wetters that don’t like any game over 9 innings.
Most fans don’t want a change but if the league is going to screw us anyway, which would you prefer, ties or a stupid change like this?
They don’t use the ghost runner in postseason games.
Well they all would have happened because the rule only applies to regular season games.
Presume it would not apply to the postseason and never has, but cool list.
@Fever Hate the rule too. But don’t think the ghost runner rule was applicable for playoff games. Your point though is spot on.
Im not crazy about this extra inning rule change, and I may be comparing apples to oranges, but I’m curious as to how many of us that were against NL DH have come around to liking or at least accepting it. Perhaps the same could happen with this change
But you’d sit through 21 innings just to wake up 35-12 instead of 34-12-1 in a 162 game season? Seems an odd stance…
I first fell in love with baseball as a kid watching Pudge wave the ball fair in the 12th inning of 1975 World Series Game 6.
The reason why so many memorable gamewinning hits have been dramatic homeruns is because nobody was on base.
The game is being damaged by both sides.
That rule would not be in effect for post-season baseball. So much for your argument.
So no memorable extra inning games have ever happened in the regular season? Got it. Let’s just have a whole bunch of different rules in the postseason only. Yeah that makes sense.
They all would have happened because it does not apply to the postseason. Though I am not a fan of the rule.
International tournament play. And it’s exciting and makes sense in that format. Not MLB.
Well if “exciting” is the main goal, why not just start every inning off with a baserunner at 2nd? I’ve no doubt it would be “exciting”. But would it really be baseball???
If one is exciting, why not load the bases each inning?
Sadly, it takes more to excite me than it used to and starting a runner at second just doesn’t cut it…
EXACTLY!
… and have a different set of players in the field than batting….. and use aluminum bats…. And reduce the number of fielders to four…. And give each side seven outs, with two balls is a walk.
I mean, why not? It makes more offense and the game more exciting, right?
Lol
Nothing like working out of a bases loaded jam with no outs to kick off an inning!
@bronyaur
And have little leaguers pitch to major league hitters! And how about making the pitcher run the bases 4 times each inning before he faces a batter! Yeah…lots of ideas to make the game more exciting. We could go on like this all night!
They do the same thing in women’s softball in extra innings. They also only play 7 innings. I recall hearing Manfred talk about how his daughters play softball awhile back. Coincidence? Always made me wonder if that’s where he get his ludicrous ideas from.
This begs for new poll question asap to reaffirm the majority of fans disgust with this rule. Then forward the results to Manfred, Tony Clark and Bernie Sanders so the latter can add it to his list of reasons for MLB to finally lose its antitrust exemption. lol
As the article states, if it’s a thing that happens starting in the 12th inning, I’m fine with it. Very few people want 18-inning marathons where we wind up seeing the utility infielder lobbing meatballs over the plate.
I don’t think you need to invent an entire new rule that fundamentally alters the sport to prevent the type of game that happens like twice a season.
sophie – I know I’ll probably get crap from some people for saying this, but that’s never stopped me before sooo …..
Anybody who didn’t enjoy 2018 World Series Game 3, which DID go 18 innings, is not really a baseball fan.
I enjoyed that game tremendously, and I say that even though my team lost!!!
And you still would…regular season only.
I still fondly remember an unimportant mid-season 18 inning game my team lost in 2016 where two infielders pitched in the 17th and 18th innings. Chances that game would’ve been memorable with a ghost runner: zero.
I remember a random Wednesday night game i attended where Cutch hit an amazing extra-inning HR vs the Diamondbacks. Most games people watch are uneventful, and extra inning games frequently lead to something noteworthy in a fan’s mind. Why disrupt that?
Runner on 2nd, ground ball, 1 out runner on 3rd, sac fly, game over… fun. Surely that will bring in new fans.
Why not start ac runner on 1st base. I for 1 hate the runner on second with no outs.
Honest to God….this rule is the worst of the worst. Play baseball. Not this crap.
You make incredible cash and you have to play extra inning games. Suck it up.
I work overtime all the time, and, yes I get time and a half, but I’m not getting paid the 100 thousands/millions they are to regularly play a game I love. It’s what you signed up for and players paid way less, way back when, have done it since the games inception. Get over yourselves and play the game the way it always has been played. It’s not like my backyard where the neighborhood kids have 8 people playing and the ghost runner is required to have fun..
I’d rather have ties. They stink, but at least it would still be baseball through the end of the game. I struggled to even watch extra innings games the past two years with this awful rule.
If the players really care about avoiding marathons (I guess all that gigantic money really does diminish the desire to work as hard), let’s do for 9 innings, one extra inning if tied after 9, and then a tie game if still tied from there.
I just said the same thing but 11 or 12 innings.
Agreed. Its adding a ghost runner when you are 12 and don’t have a full squad.
I like it but only after the 12th inning. There are so many good and practical reasons for using it.
They could not possibly do anything more utterly stupid.
The rule is a complete bastardization of the game. It’s not real baseball.
Beer league softball? Man, Ghost Runners were used when everyone else had gone home for dinner or loving moms or whatever & you & your buddy were playing one-on-one baseball.
Need Ghost Runners for that.
MLB? Don’t see the need.
Pretty soon baseball will be played with pitching machines, so we can prevent possible injuries.
shhhhhhhhhh…they’ll hear you.
Noooooooooooo
Not fond of this rule. They’re picking the foundation of baseball apart, one brick at a time.
As always, we await developments.
BOOOO!
Love the pic and writeup, Tim!
Noooooooooo
Stupid, just stupid…
Uhg. This is ridiculous.
Nooooooooo!
Should be the 12th inning on not the 10th or 11th
That’s not an awful compromise, honestly.
I’d rather do what Len Kasper suggested, just go 12 innings, and if no one takes the lead, call a tie. I’d rather have that than this BS runner on 2nd crap.
No. Let’s go ahead and keep it so that there’s a winner. That’s darn near calling everyone a winner
There’s overtime… and then a shootout.
For comparison.
just go 12 regular innings then pick 2 players from each team and do a homerun derby, 5 swings each, most homers wins. Now that’s “real baseball” (eye roll)
It’s no worse than this.
I totally agree … if implemented, it should begin in the 12th inning.
Kudos, I like that idea. Particularly since the idea is to not let games go on forever.
Or they could just leave it alone and, if they really want to cut down time on the game, drop 15-20% of the commercials and broadcasters’ banter.
Commercials really don’t add as much time to the game as you think. All the stalling between pitches is much more to blame
phantom – Are you really not aware of the added amount of time for commercial breaks whenever it’s a nationally televised game, and even longer TV breaks for the postseason.
Owners don’t give a dam about longer games when their precious TV revenue is threatened.
Dude, I don’t think you could be more wrong on this. Next time you watch a game, haul out a stopwatch, and count up the percentage of the duration of the game is between innings and during pitching changes for commercials. Cutting this in half would have zero impact on game play.
While it isn’t the best idea ever, it beats watching position players pitching in the 18th inning. Games shouldn’t last that long.
But they rarely ever do anyways, so who cares?
Exactly, like not even 1% of extra inning games reach the 13th. Let’s say there are 100 extra inning games in a season. On average, about 1 in every 132 extra inning games reaches that point. 1 in every 666 extra inning games reaches the 15th.
There you go, stating facts again.
one of my favorite baseball memories is watching Wilson Valdez bring home a W in 2011 for the Phils. you play until you win the game, no matter how long it takes *shrug* keep baseball baseball
No it doesn’t actually.
Yeah, but how often does it get to that point? Maybe once a year, if that even?
This isn’t aimed at you, just in general. God knows getting more baseball is a bad thing, and long games are never tense and exciting. Sarcasm off. If you paid (an astronomical price in many stadiums) for the ticket, you can leave when you want, even early if you desire, or stick around and watch your team. If you are watching TV, you can flip the channel. Perhaps someone can point that out to the league, and allow teams to play games to their conclusion the way it was intended to be played, and allow them to decide how they will deal with those incredibly rare situations where a game goes that long. Teams are choosing to throw position players, or 12th on the depth chart relievers. Thats their call, but I would rather see my team lose that way, by choice, then watch another team score a runner they didn’t earn, off a pitcher that didn’t give the runner up on a bloop hit.
This…
Next they will put a stop watch on it. Game ends after 2.5 hours, because the prima Dona players need their 8 full hours of sleep and sometimes 9 innings just takes too Much effort.
Some of my favorite memories at a baseball game were during a long extra inning game. The untraditional 14th inning stretch, watching position players pitch, pitchers pinch hit/run, watching players play different positions. Plus your chances of getting foul balls greatly improve. Players smile a lot and seem to have fun. It’s not like these games happen regularly, I have been to easily over 1000 MLB games in my life and I have only been to two games that lasted past the 13th inning.
Why not?
Ugh, poor underpaid boys don’t like long games.
Beat me to it.
Careful Big Head. Many people out here think the players are right about everything. They deserve to make 40mil per. I mean after all they are just taking it from billionaires right….
Of all the COVID rules, this was the worst.
7 inning games were far worse.
Ooh there is a poll question the guy on 2nd is pretty horrible but not playing 9 innings that’s little league stuff
Agreed. The extra-innings rule is GARBAGE but the fact that you shorten TWO games just because one has to be postponed is beyond idiotic.
Plus they still sell each game separately, and have the gonads to charge full price for a partial game.
Stop.
As a Braves, I don’t know which news is worse. Freddie wearing a different jersey or this. I’m going to go with ghost runner. Complete and utter corniness.
Those “players” who like it aren’t baseball players, they’re cheap entertainers trying to get a cheap thrill out of short-attention-spanned children
For hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of dollars, you can play a few more innings. If you don’t like long games, then win your games in 9 innings
ugh. no.
No
I’m 100% fine with it being used in the 12th or 13th inning on
theroyal19.
Same here. Start in the 12th. The problem is NO ONE likes extra innings. Not the players, managers, fans (ratings), program directors, vendors, networks, stadium employees, GMs, travel secretaires, fans in attendance. NO ONE.
As a whole, you can’t find one group that actually likes extra innings games. I’m shocked so many fans hate it. If those fans against it actually watched extra innings games, then the ratings wouldn’t suck.
I don’t like extra inning games on TV, but I LOVE extra inning games live. Do wish the concession stands would open back up. If they continued to serve beer, I’d want all my in-person games to go extra..
I love extra-inning games. When I’ve been the one driving, I’ve never left one.
I went to KC on a road trip this year and went to one of the greatest extra innings games ever, but my ride wanted to leave after the 10th.
I flew to Kansas City, stayed at a hotel, went to the game just to see the stadium, and the guy I was with wanted to go home.
I don’t get it, but that’s the way it is.
@hello I am not sure those numbers are accurate. Most of the fans I know love extra innings games at the Yard.
Agreed. Obviously not for the postseason, but the rule is perfect for the regular season to avoid super long games where position players start pitching.
Love the picture of Casper! Lol
First Freddy is gone and now this! This rule is best applied after 12 or so innings
Oh come on!!!!! Why the hell you gotta do this to us like that???? Just when I thought I was finally free of that BS, here we go again.
I am not necessarily a traditionist but I don’t like that rule. Why not just have ties?
This is really just something that is unnecessary. It prevents the 20 inning game that happens not even once a year. In 6 seasons from 2011 to 2016, less than 1% of even made it to the 13th inning. Less than .25% made it to the 15th. (source: https://www.quora.com/What-percent-of-baseball-games-reach-each-inning)
Gross.
12th inning. My guess is most xtra inning games end before 12th. Anyone have stats on that?
Look above
In 2019 44% of the extra inning games ended in the 10th. Since they started the ghost runner, 73% have now finished in the 10th.
17% went over 12 innings and that now dropped to 1% after the ghost runner.
Ugh, even the players are on board with this stupidity. At least play two regular extra-innings before jumping into this garbage, will ya?
This rule doesn’t bring in new fans, it just annoys the current ones. MLB is stupid
When they start a ghost runner on the second I turn off the tv. I just can’t watch it.
Booooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May as roll a dice and see how many runs each team once the ninth inning ends. Hell, do it for the whole game. Come up with rules and systems to play the game without actually playing. Nobody actually wants to watch baseball, right? /s
That’s called Strat-o-matic. A great baseball game every baseball fan should play as a kid.
You’re right, they may as well play it that way with garbage rules like ghost runners.
Don’t forget the ghost win in the playoffs they were talking about. This is really frustrating all this nonsense they’re coming up with.
I’m aware; that was my point 🙂
Just do a pregame coin toss winner of coin toss would be winner if it goes to extra innings. That would be a garbage rule too but still better than ghost runner and 7 inning games. Extra runner is just a coin toss any way.
Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. I knew this would rear its ugly head again.
Power rankings…
Mets
Dodgers
Rays
Whitesoxs
Braves
Booooooooooooooooooo
Must be nice to win the offseason on paper. Mets will be the Padres 2.0
The Mets will be one of the GREATEST 79-win teams of all time.
Hate that silly gimmick. Why not have a homerun derby if tied after 9? Makes about as much sense.
Have the two managers arm wrestle for it at home plate.
Less baseball for baseball lovers like myself! Great news!
Bring back real baseball, let them go extra innings normally. It’s a ridiculous rule to have a runner at 2nd.. Just ridiculous.
I don’t want a ghost runner but if they do implement it, put the runner on 1st base, not 2nd base. As it stands, a RP can come in, get two flyouts and the other team can actually score. That isn’t exciting or fun and the pitcher did his job and still gave up the lead. Make the teams actually get hits to score the runners and encourage more running game, etc. That is what brings excitement to the game.
I am for some variety of the ghost runner rule, and even this year, too. No one ever needed those extra-long games lasting into and even past the wee hours of the morning.
It was good to my Mariners last year, and the players mostly like it.
Pretty rough on a getaway day to not get that needed rest.
I like it starting the 11th.
The game has been fine for years with extra inning games on get away day. If players can’t hang, maybe the games not for them
Well, Tomahawk Takeover, I disagree. The game has not been fine, in that particular regard.
But no one ever came up with a good solution until last year.
By the way, what the article calls the “baseball purists” are mostly a lot of kids who are parroting what they have heard over the years.
I have followed baseball since the 1950s, and the “purists” were a bunch of soreheads then, too.
They complain about everything.
Another meaning for a baseball purist is someone who can’t get enough baseball. Love him or hate him, Pete Rose wanted baseball opening day to start the day after the World Series. Rogers Hornsby has his famous quote – “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring”. Those are baseball purists in the sense that they want baseball 24/7, not that they are/were old soreheads (though they were both that too).
Sometimes it’s just for the love of the game. That’s pure.
What an utterly brain dead take Moose
@TheMoose
I don’t see why we couldn’t implement it in each inning? Why specifically 10th or 11th? Wouldn’t we have more opportunities to score runs and reduce the potential for ties if there was always a player on 1st base starting each inning?
Lets just load the bases to start every inning.
Lazy players do not want to play more than 9 innings… keep destroying the game
Anything that stops the endless swinging-from-the-heels-to end-the=game. KEEP IT! Saves pitching staffs, extra-inning games tend to get boring.
Keep the 7 inning double headers too….that was a GREAT idea.
(Imagine re-imaging ALL the games to 7 innings….limited pitching changes…. get rid of the Super Ball,,,,games under 2 hours….ACTION BASEBALL!!!!!).
Maybe the kids would start watching again.
If you want to speed the game up, change foul balls into actual strikes. So, if the batter is 0-2 and hits a foul ball, it’s a strikeout and the batter sits down.
I LIKE IT!!!!
Maybe if kids don’t have the attention span to watch a normal game, they shouldn’t watch? There’s no since in fixing what isn’t broken.
If you want to watch a sport that’s all about non-stop action without the chess-level moves, watch the NBA or NASCAR. Baseball should be nine innings plus extra innings with 10-pitch battles, double plays and late-inning rallies. I don’t know how you find extra-inning games boring, but I’m on the edge of my seat, especially if we have the lead and my bullpen has been shaky.
A better way to get the kids watching again is to breathe life into the ballpark again. Specifically, stop maximizing profits and selling luxury boxes to corporations. Instead, lower ticket prices and concession stands so families can go more often, eliciting more organic interest from kids. It’ll never happen, which is why MLB will continue to struggle with kids.
The best thing are the 20 inning games.
This is the ONE CHANGE i dont approve of.
Oh come on. I’m all for rules changes that actually make the game better. This doesn’t.
I love baseball. The longer the game the better. There are only 162 per year, enjoy them!
I would rather see ties than another Manfred Man extra inning.
good god no.
Yeah, keep pissing of fans with stupidity. That will only help grow the game. Idiots.
Only this commish would consider this. Ugh.
First the DH now this crap. To go along with the auto walk and no breaking up double plays at 2nd or having a play at the plate. This game is going downhill fast! No strategy just play long offensive games and wonder why it takes so long. Amazingly stupid moves!
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
Awful and sad.
Anyone know where they settled on the shift? I know there was talk of eliminating but as the CBA drama finally came to a close, I don’t recall reading anything further about it.
I think the shift ban is so stupid. Yes let’s prolong the careers of guys who won’t change the way they hit and swing out of their shoes. Banning the shift will probably lead to even more strikeouts as players won’t care about trying to take the ball the other way and just swing as hard as they can. Even my wife thinks the ban shift is stupid, she said “what’s baseball without the strategy”. And she doesn’t even like baseball
Limit the shift too. Let defensively talented players be great again!
The shift will be banned in 2023
Yes! Easily the best of the COVID rules. Made close games so much more enjoyable.
/s
Preach!
No. The one that was OK was the 7 inning doubleheaders.
WTF…the absolutely dumbest on-field move to be extended??? There should seriously be fan boycott over this insanity.
Two things separating baseball from other sports are how the dimensions of the field play a role as well as impact the on-field action and that there is no time limit to how long the game can continue if its tied.
I’d rather see ties credited to teams after 12 innings than the ghost-runner rule reinstated. I’m not for either but at least the former isn’t on the level of something you’d do in backyard wiffle ball.
There’s no tieing or crying in baseball.
It’s not baseball… you play until you REALLY score
Gross. I thought they killed this with the new CBA?
Good god no. If you must have a ghost runner then start him at first base, but this rule along with the seven inning DH games were the worst of the Covid/Manfred rules
The Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings, two teams from the Triple-A International League, played the longest game in professional baseball history. It lasted 33 innings, with 8 hours and 25 minutes of playing time. 32 innings were played April 18/19, 1981, at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and the final 33rd inning was played June 23, 1981. Pawtucket won the game, 3–2.
And I was there for every pitch, despite the fact that I’m only in my thirties.
Past lives are real – bitches!
Nooooooooooooooo
I don’t like a lot of change but an 18 inning game between the pirates and diamondbacks in May is not a great situation for anyone.
I would edit the rule tho.
10th, no runners on
11th, last out on first
12th, last out on second
13th, last out on third
This is horrible & anyone that stands besides this truly doesn’t love baseball !
I stand beside it and i love baseball. Its exciting and makes extra inning must watch from the start.
“With the National League adopting the designated hitter this year, baseball traditionalists are doing plenty of grumbling this week.”
Yeah, but some of those guys probably don’t like catchers wearing facemasks either. I kid. 🙂
No…if this is going to remain part of the game I’m going to stop watching, the bulk of the season is in summer I can be outside having a fire…..
I liked it. Maybe because it was the only way the Mariners could get someone to 2nd base sometimes.
How bout before each game, all players who opened the game throw into a hat the breakfast they had (eggs, waffles, sausages, etc — one item per player only). If it’s tied after 9 innings, the umpire draws from a “hat,” and the breakfast item that is chosen gives the win to that players team. If a player from the other team also has that item, then both players are asked to eat another breakfast immediately, and the one who finishes first, his team is the winner. Fans will eat it up!
please don’t!!
Please No
Stupid AF
The only places I want ghost runners are sandlot games and backyard whiffle ball.
Another idea: Forget this “regular season” nonsense… Paly about 140 games whose only purpose is to seed. Playoffs starting in September, which would kick the NFL right in the butt.
Stops tanking all together…the better you play over the 140, the more games you get to play, the more fannies in the seats; the more games to stream/gamble on.
MAKE EVERY GAME COUNT! FOR EVERY TEAM!
I hate this rule so much, I think teams should have standby soccer players on the payroll and bring out soccer goals and goal area lines and have a sudden death kick off over the man on second to start the inning rule. It would make as much sense and it’d actually be more fair and logical.
I think in all seriousness they should just let it go and go back to the old style of insanely long games every once in a blue moon. Those games are fun. I love those games. I’ve been at a few of them and watched a bunch more on TV and they’re fairly rare and they’re exciting because of how ridiculous the length is.
But the man starting on second rule is one of the worst things to ever happen to baseball. It’s worse than a pitch count clock thing and it’s almost as bad as the shift- but at least a batter can potentially beat the shift.
Or they could do a home run derby.
Or maybe start the runner on first, not second and keep the force out rule. The fact that they won’t do that says a lot about how it’s designed to put the team on defense at a distinct disadvantage. You get a couple long fly outs or an effective bunt to get the guy on second over to third, you have two outs left- you get a long flying pop out or a single and the game is over. It’s so stupid.
If you’re gonna start the guy on second, you also need to make it a two out inning.
The man starts on second with three outs situation is just too ridiculously lopsided from the get go.
On to my less serious but still serious suggestions because I hate man starts on second rule so much.
You get the two loudest farters from either team and use a machine to measure the pitch and volume of the farts against each other.
Or a thumb war.
Or an arm wrestling contest.
Or have them sit quietly and play poker.
I hate this man starts on second rule so much I’d prefer them to decide the game with literally any other tactic and mini-game.
it also boosts RBI and run numbers which results in more $$$$ for players
Actually, it won’t mean much difference as the only way the game ends is on at least one run scoring anyway…..
But when both teams score the coast runner in the 11th and send the game to the 12th it does.
Give tie games before this ghost runner clown show.
Youre a clown show.
It’s not 18 days from now yet. Why did you post this today?
18 days to wind up the readers 🙂
I don’t think either MLB officials nor the MLBPA officials and players are here reading the comments. So in the words of “Tripper” Harrison, “It just doesn’t matter, It just doesn’t matter…” what we think to those that will make the decision.
I get it’s international rules but this isn’t international baseball it’s MLB. Supposed to be the greatest of the great. So, no, there is no ghost runner. Play it until a winner is decided. How many games go 13+ innings. I can buy into something in LATER extra innings.
What a bunch of wusses! That’s not a baseball rule, it’s a softball rule! That doesn’t belong in major league baseball for Pete’s sake! Geeeezzzz
Dumbest change ever.
I understand the game can get long, especially a double header, but I am old school an like it the way it has been for years. If you get tired just record it and watch later or look at the highlights on your favorite sports channel. I just think it can change the outcome of the game and also how it’s managed. You should have to earn the base and not be given it. How can you change the stats of a pitcher’s if he didn’t originally give up the runner on second, but yet he scores. The batter shouldn’t be awarded an RBI. Think of how this changes the record books when discussing rbi’s,era’s, etc. Think about it also if the batter didn’t get the RBI because the rule of the ghost runner. He earned the hit while a man was on base that may have won the game, yet gets no credit as far as an RBI. It just needs to he left alone. They make good enough money to play a little longer and players have done it that way for years. I’m not against change sometimes it’s good, but I don’t like this JMO, but I am not a fan of awarding something not earned and punishing someone for something that wasn’t earned. I know it’s fair for one as is the other, but then again in some situations, maybe not. Not trying to argue, but just my thoughts and maybe some of you may have a different opinion that may change what I think about the rule. Take Care & God Bless!!
Facts.. you’re right about everything. Definitely agree.
We kept hearing for 99 days how much each side wanted to make the game better for the fans, yet all I’m hearing here is the players “heavily support” it. I guess it turns out neither side really cares about the fan after all.
This isn’t even fun anymore
If we ant to be purists, get back to the days where the batters got to tell the pitcher where to throw the ball. Should provide a lot more offense.
I too vote against it.
This is just awful. Leave this crap out of professional baseball.
Just leave it alone!
What MLB is saying is that professional baseball players can’t get on base in an extra inning game. This is playing to the least common denominator to draw clicks and eyeballs for nothing more than money. It’s not going to grow a fan base. Baseball fans recognize this stunt for what it is.
This has nothing to do with the inability to get on base in extra innings. Its about ending regular season games without the marathons the burn pitchers and lose fans as they go into the next morning!
it is about nobody makes money in extra innings. Get the game over with asap. Has nothing to do w the integrity of the game. If the rule added excitement, strategy or fun, why not have it for the playoffs?
Play at least the 10th inning under real rules.
Jeez.
I agree. 10th inning normal and then go runner on first for the 11th and 12th on runner on second.
As a lover of baseball, this really breaks my heart.
As a lover of baseball, i LOVE this rule.
This is the biggest joke and shouldn’t remotely be considered. Like how is this even a thing!!! Terrible mlb. Shame on you
If they’re going to have the rule of starting extra innings with a base runner, at least put the runner on first, not second. Then a team would have to get a couple of hits (or one solid extra-base hit at minimum) to drive in that run, instead of just a bloop single.
I agree, the runner should be the next man up not the guy who made the last out. Seems like he is getting two ABs in a row. In other words out of order.
Add to after 12 innings, no one likes watching an all night 18 inning marathon
You may not like it but I do. Not everyone thinks like you.
Dumbest rule ever. Next will be the “pitch to your own team” rule.
no actually the next one will probably be the ghost win which the players liked. don’t be surprised if you see that one next
I cant get enough of all the haters of this rule! This is one of the few things MLB has actually gotten right.
Why do you characterize someone with a different opinion on a subject as a “hater”? That’s as dumb as me calling you a hater for disagreeing with my opinion. Narrow minded at best.
So in other words, you are the sole arbiter of what’s “right” or “wrong” about baseball?
You don’t wear out the pitchers in an extra inning game. I would rather lose the game than wear out pitchers in an extra inning games.
This makes no sense. The runner has no reason to be on base in this situation.
The reason is to end the game instead of playing 15 innings into the next morning.
I knew it was too good to be true. Why can’t we just leave the game alone and keep the same rules we’ve had before Manfred took over…
Why cannot we just have a tie?
Play 12 innings then call it quits.
The purists don’t like any changes. They get over it.
Weird how this article initially had a Poll that said fans were 87% against this rule, and now that poll is no longer here
if you’re going to make this rule, then just get rid of pitchers era stat
I am pretty sure its not an earned run.
If the players didn’t adjust their batting gloves for an hour and a half each game maybe they wouldn’t have to have a Little League tie breaking system.
the picture stop throwing over to first base 30 times then maybe they wouldn’t have this rule
So bitter lol
I’d have to care to be bitter.
If you want to watch such a charade and find it entertaining, more power to you.
One of the dumbest non sensical rules in the history of baseball. I hated the idea when they floated it, was amazed they implemented it, and hated even more then i imagined when it was put in. At the very least, the runner should only be put on first, allowing for more strategy, and the chance for the pitcher to roll a double play to counteract the stupid rule. . There is no reason a pitcher should have to endure his stats getting screwed, and his team win chances being thrown out the window because a runner you didn’t let reach base scores on nearly any conceivable hit. If you are playing against certain (cough cough) teams, you may as well hand them the pitch selection, and location as well.
I hated the idea when it first came up but after seeing it ok tv and in person i cant get enough of it. Bring it on!
Wow, I didn’t even bother reading and assumed it was the man on first rule.
A free guy on second? Just flip a coin and go home.
High card.
Rock paper scissors.
One more thing. Why is the player that made the last out put on base? Shouldn’t it be the next man up?
I love this rule as regular season extra inning games used to go on forever. Why should a regular season game go more than 12 innings? Call it a tie after 12.
I love the rule, but no ties. 11th should be runner on first and the 12th on should be runner on second. The game will end. No need for ties.
Don’t bring this rule back, this it not real baseball.
Yes it is. Adapt or die my friend.
Another reason why baseball is dying.
adapt to what?
Next thing you know, they’ll ban curve balls because the poor underpaid boys can’t hit them.
Even as a joke this is a huge stretch of a comparison.
Why is it that most of the bad ideas that many(most) fans don’t want, are, invariably, the ones that go through with no problem? This being one of them(in my opinion).
Thank god! I love this rule. I hated the idea at first but after seeing it for two years I am in favor of it. It makes extra inning must see television. Its fun and exciting. The old men who hate change cant stand it but as a part of the younger demographic im on board.
God knows I’m old enough to be old school – I saw games at Ebbets Field – but I also see that the game has changed. In 80-90% of games there is a parade of pitchers starting around the sixth inning. Managers arrange the parade for a nine inning game. They have a couple of relievers they absolutely won’t use because they pitched the last two or three nights, they might have one pitcher out there capable of pitching three innings, but as likely or not, he won’t be available for the eleventh or twelfth, having been used earlier.
So by the time you get to the 12th or 13th, you have either a tired pitcher or a position player on the mound. If you reach the 16th, you might as well be playing tee-ball.
And that is why doing something to end the game earlier has merit. I like the gradual progression system with a normal tenth, followed by a runner on first in the eleventh – although the runner on first will slow the game to a crawl at the worst possible time (when folks want to go to bed)..
I would prefer a game with the traditional rules. I would also prefer a game with starting pitchers throwing complete games. and pitchers at least competent with a bat in their hands. Things change and so does baseball.
Pitchers need to go 8 innings or more. They get paid plenty to pitch.
Yes! Best change since they fixed the “Glavine” strike zone
STOP
Breaking News: MLB Lockout expected to make a return over MLB and the PA disagreeing again :O
I and everyone I know beg you to stop agreeing ruin the game of baseball. Runner on second is stupid and is not real or earned. PLEASE……….
Right…the extra innings runner is what’s ruining the game…lol
No! God No!
No.
Never had any issue with the rule. It works well at the MiLB level. I get why the player like it. Extra innings, especially long extra inning games sucks if you are a player. And while there are not that many extra inning games, a long one can really screw up your pitching staff for weeks. What kills me is how many fans wax romantic about extra innings. Most fans don’t stay if the game goes to extras and even fewer stay if it runs more than an inning or two longer. Most fans at home tune out as well. So keeping the the old extra innings rule so a small contingent of fans can wax nostalgic makes little sense. My only ask would be do the 10th without the ghost runner and move to that format for the 11th if needed.
I once stayed at a Braves game on a cold night in May until they won it in the 15 on a blooper by pitcher Mike Stanton. Talk about drama…
How about this. Based it all on your record. So, if your team is 60-20, then your team will start the next game with an additional 40 runs. And if your team is 20-60, then your team starts the next game with a (negative) 40 runs. Less chance of games going into extra innings.
They are paid to play till the game is over. Fans pay to see a real game. They can leave if game goes to long. We also should not have to watch position players pitch. When I was young, I paid hard earned money and had to watch Wayne Gross pitch for Oakland. Not major league.
I’d like to see this, but only with a runner on 1st to start, not straight to scoring position. Something like the below would still help speed up the game, but has more consistency to it:
10th Inning – zero runners on
11th Inning – Runner starts on 1st
12th Inning – Runner starts on 2nd
13th Inning – Runner starts on 3rd
14th Inning+++ – Runner starts on 3rd
with this logic games will be 40 innings
I’d love to see a study that shows if this actually works or not. Based on what I’ve seen, it does. And it adds immediate drama to extra innings.
But what does the math say? How many extra innings did it take to resolve games on average prior to this rule? How many does it take now?
Nobody likes it but, after the runner on second rule, more people were watching the extra innings games, why? There is more action, excitement.
It is crazy exciting. In the old days sometimes you could kind of tune out of an extra innings game, especially one with very little offense.
Now, you are engaged from the first pitch.
I despise the rule but am fine if it starts in the 12th. I find it really boring. Leads to pitchers trying to strike everyone out. Saved 4 minutes a game which is nothing. Way too sudden of a shift from 9th to 10th w alternate rules. Impacts too many games. In the 12th, will see it a lot less.
I much much prefer what the frontier (i think) is doing. Play 12 normal. then like a shootout w a runner on 1st. If the guy scores, you win.
DUMB
You guys (MLB & MLBPA) have accomplished a lot. Why don’t you stop talking to each other for a while?
How about this??
You get 27 outs,then it’s your turn to bat.,until they get 27 outs from you ,at beginning of each game.Whoever has most runs wins.
Are you kidding me? What a joke. NL DH and now this. Talk about ruining the game……this is why I don’t watch much or go to games anymore.
Oh no…
What a joke, why not let him take a beer out with him too.
If were up to the purists, we would still being playing baseball with sticks and stones.
C’mon. I think even the purist of purists would accept a rolled up sock. Wool not cotton.
Baseball has made many good changes. Universal DH adds more action and lessens the risk of a pitcher injury on something like base running. Eventually the pitch clock will be implemented in the majors. That helps speed up games so pitchers don’t take 3 minutes between getting the ball and getting set. This changes a very integral part of the game. Its like if hockey shootouts ended after the first team made a goal. No giving the other team an opportunity. If the first team makes it, game over.
So dumb. Like whiffle ball when I was a kid.
Shove that
hate it
Didn’t like this to begin with. Maybe it would be okay in the 12th inning, but definitely not the 10th.
Next ProV1’s are used instead of baseballs after the 10th inning.
no, no, nooooo!
Can we officially call the runner the “Manfred Man”?
I’m going with the “Pretty Flamingo”!
I see what you did. Gotta be a little old to get this.
Nooooo
How bout they just play baseball the way it was. Before all these gimics. It WAS the best sport. Don’t turn it into a clown show. Heaven forbid, you have to stay at the park! Cmon!
Players dont want to play more innings? I will play them if you dont want too! Please no ghost runner!
Just no! Just play ball the way it’s intended. No more clown show baseball ⚾️
Stupid Stupid Stupid! Why not speed up the game by starting every batter in an 0-2 count?
Terrible. But why not, the players and owners don’t care what the fans think.
It’s more of a thought experiment than a serious proposal, but I’d be interested to see season standings calculated by run differential instead of Winn-loss records.
That would mean the end of extra innings entirely, since a 5-5 tie just means both teams get 5 runs added to each column.
But it also means that even in blowout games, every run scored and every run allowed still counts. No more scrubs pitching the late innings when there’s a lopsided score. No more weak-bat defensive subs coming up to the plate in the top of the 9th.
It would mean that every play in every game played by a contender has to be their best effort. They can’t phone it in just because the win or loss is lopsided.
NO!
Why is it that baseball fans seem to think that Moses descended from Sinai with all the baseball rules? The NFL changes rules every year, oftentimes in very confusing ways; as Troy Aikman said, “I don’t know what pass interference is anymore; neither does anyone else” Holding calls in the NFL have become purely reliant on who the line judge is; in the NBA, everybody “travels” with impunity.
MLB actually is the most transparent of all the sports; the rules are pretty simple. But they’re not set in stone. And MUST change with the times.
As we’ve seen this week, player movement is one of baseball’s biggest draws; activity on this board is unquestionably off the charts; MLB MIGHT have deflated one of the NFL”s biggest weeks, free agent frenzy, with a frenzy of its own. We need MORE of this, not less. I’m with what Charley Finley said decades ago: “Make ’em ALL free agents; EVERY year”. Can you imagine the off-season chatter?????
Folks who protest rules changes are pretty short sighted. Someone wrote a week ago: “I’m a traditionalist; playoffs should only be division winners”. Um, sorry Charly, I’m ancient, and I remember when “playoffs” in MLB meant the World Series, no qualifying rounds. There’s no “traditional” division play at all. It’s all relative.
And it should be.
To be fair, this is the only rule I’ve seen a lot of pushback from fans on. Just based on some of the surveys MLB Trade Rumors have run, this has been the one I’ve seen the biggest difference. Their poll on the universal DH was pretty pro-DH. 74.23% voted either for the DH or no opinion either way. Most fans wanted the playoff format to stay at 10 teams, but there was still a fair amount that wanted the playoffs expanded in some way. The second most votes in that poll were for a 12-team format. The poll they ran back in June 2020 on the ghost runner rule had an 80/20 split, with more disliking it. That is the biggest split in the rule change-related polls they’ve run over the past few years.
I also feel most wouldn’t be opposed to the pitch clock. I’ve watched some games with it and you barely notice it. It’s actually nice because you don’t have guys waiting 2-3 minutes between getting the ball and getting set. 30-45 seconds is more than enough time to get settled and get the sign. The clock usually stops once the pitcher is set.
TLDR: this is the first time I’ve seen this many fans dislike a rule change. Most have either been split pretty evenly or mostly for the change.
I don’t hate the idea of a pitch clock as it currently stands, but I wish it were enforced in a different manner. Some examples
A) If a pitcher finishes a game where his average time to pitch was greater than X, he would be put on a pitch clock next game
B) If a pitcher finishes an inning where his average time to pitch was greater than X, he would be warned. If he would have another such inning occur, he would be put on a pitch clock the rest of the game.
If it wasn’t clear, I don’t really love the idea of it being regulated on a pitch-by-pitch basis, at least if it wouldn’t be necessary. I’d rather guys have the freedom to take a little more time on certain pitches while making up for it via faster other pitches.
Start it in the 10th, let’s end boring baseball before it proceeds to 16 innings
What exactly makes the 10th anymore boring than the 9th? Sounds like you just don’t like baseball.
This is no bueno.
12th inning or later. And the runner should start at first, not second. A single shouldn’t win the game.
Literally less than 1% of extra inning games even make it past 12 innings. This is a creating a solution to something that isn’t a problem.
This eliminates the marathon extra inning game, the game that on average from 2011-2016 happened once every 666 games that reached extras (at least the 15th inning). This is the only rule that I’ve been adamantly against. Universal DH? Sure. Pitch clock? Ok. Starting a runner at 2nd in extras? A solution to a non-problem.
Gimme a one nothing 15/16 inning affair anytime
no. no. never!
STOP IT!!!!
What a crock! Just determined to ruin the damn game!
poo
Anybody bring up the fact that pitchers are tagged with a loss that is forever on their record even though they didn’t earn it? How is Boras ok with that? They should not give the pitchers a loss, just in future generations ask why is there more loses for teams than what is on the pitchers records?
I don’t know how many people read MLB TR, and I assume it’s grown since this, but back in June 2020, they ran a poll for readers about how they felt about the rule back then. It was an 80/20 ratio of dislike to like. Wonder how that looks now.
This article actually had a fan opinion poll when it first dropped on Monday, which had results of 87-13 opposed to the rule. I checked an hour later, and the poll had been removed.
I’m most curious as to how the younger generation feels about this. I’m 31 and detest the idea, but a more relevant age group would be young adults and college-aged.
And I’m going to guess MLBTR’s main readership is roughly my age+, although that’s still a pretty big—and relevant—cross-section.
Fans should storm the field every time a game goes to extra innings. I’d rather see ties than players playing something that isn’t Baseball. I feel like fans would’ve done that if they instituted this rule before the 90s, and MLB might’ve realized how stupid it is.
Better yet, leave before the game would be decided during a nationally televised game. How embarrassing that would be for Manfred.
finding excuses
Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!
Does baseball have a death wish?
No rule double was more disliked over the last two seasons than the ghost runner.
It isn’t real baseball.
Remember, while the players are the product, the FANS ARE THE SOURCE OF REVENUE. We buy the tickets, watch the telecasts and purchase the sponsors’ products. Stop alienating us. Stop it now.
The poor overpaid players don’t like marathon games. Awww, give them a baby bottle instead of a post game beer.
Baseball is run by useful idiots of the communist. If you don’t understand this you are already too far gone.
They should just go for it. A ghost runner on first in the tenth, first and second if it goes eleven, and just start with the bases loaded in the twelfth. Still tied after twelve? A game of darts. If somehow that doesn’t settle things, rock-paper-scissors is the best solution.
With a DH in both leagues is this really needed? You’re not going to be depleting your bench with pinch hitting. Use your UT IF and 4th OFer as pitchers and whatever SP you want in LF
Hey I know lets make the pitcher underhand the ball in extra innings, or we could make the runners run the bases on a pogo stick. … Leave baseball alone . It was perfect at one time till idiots started making changes so they could make more money
Hate this.
Sure, pitchers will have to take on those “extra” innings-which they always have.
Guys get tired, and pitchers get their call up. Punches their service card, and that’s a good thing for players and the league. The more that happens, the more guy’s sitting in AAA find themselves in the show. Only so many times they can be shuffled up and down, and eventually they either have to get traded or released and other teams with leaser talent in the pitching dept. grab them.
The talent level rises, and that should be the goal.
The best players playing at the highest level.
Runner on second slows down the process of players moving up and down. It has far more reaching effects on the game than just that. Players, tire and travel- it’s a battle of attrition.
Thus, our love of the game has been because of that partly, and dingers.
Why try and nullify the very essence of the season?
Manfred has to go, he has no idea why people love baseball-he is more concerned with the people who could care less about it.
Manfred is determined to reinvent the great game of baseball. While we’re at it, why not do away with pitchers and just go with tee ball like the little guys and gals do. It would eliminate all those time-consuming balls and strike calls by umpires, who then also could be eliminated,
I hate this baby-ball rule. Disgusting. Leave the rules alone. Eliminate the shift instead that’s killing the batting average stat. And no bigger bases you clowns.
Not needed. Not wanted. Terrible Rule. I’d rather see a shoulder shrug tie game situation in the all star game. Than a man on 2nd. Anything above A-Ball needs to avoid this.
I’m not in the camp of “They’re ruining baseball, all these rule changes are bad for the game, etc etc etc”. Imo, the DH will benefit baseball in the long run, as will the pitch clock when that is eventually implemented. Electic strikezone, I’m not a fan of, but it’s whatever. Banning the shift, I’m against, but again, it’s whatever. Teams will find a way around it. But this is the one I’ve had a strong opinion against. It’s to prevent something that happens a 10 or less times every year, a game that lasts longer than 15 innings. This new rule isn’t going to all of a sudden bring in a new wave of fans because they despised the rare 15 inning game. No current fan is going to be more engrossed to the game because of no marathon game.
I get what they’re trying to do; protect pitchers and not let players get burned out. On that front, I understand. I’m not going to sound slightly insensitive and say “Well you get paid millions to play”, but the point is it happens so rarely that it’s not worth making as many fans mad as it likely is going to. Imo, it shouldn’t be as much of a worry on taxing the pitching staff as it is made out to be. In today’s game, most relievers were starters, but are kept to pitch at least 2 innings. Even with the extra inning rule in place in 2021, relievers tossed 18212.2 innings, the second most of all time, more than in 2018, and just 53 innings short from 2019.
They’re making this rule change precisely because they know that while a majority of fans will not be happy with its reinstatement, it won’t make them watch any fewer games live or on TV. Otherwise, there’s no way they would risk the potential backlash.
I, too, don’t mind a majority of the rule changes and understand their necessity in the current sports landscape. What I do mind is:
a) rule changes that would be near-universally disliked by fans, including this one
b) the fact that MLB has never bothered to try and compromise on any of its proposals.
Three-batter rule. Banning the shift. Ghost runner. I’m fine with all of those being implemented to an extent, but I don’t understand why they’ve been considered all or nothing propositions.
Three-batter rule: Allow each team a single exception each game
Banning the shift: Allow each team to shift against three batters in a game
Ghost runner: Use it starting in the 12th or 13th inning.
All of the above could’ve been enacted as a compromise between the fans, the players, and MLB while achieving their core goals.. It would’ve also served to increase strategy in a game that, let’s face it, doesn’t offer that much of it today relative to the other major sports.
But this is what happens when you have what would amount to a monopoly. With no other alternatives in terms of talent, popularity, and funding, there is little penalty in pursuing these types of changes. And most fans will probably get used to them eventually, if they haven’t already. There is always a new normal.
By the time extra innings occur, the league made all the money they’re going to make on the game. There’s no advantage to the players and none to the owners. Screw the game and its fans.
To me, this is something like the changes driven by accountants that the US Automakers made in the 1970s-1980s. The result is that they ruined their reputation forever and opened the doors wide open for competitors.
Anytime a game is tied after 9 innings, just have each team’s starting pitcher meet at the mound with the umpire and play a game of Yahtzee to decide the winner.
No less stupid.
You’re missing the real revenue opportunity here. Have the extra innings simulated (sans ghosts) on the jumbotron using MLB The Show or any other video game that pays to be featured. That way fans can watch a proper extra inning game, the league can make money, and the poor little relievers don’t have to wear out their arms.
Play three extra innings, and then if it’s locked then use it, or just have draws like they do in Japan if scores are locked after 12 so that Joe Public can get the bus or train home.
I am so frustrated with some sports being made softer, and in this case extra innings being a lottery, baseball & tennis are prime examples-they ruined the Davis Cup, they’ve ruined 5th set advantage in Grand Slams(now first to 10 when scores are locked 6-6), and people want to say football played with the feet is a ‘soft sport’. How laughable. It’s because people’s attention spans have become smaller, along with that thing in their skulls.
I like that idea
The real debate here is between those who want to save pitching staffs and those who realize that extra innings are fertile ground for gaming revenue. Extra innings are the epitome of strategy (bunt, don’t bunt; pitching changes, etc.). I can see the fans wildly texting their choices to their computer bookmakers now.
And ownership getting more revenue, none of which of course the players will see for the next 5 years because they caved with the new CBA. So I think you’ll see its “temporary” reinstatement, and of course its eventual permanence.
Please no.
With the new CBA Major League baseball will continue its slow slide to being irrelevant. The problem isn’t the game, it’s the lack of a salary cap and floor and owners like Bob Nutting in Pittsburgh who only want to make huge profits without any desire to field a winning team.
MLB needs to wise up and realize a tie is a real option and a real result as proven in Football, College football, professional soccer, Japaneese pro baseball ect…
Just give teams until the 13th inning to decide it WITHOUT ANY BS GHOST RUNNERS.
A tie is worth something. It’s more than a L and less than a W.
Knowing when the finish line is coming also helps managers manage and fuels fan excitement that last inning.
Back to playing wiffle ball if looks like
Boooo
Please Don’t!
“Stupid is as Stupid does” not that I will be going to many games this year as is after the Lockout which was all on Owners but the free base runners is just silly. Do Tie games during regular season instead, SMH.
This sport league is destined to Die with the moves like this. My subscription here at MTBR, I will be turning off shortly as the league has jumped the shark ……
I think they are using the wrong name.
It’s not a ghost runner. When we were kids, ghost runners happened because we didn’t have enough players. If you were on base and had to bat again (small teams) you called “ghost runner” for your base. We all knew the rules – decided ahead of time – how many bases the ghost runner could advance on any potential hit. Because he wasn’t really THERE, we called him a ghost.
Now MLB wants to put a runner (a real person) out there and call it a ghost runner. Stupid on several levels. Call it something else.
Also, I’d like to see the guy who made the last out HAVE to run. Not allowed to PR for him. There should be no honor in making outs. You don’t want to be the guy out there? Don’t make that last out.