MLB's Competition Committee Makes Extra-Inning Runner Permanent, Limits Position Players Pitching

[nicksaviking]

Seems to me the Twins ALWAYS give up a run to the ghost runner, but their ghost runner only scores about 50% of the time. Surely my memory exaggerates, does anyone know if that stat is kept somewhere?

[Nine of twelve]

4 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Seems to me the Twins ALWAYS give up a run to the ghost runner, but their ghost runner only scores about 50% of the time. Surely my memory exaggerates, does anyone know if that stat is kept somewhere?

I don't know that stat, but we were 5-10 in extra inning games last year. So your memory probably does not exaggerate by much.

[joefish]

No thank you, Manfred. Respectfully.

No thanks. 

[Blyleven2011]

There seems to be less purists of the game today then ever before  ...

I would favor the ghost runner after the 13th or 14th inning if the game was still tied ...

I'm for the winning team to really earn the win , not help in scoring by adding the ghost runner  ...

There are exciting games in extra innings sometimes where both teams scores in the same inning and moves on to the next inning , and are exciting  ( 1986 , Houston and the Mets  was the most exciting extra inning game I have ever seen , 16 innings  ) ...

Some new rules are good to speed up the game but MLB hasn't found the right solution on most of them  ...

The pitchers are only allowed to throw over to firstbase a few times and on the final attempt if the runner isn't caught stealing,  it is a balk and runner goes to second base ...

what a crock , it won't be anymore interesting  watching baseball  than before ....

I know what I like and I'm a purist , the game I love and played just isn't quite the same , my time is valuable to me but I don't mind extra inning suspense ...

[Rosterman]

Well, with teams carrying that 8th bullpen arm, they better have a bullpen arm (or two) who can comfortably get thru an inning with a runner starting on second base. That is the rub. 

Of course, you walk the next batter to set up the force outs...but only if the pitcher is a ground ball pitcher.

So it changes the makeup bigtime of the pitching staff.

[Original_JB]

First off, I like the game as old school as possible "rules"-wise. No shift banning, no ghost, 3 batter minimum. However, I like the idea of the electronic umpire, pitch clock and keeping the batters in the batter's box.  Things that can help shorten the game without "changing" it. But, since people are complaining about ALL games running too long, why not just go to an 8 inning game? You could (in theory), use one less reliever a game. and shorten the game up by 20+ mins --just like that.  They obviously don't give a rat's behind about screwing with all the other 'traditions' of the game, why not this as well? Or go to a 6 inning game with 4 outs per inning (again, totaling 24 instead of 27 outs, but also eliminating 3 "between innings" time chunks, both of which would reduce overall game time).  

[Cap'n Piranha]

On 2/14/2023 at 11:13 AM, Alex Schieferdecker said:

The Manfred Runner is an abomination. You shouldn't be able to win the game on two groundouts.

The powers that be at MLB do not enjoy the game of baseball, which is unfortunate given their line of work.

Because winning a game on an HBP, a balk, and then two groundouts is so much better?

[ashbury]

6 minutes ago, Cap'n Piranha said:

Because winning a game on an HBP, a balk, and then two groundouts is so much better?

Yes.  When the scenario you laid out happens you tell your friends, "you won't believe what happened in the game last night."  Nobody says that about two groundouts in the 10th.  Fun, versus manufactured situations.

[nicksaviking]

17 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Yes.  When the scenario you laid out happens you tell your friends, "you won't believe what happened in the game last night."  Nobody says that about two groundouts in the 10th.  Fun, versus manufactured situations.

I only find either scenario fun if the Twins win.

[Blyleven2011]

1 hour ago, Cap'n Piranha said:

Because winning a game on an HBP, a balk, and then two groundouts is so much better?

Don't forget the wild pitch or passed ball 

[VivaBomboRivera!]

The extra inning runner devalues runs scored for a variety of run-related statistics when compared to runs scored in the first nine innings. How do we account for this when evaluating player performance?

[baseball fan]

get rid of the clock, f#@$#%$# ghost runner and shift bans.  I'm okay with the others, but will not return to the ballpark with time restrictions and little league baserunner rules.  The game is supposed to be timeless, extra innings is a special treat to extend the game and increase the excitement.  My last game, although not by design, was the 17-18 inning game late June 2019.

[bighat]

On 2/14/2023 at 1:47 PM, Muppet said:

The ghost runner sucks. I hate it. It makes for completely worthlessly disappointing finishes to otherwise close exciting games. Might as well end in a coin toss. 

Agreed, man. My problem with the ghost runner and all the other 'new rules' is that they're doing this to try and attract people who are NOT baseball fans. Adjusting and building the sport for humans who are NOT interested in the game....it just seems counter-intuitive. It would be like Cosmopolitan magazine changing their editorial content to attract 47-55 year-old male demographic: after six months of reading articles like "How to fix a screen door" and "What to expect at your colonoscopy appointment", the core audience would be leaving in droves! 

I'd rather baseball lean in to some of its traditions, including the stadium experience. Get an organist and throw out the noise-o-meters. Make going to a game affordable, the NBA and NFL can charge a boatload because there aren't that many games, you've gotta come in way, way, way lower. Make it so fans can go on a whim.

At the same time, embrace technology that will streamline the game, like robot strike zones. For those watching at home, improve the viewing experience - maybe get a "skycam" type thing that they have in the NFL that hovers over the infield and another one for the outfield. Sure once a year a ball will hit one of 'em, but it would be extremely rare and the pros would outweigh the cons. 

Finally, start marketing your stars. For whatever reason, baseball hasn't been able to do this properly since the '80s. I see Mike Trout on a Subway advertisement and I'm betting most viewers have no clue who he is. Any advertisement featuring a major leaguer, the scenes come across as stiff and unlikeable. Good lord hire a marketing firm who can figure it out.

Soccer has figured it out - a "boring", low-scoring sport that only features a couple big action moments per contest draws a full house at every professional game in most countries. We all know who Mbappe, Messi, Ronaldo, Maradona, and Pele are. 

It's just head-shaking to watch baseball - of all American sports - just completely fumble every opportunity to promote the game in a positive way. They announce changes and everyone's on the edge of their seat, but they just keep changing the wrong things and have really blown this whole "rebrand" in almost every possible way. 

 

 

[Lefty61]

Let's put runner on first in extras, see if the team can manufacture run, and put running game more in play.  I would add a few more rules, here are three:

1. No throws to first with 3 ball count, probably gonna walk batter anyway!

2. After batter sees 4 strikes, he has to put next strike in play, or its treated like a bunt foul with 2 strikes.

3. Allow one player to return to game, could create so many new options, defensive replacement, but poor field slugger could pinch hit late, and leave opposing manager guessing on late game matchups.  That could create some creative game management.

All in all, looking forward to no shifts, thought it totally devalued the athletic middle infielder!

[rwilfong86]

Any rule that allows a pitcher to throw a perfect game and still lose is awful.

[rwilfong86]

On 2/16/2023 at 9:21 PM, Lefty61 said:

Let's put runner on first in extras, see if the team can manufacture run, and put running game more in play.  I would add a few more rules, here are three:

1. No throws to first with 3 ball count, probably gonna walk batter anyway!

2. After batter sees 4 strikes, he has to put next strike in play, or its treated like a bunt foul with 2 strikes.

3. Allow one player to return to game, could create so many new options, defensive replacement, but poor field slugger could pinch hit late, and leave opposing manager guessing on late game matchups.  That could create some creative game management.

All in all, looking forward to no shifts, thought it totally devalued the athletic middle infielder!

No way to all 3 of those rules.