New in PJ Media:
Aside from the fiasco that was the planned and needless demolition of the Oakland Athletics and a few other speed bumps, Major League Baseball is roaring into the second quarter of the twenty-first century in fine shape. This is somewhat surprising, as prices for everything from tickets and parking spaces to the fabled but generally mediocre hot dogs are at confiscatory, take-out-a-second-mortgage levels. Nevertheless, overall attendance was higher than it has been since 2017. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, however, is not satisfied and thinks a new rule will send attendance even higher and draw a new generation of fans to the grand old game. The only problem is that the proposed rule is the stupidest ever in the history of any sport played anywhere.
It’s called the “Golden At-Bat.” You might think this means giving up unto others the hits that they give up unto you, but it is actually the idea of allowing each team the chance to bring up to bat anyone it wants at any point in the game.
This can only happen once per team in each game, but it could mean that a team’s big hitter, someone on the order of Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge, could come up to bat, hit a home run, and then, in a crucial situation, be called back to the plate immediately to be the next hitter. Or maybe, if you know that a particular hitter hits a given pitcher as if it were batting practice but he won’t be coming to bat this inning, you can bring him in for a Golden At-Bat to try to spark a rally.
It sounds like the kind of rule kids playing baseball in somebody’s backyard would make up, and there’s nothing wrong with that on its face. Baseball is a kids’ game anyway, so why not make it more fun for everyone by increasing the chance of a dramatic encounter between a premier pitcher and a hitter of equal skill at a crucial moment?
The chief problem with the new rule is that it doesn’t appear to realize one of the things that makes baseball so great is that it gives players who aren’t on the level of Ohtani or Judge multiple opportunities to shine. Some of the greatest moments in baseball history don’t involve the greatest players of the day, but rather some average or even marginal player who rises to the occasion and has a moment of glory.
There is more. Read the rest here.
cornelius says
Robert is a purist….and a true conservative. He wants to conserve what is great in our culture. The traditions of baseball are long-established and hallowed….until now, with our obsessive cultural attraction to ANYTHING that bucks the system.
What’s really cool here is that Robert is so passionate about baseball, he’s posting something on Jihad Watch that has absolutely nothing to do with Islam. Our fearless leader is no one-trick pony. But in a broader context, preserving what is unique and treasured about our culture is part-and-parcel of the great struggle against Islam and its water-carriers, the multicultural left.
James Lincoln says
cornelius,
All true.
I have heard – from reliable sources – that Robert Spencer loves jazz and is a very talented saxophone player.
I’m not kidding.
gravenimage says
+1
Taffy says
This golden bat rule will change the fundamental nature of the game so as to prelude accurate comparisons to the teams and players of yesteryear.
Rarely says
Statistics – the life blood of MLB. What would the game be without them?
gravenimage says
Taffy and Rarely, MLB has also instituted other ludicrously stupid rules to speed up the game and suppoedly make it more exciting–check out the blindingly moronic “ghost runner” rule, which automatically places a runner on second base to start each half-inning in extra innings.
What does this do to RBI and runs scored stats?
Raymond Bullock says
Baseball is like life with each player bringing unique talents in unique situations to the fore. If it ain’t broke DON’T FIX IT. You will only destroy it.
Mo says
I grew up LOVING baseball, especially the Chicago Cubs. At one point I even learned how to do those little score keeping cards with all the markings. Does that even exist anymore?
I love it because it was a great metaphor for life. (Okay, and for the cute guys.) But it was wonderful because it had no timers but strict rules, and anyone could be the hero (or the loser!) at any given moment. “It’s not over till it’s over”, and all that.
LEAVE MY BEAUTIFUL GAME ALONE!
sue topping says
this is the dumbest damn thing i ever heard proposed! seriously i am a lifelong baseball fan, and this would destroy the integrity of the game. baseball fans don’t watch just for the flashy plays. we want
equal time for each player. this is a fool hardy idea, and one baseball would live to regret.
VMS says
https://babylonbee.com/news/to-increase-excitement-mlb-to-allow-each-team-to-call-in-one-tactical-air-strike-on-outfield-per-game
The Babylon Bee hit the nail on the head!
gravenimage says
Hilarious! Thanks for sharing that satirical article, VMS. This is indeed almost as stupid.
Rarely says
Such a rule change could interrupt the sleep pattern of many people.
abu taleb says
Baseball is really boring, it is so stupid that many people love the game.
Mo says
It’s only “boring” for people who don’t like to think and just want mindless running around. Baseball is not just physical skill. It is about strategy and thought and patience. And yet anything can happen until the very last out. The person who dropped an easy catch can then make an incredible one. The person that stuck out earlier could hit a home run. The same is true in reverse. The “winners” early in the game (or in the series) can become the “losers.” You never know how it will end.
You realize that ultimately, you are not completely in control.
That’s why it’s a metaphor for life, itself.
gravenimage says
Agreed, Mo.
And of course in a free country no one need interest themselves in baseball–or soccer, or cricket, or curling, or anything else if they have no interest in it.
Mo says
Yep.
40 rounds says
I agree, let’s just flip a coin to see who wins
Brian Hunter says
Soccer, with its running back and forth, forth and back, on a far-too-large field, only to have the game end with a 1-0 score, is the definition of boring.
gravenimage says
Many people around the world would disagree with you, and call it “the beautiful game”. My husband actually covers local soccer professionally. I have come to appreciate soccer–far more finess than just running back and forth, although it did rather seem that way to me at first.
gravenimage says
Is Baseball Really Going to Implement the Stupidest Rule in the History of Sports?
………………………………….
So depressing–this is something that *might* be fun as a one time thing in a minor league game somewhere–but as a rule change to the major league game itself it is cheap and stupid
I’ve just suffered through the loss of the beloved Oakland A’s here–which Robert Spencer was a fan of during their best years.
And now more idiocy from MLB–at least this is not as bad as Football and “taking the knee”. Small favors, I guess…
somehistory says
I would rather play the game….base or soft…than watch others play.
Chewing tobacco, spitting, scratching….those are the things which can make the game boring to watch.
Hitting the shoe soles, touching the chest, adjusting the cap, etc. may all have meaning to which kind of ball will be pitched, but they can also prove to take too much time….leading to boredom.
And the new rule will not help make the game better for those who pay for tickets or for the young players who wish to make a place for themselves.