Look, I’m going to confine this to worst game play idea ever. It’s hard to beat forcing the players to go on strike and then cancelling the world series. Or MLB owners colluding to keep salaries down and stealing some $4oo million from the players.
I won’t however limit this to just baseball. This may be the worst suggestion, certainly from someone in the game, for any professional sports league. Certainly one as established as Major League Baseball.
New from me:
The Golden At-Bat rule could give us a Trout vs. Ohtani WBC moment in almost every game.
But is it worth it? https://t.co/P1tm7IFtnp
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) December 2, 2024
Now I’m an older baseball fan but I wouldn’t say completely old school. Yeah I was against the designated hitter. I grew up with the National League. I liked the extra strategy, but I don’t seem to mind the change as much as I thought I would.
I’m all in on the changes of the past few years. Three batters per reliever? Yes. Pitch clocks? Absolutely. That’s cut three hour plus games from 60% to under 20%. Even down with the ghost runner. I’m kind of surprised with that one.
Charlie Finley had innovative ideas
There have been other ideas that haven’t cutting the mustard. Oakland A’s maverick owner Charlie Finley had some good and bad ones. He was behind the DH. He also wanted the designated runner, even tried it in the world series.
Some of his other hoped for innovations:
The easier to see orange baseball. Post season games played at night, There wasn’t one until the 1971 world series. The three ball walk and inter league play.
I thought the worst in game baseball idea was the home run derby to end tie games instead of extra innings. And I’d have to say that would rival this nonsense.
Just so we all understand what’s being shopped here. At any time, once per game a manager can send any hitter he wants to the plate. Even if that hitter was the last batter. And while commissioner Manfred says it’s garnering buzz, it’s not positive buzz.
Hypothetical…. You have bases loaded no outs and Ohtani is up. You strike him out. Then they can just use this rule to let him stay up and I have to face him again? https://t.co/VYFfSb1dN3
— Roger Clemens (@rogerclemens) December 3, 2024
The opinions so far are not favourable, Baseball historian Bill Humber:
“I kind of laughed, actually,”
Mets broadcaster Howie Rose
“Whaaaaat? Is this an April Fool’s joke in December? Come on”:
And the headlines! From USA Today:
“MLB ‘Golden At-Bat’ rule could tear apart the fabric of baseball”
“Golden at-bat idea brings critics to the plate: ‘Absolutely stupid and ridiculous’
Rob Manfred’s ‘Golden At-Bat’ idea is spectacularly bad
“New “Golden Bat” Rule Will Ruin The Sport of Baseball”
The implementation of the golden at bat would be wrong for so many reasons not the least being the eventual assault on baseball’s all time single season and all time records. Imagine a player like Shohei Ohtani getting an extra one hundred and six-two extra plate appearances every season.
So Mr. commissioner, you got your buzz. I’m thinking not the buzz you we’re hoping for, Perhaps you were just looking for any kind of buzz. In that case, well done sir!
