MLB has gone bananas with Golden at-bat rule proposal

Just when you think baseball has lost its mind for coming up with a spectacularly dumb rule like the “Ghost Runner”, the commissioner has proposed something even dumber. 

Jayson Stark of the Athletic wrote about Rob Manfred’s appearance on a podcast, floating the idea of the “Golden Bat”. Each team would get a Golden Ticket (let’s call it the Willie Wonka rule) to be used once a game. They could use that ticket any time and that would let them send their best hitter to the plate, regardless of the batting order. 

So this is what the tenth inning of a tied ballgame could look like. A manager could have brought in his best reliever in the eighth inning to face the heart of the order, knowing that in the ninth and tenth innings, the other team would have the bottom of the order coming up. Now the strategy will have to change.

When the team takes the field in the tenth inning, the pitcher hasn’t thrown a pitch but there is already a runner on second base. This runner could be a pinch runner. The pitcher can’t step off to hold the runner on more than twice. And now the commissioner wants to allow the team to bring up their very best hitter, a dead pull hitter, and not let the defense shift. If the hitter is out and his spot is next in the order he could bat twice in a row. What’s next, a home run derby after nine innings to determine the winner?

If you want to know more about this rule, you need to check out the Savannah Bananas rule page. It’s rule 11. If you are not familiar with the Bananas, they are to baseball what the Globe Trotters are to basketball. It is more entertainment than sport. They have a time limit, no bunting, no walks and if a fan catches the ball you are out. 

Baseball, in its purest form, is athleticism, strategy, community and tradition. Rules should evolve with justification, not just for the sake of change.  

Since the commissioner isn’t happy unless he is changing things, how about some changes that would make the game better, more competitive and safer, not just shorter? 

Baseball is the only major sport without a salary cap and floor. Last year, the New York Mets had a payroll of almost $315 million dollars. The Marlins, Rays, Pirates and Athletics had a combined payroll of 332 million. How about a rule change that allows for better competition?

Baseball is the only sport that doesn’t have a defined playing area. A hockey rink is 200ft by 85ft, basketball courts are 94ft by 50ft, and football is played on a field 360ft by 160ft. Why let the field determine what kind of team you want to build? Why be at a disadvantage if you aren’t playing at home? And while we are at it, can we pad the outfield walls in every stadium? Thirty inches of memory foam should do it. 

Scheduling. While I enjoy seeing players from other teams now, I miss having all those games against divisional rivals. We should at least address the end-of-season schedule. Last year the Cardinals' last nine games were against opponents outside the division. The last three weeks of the season should be head-to-head against the teams you are fighting with to get into the playoffs. 

If a pitcher hits a second batter, the umpire automatically ejects him from the game. No questions asked. These pitchers can throw a baseball 100 miles an hour from 60 feet six inches into a spot smaller than the laptop I am writing this on. If he misses that much twice, he is doing it on purpose or he doesn’t have it that day. Either way is too dangerous to let him continue. 

My last suggestion is to change the commissioner. If the commissioner is in place for the betterment of the league, he should be elected by the players and the owners. The players’ association and the owners should share their salary. 

There are so many things that MLB could do to improve the game and you don’t need to go Bananas to do it.