PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan)- Not only will this 2020 Major League Baseball season feature 60 regular season games or fewer, but it also may have some different rules.
In their proposal last week, the league said it would adopt the minor league system of having every inning after the ninth start with a runner on second base. The league may also consider having ties after a certain amount of innings are played to protect against five or six hour marathons.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the union also wants to discuss with MLB the possibility of changing the substitution rules in extra innings, allowing players to re-enter the game among other possibilities.
"I like that (runner on second base rule) more than I like a 16-inning game using your last pitcher, having to run someone like Daniel McCutchen out there to throw 117 pitches then he never pitches again and skewing your bullpen for 10 more days. I like that runner on second moreso than I like seeing a position player pitch 18 innings into a game," said Dunlap. He also expressed an opinon on ties that many people might not share.
"I don't mind ties in sports. I'm OK with it. Ties are seen as this awful, terrible, ridiculous thing. I can see in football why people are against them, you only play one game a week. But if you give each other an ample opportunity to win a game, I've always been fine with a tie."
"The only thing with the free substitutions is this, especially at the Major League level...when a guy is pinch hit for in the 6th or 7th, dudes are out. They're at the food buffet, they've got their shoes off, they're showered, they're in the clubhouse, they're done. Some even have a beer. They're finished. So I guess you're going to have to ask them to hang around and re-warm up."
Chris Mack wondered, "Would managers still continue to manage somewhat conservatively extra innings and essentially play for a tie or do you think we would see more guys be more aggressive than ever in extras, especially if they get that runner at second to start?"
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Chris said he knows that the strategy should be for a team like the Pirates, trying to capitalize on a shorter season to get into playoff contention.
"You've got nothing to lose, why not get aggressive? If you get to choose who that guy is that goes out to second base, I don't know if that will be part of it or not, you put a burner out there on second base, see if you can't take third and then a sac fly for a win."
Overall, both don't hate the idea and think it would add some extra intrigue into the games.
How do you feel about these potential changes?