The Yankees' blowout of the Cubs on Sunday reached farcical proportions, when Chicago manager David Ross tabbed first baseman Frank Schwindel for mop-up duty.
Schwindel's second career pitching appearance came in the bottom of the eighth inning, with the Yankees enjoying an insurmountable 13-run lead.
The journeyman slugger promptly served up a home run to Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka on a pitch that was reportedly the slowest ever thrown for a round-tripper at about 35 miles per hour.
But the episode didn't sit well with some fans, since the game all but decided by the time Schwindel was sent to the mound.
After all, what is there to be gained by having guys play out of position in a game where there is no question about the outcome and the trailing team has put up the white flag?
It seems all that can come of such a scenario is the potential for injury -- hello, Jose Canseco -- and perhaps the inflation of statistics for the lucky batters who get to take a few cuts against sub-professional competition.
Perhaps not surprisingly, some fans and baseball observers on social media used the occasion to renew calls for a mercy rule of some kind.
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