On the plus side... post game wraps.If the Golden Batter makes and out, that team must finish the game with Bobby Valentine replacing their manager.
On the plus side... post game wraps.If the Golden Batter makes and out, that team must finish the game with Bobby Valentine replacing their manager.
Hockey's offside challenge is one of the most broken, infuriating things.They should treat it like an offsides challenge in hockey, and if one of a team's shitty hitters made an out with runners on base two innings ago, but it looks like those runs matter now, the team can reverse time and put their better hitter in that spot.
This. I would bet money against this happening. Designated runners so that extra-innings games end faster - that's solving a real-world problem that existed, with regular-season extra inning games going on way way too long. This would not be solving a problem, and would be upending tradition and stats in so many different ways.Haha, I'm sure ideas like this get thrown around at every owners meeting in every sport.
It is interesting for SAV but a travesty for MLB. What an idiotic idea to be put forth.Golden, like the Savanah Bananas!
I don’t like this idea.
Yup, I'm surprised how many people seem to genuinely think this is something that could happen. I think that goes to show how much dislike (whether rightfully or not) people have for Manfred and are frustrated in general with the state of MLB.This. I would bet money against this happening. Designated runners so that extra-innings games end faster - that's solving a real-world problem that existed, with regular-season extra inning games going on way way too long. This would not be solving a problem, and would be upending tradition and stats in so many different ways.
That said, I will not join the chorus of people condemning Manfred for entertaining ideas like this. I much prefer his "willing to try things" mentality to Selig's "never change anything" approach. He doesn't have to bat 1.000 on the things he tries in order to make a net-improvement to baseball. Anyone killing him for merely throwing this around needs to reckon with the massive, massive gains to the sport that have accrued from implementing the pitch clock and the other delay-reduction changes. Let's firstly judge him by what actually happens rather than what might be proposed, secondly not pre-judge the things that happen until we see them play out in real life, and thirdly judge him in the aggregate for what he's done, good and bad, to move the game forward, rather than cherry-picking one or two things we might not like. Frankly I think he's the second-best commissioner in sports after Adam Silver (who likewise has gotten killed by fans who don't care for the in-season tournament), and it's a long way down to third place from there.
I love this idea!And then in extra innings, the fences would slide back and forth the whole time, so no one would know if a fly ball would be a home run or an out until it landed!
Especially for the outfielders. Tori Hunters abound!I love this idea!
You know you're still allowed to keep score, right?Manfred, and the like, are afraid baseball is disappearing from the American scene so they are doing whatever they think will help keep interest high, no matter how ridiculous or stupid the changes are.
I learned how to keep score about a week before I turned ten and after that I scored every game I heard or saw and soon began compiling stats (and while attempting to prove that Williams was better than Ruth, I invented OBP, only to later learn that it already existed). But what has been done to the game I knew and loved has been driving me away.
This is exactly right. I'd eat this up watching Banana Ball or another exhibition contest. But for competitive, Major League Baseball played at the highest level? Hitters have to hit. Don't like who's up at the plate in a crucial moment? Construct your lineup and/or your benches better.Golden, like the Savanah Bananas!
I don’t like this idea.
More seriously, if the Golden Batter makes an out, it counts for two outs. Make it really hurt to have it not work.If the Golden Batter makes and out, that team must finish the game with Bobby Valentine replacing their manager.
Aside from the coaches (because that would be a bridge to far) I like the potential strategy here. You have one play to field 11 defenders. Do you use it in a key moment or to counter the Golden AB? OR vice versa? 3D chess indeed, I'm all in.And then the defense gets one play with 11 fielders and can pick from the opposing coaches for the batter. It'll be great.
By great I mean holy shit this is the dumbest thing ever.
Yeah this is it for me. The only way I can make this palatable in my head is to add such onerous penalties to failure that it neuters the idea. Like I'd make it a sudden-death at bat. Inning is over after the at-bat if any kind of out is made. 0 outs, 2 outs, who cares, treat it like sudden death OT. Or it forces the golden at-bat user to sub-out. If the Dodgers want to move Ohtani up seven slots in the lineup, cool he can sit out the rest of the game following that. Or a team designates, pre-game, their "golden at-bat" participant among non-starting players and it's basically a superpowered PH who isn't forced to sub in, so you could sub Yoshida in for one at bat for Emmanuel Valdez and then Emmanuel goes back to the field if the game continues, etc.More seriously, if the Golden Batter makes an out, it counts for two outs. Make it really hurt to have it not work.
Add me to the chorus of "this is stupid and I hope they never do it."
Take it a step further - the entire game is over if he makes an out (and you lose even if you're ahead!).Yeah this is it for me. The only way I can make this palatable in my head is to add such onerous penalties to failure that it neuters the idea. Like I'd make it a sudden-death at bat. Inning is over after the at-bat if any kind of out is made. 0 outs, 2 outs, who cares, treat it like sudden death OT. Or it forces the golden at-bat user to sub-out. If the Dodgers want to move Ohtani up seven slots in the lineup, cool he can sit out the rest of the game following that. Or a team designates, pre-game, their "golden at-bat" participant among non-starting players and it's basically a superpowered PH who isn't forced to sub in, so you could sub Yoshida in for one at bat for Emmanuel Valdez and then Emmanuel goes back to the field if the game continues, etc.
I have to make it "not-fun" to make it viable for me.
this is how they "earn" their million dollar salariesNot only is this colossally stupid, but the idea that anyone in the league office spent time on this instead of figuring out the very real problems this sport has with pitcher injuries, and a dozen other pressing issues, is infuriating.
It's not like Manfred is actually working on this himself. I'm sure there's a bunch of mid-level managers and junior analysts doing the grunt work. It's not the money, its the time and focus.this is how they "earn" their million dollar salaries
I immediately went to Steve Smith's reinvention of baseball rules: View: https://youtu.be/UhvYbuby7JA?si=uWNK03S-mGpxz5zyI was thinking Calvinball
What if you want to use a batter who's on base at the time?
Ghost runner, of course.
Designated Clay Buchholz pinch runner.
I hate this so much. But the obvious, serious answer is the guy he PH for will substitute back in for the Golden AB guy.Clearly you then invoke a "ghost runner" like it's a backyard wiffle ball game. =)
And better yet, let's have the fans at the stadium vote on WHICH player will get the Golden at Bat.Are we a sport or a fuckin gameshow?
To be clear I think this is a dumb idea but I can sorta see where Manfred is coming from here.
Sequencing of these posts was just off.Sponsored by FanDuel(tm), no doubt.
Slightly off topic, but i've actually witnessed this happening in a game that was using normal rules. A batter batted out of turn. Defense didn't notice so they kept going. A few batters later he was due up and was standing on 3rd base. Only at that point did the defense notice he had batted out of order (wayyyyyy too late to appeal that), and thought they could get a free out. Boy werre they disappointed when they found out the official rule is that batter's turn is simply skipped in the lineup.What if you want to use a batter who's on base at the time?
Maybe they should just replace baseball with Home Rin Derby.To be clear I think this is a dumb idea but I can sorta see where Manfred is coming from here. Baseball is a tough sport to market. Your most marketable star hitters only come to the plate 4ish times per game vs. a star QB in football or a great basketball player who is involved in like 40-50 plays.
I’m sure the genesis of this idea was some marketing genius trying to figure out a way to get the Ohtanis and Judges into more game action. MLB might even have data which shows less interest/eyeballs (and potential less sponsor dollars) when the 7-9 hitters are coming up in an inning. By creating this new rule, the viewer never knows when Ohtani/Judge will come to the plate and therefore will pay attention longer/more consistently.
That's where my mind went.I was thinking Calvinball
I assume season ticket holders get more votes than bleacher folks just there for the beer?And better yet, let's have the fans at the stadium vote on WHICH player will get the Golden at Bat.