Minor League Baseball about to radically change how extra innings are played
The powers-that-be in baseball continue to try to speed up the game and make it more appealing to young sports fans and those with short attention spans.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced several rule changes for this season designed to improve the pace of play.
The number of mound visits has been limited to six per team per nine innings.
The length of time between innings has been shortened to two minutes and five seconds for locally broadcast games and 2:25 for national televised games.
Pitching changes will also be on a timer.
Manfred also is taking action to expedite replay reviews.
None of those changes is particularly controversial.
The commissioner deferred action on the most talked-about pace-of-play proposal, implementation of a pitch clock, “in order to provide players with an opportunity to speed up the game without the use of those timers.”
However, a more radical rule change is coming to the minors this year.
Minor League Baseball announced Wednesday that extra innings in every game at every level will begin with a runner on second base.
Oh boy. Minor League Baseball announces new pace of play rules including: Extra innings will begin with runners on 2nd base at ALL levels of the minors, beginning this year.
— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) March 14, 2018
“The runner at second base will be the player in the batting order position previous to the leadoff batter of the inning (or a substitute for that player),” MLB said. “By way of example, if the number five hitter in the batting order is due to lead off the 10th inning, the number four player in the batting order (or a pinch-runner for such player) shall begin the inning on second base. Any runner or batter removed from the game for a substitute shall be ineligible to return to the game, as is the case in all circumstances under the Official Baseball Rules. …
“For purposes of calculating earned runs under Rule 9.16, the runner who begins an inning on second base pursuant to this rule shall be deemed to be a runner who has reached second base because of a fielding error, but no error shall be charged to the opposing team or to any player.”
The stated reason for the change is to reduce the number of pitchers used in extra innings, but Minor League Baseball President Pat O’Conner said fans will also appreciate having shorter games.
“We believe these changes to extra innings will enhance the fans’ enjoyment of the game and will become something that the fans will look forward to on nights where the game is tied late in the contest,” O’Conner said in a statement.
However, die-hard baseball fans, who embrace tradition more than those of any other sport, reacted in horror.
Change it back, nobody wants this. My desire to go to a minor league baseball game this season just decreased
— Rob Manfred Hates Baseball (@bravesfanplzwin) March 14, 2018
Don’t do this runner on 2nd thing. It’s awful and messes with the game as it’s meant to be played.
— joanne (@rippleintime17) March 14, 2018
I hate the “runner on base” to start in extra innings. Clown rule.
— Cathy Patterson (@CP6Patt) March 14, 2018
Absolutely unnecessary. Ridiculous. You’re killing the game of baseball. One rule change at a time.
— Bill Sapienza (@ubinfl) March 14, 2018
https://twitter.com/yankeemegg/status/973963641862213632
Hate, hate, hate the runner on 2nd rule for extra innings. What does this accomplish? I can’t imagine this rule increasing ticket sales. Who thinks of extra innings or OT in a sport when deciding to go?!? No one.
— whirl (@ccwerl) March 14, 2018
That wasn’t the only new rule announced Wednesday.
In Triple-A and Double-A ball, a 15-second pitch clock will be used when no runners are on base.
It remains to be seen whether these rules will find their way to the majors. MLB will no doubt be monitoring to see how fans respond.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
