I am happy that it seems like baseball will be back in 2020!! Nothing brings me more pleasure… and at the same time nothing brings me more disgust than knowing that in extra innings, a runner will start the inning on second base… an idea I assume Manfred picked up at his local Beer Softball League.

This rule has been in effect in Minor League Baseball for some time and has been annoying enough to cause me to leave games once they go into extra innings. However, at least the result of Minor League games cannot be considered nearly as meaningful as big league results. Yet now, the same ridiculous rule will apply in MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAMES… games that MATTER… games with PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS.

I can already see it happening… a game in late September or early October… a team has fought and clawed all season to be in a position to make the playoffs! Let’s say it’s the Arizona Diamondbacks. And the D-Backs are taking on the Dodgers on the last game of the season… win and you make the Wild Card game.. lose and you go home.

Well, after nine innings the game is tied up 2-2. So, now we go into the 10th at Dodger Stadium… the D-Backs are unable to score in the top half despite two hard line drives right at infielders. Tough luck. Here come the Dodgers, who trot a runner out to second base to start the inning. Arizona’s relief pitcher throws a nasty slider that breaks Max Muncy’s bat in two… but the ball flares out into short right field.. drops in, and in comes the free runner to score! Sorry, D-Backs…

The pitcher made no mistakes.. the fielders made no errors.. yet a run scores because they get a FREE RUNNER!? This is INSANITY… this is completely unfair and it will only take ONE of these instances for the outcry to force MLB to abolish the rule. So, WHY HAVE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE??? Imagine if the same scenario happened with the YANKEES or RED SOX…

This WILL happen if this rule ever becomes more than just a one season thing during the pandemic. Problem is.. this rule was already in Manfred’s mind before this season! That’s why it has been in use in the Minor Leagues for a few years. It’s absolutely horrible… and Manfred & Co. are using the pandemic as an excuse to implement this rule that will destroy extra innings baseball forever. As long as this rule is in effect in the MLB, I will complain about it, tweet about it, make videos about it, blog about it and basically just bitch and moan until I die… if you hate the rule as much as I do, please share this post.