There are so many different aspects of the 2020 season for us to discuss. We have already shared our thoughts with you on doubleheader games only being 7 innings. Some of us are for it, some of us are okay with it, and some of us just want 9 innings, always.
Now, where do we stand when it comes to the new extra innings rule?
Dilip Sridhar
As for the extra inning rules, I love it. It adds more strategy and it separates the good managers from the bad ones. Lets say the Mets have Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, and Dominic Smith coming up. Is Luis Rojas going to let them swing away or will he try to play small ball. It also forces teams to carry MLB relievers. Not guys like Hunter Strickland. It’s one of the best things to happen to baseball.
Rich Sparago
Regarding the extra-inning rule of starting with a runner on second, I’m not in favor of it as it is. I like the idea of playing 2 extra innings under the usual rules, then maybe imposing the runner on second to prevent 18 inning games and drained bullpens.
I will say in fairness that I do find having a runner on second in an extra inning exciting. There’s a lot of strategy involved. Do you bunt the runner to third? If you’re the visiting team, do you play for the big inning and not bunt? I’d rather see this type of intrigue than a position player pitching in the 18th inning because a team is out of pitchers.
Sam Brown
I can get behind the extra inning rule, but under a few conditions. The rule itself intends to speed up the game which is something I am never a fan of, but when you get to a certain amount of extra innings during a game, you grow frustrated. With that comes a taxed bullpen for the next week if you’re going 16 or 17+ innings. That being said, if this “man on second” rule to start each inning of extras starts after two or three innings, then I definitely see it as something positive for the players. Bullpens, position players, and bench players will not be drained for the next game given they only player a few extra innings.
This year, I understand the rule being used sooner rather later, like I suggested, because this is a 60-game sprint. There have been may doubleheaders, and not many days off, so having these long extra inning games, is definitely not ideal.
Tatiana Snedeker
I understand the rationale behind the new extra inning rule, but I personally feel like it’s a really cheap way to speed up the game and there are much more effective ways to do so. Part of the reason the MLB wants to avoid extra innings don’t go so long like the 18 inning game in the 2018 World Series is because it helps avoid exhaustion of players. But at the same time, I feel like it waters down the game and makes late inning wins slightly artificial in that I think it can add advantages to certain teams even though they both get the extra bases.
Those super late inning games aren’t as common as some may think. Putting a runner on second definitely speeds up a potentially long game, but it lessens the excitement of late game heroics which is one of the best parts of the game.
Marshall Field
I wrote about this very subject for MMO in June. The article deals with both the designated hitter rule and free-runner at second in extras rule. If interested, the entire piece is here. I wrote about this very subject for MMO in June. The article deals with both the designated hitter rule and free-runner at second in extras rule. I called the new rule about the free runner on second an abomination, a bastardization of the fundamental rules of baseball. The DH I can live with, I’m having a lot of trouble with the extra-inning rule. Never in the history of baseball has a free runner started an inning despite the circumstances. I understand that this is a weird year, but baseball shouldn’t be turned into a weird sport. Please, make this only a one season aberration and return baseball to its roots in the spring of 2021.
Michelle Ioannou
I absolutely hate the extra inning rule. I am sure if you have read my prior response in the roundtable on the 7 innings rule, you aren’t surprised by this. I get that it adds more strategy to these innings, and that’s why I agree with some of my fellow MMO staffers that it could happen after two or three innings of extras rather than from the get-go.
