Baseball is Testing a New Way to Limit Extra Innings
Extra Innings Would Start with a Runner on Second
How's this for thinking out of the "batters" box? In an effort to speed up the game, Major League Baseball is kicking around the idea of a new rule, where a runner would be automatically placed on second base during extra Innings.
Tie games would end sooner.
Baseball's Chief Baseball Officer and former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre, likes the idea. He says they're going to be testing it in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues to see how it affects games.
Torre says quote, "Let's see what it looks like. It's not fun to watch when you go through your whole pitching staff and wind up bringing a utility infielder in to pitch. As much as it's nice to talk about being at an 18-inning game, it takes time."
Upon first glance, I'm thinking "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!" But...once the dust settles, is it a bad idea? I like the fact they're thinking this way.
Football has made adjustments over the years, so has hockey. If successfull in the minors, it'll likely be some years before the Majors adopt the changes.
Maybe the Northwoods League could consider this in the future.