Yankees: Extra Innings Rule Change That’s Sneaking Up On Us

The Yankees are locked in a 6-6 tie with the New York Met after ten innings of play in the first of their Subway Series matchups. If a new rule that’s being tested in the minor leagues this season regarding extra-inning games advances to the major league level, this is what would happen next.

The Yankees, in a come from behind effort, have scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to knot the game at six. Mets closer, Jeurys Familia, has pitched the ninth and tenth innings and Aroldis Chapman has countered with two perfect innings.

Yoenis Cespedes, who is scheduled to lead off in the eleventh is twirling his bat in the on-deck circle, and Chasen Shreve is completing his warm-ups on the mound. Joe Girardi has depleted his Yankees bullpen due to the second consecutive ineffective start by Michael Pineda, who lasted only 4 1/3 innings.

From the Mets dugout, Jose Reyes emerges and trots out to take his place at second base and the home-plate umpire points to Shreve and says, “Let’s go.” Girardi sits quietly in the Yankees dugout not registering a protest, claps his hands, and shouts out to Shreve, “Come on Chasen, make some pitches.” Say what?

If Joe Torre and MLB have their way, baseball will have its version of the NFL’s Sudden Death, and the eleventh inning will start with a runner on second base and no one out.

Joe Torre Explains His Logic To Yankees Fans

Wait a minute, calm down and listen to what Torre says (MLB.com)

“We get to those 12th, 13th, 14th innings — and I’m just talking from the dugout now — and no matter how much you tell the players, ‘Just try to get on base,’ everybody’s trying to end the game themselves,” Torre said. “And to me, that’s an ugly game. Everybody’s trying to hit a home run. And you go through your whole bullpen and you use everybody up, and here we are in the 19th inning, and we’ve got a utility player on the mound.”

Does that make sense? No, well try this then as Torre expands on his thought:

“If you put a man on second base … it gets back to the baseball that you started with that particular game with,” Torre continued. “In other words, get a base hit or hit the ball in the hole or get him over to third base. It’s just baseball. I don’t think it’s baseball when everybody gets up there and swings from their rear end and tries to hit it out of the ballpark. I think [the change] is trying to use the game the way it’s supposed to be used, to score runs and try to win a ballgame.”

Still not convinced? Neither am I. What’s curious, though, is that Torre makes no mention of the fact that the rule change will shorten games, which has been the mantra of Rob Manfred since day one of his tenure as Commissioner. And he also doesn’t mention that position players get tired as a game wears on, thus increasing the chances of injuries, Which again, you would think would be front and center as a primary reason for the change.

So, what we have here, then, is yet another attempt by MLB to manufacture excitement. As if a tie score after ten innings isn’t enough

Torre seems to be banking on the fact that Cespedes, who’s an excellent hitter, can and will hit the ball the other way, moving Reyes over to third with one out. Because as Torre says, that’s (real) baseball.

Meanwhile, Mets fans can ponder the possibility that Jay Bruce would be the hitter instead of Cespedes, wondering if Bruce could hit the ball the other way, or even put his bat on the ball. But, that’s a whole other story.

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And from the Yankees perspective, why wouldn’t Girardi order Shreve to throw four wide ones to Cespedes, taking the bat out of his hands, while also creating a force at every base and a chance for a double-play to squash the inning?

Another Last Gasp Attempt By MLB To Manufacture Excitement

So, what we have here, then, is yet another attempt by MLB to produce drama. As if a tie score after ten innings isn’t enough to generate excitement. And you see CC Sabathia taking off his jacket and doing stretching exercises if Girardi needs him. And as you look ahead to the Yankee’s eleventh, you know that Gary Sanchez, who has already hit two screaming line drives into the Mets bullpen, is due to lead off the inning for the Yankees.

Hopefully, Torre’s idea will die on the vine before it ripens in the minor leagues and becomes inevitable, just as the DH rule in the National League is inevitable and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it once a few of the older owners in the league pass on.

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Can’t we just play baseball?