MLB: Extra Innings By Home Run Derby Dumbest Rule Change Yet

MLB has come up with a lot of dumb ideas the last few years. The Pioneer League’s solution to extra innings is the dumbest yet.

For years, commissioner Rob Manfred has been trying to turn MLB into the NBA and NFL.

Based on the newest rule change heading to the Pioneer League in 2021, it looks like Manfred now feels the need to emulate the NHL as well.

For in the Pioneer League this season, in a clear emulation of hockey’s shootout format, extra inning affairs will be decided by…. a Home Run Derby.

Maybe Manfred has an early case of Stanley Cup fever. Maybe he just finished binge watching the Mighty Ducks franchise. Who doesn’t love a good triple-deke? But whatever the inspiration, bringing this change to the majors would the dumbest idea yet in the campaign to jazz up America’s Pastime.

The full idea is that each team would pick a single player to receive five pitches, and whoever leaves the yard the most would deliver their team to victory. In the event of a tie, the cycle just continues until someone comes out on top. Why do this at all? The same refrain as always- limiting strain on pitchers.

Now, I’m well on record in this space as being a traditionalist. Don’t like the DH, hate the runner on second, have never lost sleep over a mound visit. However, I have also been willing to acknowledge that measures like abbreviated doubleheaders and speeding games along to a quicker conclusion make sense under pandemic conditions. If that is all the Pioneer League is doing- being cautious with workload when many of the pitchers impacted haven’t played a competitive inning in over a year, then that’s great. If it helps keep gates open for struggling baseball teams at the minor and independent level, then that’s greater still.

But that’s as far as this can go. Deciding a real MLB game in this manner would be ludicrous.

Why? Because it’s not an accurate reflection of anything that happens in an actual game. Instead, it’s a reflection of batting practice.

The NHL shootout this is seemingly modeled after? Players fire shots at the goalie all the time- sometimes even mano a mano on a breakaway just like in the shootout. Deciding a game by Home Run Derby? That’s more akin to LeBron James and Steph Curry settling the next Lakers-Warriors game with a game of horse than actually mirroring anything that really happens in the game.

Okay, bad example. I might pay to watch that game of horse too.

Many a football fan often bemoan the outcome of a sixty minute team sport being decided by a kicker. The Home Run Derby would be that on steroids. Who even throws these pitches? The bullpen coach? Does a player’s dad come down from the stands? Or is an actual MLB pitcher expected to come in and just lob balls over the plate? No clear answers yet, and hard to see how any of those answers could be good.

Perhaps more importantly though, from which team does that pitcher come if it is an MLB pitcher doing this? If it’s an opponent, it would seem impossible to police this to the point where that perfect batting practice pitch is ever thrown. If it’s a teammate, then hasn’t the very essence of competition just been effectively shut down at the most exciting point of the contest? And in either case, it really seems like there has to be some added injury risk by putting a pitcher in a full speed situation and telling them to only half speed while doing so.

Admittedly, the Pioneer League is a long way from MLB  But if this actually gets proposed this offseason as one more way to pick up pace of play?

It’ll be time for fans to levy a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Manfred.