There was already little hope for maintaining tradition in North America’s major professional sports, but the floor somehow managed to drop even further. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had already stirred controversy by suggesting that the Super Bowl should be held internationally and moved to Presidents’ Day weekend.
However, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has taken an even more destructive approach, driving his pickaxe into the very foundation of baseball as America’s pastime. Jayson Stark of The Athletic detailed a concept called The Golden At-Bat Rule, which would allow a team to send any player to the plate at any time during a game.
The idea is that it would be used in late-game situations to create more drama, but why on earth is this even being entertained? While some of Manfred’s rule changes have arguably had a positive impact on the game, this proposal is absurd. If there was ever a move that should lead to a commissioner’s firing, it’s this.
To put it into perspective, imagine NHL commissioner Gary Bettman deciding that the league’s Stadium Series should be expanded to include the entire Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sure, more tickets could be sold, but good luck keeping the ice intact at stadiums in Tampa or Los Angeles when the weather starts heating up in early summer.
The concept is ridiculous. Instead of continuing to float these outlandish ideas, Manfred should be forced to spend an entire season stuck inside the Tampa Bay Rays’ crumbling stadium.
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The Golden At-Bat Rule Would Be a Disaster for MLB
While some level of change is inevitable in baseball, certain aspects of the game should remain untouched. Initially, the idea of implementing the designated hitter in both leagues seemed like a mistake.
However, after the COVID-19 pandemic and the realization that it created 15 more high-paying jobs for the MLBPA to negotiate, the rule became easier to accept—just like the extra-innings ghost runner during regular-season games.
This latest proposal, however, crosses a line. One of baseball’s fundamental principles is that players must bat in order, and this rule would completely destroy that tradition. Changing the game to this extent is beyond foolish. What happens if a manager misuses the rule? Should he be met with a barrage of thrown objects in frustration?
Baseball has already done enough damage to its own reputation over the years, whether it was the alienation of fans due to the 1994-95 strike, the unchecked Steroid Era that followed, or the sport’s inability to keep pace with a changing media environment in the streaming era.
Manfred, along with anyone who supports this ludicrous idea, should be forced to repeatedly kick the MLB commissioner’s so-called “piece of metal” trophy until their feet give out.
If this rule ever becomes reality, it might be impossible to watch another Major League Baseball game again.
