WBC continued…
“For any inning beginning with the 13th inning, the Team at bat shall begin the inning with runners on first and second base. The batter who would lead off the inning shall continue to be the batter. The runner on first base shall be the player (or substitute) who immediately precedes the batter who leads off the inning and the player on second base shall be the player (or substitute) who immediately precedes the player on first base. Any player removed for a substitute shall be ineligible to return to the game.”
Listed above is the the international tiebreaker rule for baseball games. Is this something that everyone thinks is a good idea or a bad one. It seems like it should make extra inning games more interesting, Almost like overtime in a college football game. I almost think that we shouldn’t wait until the 13th inning to use the tiebreaker rule.
Everybody let me know your opinions. Also, on Friday the Burgh Blues is posting an interview, be sure to head over to their website and check it out.
Until Later
Moskie Madness 
We’re getting psyched for Friday!
http://theburghblues.mlblogs.com/
Well, you have to have some sort of rule like that if you are going to limit the pitchers so much with pitch counts. I would think that if they were going to protect pitchers they would start the tiebreakers around the 11th inning though.
Is it totally needed though? I mean how many games really go much more than 13 innings?
That was my point exactly, if a game goes 13 innings, you have pretty much spent your bullpen already. I think the 11th would be a good time to start it. I kind of like the idea of the rule though, adds a little excitement to the game.
This actually seems really cool to me at least, this could change the way managers have to manage because of substitutions(sp?) you could potentially put your fastest guy in before your batter leading off that inning and have him start on second which could lead to a run from a hit that normally wouldn’t yeild one. I like this rule although i did like giong to pnc park for one game that lasted 18 innings, me and my friends viewed that as a buy one get one free but the game was boring after the 11th inning until the 17th haha
WOW! What a great straw man to throw out there….. it sure is hard to stay awake through scoreless extra innings past 1am zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Hockey introduced the shootout following the 5 minute OT period and dang is that exciting! Maybe the tiebreaker can be some kind of homerun derby. Shots over the outfield wall… fireworks…. fantastic finishes! I love it!
Clarke- I think according to the rule, you have to use the guy before the leadoff man as the runners. So if the 8 hole man leads off, the 6 and 7 hole guys are the runners. If I am not mistaken. Either way I think it adds some stragic planning to the game. I really like the rule, but I think that it should be enforced in the 11th inning.
Brian- Thanks man, I thought it was a pretty good one to put out there. It will make fans want to stay to see extra innings because there is an added excitement to it. Good point, I think the shootout in hockey is the best idea they have come up with, besides removing the 2 line pass rule. Hahaha I don’t know about the home run derby idea, but putting pitchers in a jam always makes things exciting.
Im against it.
Baseball is a game of suspense. And for me, the suspense builds with each passing extra inning.
Baseball isnt like the other major sports. Theres a reason theres no clock. The charm of its design is the game can last forever. And the need to understand that is a huge part of a managers strategy. I once saw a game where a strapped manager was forced to have position player Jose Oquendo come in and pitch 3 innings.
I dont believe you should make the game easier to win. This, again, is something I believe to be antithetical to the games design. Theres a reason, for instance, why its the only one of the 4 major sports that does not allow substitutions. Its what makes late game strategy so sophisticated and more compelling than in the other 3 sports.
But then, I hate the DH, too. Some call it progress. I call it something that has John McGraw spinning in his grave.
Once again, I need to make a correction. Of course substitutions are allowed. What I meant to say is, once a player is removed from the game, hes done for the night. Unlike other sports, he cant return.
I wish MLB.com blogs provided an edit button for comments 🙂
Orrington- You are very convincing when you put it that way. You make some very good points, and when you consider what baseball is, the extra innings rule doesn’t make that much sense. I really like the way you put it.
I agree, there should be an edit comment button. I also knew what you were saying by the no substitutions claim.
Just Wanted to say you seem like a really cool classy guy thanks fordoing this blog to interact whith us fans its really cool and i can’t waitto see you in the majors some day and cograts on being named best Slider by baseball america
I’m not endorsing it by any stretch of the imagination, I would be furious if the MLB tried to do anything like this. I just think that for what the WBC is something like this is necessary and this is probably the best system they could come up with.
When you limit the innings pitched to save pitchers you can’t have elimination games coming down to whose shortstop is the best pitcher. So the way I see it is that they must either, A. Get rid of innings limits, thus losing players because of the MLB teams being scared, or B. Have some sort of overtime rules that are more conducive to scoring.
I don’t “like” the system per se but I do believe it is probably the best thing they can do when the resources are limited.
Personally I love nothing more than sitting down on a Sunday afternoon and just getting absolutely lost all day in a baseball game, that is damn near a perfect day. I just don’t think that is very feasible for the WBC with their limited resources.
Yeah i get that teh 6 and 7 would be the runners so say i have Nyger Morgan on the bench and its the bottom of the Twelfth and my 9 hole or 8 whichever one puts nyger on second got out, then i start the 13th with nyger on 2nd and after he steals third mcclouth singles him in, just some strategy ya know, i ilke this rule for the WBC but wouldn’t like to see it in the majors because i dont consider extra innings overtime because theres no time limit on baseball games. Just my thoughts tho, i also would like to say i think the WBC is great and i like this better than when baseball was in teh olympics even if GM’s dont like it as much
Piratesfan- Thank you sir, those are nice things that your saying. I also think that it is a very cool idea to promote interaction between the players and the fans.
Shamtown- I completely agree, there is no way I would endorse this for the MLB. I would also agree that it is the best method given the circumstances of the WBC. This season in Lynchburg we had a position player pitch a few times, and man I tell you it was not pretty. One of the situations was actually bases loaded in the top of the 10th in a tie ballgame. It is most definitely not possible with the WBC, but it is something I love to do. I learn so much from just sitting back and watching a game. It is like studying for a test for me. What they need is to create a shootout type scenarion like hockey, man would that be crazy. My example would be put a runner on third, and give the team one out. Something crazy like that. What do you think? You got any ideas like that?
Clarke- I like where your heard is at, that is some pretty good strategic thinking right there. I think that the WBC and Olympics can co-exist. We send only big leaguers to the classic, and we send top prospects to the Olympics. I don’t see any harm in that personally. What do you think?
I don’t think you’ll never get the purists to buy into any of the “Sudden Death” type rules. You could start with bases loaded if you want, or even stagger it. Start with first, then first and second, then bases loaded.
A Home Run Derby would be hilarious. I don’t think it’s feasible but it would definitely be fun to watch. Unlike the real Home Run Derby the pitchers wouldn’t be lobbing the ball into the batters wheel box, so it would probably never work.
Shamtown- You are right, you will never get the purists vote, and most likely rightfully so. I think that the game of baseball is pretty good just the way it is. A home run derby would be absolutely hilarious, but it would also be a complete debauchery of what this game stands for. The sad part about it, is that if we made that change, the viewers ratings might increase.
Yeah, I’m sure more people would watch, I just think a piece of the game dies when you mess with it too much. It’s simplicity is it’s beauty. I don’t even want instant replay.
While I think the tie-breaker rule is okay for the WBC, I would never want to see it in the Majors. One of the beauties of baseball is that it “ain’t over” until it’s over. It’s like life. Stay healthy and looking forward to reading your interview on Friday.
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
So basically you want to play in the olympics…haha jk i think i would take it a step further and send the top college players, while having no expieriance as a college player because im still in high school i feel like sometimes college players would appreciate the expieriance of the olympics more and maybe even play harder ie. the lake placid miracle team. Just my thoughts though, what do you think about college players playing, and big win for the pens tonight, and of course the buccos this afternoon.
I hate this rule. Expand the rosters with some ‘reserves’ or college players or something. Or have tim wakefield on your bench to pitch 18 innings if you have to.
I am sure some hockey purists hate the shootout, too. Still it’s interesting that in the playoffs, they go back to the unlimited OT periods until there’s a sudden death winner instead of using the shootout.
I also have to say this to the baseball purists…. if purists always had their way we wouldn’t even have baseball, which was a radical altering of the game of cricket. If you think 17 innings is long, how about those 5 day tests? The complexity of tracking how many overs you have and possibly losing if the other team doesn’t get as many even if you are ahead in runs…. AARGGHHH!!
The again, the purists will say that changing rules such as extra innings would create a sport that is not baseball, just as baseball is not cricket.
Shamtown- I agree completely. I don’t think that instant replay belongs in baseball. Only a couple of events right after another caused the decision to be made.
Julia- No way we ever see that rule in the MLB, at lest I hope not.
Clarke- I wold agree with you, but college players already have the national team. So they do get to participate in international competition.
Md- That’s also not a bad idea, roster size expansion. Thank you for your input.
Brian- That really is interesting, I wonder why they decide to do that. I have to admit that I have no clue how to play the game of cricket or any of its rules. But I sure am glad that they developed it into the game of baseball. Good point though.