This week, The Athletic’s Jayson Stark, who by the way is a Philadelphia legend and one of the finest baseball writers and people in the industry, wrote a story detailing an idea mentioned by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in a recent podcast (not Hittin’ Season, sadly).
It’s called “The Golden At-Bat.” And, friends, it’s the dumbest idea I think I’ve ever heard.
Remember Bryce Harper’s home run against the Padres in Game 5 of the 2022 NLCS, “Bedlam at the Bank?” Remember Juan Soto’s go-ahead home run against the Guardians in Game 5 of last year’s ALCS? Remember the litany of star players who have emerged in big moments to create some of baseball’s most memorable moments? The Golden At-Bat would aim to allow teams to manufacture those moments with more intentionality and on a more regular basis.
Here’s the idea:
Once per game, a team can send its best hitter to the plate whenever it wants, even if it’s not their turn to hit. Say it’s the bottom of the 9th, you’re down by a run, and you have a runner on 2nd with two outs, and Bryce Harper batted in the 8th. The Golden At-Bat would allow manager Rob Thomson to bring Harper up to the plate again to take another whack at it.
This is an idea so crazy you can’t even find it available in a video game.
There are all different kinds of conditions that could be placed on this rule. Teams could be limited to using the Golden At-Bat only in the 9th inning or later. Or maybe they could also use it if they are tied or trailing in a game.
Under this idea, you could conceivably have Harper up in the 9th inning in a clutch situation, but he flies out, and then have him go right back up to the plate and try again.
I’m not the biggest traditionalist in the world, but I’m also not ready to light the sport on fire, which is what this rule would do.
Yes, baseball has had its star players have their share of historic moments, but one of the great things about the sport is how the unknown players, the little guys, have been able to have their moments, too. Thrust into situations that require greatness, the baseball gods sometimes create legends like David Freese, Bucky Dent or Matt Stairs, to name a few. Part of what makes baseball special is the authenticity of these moments. Trying to create them by jury-rigging the system is lunacy.
Baseball has had its share of innovations over the last few years and, for the most part, they’ve been excellent additions.
The pitch clock has helped eliminate the massive amount of dead time between pitches and helped shorten games by nearly half an hour. Manager’s challenges have, on the whole, prevented umpires from screwing up calls on the field that do not involve balls and strikes. Someday soon, automated balls and strike calls are coming to baseball, an eventuality I am all in favor of.
But there have been misses, too, specifically the regular season extra inning rule that automatically places a runner on 2nd base to start the inning in an attempt to prevent baseball games from stretching into innings containing the world -teen at the end of them.
No one knows how serious anyone is about The Golden At-Bat, but the fact the Commissioner mentioned it in public means there is at least some serious discussion happening in the dark corners of some office building in New York.
Folks, telephone your local congressman or baseball executive and tell them to vote “no” on The Golden At-Bat. Or, simply listen to the Hittin’ Season podcast and email us your vote. Send those emails to hittinseason@billypenn.com and sound off!
