Anyone who watched that Yankee/Pittsburgh game yesterday knows that something isn't right.
By the ninth inning, the Pirates had their .207 hitting second baseman throwing a poor excuse for batting practice. If the Yankees didn't have a plane to catch, and a real series of games coming up against Boston, they might still be at bat. Even Joe Gallo might get a hit.
This business of using a position player ( presumably to "save" bullpen arms for future games ) to pitch an inning was amusing when Nick Swisher did it, but it has outlasted its usefulness. It is no longe amusing.
It ridicules the game, the players (on both benches), and is an insult to fans. It is an insult, pure and simple.
The practice should simply be disallowed. Period. No qualifications. No tweaks. You can't do it.
If a team has to use a damn starter to pitch the 9th inning in a game they trail by 10 runs, too bad. Fucking use him.
That is the price you pay for not being better prepared.
Change the damn rule.
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3 comments:
Better yet, if a team is behind far enough that they feel the need to use a position player to pitch, the game is declared forfeit.
Agree with Alphonso. Teams need to be more competitive, build better rosters.
But I share Dick’s frustration; it was one thing when a position player would come in throwing
heat like Rocky Colavito, quite another when someone is merely lobbing BP…
The Lords of MLB are clueless, as always
Allow a hack pitcher to travel with the team, not count against the roster limit, but only can be used when a team is trailing by 8 runs or more after the sixth inning.
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