COLUMN: New MLB rule a blunder for the hardcore fan

 

Opinion by WILLIAM “SKI” WILCZEWSKI

 

There’s been a lot of talk lately about rule changes in Major League Baseball.

Plenty of negotiations have been going on between the players’ union and MLB. Among other things, they’ve been discussing the strike zone, pitch clocks and the number of trips to the mound for strategy talk.

The last two would certainly be an attempt to speed up a game that’s slower than the last day of school, and the goal—regardless of what changes are made, according to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred—is to “have little effect on the competitive character of the game.”

This—at least I think—is where the ball has been dropped, because it was announced Wednesday that intentional walks will be pitchless from now on.

In other words, this means that a manager or pitcher will just signal the umpire in order for the batter to take first base uncontested.

No catcher standing up four times with his arm stretched out to tell the pitcher to throw it intentionally wide of the strike zone.

No pitcher having to the throw the ball intentionally wide of the strike zone to the catcher four successful times.

I stress the word successful, because this isn’t always such a simple task, and without it, the competitive character of the game is being compromised.

Yes, 2017 is the year that nothing needs to be done but a head nod for a base to be gained in the world’s greatest game.

That makes this one great mistake, if you ask me, because you’re taking away actually having to successfully accomplish A in order to get your desired outcome of B.

Sure, to the casual baseball fan, this is no big deal at all; as inconsequential as banning Stevie Wonder from an eye exam room.

For the more hardcore fan, on the other hand, you’re taking nail-biting out of the game, because as all hardcore fans know, if the worst can happen at the worst time, it probably will.

And it has over the years.

Sure, throwing a wild-pitch on an intentional walk at a crucial moment of a crucial game—or any time for that matter—is more embarrassing than a pimple at the prom, but that’s why these guys make the big bucks, right?

And, there’s always the possibility of the batter getting a hold of an intentional walk pitch, which has happened plenty of times, too, if the pitcher doesn’t quite do his job right.

What’s next, the PGA handing out gimmees for two-foot-or-less putts?

Or literal free throws in basketball.

Heck, while we’re at it, the next time your rival football team is on the one-inch line, what would you say if they just decided to give ‘em the touchdown. (Hey, they were close enough, right?)

This is how it all seems to me, anyway, making me more shocked than a schizophrenic that stopped getting letters … from himself!

Sure, I do have a tendency to make Everests out of molehills sometimes, but I don’t think that’s the case this time.

Do you?