The MLB Rulebook is Dumb

Yesterday’s Tigers game was a showcase in hitting. We saw a plethora of homeruns and both starting pitchers knocked out in the third inning. The game settled down after the bullpens for both teams came into the game and the Tigers took a 7-6 lead into the top of the fifth.

Then it rained.

And rained.

And rained.

And the game was eventually postponed.

Enter this addendum to MLB Rule 4.12(a):

No game called because of a curfew (Rule 4.12(a)(1)), weather (Rule 4.12(a)(5)), a time limit (Rule 4.12(a)(2)) or with a tied score (Rule 4.12(a)(6)) shall be a suspended game unless it has progressed far enough to have been a regulation game pursuant to Rule 4.10(c). A game called pursuant to Rules 4.12(a)(3) or 4.12(a)(4) shall be a suspended game at any time after it starts.


And so, the record of the game was wiped.

From a practical standpoint, Rule 4.12(a) means that any game in which the lights break before 5 innings will be resumed at a later date, but any game in which it rains before 5 innings will not. It is mind-boggling that such a stupid, arbitrary clause was ever added to the rulebook. It is also idiotic that the game cannot simply be resumed if it is suspended in the middle of the game, particularly when one team is a) winning or b) has a clear advantage. As the Tigers were winning the game and have a much better bullpen than the Indians, it is infuriating to see everything that happened in the game be wiped out by such a nonsensical rule.

0 Response to "The MLB Rulebook is Dumb"

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
powered by Blogger | WordPress by Newwpthemes | Converted by BloggerTheme