Baseball fans react to MLB announcing new rules for position players pitching: "What is the point of this?", "Fixing something that isn’t broken"

MLB on Monday announced plans to limit when a position player is allowed to pitch in a game, beginning this season.The new guidelines, unanimously passed by the MLB Joint Competition Committee, note that a position player may pitch in one of three instances:1) The game is in extra innings.2) In the ninth inning when a team is trailing by at least eight runs.3) In the ninth inning when a team is leading by 10 or more runs.According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the number of instances of position players pitching in a game has increased approximately 76 percent over the past five years. Last season, a position player took to the mound 132 times, up from 32 instances in 2017.FOX Sports: MLB@MLBONFOXMLB announced plans to extend new rules for position players pitching into the 2023 season.1962182MLB announced plans to extend new rules for position players pitching into the 2023 season. https://t.co/yQWshyOCMZWhile the new position player pitching rule was not nearly as villified as Monday's news that MLB is making the extra-innings second base ghost runner rule permanent, many fans had one simple question: &quot;Why?&quot;G@BenGleib2024@MLBONFOX Fixing something that isn’t broken169@MLBONFOX Fixing something that isn’t brokenSports Talk Spicer@SportsSpicer@MLBONFOX Literally just let teams manage their players however they want367@MLBONFOX Literally just let teams manage their players however they wantBFBQBGURUMEAT@bfbqbgurumeat@MLBONFOX @BirdsOnTheBat13 @MLB fantastic job at making an awful unnecessary rule. Rob Manfred has WOAT commissioner on lockdown11@MLBONFOX @BirdsOnTheBat13 @MLB fantastic job at making an awful unnecessary rule. Rob Manfred has WOAT commissioner on lockdownMany pointed out that the only reason to continue to watch a game that is out of hand is the possibility of seeing their favorite position player take to the mound to toss some novelty pitches while saving arms in the bullpen.Ramon Silver@whatandwhy81@MLBONFOX Seriously... what is the point of this ? Hell, I'm more inclined to tune into a blow out with a RFer on the mound of an out of Market game than Joe Long Reliever.75@MLBONFOX Seriously... what is the point of this ? Hell, I'm more inclined to tune into a blow out with a RFer on the mound of an out of Market game than Joe Long Reliever.MikeinMass1975@MikeInMass1975@MLBONFOX Why limit this? If a game is competitive, a team isn't bringing in their fourth outfielder to mop up. Are they afraid of Brett Phillips ruining the fan experience by pitching the 8th? It is always done to save the bullpen in a bad game and the fans almost always love it.28@MLBONFOX Why limit this? If a game is competitive, a team isn't bringing in their fourth outfielder to mop up. Are they afraid of Brett Phillips ruining the fan experience by pitching the 8th? It is always done to save the bullpen in a bad game and the fans almost always love it.Baseball has long billed itself as the more laid-back game. However, the recent rules that aim themselves at shortening games have fans asking whether the league is losing its sense of humor.Ben Russo@Ben_Russo@MLBONFOX MLB hates fun. If it’s 15-0 In the 7th who cares. More fun to watch a random player pitch than anything else at that point.1@MLBONFOX MLB hates fun. If it’s 15-0 In the 7th who cares. More fun to watch a random player pitch than anything else at that point.David Matthew Vinot Jr/MybugfromRoblox@vinot_jr@MLBONFOX Has the MLB hit NFL levels of No Fun League?7@MLBONFOX Has the MLB hit NFL levels of No Fun League?rfj6990 or rfjfrancis@RfjFrancis@MLBONFOX Stop making so many rules. It's fun(entertaining) to watch. Is that not the name of the game, Entertainment; to get people to watch. Just look at the videos posted on YouTube. Videos dedicated to position players pitching. MLB is ruining the sport. Maybe use Little League rules.@MLBONFOX Stop making so many rules. It's fun(entertaining) to watch. Is that not the name of the game, Entertainment; to get people to watch. Just look at the videos posted on YouTube. Videos dedicated to position players pitching. MLB is ruining the sport. Maybe use Little League rules.Of course, not everyone was against the new rule. There was considerably more support for reining in position players pitching than there was for making the ghost runner at second in extra innings a permanent rule.Matt Carlson@mattcarlson53@MLBONFOX Good. Teams were putting in guys with like a 4 or 5 run lead.21@MLBONFOX Good. Teams were putting in guys with like a 4 or 5 run lead.Nick Wilcox@NickWilcox12@MLBONFOX good rule, it is sometimes a fun novelty but when we see the backup catcher pitching in the 5th inning, it just feels awful after the first couple minutes5@MLBONFOX good rule, it is sometimes a fun novelty but when we see the backup catcher pitching in the 5th inning, it just feels awful after the first couple minutesMLB applying a bevy of new rules this seasonMLB Commissioner Rob Manfred talks with Eric Jagers (65) of the Cincinnati Reds.In addition to the ghost runner and position player pitching rule changes/extensions, the league is limiting defensive player shifts, instituting a pitch timer, and increasing the size of bases for the 2023 season going forward.&quot;Our guiding star in thinking about changes to the game has always been our fans,&quot; commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters on Feb. 1. &quot;'What do our fans want to see on the field?' We've conducted thorough and ongoing research with our fans, and certain things are really clear.&quot;No. 1, fans want games with better pace. Two, fans want more action, more balls in play. And three, fans want to see more of the athleticism of our great players.&quot;

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