MLB's Proposed Golden At Bat Rule is Every Bit as Stupid as The Ghost Runner

It's no secret that my enthusiasm for Major League Baseball has diminished considerably since the start of this decade. 

The thing I loathe more than anything else is the ghost runner during extra-inning games. Why should a runner be entitled to second base if he did not earn his way on base?

Well, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has outdone himself having now floated the idea of a "Golden at Bat". As Ryan Phillips of Sports Illustrated explains:

Most probably haven't heard of the proposal for a "Golden At-Bat," but the basic concept is that a team could choose one at-bat in every game to use its best hitter regardless of where they are in the lineup. So if, say the New York Yankees had the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, they could bring Aaron Judge to the plate even if it wasn't his turn in the order. It would be a one-time replacement, not a substitution like a pinch hitter.

There could be variations on it. As The Athletic's Jayson Stark points out, restricting the rule only to teams trailing at the time could be an interesting constraint. It could also lead to scenarios where a hitter bats one spot before his turn in the lineup, so what would happen if he gets on base? Would the original hitter take his spot on the bases, for the Golden hitter to step back in the batter's box for a second consecutive at-bat? There is a ton to think through here.

On the contrary, there is nothing to think about here. The idea is garbage and serves only to make a mockery of the game and further erodes any concept of fair play. 

While I am heartened that World Series MVP Freddie Freeman opposes the idea, the true rationale behind it makes the idea even more appalling. Here is what an anonymous official with the MLB Commissioner's office told Jayson Stark:

Look at the way entertainment is consumed now. Look who you're competing with," they said. "Today's fans have grown up on their phones. … They're used to getting exactly what they want, what they like, what they find engaging and compelling—and they want it now. And they want to watch it for a few minutes and move on. So the Golden At-Bat accomplishes all those things.

In other words, MLB wants to dumb down baseball even further than it has already done.  

I can only hope this idea is placed upon the ash heap. But, what Rob Manfred wants, he gets. So, I would not be surprised if this rule will soon be implemented. 

If it is then that would be the final straw for me. My only interest in baseball would be from a historical perspective pre-2020. 

Of course, living in the past can only take you so far. The only suitable remedy would be an alternate baseball league played under more traditional rules. Of course, MLB's anti-trust exemption would likely render such a league dead on arrival. But if such a league had the financing, talent and an audience, then anything is possible. However, I hope it won't have to come to that.