After the first-ever “swing-off” brought pizzazz to the finish of Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game, it seems inevitable the concept will be used for regular-season games.
It shouldn’t be.
It has a fatal flaw.
The “swing-off” uses non-major-leaguers to help determine the result of MLB games, namely the batting-practice pitchers. Teams would look far and wide to find those proficient at lobbing up grapefruits for easy consumption. Once found, they would practice and perfect their craft. If the Pirates found somebody adept, a big-budget team would steal him away.
It would be silly.
But the concept is fun for the All-Star Game, and the idea is to be respected.
Sports need change.
Talk host Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo was apoplectic after the “swing-off,” saying Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio and Babe Ruth were spinning in their graves.
It doesn’t matter what dead guys think.
Tradition and nostalgia provide a one-way ticket to Palookaville.
If it’s too loud, you’re too old.
What casual fans think might matter most. How do you convince fans who aren’t hardcore to watch more?
MLB is enjoying increased popularity.
In 2024, games were attended by 71.3 million people. That’s a 1% jump from the previous year.
This season, TV viewership is up on all of MLB’s platforms: 22% on ESPN, 16% on TBS, 13% on the MLB Network, 10% on FOX.
But leaving well enough alone equates to being stagnant.
The “swing-off” was fun.
It was fitting that Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber hit three home runs on three swings, winning the game for the National League and earning MVP honors. (Schwarber was 0 for 2 with a walk in the actual game.)
Schwarber is a flawed player by the standard of baseball purists.
But he’s a star in the “three true outcomes” era.
Schwarber has 30 home runs and 66 walks. Nobody cares that he’s whiffed 112 times or that he’s only hitting .247. Heck, Schwarber got MVP votes in 2023 when he hit .197.
Schwarber ranks seventh in MLB with a .923 OPS, the number that matters most.
Schwarber is a star.
It gives Oneil Cruz hope, or at least the opportunity to be overrated by Pirates fans.
Cruz’s OPS is .733, which ranks 96th in MLB. So, he’s not Schwarber yet.
As Monday’s Home Run Derby suggests, Cruz would be great in the “swing-off.” I bet Cruz does great at PNC Park this weekend. In batting practice, not during the games against the Chicago White Sox.
Baseball isn’t worse.
It’s just changing.
In 2023, MLB adopted several rules designed to speed up the game. Most notable was the pitch clock. The result is shorter, faster-paced games, more than 30 minutes quicker than before.
Purists (and players) groused initially. But the level of play didn’t suffer. Baseball got better.
MLB might someday use the “swing-off” during regular-season games.
MLB might use the “Golden At-Bat.”
As per the wildly popular Savannah Bananas barnstorming team, the “Golden At-Bat” allows each team to use any player to hit at any time once per game. That would put stars at the plate in high-leverage situations regardless of batting order. It could get a player like Shohei Ohtani 30 or 40 additional RBIs in a season.
It might skew the record book, but it would be great for baseball’s profile. The “Golden At-Bat” would clutter the opening of almost every “SportsCenter” during the MLB season.
Different isn’t necessarily bad.
It’s just different. Sometimes that’s enough.
Williams, DiMaggio and Ruth wouldn’t have minded taking the occasional “Golden At-Bat.”
