Purple Row · Mar 18, 2019
Why I like the MiLB extra-innings rule
The off-season is my time for confessing unpopular opinions, so here’s another one: I like the MiLB extra-innings rule that begins with a runner on second base. It represents a win for fans and for players.
The rule itself isn’t new. MLB announced it in March 2018, “At all levels of Minor League Baseball, extra innings will begin with a runner on second base.” The hitter who ended the previous inning serves as the designated runner, and the batting order continues uninterrupted. (In terms of scoring, the designated runner is listed as an error; should he score, the run is unearned.)