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Former Giants pitchers pan Major League Baseball’s 3-batter minimum for relievers

Starting in 2020, Major League Baseball will change forever.

It will impose a new rule forcing relief pitchers to face no fewer than three batters, unless the reliever gets injured or the inning ends. The league wants fewer pitching changes and shorter games.

Imagine if this rule were in place 10 years ago.

Imagine it’s 2010, or 2012, or 2014, the years the Giants won the World Series. Imagine their manager, Bruce Bochy, a future Hall of Famer and a brilliant baseball strategist, isn’t allowed to use his bullpen the way he wants. Isn’t allowed to bring in left-handed specialist Javier Lopez to face only one hitter, a lefty, before being removed, or isn’t allowed to bring in right-handed specialist Sergio Romo to face only one hitter, a righty.