Replaceable Friday: Is it Time To End Extra Inning Games?

EXHAUSTION, USA – Full disclosure: I did not stay up to watch the entirety of the Mets 16-inning debacle/loss to the San Francisco Giants because I passed out before the ninth inning was complete. But I sensed it was going to be a marathon – a battle of attrition  – and maybe something that needs to be done away with. Yeah, yeah, yeah…  you say tradition! But I recently heard that tradition is just peer pressure from dead people. F’ them.

Seriously what is the point of these lengthy affairs?

The fallout from them is far worse for the game than upholding its purity by dragging these out to the length of a cricket test match. The Mets trotted out the entire bullpen last night and now they are all gassed for the rest of the week and maybe longer. If they can’t get close to a complete game out of their starters the next couple of nights, they will lose. This needs to stop. No one wants to see bad baseball played by exhausted sportsmen who will clearly be phoning it in after playing basically two games in one night.

By Hector Diaz@iamHectorDiaz

Listen, if the players could still eat greenies like they were Skittles I’d say let this continue, but they can’t so something has to give. Either end the games in ties or start putting runners on second to start the inning or maybe decide the games by Home Run Derby like shootouts in the NHL. I don’t know what the answer is but ask yourself this; when was the last time you were excited that a game went into extra frames? I find myself groaning every time: ugg no one is going to score for at least a couple of innings and we get unwatchable ball for days to follow. Aside from the postseason there is no good reason for this practice to continue.

What do you think?

In other news the Tour de France is going on and I am a big cyclist and actually understand the team tactics and nuances of spectator cycling but I must admit I can’t get into it without a legitimate American threat in the field. The highest hope for the Yanks Teejay Van Garderen ( a distant viking relative of the Mets GM) dropped out a couple of days ago and all interest left the building with it. (Not that he had a chance) I think some french guy is in the lead but I’m sure that will erased once the tour’s mountains separate the pretenders from the elite. Anyway I’m sure I’ve alienated our entire three person readership so I expect no comments. Enjoy your weekend and stay cool. Come back tomorrow for Junoir Blaber’s takes on Roller Derby (is that still a thing?)

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About Replacement Matt 54 Articles
Replacement Matt, aka Aussie Matt & Trevor Herrick, has been the Minnie Minoso of MTM from Day One. He's willingly been hit in the undercarriage by cricket balls, had beer poured on him from the upper deck and been handed the camera to film for Tall and Short Matt on countless occasions. In many ways, he's been too valuable to start. But make no mistake, he'd be the headliner on any other bald guy's sports site!