College Baseball Considering Controversial New Rule
Baseball is a sport full of tradition and unwritten rules. Many older baseball fans don’t like the celebrations and antics in the game right now. It’s common for hitters do a big bat flip and long pause after hitting a home run. Some pitchers stare down and trash talk hitters that they’ve struck out. A lot of teams do choreographed celebrations at home plate or in the dugout after home runs. It’s just too much for a lot of baseball fans. If you watched college baseball this year, this really got out of control. So, the NCAA College Baseball Rules Committee is considering a controversial rule change for next season.
I have a source that is tied to a member of the rules committee, and the committee is considering some interesting rule changes. One possible rule change is sure to be very controversial. Evidently, there are some old school committee members from the North. The committee is considering a rule to allow “hockey style” fighting between two players on opposing teams. My source tells me that most of the committee are tired of the antics, taunting, and over-the-top celebrations that have become part of the college game. They’re hoping the new rule will help with the antics and cool things down.
The details of the “fight rule” are being finalized. The rule will allow two “hockey style” fights per game. The fight will have to be requested by a head coach, and it will have to be approved by the home plate umpire. One fighter from each team will be chosen to fight, and the players have to be in the lineup at that time. The head coaches will be allowed to pick their players that they want to fight. There will be a boxing ring size square painted on the field between home plate and the pitcher’s mound. It will be a very short boxing match of 20 seconds. Only punches will be allowed, and the fighters will have to wear MMA gloves. A player will only be able to be involved in one fight per game. And, the home plate umpire will referee the 20 second fights to make sure things don’t get out of control. The pitch clock will time the fights. The home plate umpire will pick a winner, but no advantage will be gained by the winner’s team.
I was able to talk with a few college baseball coaches about the potential new rule, and I got mixed feelings about it. One coach said, “I think this is lunacy. What is wrong with the committee? If you think things need to cool down, how is this going to help? This will be like pouring gas on a fire. I think this will only make the taunting and yapping get worse. Plus, I don’t want my best players being involved in fights and possibly getting injured. I really hope this rule doesn’t go into effect.”
Another coach I spoke with had a different view on the “fight rule.” He said, “I like the idea of this rule. I think it will add a lot of excitement to the game, and I think it will attract more fans. Fans would love to see a good fight. I’m not a fan of the antics in the game now, and I think this new rule could help get some of it out of the game. If you get your butt beat, you’ll probably shut your mouth. Plus, wouldn’t it be so cool to see a player’s fight record along with his hitting or pitching stats? I think that would be awesome! I know this rule will be controversial, but I’m for it.”
Some details of the “fight rule” have to be worked out, but it looks like it has enough votes on the committee right now. But, that could change as more people find out about the possible rule change. Many people think this will be bad for youth baseball and possibly encourage fighting. That is a valid concern. It will be interesting to see if the rule actually into goes into effect. The SRVO will keep you updated on any new developments on the “fight rule.”