OPINION: Baseball is Better Without Ghost Runner in Extra Innings Rule

Monday, Major League Baseball made it official: the league's controversial automatic runner on second base extra innings rule is here to stay, permanently. Jack Vita shares why he thinks MLB should tweak the rule in the future.

Monday, Major League Baseball made it official: the controversial 'ghost runner' on second base, extra innings rule is here to stay, permanently.

MLB introduced the rule in the COVID-shortened 2020 season in hopes of preventing extra inning games from running too long, and keeping teams from taxing their bullpens.

Since 2020, every game that has gone to a tenth inning, has had each team start the inning with a runner on second base. The same goes for every inning after the tenth.

Initially, I was willing to give it a shot. I thought that perhaps it would add a fun wrinkle to the game, and make extra innings more exciting, in the same way that NHL shootouts have become must-see TV.

The ghost runner rule has essentially turned into a sacrifice bunting contest. The first batter simply needs to move the runner along on a productive out, and then the inning's second hitter needs only to drive the ball deep enough into the outfield to score a run. This is normally what you will see from the team that bats in the bottom of the inning, after the away team failed to score in the inning's top half.

This lends itself to an anticlimactic ending.

The ghost runner rule shouldn't be abolished entirely, but it can be improved.

Perhaps MLB could allow for the first two innings of extra time to be played normally, just as the game's first nine innings were played. Once the game arrives at the 12th inning, then both teams can start their half-inning with a runner on first base. With a runner on first base to start, teams have the challenge of advancing the runner an extra 90 feet. When the runner starts at second base, he's already halfway home.

Then, if the game continues to drag on, the runner could start at second base. Perhaps if the game goes long enough, an inning could begin with runners on first and second base.

I'm not opposed to the idea of having an automatic runner to bring games to an end, but I am opposed to the rule appearing as early as the tenth inning. Let the boys play a couple extra innings, and if it can't be resolved, introduce the ghost runner, but start the runner on first, not second.

All of this is moot point, though. MLB has made it official: the ghost runner on second base in extra innings is here to stay.

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