MLB Testing Strange New Rule Allowing Players to Steal First Base
Major League Baseball has proposed a slew of new rules in the past couple of years, but none as radical as one now incubating in the minor leagues.
For the second half of this season, players in the independent Atlantic League will be allowed to steal first base.
If you’re wondering what that means, you’re not alone.
The new rule will let batters try to reach first base safely after any dropped pitch. So, just like a batter can try to reach first on a dropped third strike, now he will be able to do the same on any dropped pitch, Yahoo Sports explained.
The latest idea to liven up baseball? Letting players steal *first* base.
For real. Details ⬇️⬇️https://t.co/p1Yw5MuAyW
— Yahoo Sports MLB (@MLByahoosports) July 10, 2019
In other words, any dropped pitch, passed ball or wild pitch is a live ball, meaning all runners can advance, including the batter — no matter what the count is, Yahoo Sports reported.
The Atlantic League is an independent minor league that struck an agreement with MLB to be a testing ground for new ideas.
For example, the Atlantic League this year is experimenting with robot umpires to judge balls and strikes. The automated strike zones debuted at the Atlantic League All-Star game Wednesday.
There’s no guarantee that the concept of stealing first base will ever make it to the big leagues, but if it did, it would radically change the game.
It certainly would put more of a premium on speed, and it would cause pitchers to be much more accurate, even with no runners on base.
People joke about fast guys who can’t hit by saying “you can’t steal first base.” What Major League Baseball and the Atlantic League’s new rule presupposes is, “what if you can?”
https://t.co/rI4swWWiFd via @HardballTalk— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 10, 2019
Robot umpires might never make it to the majors either, but according to The Associated Press, the automated strike zones were generally deemed a success at the Atlantic League All-Star game.
ROBOT UMPIRES?
The independent Atlantic League became the first American professional baseball league to let a computer call balls and strikes Wednesday night at its All-Star Game.
What do you think? Are you for or against automated umpires? https://t.co/qtFT49sgv8— Eyewitness News (@wbrewyou) July 11, 2019
The MLB will analyze these and other ideas being tested in the Atlantic League at the end of the season.
If you want to see the concept of stealing first in action, check out an Atlantic League game this summer.
There are eight teams in the league: the Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Barnstormers, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, the Sugar Land (Texas) Skeeters, the York (Pennsylvania) Revolution, the High Point (North Carolina) Rockers, the Long Island (New York) Ducks, the New Britain (Connecticut) Bees and the Somerset (New Jersey) Patriots.
What do you think of this idea?
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