What’s the adage? “If your first dozen attempts don’t succeed, try try again.”
I’ve been batting .000 across the board in my attempts over the past several years to solicit a response from “influencers” who care about making baseball a more exciting and action-packed game. My slugging percentage also is zip, because slugging the wall doesn’t count.
Undaunted, our email today went to an address at Major League Baseball with a request that it be delivered to MLB’s rules consultant Theo Epstein, an influencer of the first order. Here’s the entire email, including what I sent just yesterday to SF Chronicle writer John Shea.
Begin forwarded message:
From: Doug Carlson <dougcarlson2@comcast.net>
Date: April 17, 2021 at 9:15:01 AM HST
To: jshea@sfchronicle.com
Subject: Run On Third Out (ROTO) rule
John, I’ve been a reader for years. Friday’s column suggests you’re open to rules evolution in baseball, so I’m submitting my proposal for your consideration and (perhaps) comment:
The “Run On Third Out” (ROTO) rule allows men on base to tag up and attempt to score after an outfielder catches a fly ball for the third out in an inning.
A man on third with two outs waits for the fly ball to be caught, tags up, then races for home. The outfielder throws, and the catcher makes the catch and touches the plate with his foot to record the out — just as outs are routinely recorded at first base. The no-tag element at home (think Posey) avoids collisions and injuries. Inning over.
Imagine men on second and third with two outs and a fly ball to Triples Alley in Oracle Park. Both men tag and run when the outfielder makes the catch for the third out and throws to the cut-off man near second base. The man on third makes it home easily and scores, but whether the man running from second scores is still in doubt depending on the play at home. If it’s the bottom of the 9th with the Giants trailing by a run or two, the game’s outcome hangs on the quality of the two throws. (Shallow fly balls would simply end the inning if the on-base team chooses not to ROTO.)
ROTO would emphasize the importance of developing outfielders with strong and accurate arms, a new major consideration for the annual baseball draft. That’s just one probability, and many more would become obvious, such as inserting fast men as pinch runners late in a game. Stealing third with two outs might make sense depending on who’s at bat, game status, etc.
Imagine the difference in game situations between ROTO and the current rule. Today, a fly ball with the bases loaded with two outs ends the inning or game without a whimper. Under ROTO, all hell is about to break loose when the ball leaves the bat on a trajectory to a deep outfielder.
This is a rough approximation of ROTO, which I conceived in the 1970s and submitted to Charlie Finley when the Oakland A’s owner asked fans to send him their suggestions to improve baseball. Nothing came of it, but I’ve written occasionally about ROTO at my baseball blog a few times, each time making refinements. ROTO is a work in progress: http://commaaina.blogspot.com
If fans want more action, ROTO delivers much more action, excitement, and strategic thinking. ROTO would be a big change — just like other big changes in baseball, such as the “gift” runner at second base in extra innings and moving back the pitching rubber. Test ROTO in the minors (the Atlantic League, for instance), and I can guarantee the younger generation will embrace it. Thanks for reading.
Let’s see what happens. If it’s nothing, I’ll try and try again. Eventually, someone will focus on how the ROTO rule would add more excitement than tweaking how far the pitching rubber is from home plate! ROTO would be a huge crowd pleaser.
