Ghost Runner

[Hubs]

So the debacle on Saturday made me shake my head. And whether it was a double play or not, it is irrelevant to the ending, and the cause.

The ghost runner sucks. It's borderline terrible, and as I mentioned on twitter the night of, it's the worst rule in all of professional sports. 

I'd honestly prefer ties.

 

The ghost runner gives the advantage to the visiting team, but as we've seen, the Angels have terrible luck, both home and away with this rule. And not just this season, this has been the case for multiple years. I have no idea how to look up the extra inning stats, but I bet its something like a .250 winning percentage in extras the last four seasons (2020-2023).

 

That being said, what's the best strategy for defending the ghost runner? Going after the hitter doesn't seem to be working, and so I have a solution.

Walk the first batter. Set up a double play, set up the force play at third.

They may counter by attempting to bunt them over, but that isn't always guaranteed to work. Sac flies to the outfield probably don't bring them over, and if you get a double play, the sacrifice is off the table. If you allow a hit with runners on, it doesn't really matter if there is a runner on first, as losing by one run or two (or four) is irrelevant. You still lost.

 

They need to try something different than they have been--- thats for sure.

 

 

[Taylor]

Why does it matter that you mentioned it on Twitter?

[Swordsman78]

So now we know who is part of the anti staff Twitter mob.

[Lazorko Saves]

24 minutes ago, Hubs said:

I'd honestly prefer ties.

Yeah.  I'm with Clark W. Griswold on this.  I'd rather decide the game with a coin flip, or war, or even Pick A Number with the umpire.

[Stradling]

Dude you are a rocket scientist, so explain how it benefits the visiting team. I realize that is what has happened, but how or why?  Just because the results are one way doesn’t mean it is advantageous.  Is the advantage because the visiting team, if they score, can bring in their closer?  If so, then the home team can start the 10th with their closer.  As the home team, you know what you have to do based on whether it is tied or you are chasing a run or two.  But if you hold them scoreless, then you know that one run wins it and that run is on 2nd base.

[Stradling]

I hate the free runner (not a ghost runner) but I would hate ties more.  Blame the players, they voted for this. 

[Dtwncbad]

17 minutes ago, Stradling said:

I hate the free runner (not a ghost runner) but I would hate ties more.  Blame the players, they voted for this. 

I am glad you said what I was thinking.  A ghost runner would be we all pretend there is a runner on second.

Anybody else remember arguing with friends as kids playing whiffle ball over whether the ghost runner scores from second on a single, or if they have to be forced in?

[Angel Oracle]

Don’t like the shootout in hockey and don’t like the free runner in MLB.

Of course, I’m a purist who doesn’t like gimmicks deciding games.

[Jeff Fletcher]

1 hour ago, Hubs said:

The ghost runner gives the advantage to the visiting team

The home team is 285-277 with the ghost runner (.507)

In the last three years with regular extra innings, the home team was 312-294 (.514)

I wouldn't call that a statistically significant difference. 

[greginpsca]

The reason the Angel have trouble with it is because they don't know how to manufacture runs very well. It's home runs or nothing pretty much.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

Don’t like the shootout in hockey and don’t like the free runner in MLB.

Of course, I’m a purist who doesn’t like gimmicks deciding games.

The shootout just screams minor league to me. So does the runner on second in extra innings.

[Tank]

i'd still wait until the 12th inning to employ the ghost runner since the goal seems to be to shorten games. let the boys slug it out for the 10th and 11th like they did for 100+ years.

[Lou]

MLB got it so right with the pitch clock and so wrong with the ghost runner.

[T.G.]

[Hubs]

I saw a .484 vs. .514 pct by the home team, but maybe that was just the 10th inning. 

Anyway, I am not a rocket scientist, but I do wonder what the Angels record is. I used to be like, hey we got this, if they tie and go to extras, and now I assume were gonna lose. It's like someone said its because they aren't manufacturing runs and it's not good bullpen management.

[Hubs]

I found the page on baseball-reference. They are 1-4 in extras this year, 7-8 last year, 3-5 in 2021, and 3-5 in 2020. So not quite the .250 WPCT I was expecting, but 

14-22.

Screw the Ghost Runner.

[Angels 1961]

Ghost runner is here to stay. Pitch clock, bigger bases and next will be robo ump behind the plate. 

[Second Base]

I'm not opposed to the ghost runner, but I also don't love it's immediate implementation. I think a better arrangement might be...

10th inning: No changes.

11th inning: GR on first base 

12th inning: GR on second.

13th inning: GR on third.

14th inning: GR on first and third. 

15th inning: GR on second and third.

16th inning and on: Bases loaded nobody out. 

------------I honestly don't anticipate too many games going past the 13th inning. It accomplished the goal of shortening games while also giving the game the opportunity to conclude naturally first. 

[Hubs]

26 minutes ago, Second Base said:

I'm not opposed to the ghost runner, but I also don't love it's immediate implementation. I think a better arrangement might be...

10th inning: No changes.

11th inning: GR on first base 

12th inning: GR on second.

13th inning: GR on third.

14th inning: GR on first and third. 

15th inning: GR on second and third.

16th inning and on: Bases loaded nobody out. 

------------I honestly don't anticipate too many games going past the 13th inning. It accomplished the goal of shortening games while also giving the game the opportunity to conclude naturally first. 

The pitch clock keeps them short. The number of games over 3 hours has significantly declined, and the number of games over 4 hours is virtually non-existent. It's not needed. That being said I do like your idea, but I would say 10th & 11th no changes, 12th runner on first, 13th runner on second, etc.

[AngelsLakersFan]

6 hours ago, Stradling said:

I hate the free runner (not a ghost runner) but I would hate ties more.  Blame the players, they voted for this. 

Ties would be more fair. The “free” runner is essentially random. 

[Stradling]

23 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

Ties would be more fair. The “free” runner is essentially random. 

That both teams get, so it’s equally fair. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

Just now, Stradling said:

That both teams get, so it’s equally fair. 

They could decide the games on a dance contest and it would be equally fair by your definition but not a fair way to judge a baseball team.

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

They could decide the games on a dance contest and it would be equally fair by your definition but not a fair way to judge a baseball team.

Nor are ties

[AngelsLakersFan]

1 minute ago, Stradling said:

Nor are ties

If the two teams are tied after nine innings of baseball then I would say it’s accurate to call that a tie…

[Jeff Fletcher]

6 hours ago, Hubs said:

The pitch clock keeps them short. The number of games over 3 hours has significantly declined, and the number of games over 4 hours is virtually non-existent. It's not needed. That being said I do like your idea, but I would say 10th & 11th no changes, 12th runner on first, 13th runner on second, etc.

The rule was NOT created to shorten games. 
 

It was created to minimize the times that teams had to run through their pitching staff and make a bunch of transactions. They were trying to minimize all transactions when they were keeping players in a bubble. Then they just kept it because the players and teams liked it.