Commissioner Rob Manfred is open to “non-radical” changes to baseball, but also wants to see a “kind of restoration” to the game.
Speaking Tuesday to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, Manfred said that banning the shift, eliminating seven-inning doubleheaders and playing extra-inning games without a runner starting the inning at second base will be part of the upcoming rules discussions with the MLB Players Association.
Manfred said the goal is to return the game to a sense of normalcy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“When we adopted seven-inning doubleheaders for this year, we didn’t know the country was going to look like it does now,” Manfred said in Denver before the All-Star Game. “We were scared it was going to look very, very different.
“It was a COVID-related change. I don’t think that seven-inning doubleheaders are going to be part of our future going forward.”
Manfred said much the same about the extra-innings rule.
As for the prevalence of shifts on defense, Double-A baseball is experimenting this season with a rule in which all four infielders must have their feet on the infield dirt. Manfred, recalling the baseball of his own childhood, indicated that he would like to see more action in the game.
“Let’s just say you regulated the shift by requiring two infielders on each side of second base. What does that do?” Manfred said. “It makes the game look like what it looked like when I was 12 years old. … It’s not change, it’s kind of restoration. That’s why people are in favor of it. Front offices, in general, believe it will have a positive effect on the play of the game.”
First pitch. Rockies icon Todd Helton and former Broncos great Peyton Manning joined forces to throw out the first pitch before Tuesday night’s game. The catcher was Rockies pitcher German Marquez, the Rockies’ lone participant in the All-Star Game.
Helton and Manning are friends, and both played quarterback at the University of Tennessee. Helton stood by as Manning actually threw the first pitch, bouncing it low and outside. Helton is still hobbled by a broken leg he suffered last year.
Arenado’s cheers. The biggest cheers during pregame introductions were reserved for former Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, who was traded to St. Louis in February.
Before the game, Arenado said he was more relaxed than he was when he returned to Denver with the Cardinals for a series on July 1-4.
“This is awesome,” he said. “It feels great, to be in a relaxed environment. Don’t get me wrong, we obviously really want to win. But to be here at Coors, surrounded by all of these great players, it’s the best.”
Catching Story. Most Rockies fans know that bench coach Mike Redman pitched to Trevor Story during Monday night’s Home Run Derby. But bullpen catcher Aaron Munoz was behind the plate and he said it was a night he’ll cherish.
“It was incredible, something very special … something I will never forget,” Munoz said. “And when Nolan (Arenado) and German Marquez went out there to pump up Trevor and pump up the crowd, it was really electric. I got goosebumps.”
