The long winter of our discontent is over (a labor dispute between billionaire owners and millionaire ball players and a player lockout). The delayed MLB 2022 season is finally here.
The new player agreement comes with some new rules for the 2022 season. Let’s just say this is no longer the game that I used to play.
One of the differences that defined the American League from the National League was that in the American League, the game plan was to get a couple of guys on base and then hit a 3-run dinger in the seats. The National League game plan has always been to get a guy on base, and then bunt him over into scoring position, playing small ball. You call it fundamentals. I call it boring.
The American League has long had a designated hitter to hit for the pitcher. This has extended the careers of hitters who have thrilled fans with those 3-run dingers. The National League has always been the “purists” of the game who demanded that the pitcher bat. No longer.
New Rule:
Universal designated hitter in both leagues. Pitchers no longer will bat, with one exception, otherwise known as the Shohei Ohtani Rule: starting pitchers who are included in the batting order can remain in the order even once they’re done pitching. The league made this exception to not adversely affect one of the best players in baseball and the 2021 AL MVP.
Covid Season Rule Holdover:
Ghost Runners in extra innings: The rule that people love to hate is back! In extra innings, teams will place a runner on second at the beginning of each half inning. The idea being that having a “ghost runner” should cut down on lengthy extra inning games. The rule is supported by the players and managers. In 78 extra-inning games in 2020, only one game made it past the 13th.That is to say, the rule has been working as intended.
Covid Season Rule Change:
Doubleheaders: MLB will be going back to full nine-inning doubleheaders – unlike the seven innings format the league employed during the 2020 season. Got to sell more concessions, dontcha know.
Lockout related:
Until May 1st, rosters will be increased from 26 players to 28. More pitchers to make up for the shortened Spring Training.
What you really want to know: MLB predictions 2022: The Sporting News experts pick division winners, awards, World Series champ (condensed):
American League
East: Blue Jays
Central: White Sox
West: Astros
Wild Cards: Pick ’em.
National League
East: Braves
Central: Brewers
West: Dodgers
Wild Cards: Pick ’em.
You know what they say about preseason predictions: “that’s why we play the game.” 162 games is a long season. Anything can happen, and usually does.
Today is Opening Day, with a full slate of games scheduled.
Opening Day remains to this day an almost religious experience for me. It is the one day of the year when every team is tied for first place and everything is possible. The failures of the past season are forgotten and forgiven, and the hopes and dreams of every fan are that “maybe this year our team will win the pennant and go to the World Series.” There is a sense of possibility and hopeful optimism, a sense of renewal and rebirth with the coming of Opening Day.
Anticipation of Opening Day begins in late winter and grows stronger with each passing day. To this day, the four sweetest words in the English language are for me “pitchers and catchers report” to Spring Training. Childhood memories of playing Little League baseball and sandlot baseball can be triggered by the faintest scent of fresh cut grass on a warm spring day, the smell of a sun-warmed leather baseball glove, and the smell of popcorn and hot dogs wafting from a nearby vendor’s cart.
Despite the many failings of the asterisk* era of baseball, it has not diminished my love for the game. Nor can anyone ever take from me my memories of some of baseball’s greatest legends who I had the distinct privilege to see play, or my memories of some of the greatest games ever played which I can replay over again in my mind as if it were only yesterday.
James Earl Jones (as Terrence Mann) in the movie Field of Dreams said it best:
The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America is ruled by it like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. Oh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.
Let’s play ball!