06/21/2026 1:40p EDT Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers

[gehringer_2]

26 minutes ago, VegasTiger said:

Right fielder should have been standing where Vierlings ball dropped. Anything deeper would score a run anyway.

Montgomery in RF is an ex-pitcher with a 70+ rated arm. Generally, the rule is play as deep as you can throw out a runner,  which for him would be a little deeper than most. Certainly didn't work out for them though.

Edited June 21 by gehringer_2

[IdahoBert]

Dan Dickerson was talking about having the extra runner start on first instead of second. Scoring a run in extras would seem less fluky if they actually had to start on first rather than being immediately in scoring position.

Of course we mortals won’t be able to be a part of this situation. We’ll just have to live with whatever the masters of the universe decide.

[Sports_Freak]

2 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

I don't like those things either but it's not the same thing at all.  That is teams making strategic changes within the rules of the game.  The extra inning base runner is a forced artifical rule change which fundamentally alters the way the game is played.  

40,000 fans would have showed up without the rule change.  It was a big series and a lot of them thought Verlander was going to pitch!  

 

But the fact is that those are the rules now. I don’t like it any more than you do. But with a big series coming up against the highest AL scoring team, I would like it much, much less if the Tigers went 16 innings and totally wore out their bullpen.

My point about using multiple pitchers in a low scoring game was about these new rules. Teams use most of their bullpen in 9 inning games, their setup men and their closers. They're not going to hold their better BP pitchers back just in case there are extra innings. In today's modern game, there's not enough pitchers to play 14 or more inning games. Its just the way it is and all we can do as fans is either watch it or turn it off to send a message. And not enough people will turn it off to send a message. As a fan, I found today's win very exciting. But if we would have lost, I would be PO'ed.

Edited June 21 by Sports_Freak

[Sports_Freak]

45 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

Dan Dickerson was talking about having the extra runner start on first instead of second. Scoring a run in extras would seem less fluky if they actually had to start on first rather than being immediately in scoring position.

Of course we mortals won’t be able to be a part of this situation. We’ll just have to live with whatever the masters of the universe decide.

Dan probably knows most diehard fans hate the ghost runner. If MLB doesnt want games to go a lot of extra innings, just stop after 12 innings or so and declare it a tie. Other sports have ties, the game would survive.

[monkeytargets39]

2 hours ago, VegasTiger said:

Right fielder should have been standing where Vierlings ball dropped. Anything deeper would score a run anyway.

White Sox gonna White Sok

[casimir]

3 hours ago, chasfh said:

Inconvenient fact: Jahmai Jones kept us from losing this game in the ninth.

It's about time the guy got a little luck on his side.

Hustle is always appreciated.  Sometimes it’s the difference between one side of a fine line vs the other side.  It worked out here.

  

[casimir]

I got it.  In extra innings, the oldest member of the coaching staff or the most out of shape relief pitcher is the ghost runner.  Would that alleviate the angst?

[Sports_Freak]

Listening to the Chicago announcers when I watched them (to hear their disappointment 😆😆), they said the Tigers were 0-5 in extra innings. And Dingler leads MLB with 33 two out RBI. Yeah, clutch!!

[Sports_Freak]

28 minutes ago, casimir said:

I got it.  In extra innings, the oldest member of the coaching staff or the most out of shape relief pitcher is the ghost runner.  Would that alleviate the angst?

They could do something really stupid like hockey does. Have a home run derby to decide who wins the game. Talk about not real baseball...

[casimir]

1 minute ago, Sports_Freak said:

They could do something really stupid like hockey does. Have a home run derby to decide who wins the game. Talk about not real baseball...

Don’t give them any ideas.

[Tiger337]

1 hour ago, Sports_Freak said:

But the fact is that those are the rules now. I don’t like it any more than you do. But with a big series coming up against the highest AL scoring team, I would like it much, much less if the Tigers went 16 innings and totally wore out their bullpen.

My point about using multiple pitchers in a low scoring game was about these new rules. Teams use most of their bullpen in 9 inning games, their setup men and their closers. They're not going to hold their better BP pitchers back just in case there are extra innings. In today's modern game, there's not enough pitchers to play 14 or more inning games. Its just the way it is and all we can do as fans is either watch it or turn it off to send a message. And not enough people will turn it off to send a message. As a fan, I found today's win very exciting. But if we would have lost, I would be PO'ed.

OK, fine you like the extra inning runner now.  I still hate it and it is hurts my enjoyment of the game a lot.  And I am definitely not the only one.  If they started it in the 12th inning, it wouldn't happen as often and it wouldn't irritate us as much.  Instead of like 1 out of 10 games going to fake baseball, it would only be like 1 out of 40.  I could live with that.  

 

[Tiger337]

50 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

They could do something really stupid like hockey does. Have a home run derby to decide who wins the game. Talk about not real baseball...

Why is it bad? It would be the same rule for both teams and it would create a lot of excitement for fans.  

[lordstanley]

 

[Sports_Freak]

8 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

OK, fine you like the extra inning runner now.  I still hate it and it is hurts my enjoyment of the game a lot.  And I am definitely not the only one.  If they started it in the 12th inning, it wouldn't happen as often and it wouldn't irritate us as much.  Instead of like 1 out of 10 games going to fake baseball, it would only be like 1 out of 40.  I could live with that.  

 

How many times do I have to tell you I dont like it? But liking it and tolerating it aren't the same. I'm not going to turn it off if it goes extra innings. And if we win, I'll be happy about the fact we won. And when we lose, I'll complain about the ghost runner and how stupid it is. But, putting it into perspective, there are much bigger problems to complain/worry about. It's just a game...

[Sports_Freak]

7 hours ago, lordstanley said:

 

Watch him get on a roll now and hit .400 against LH pitchers. Turn those fans frowns upside down. 😅😅

[oblong]

Have there been any studies done on whether the ghost runner actually shortens the length of extra inning games?

 

[romad1]

8 minutes ago, oblong said:

Have there been any studies done on whether the ghost runner actually shortens the length of extra inning games?

 

Yes, and they do per SABR. 

I do miss 15 inning extra inning games but I'm sure the MLB Players Association loves the shorter games. 

[Sports_Freak]

16 minutes ago, romad1 said:

Yes, and they do per SABR. 

I do miss 15 inning extra inning games but I'm sure the MLB Players Association loves the shorter games. 

Bit like I said, the way teams use their bullpens now would make it very rare to get too long of a game. Setup men and closers are all used in the first 9 innings, leaving teams with the more hittable pitchers for extra innings. That Seattle/Detroit playoff game was a real rarity that wouldn't happen very often. So I think the ghost runner is pointless, teams should be able to score in extra innings without the help. Wasn't the rule originally put in because of some Covid reason?

[romad1]

1 minute ago, Sports_Freak said:

Bit like I said, the way teams use their bullpens now would make it very rare to get too long of a game. Setup men and closers are all used in the first 9 innings, leaving teams with the more hittable pitchers for extra innings. That Seattle/Detroit playoff game was a real rarity that wouldn't happen very often. So I think the ghost runner is pointless, teams should be able to score in extra innings without the help. Wasn't the rule originally put in because of some Covid reason?

welp

Ghost Stories and Zombie Invasions: Testing the Myths of Extra-Inning Outcomes – Society for American Baseball Research

[romad1]

I strongly hope to avoid any sort of shootout nonsense to resolve games.  

[Sports_Freak]

3 minutes ago, romad1 said:

I strongly hope to avoid any sort of shootout nonsense to resolve games.  

"Home run derby to decide extra inning games" is a headline I hope never to see.

So the ghost runner was started during covid. As were cutout cardboard fans in seats. I'm not sure what it would take to change the rule back other than people tuning out on TV or walking out in stadiums. And I don't see that ever happening. I wonder if teams have changed bullpen usage, knowing games mostly won't be going too long?

[oblong]

It's really no different I guess than the 3x3 in hocky OT.  Which I don't like either.  It changes the game.  But I guess the point is to just get home and be done with it.  Anybody bitching should have scored more during regulation.

[Edman85]

I am pro ghost runner. It does shorten games. Those lengthy extra inning games are slogs and completely wreck pitching staffs. I am glad there is no ghost runner in the playoffs. Alas, I had some major major stuff going on in my life and couldn't stay up for Game 3 last year.

[Tiger337]

4 hours ago, Sports_Freak said:

How many times do I have to tell you I dont like it? But liking it and tolerating it aren't the same. I'm not going to turn it off if it goes extra innings. And if we win, I'll be happy about the fact we won. And when we lose, I'll complain about the ghost runner and how stupid it is. But, putting it into perspective, there are much bigger problems to complain/worry about. It's just a game...

Yes, it's just a game, so why watch at all?  The game is more fun for me when it's played a certain way.  I don't like seeing a runner on second base when he or none of his teammates did absolutely nothing to get him there.  It completely disrupts the flow of the game and makes me lose interest.  Yesterday was such an exciting game that I stayed with it. Then I saw Will vest retire them 1-2-3 in the top of the inning and a run scored.  That is not baseball to me. I was happy to see them win, but it was too fake to really get the full effect.  I enjoyed the 9th inning a lot more than the 10th inning. 

[Sports_Freak]

46 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Yes, it's just a game, so why watch at all?  The game is more fun for me when it's played a certain way.  I don't like seeing a runner on second base when he or none of his teammates did absolutely nothing to get him there.  It completely disrupts the flow of the game and makes me lose interest.  Yesterday was such an exciting game that I stayed with it. Then I saw Will vest retire them 1-2-3 in the top of the inning and a run scored.  That is not baseball to me. I was happy to see them win, but it was too fake to really get the full effect.  I enjoyed the 9th inning a lot more than the 10th inning. 

And I dont like seeing a different pitcher for the 6th inning, 7th inning, 8th inning and 9th inning. I think it's really stupid and I fall back to a Jim Leyland comment..."keep changing pitchers and eventually one of them will give it up." He was old school and I even heard him say, about stats, "we don't play the game on a computer." Yeah, he usually said that kind of stuff with a mouthful of food. 😆😆

But my point is, the game seems to change and either go with it or just stop watching. Extra innings...complete games and bullpen usage is totally different than it was when I first started following but it's still the same game. A pitcher throwing the ball and a hitter trying to hit it. Its not fake, those guys are really competing in the same way they did for over 100 years.