No, the SEC is the most competitive, highly scrutinized baseball league in the country apart from MLB itself. Even in the upper minors, winning isn’t everything. In the SEC, it just means… well, you know the line. And this league is instituting a run rule?

Maybe I'm in the minority as I've never really cared about College baseball except as an occasional diversion, but roughly in order of baseball things I care about:

1. The Yankees.
2. Yankees Prospects.
3. My cousin's sons' little league team.
3. Yankees drafts and International Signings.
4. The Long Island Ducks.
5. The Savannah Bananas.
6. My old High School Team.
.....
998. My old college team.
999. Every other college team and league.

If this keeps a few innings and pitches off of the arms of potential prospects in meaningless innings, good. The main potential negative I see is the potential for this to creep up through the ranks and eventually infect MLB itself.

The main potential negative I see is the potential for this to creep up through the ranks and eventually infect MLB itself.

That's what the article is about!

If this keeps a few innings and pitches off of the arms of potential prospects in meaningless innings, good. The main potential negative I see is the potential for this to creep up through the ranks and eventually infect MLB itself.

It probably keeps freshmen and bench players from having an opportunity to play in garbage time. I can understand this rule if you're trying to play several games in a day but if you only have one game scheduled you might as well play it out.

it's very regional, but college baseball is a big deal in some places - like the SEC, which has a lot of "AAA sized stadiums". Fans of that conference definitely engage in exceptionalism, but that line in the header is probably true.

Mercy rules - aka - Taking at bats and playing time from kids so their parents can end the embarrassment of a big defeat which proves they are failures as parents.

Can't wait for the whining in the SEC when a team runs a squeeze play in the bottom of the seventh with a nine run lead. (My guess it will be Vitello of Tennessee or Jay Johnson at LSU that would whine first.)

It probably keeps freshmen and bench players from having an opportunity to play in garbage time.

Do they still play JV games? Rosters too thin these days I'd guess.

Maybe it's my chess background but quitting when it's hopeless has always been fine with me. I'd imagine there hasn't been a "pro" chess game played to its conclusion in 50+ years. Granted, obvious differences for individual rather than team contests plus the freshman development angle. I'm sure it happens all the time in bridge too but this past weekend was the first time I noticed a team match conceded (I don't follow bridge either) but there was no point in wasting time playing it out.

I find college baseball to be very important for people who have kids that play college baseball. Everybody else could not care less.

baseball things I care about:

1. The Yankees.

Stopped reading there.

One thing that matters for the pros but not college is contract incentives. Players with a playing-time bonus or conditional option year are going to want to get every last PA or IP they can.

Mercy rule is one thing, but we need to eliminate the possibility of strategic forfeits before it gets started.

If there's anything that will make you pine for the good old days of "load management", it will be showing up at the ballpark to learn that there won't be a game played today, because the manager chose a strategic forfeit to save the bullpen.

Maybe I'm in the minority as I've never really cared about College baseball except as an occasional diversion, but roughly in order of baseball things I care about:

I was thinking that this was a very old-man thing to say, but after around a quarter-century on this site, I suppose most of us are old men now.

One thing that matters for the pros but not college is contract incentives. Players with a playing-time bonus or conditional option year are going to want to get every last PA or IP they can.

Good point, they'd have to work something out with the union. (Not that I expect to ever see this in MLB but then I never expected to see Manfred Men. Still I'm not concerned we'll ever see #10's scenario.)

after around a quarter-century on this site, I suppose most of us are old men now.

not bbc :-)

For those non-college baseball fans, would highly encourage them to go to a local game. You can sit in the 2nd row and drink beers all day for under $35. There are little leaguers running around in their game uniforms, old-timers holding court, and coeds partying in the sun. And there might be a raffle where you actually have a good chance to win. I used to go to a lot of Long Beach St games (Big West, which is notch below SEC) but I got to see a ton of future major leaguers play (Espinosa, Worley, Hampson, Duran, Duffy, etc). Also, they have occasional reunions where Giambi or Tulos or Weaver show up to dedicate facilities and such. Anyway, it's a blast.

Hombre Brotani Posted: February 10, 2023 at 04:30 PM (#6116444)

Maybe I'm in the minority as I've never really cared about College baseball except as an occasional diversion, but roughly in order of baseball things I care about:

I was thinking that this was a very old-man thing to say, but after around a quarter-century on this site, I suppose most of us are old men now.

- well, not ALL of us...

and i refuse to admit I am even (shudder) middle aged which i insist begins the year before senior citizen starts...

- college baseball is fine to go to because it is baseball and tickets are cheap without between innings delays and ads. and it is true that i know ima hear "which player is your kid" instead of "which player is your bf..."

i like trying to figure out which, if any, player looks like he's gonna be a major leaguer. i was right about lance berkman gonna be a STAH!!! we won't talk about the rest of them scouting reports done by mr

- as to forfeits:

little league: little kids get tired and overtired. there needs to most definitely be time limits. and sometimes a really really great team plays a really really BAD team and kidz get discouraged about scores of a zillion to zero. cmon.

as for older kidz, recently got dragged by a cousin to see her son's football game and, although i do not like football, i could tell that her kid's team looked like 12 year olds playing against NFL grown men and the game was over in the first 10 minutes of the first inning - the score was like 50-0 or something. but you know, her kid got to play - and on the other team, he wouldn't have got to be towel carrier. and the kidz KNOW they ain't gonna beat the other team, and they settle for trying to keep it under 100-0. so as they say, let the kidz play. besides, the cheerleaders and band members were having a blast and they are part of the game and i think it is not ok to tell everyone to go home after 10 minutes

- as for college: thing is, young males are NOT full grown with bones/muscles (and brains trust me on this) and there are only so many pitchers that can be on a team and i see no point in destroying elbows (as i learned from the WS winning Rice U team of 03 - phil humber, wade townsend and jeff nieman should have all been MLB STAHS!!! - who would POSSIBLY have believed tht paul janish would have had the longest MLB career of anyone on that team???? younevahknow) for a college win, so i agree with mercy rules/forfeits

- as for the pros:
minors - especially low minors, i don't follow any minor league teams, but i think throwing in the towel is a bad thing to teach.

pros: i object to forfeits or mercy rules. and guys put on second base like they are in little league all over again. SOMEbody on that pitching staff gotta mop up, just like it has been forevah - only thnig is that these days, the giant analytics teams take all that with a grain of salt. i object to putting in position players to pitch in the 5th inning - i can handle it in the 9th if the team is winning/losing by 10 or more runs. i paid for 8 1/2 - 9 innings minimum and i would NOT be real too happy to pay tons of $$$ to have one of the teams quit in the 3rd inning or whatevs. little kidz yes. grownass men playing at the highest professional level - HAILS no. it is fun to watch roy oswalt playing left field in the umpteenth inning, or seeing dae sung koo make a monkey of the yankees, or seeing brent mayne WIN a ballgame. 5th inning, NOPE

they COULD shorten the game by enforcing the RULE BOOK times between pitches and not letting batters step out with every swear words pitch. they KNOW it and just will NOT do it.