Rob Manfred Provides Update On ‘Golden At Bat’ Proposal

Major League Baseball and Commissioner Rob Manfred sent shockwaves throughout the baseball world this past week by suggesting the league could adopt a controversial new rule.

Dubbed the "Golden At Bat," teams would be allowed to choose one time during a game where they could substitute their preferred hitter no matter where they are in the lineup. Say it's the bottom of the seventh inning with the bases loaded and two outs in a one-run game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts could call on Shohei Ohtani to pinch hit for say, the seventh hitter in the lineup. And then have him hit again in the eighth inning from the leadoff spot.

Baseball fans, purists, and current and former players understandably went ballistic.

READ: Roger Clemens Makes Good Point About Proposed MLB Rule Change

Speaking to the Italian American Baseball Foundation in New York on Thursday, Manfred pumped the brakes a bit on the Golden At Bat idea.

CLEVELAND - MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and All-Star game MVP Shane Bieber #57 of the Cleveland Indians during the 2019 MLB All-Star Game at Progressive Field on July 9, 2019. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

Rob Manfred Says Not To Worry About Golden At Bat Rule

Manfred explained this week that we're not likely to see this rule actually show up in MLB anytime soon.

"To go from the conversation stage to this actually showing up in MLB is a very long road," Manfred said to the Yes Network on Thursday. "You don't like the idea? I wouldn't be too concerned about it right now."

"It was a very preliminary conversation which did create some buzz," he continued. "I do encourage the owners to have conversations about the game.

"It has come out that I have spoken publicly about this kind of change years ago, that I was not particularly in favor of it," Manfred said. "That remains the case."

Several of Manfred's initiatives, the pitch clock, bigger bases, shift bans and mound visit restrictions, have been unqualified successes. The game feels and plays faster, and ratings and attendance figures bear out the success of those rule changes. 

But the golden at bat would fundamentally change the game, even more so than the ghost runner in extra innings. And would take out one of the biggest advantages for teams that attempt to build a complete roster and complete lineup. Thankfully it doesn't seem likely to come into play anytime soon, if ever.