What is the "Golden A-Bat" rule in MLB? - The Michael Kay Show TMKS Dec 3 2024

[@thomashartmann2891]

Kay is way wrong on this one. It’s not a “legitimate” change.

[@thomasgotting6105]

The problem isn't baseball or NASCAR or the NBA, the problem is society. Through the internet and social media, we have educated people to believe that excitement is available anytime, anywhere. Because of the massive sensory overload, people get bored of a baseball game because they no longer have the stamina to follow the game. If you give people even more sugar with a golden at-bat, you will only accelerate this sensory overload until people need something new again. What makes baseball and all the big moments so special is the fact that they happened naturally and that they don't happen that often. The three World Series games in NYC in 2001 were pure ecstasy and fans remember them to this day. But if you create things like that every night, the special moments become completely meaningless.

[@cutter7515]

I couldn't agree more 👍👍

[@stevenklocinski8558]

Completely agree. I'm a big F1 fan as well as baseball and football, and in F1 they've done a similar thing with sprint races before the Gran Prix. Sure it's fun to watch but the drivers hate it. I think baseball players would hate this.

[@thomasgotting6105]

@@stevenklocinski8558 I'm big F1 fan too and watching it for 30 years now and yes, 24 races are too much, the Sprint is so la la, Pirelli is really bad. It is not about racing anymore, it is about creating an artificial show. One day you will have a golden at-bat in every inning and after that, every at-bat will be done by Judge, Ohtani... Who wants to understand whats wrong in sports, should watch the intro of the movie Baseketball from 1998.

[@chipperjones4870]

FACTS

[@meetmeontheflipside6299]

Thank you!!!!

[@nicholasprescott6456]

The money in baseball is killing baseball. Changing the game and adding gimmicks won't save it. Gambling is a problem, ticket prices are a problem, food prices and parking are a problem, ads being injected into every square inch is a problem, and worst of all, the blackouts.

[@nohalfsteppin2823]

MLB has turned into WWE

[@tonybridgeforth4188]

How?

[@nohalfsteppin2823]

@tonybridgeforth4188 lol you must be a young kid this aint the same sport i grew up on put it that way

[@trevorrivas4020]

This is the first time I’ve seen Michael be so far off on a take. To me it sucks watching my team lose in the 9th with the bottom of our batting order due up, but come on man to make it so teams can just throw their best player in whenever they want as a “Golden At Bat”, that would just ruin the game. It rewards teams for being bad and helps them get lucky at the end of the game. Baseball the way it is, is perfect. I love the strategy of baseball and the way it’s played and sometimes because of that you see guys like Anthony Volpe hitting a Grand Slam in Game 4 of the World Series

[@ShashwatPBaxi1987]

I’m stunned that Kay took this stance on this. I thought he would be absolutely against it.

[@madwax1360]

This is the dumbest thing I ever heard

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

Here's a much smaller change that would have the same effect without fundamentally changing the sport: Allow reuse of players. Maybe limit it to 1 player reused a game. That makes the bench more valuable. And you CAN use that to do the same thing, remove Judge for another defender, then swap him with the guy at the plate. But it wouldn't happen 100 games a year per team. Because there are other times to use that rule, bring an opener back as a closer, maybe. Pinch run for Stanton in the 3rd and then bring him back for his next at bat. That, to me, feels more like the substitutions that happen in other sports and not like little league.

[@strange-universe]

I now know the answer to this trivia question: when did Michael Kay lose his mind and I stopped listening to him.

[@damiankildare9230]

You want more youth to take an interest in baseball? Take their phone, gaming device and streaming platform away and give them 4 channels to watch that all have commercials. The game of baseball should not be ruined to further spoil the youth in this country.

[@dennisclarke6456]

The term “unsung hero” will cease to exist…

[@potatolover7299]

I don’t think you need to change rules to make more people watch baseball. I think most people that don’t like baseball don’t understand or think it’s just boring. Adding a golden at bat won’t change that mindset much. If you want to make baseball more “exciting” then add more offense with juiced balls or different field dimensions

[@Gala_tha_Prince]

Golden at bat , are you kidding me. What has the conversation even come to at this point. Baseball was here long before these guys trying to mess with it.

[@Gala_tha_Prince]

And the runner on 2nd is completely ridiculous as well.

[@jackbartlett30]

And baseball is dying

[@jpcoqueran]

this doesnt happen if baseball was in a good place. Older folk are the best and worst part of the game. Be crabby in silence. The Rule is great, but not perfect.

[@Gala_tha_Prince]

@@jpcoqueran I’m only 25 , this is the most outlandish and brattiest rule I’ve ever heard. Does the batting order not mean anything anymore? Im seriously asking. That is part of the strategy of baseball. I’ve coached youth aau baseball for 5 seasons , the kid are in LOVE with this game.

[@PianoUniverse]

@@Gala_tha_Prince I hate that rule.

[@newyorkerinvegas]

Kay commenting on arrogance is the great example to hypocrisy you'll hear today.

[@JustinDeLaCruz-c5d]

Manfred already had his chance to juice baseball. Unfortunately he decided to rest on his laurels and crown the Houston Astros 2017 World Series Champions. We deserve better.

[@ivandesantis858]

Because the Astros won. ON THE FIELD !! Talk of vacating their title was just another stupid idea that crybaby Yankee boy Kay wanted.

[@robertmccune.]

Stugotz from LeBatard recommended this exact rule change to Manfred several years ago. He laughed at him and said he wasn’t being serious. Now all of a sudden it’s a good idea? It’s not.

[@KylerLamb]

Let’s just all agree this rule is stupid and to even consider it is laughable. You can’t turn baseball into a circus.

[@timgrover7687]

Lets make sure we don't alienate the fans we do have with gimmicks.

[@nowtheworld138]

Kay is so arrogant

[@roberturibe3150]

The stupidest idea in the history of baseball

[@Stacey_-bf2mb]

They really could just put the games live on KZbin and run ads in between lmao

[@roccoedwards]

Basketball was better before 1979?? I doubt it

[@commentpocket1236]

Why is no one talking about how instead of a golden ab it should just be that each team is allowed to reset their lineup ONCE when they come up in the 9th only. Whoever would have been up, whoever was just up in the 8th, doesn't matter, you can start from your one hitter again and go in order from there. Basically it would really require teams to put their most impactful hitters in the top 3 but they already do that. It takes away the ridiculousness of having to face the same batter in back to back ABs

[@danielk9067]

I'm with Don here - the DH was implemented because people didn't want to see a pitcher who is an automatic out. When you have a nine man lineup, it is a disgrace if you concede that unless it's Aaron Judge batting that player is not worthy of the big moment. Think about some of the greatest moments in Yankees history - Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, other incredible walk off home runs. If you're a hitter in major league baseball you should be expected to produce. Furthermore, I am a lifelong Yankees fan, North Jersey born and raised, but I've lived my adult life in Philadelphia - I don't get the YES network here so I am a perfect example of the non-regional fans that Don is talking about. This is too big of a change.

[@LBC1107]

The question about why hockey and baseball are regional? Why we only like our teams? Because NHL and MLB have been around for over a 100 years. Hockey and baseball was the popular sports 60 70 years ago. Fans of the teams are die hard fans. Took a long time for football and NBA catch up and move past.

[@devinloconte4746]

The golden at bat rule is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of. People aren’t watching baseball because you keep putting games on peacock and Apple TV. Pretty simple

[@aaabbb4353]

Getting rid of commercial breaks & filling the gap with good insights from broadcasters wlb be a start. Not changing the rules of the game. You guys are addicted to Benjamins, that's what the problem is.

[@adamlevine6700]

The problem is ALWAYS capitalism; The drive for more profit. We can't have the game we love because its owners want more money.

[@aaabbb4353]

@@adamlevine6700 This f*cking money !! Like it's never enough !!!

[@insert_clever_name126]

Lmao that’s revenue. Rules need changes. Fresh changes are good sometimes. Baseball fans are such cry babies.

[@JuanAlmonte-rf7xk]

There are too many teams,the talent is decent but certain markets just don’t work!

[@clarkgimenez9576]

The umpires suck. Why can’t only the best home plate umps work the plate? No we have to endure an ump who only gets 76% of calls right or extremely hitter or pitcher friendly. That’s infuriating. How about fix the obvious with either challenge calls at the plate or just using friggin good home plate umps.

[@cutter7515]

Been watching MLB for 50 years if they do this I'm done with it

[@godzillatimmy]

I just want to know how many times is it used per game? We all know Judge strikes out a ton, especially in the playoffs. Also, are the players going to be mentally prepared to hit again if they're selected? Especially after a long, grinding at bat that ended in an out?

[@joelfermin9246]

Just by bringing this ridiculous proposal is hurting baseball

[@devinloconte4746]

Aaron Boone isn’t the Yankees manager if they had the Golden at bat.

[@timgrover7687]

The Golden at Bat Rule is bull shit. The game don't need to be juiced. People need to turn their cell phone off and watch the game.

[@peterpalleschi634]

If they allow the Golden at bat, they should allow a Pitcher to pitch to that batter only. It will delay the game

[@cashmoney6935]

Kevin Pritchard? Nice pull? You mean Peyton??

[@cami-loo108]

We are now in the Savannah Banana era of MLB. Let's roll out a big vending machine in the hitters circle and have the hitter put a coin in it to dispense the "Golden Bat" Well one thing you can say about Manfred is that he knows how to put MLB in the headlines. He has EVERY sports commentator and hot taker talking about thid. The screaming by the way is not neccessary.

[@keithconnell8460]

This is bad news. Baseball already has enough problems (the money being the biggest) without this nonsense.

[@roccoedwards]

This was my idea!!

[@scottbryan455]

"You need to make the game more appealing to young people." Why, so the players and owners can make more money? Really? As if they don't have enough money already. Where does it stop? An Xbox at every seat and a twerking area in every section? Some of us love baseball. Some people don't and show up because they get a free ticket. What no one is saying is how many people are you going to gain with these gimmicks versus how many are you going to lose over the stupidity of said gimmick. How about fix the real problems like creating more parity, not putting a band aid on the problem. Yeah, Michael, we see what is happening. Your take is assinine. Don is right, fix the blackout rule, there's one. If you want more people to watch, how about allowing people to watch!?

[@jacobrobertson9385]

Will Michael Kaye please debate Rob Parker about this

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

It isn't exciting if it happens 1500 times a season. It robs those rare moments of their excitement. I hate the runner at 2nd in extra innings and I hate the golden at bat rule. Pretty much all the other rule changes are great. Don is right, the biggest problem is that it's too hard to actually WATCH THE DAMN GAMES. I'm lucky that I don't live in New York and that I get free MLB tv with T-Mobile. Otherwise, I couldn't watch my team.

[@KeenVanguard]

So the Yankees lose EVERY GAMES cause Judge gets an ounce of pressure. NO THANK YOU

[@jpcoqueran]

Uhh yes please.

[@bobderp24]

Might be one of the worst takes of the year. Guess we just kiss the next man up mentality goodbye. No more moments when the guy you don’t expect to get done miraculously does and he becomes a cult hero.

[@john-i9w3f]

i didnt even want them to get rid of the dh in the n.l. all these new rules r horrible worst commissioner ever

[@chrisweidner4768]

The golden at bat. More humiliation created by Manfred and his gang of sycophants.

[@rossdilworth3412]

The rule is stupid. Aaron judge may come up in the ninth, he may not. That's baseball. Michael claims to be a baseball fan. Great.

[@TonyTheTigerTHEBOY]

How to young kids to watch - let them. Impossible to watch games unless you buy MLBTV. And then, games aren’t accessible because they’re blacked out in their market.

[@NatTurnerswitBurnerz]

Impossible?? 😂😂😂

[@jasondonnelly1861]

I don't like that rule cuz that's not what baseball is and honestly I wouldn't want a judge to have the last at that he's not that clutch

[@Jay_blood99]

This is stupid. What happens if in the 9th inning yankees down by one. Runner on first. Judge hits a double so now runners on 2nd and 3rd. Gonna hit aaron judge again bcuz he's your best hitter right ?

[@insert_clever_name126]

Why the hell not? Steph curry or LeBron can take the last 7 shots in a row how is this different? Baseball fans are so stubborn

[@Jay_blood99]

@insert_clever_name126 bcuz baseball rules are just different . Now you're burning a pinch runner. Now let's say judge brings in the tying run but it goes into the 10th ? Now you're short a man. Some things need to change but this isn't one. Now if the hitter you want isn't coming up that inning then fine but to bat twice in the same inning is crazy. And it's not stubborn, you just have to make it make sense. Also if this golden bat rule becomes a thing then throw away the record books. Now the best hitters have automatic 5 at bats a game to do damage

[@insert_clever_name126]

So many cry baby baseball fans. Baseball is the only sport stuck. Fans lose their minds any time a rule gets changed. Baseball is the only sport where the final seconds of the game aren’t always gonna be the best vs the best. Almost never actually. This is the start of a good idea.

[@LBC1107]

This is a good idea for a Yankees fan. When Judge is at the plate. Wont be if they lose because it's Soto on another team. Leave it the way it is. Why is baseball the way it is? Because of the Soto free agent race. Only a few teams can compete. The media ruined the game. All you guys want is New York and LA. All the attention is on them big market teams. They have the money because of it. They then attract the free agents. Pittsburgh and Tampa or Oakland are farm teams. I hate seeing same teams in sports winning. Baseball is great because it's not perfect. There are perfect moments. Live on in history. This change would be stupid.

[@cashmoney6935]

Would Mariano Rivera want to face Barry Bonds twice in game 7 of a wprld series? Hell no wtf 😂

[@raulrosario8725]

So ya complaining about it, Wouldn’t you rather have Soto or Judge instead of Trevino that one at bat in the World Series?

[@arsmor1end1]

Who gives a f*ck about Rob Manfred's feelings? It's a bad idea. Say what you want about changes to extra-inning rules, but they're a vast improvement over 15-inning games, especially for casual fans (and pitching rotations). The pitching clock and disengagement rules have definitely improved the watchability of the game in a number of ways, without undermining the general tenets of the game. The "Golden" whatever rule in regulation is completely lame.

[@Kothe5mv]

yeah I'm good on that rule. Cool with the pitch clock and adjustments but this is too much of a leap. You can't piss off your core fan base in the pursuit of new customers. Well you can, but you risk ruining what people liked about the product in general.

[@comedychrises]

If the league really wants to get serious about fixing it's national relevance problem, it'll start by adding a salary cap. Can't keep fans in 26 markets interested knowing they are feeder teams for big markets. What do you expect them to keep coming back hoping they have 1 good season for every 10? You have 20 small market teams with zero chance of competing long term.

[@henryvaldez8656]

I think that's a great idea it's better than man on second rule! Jajaja 😂

[@tspring12]

Lost respect for Kay on this topic. He's trying to be like Stephen A and Skip Bayless with the awful hot takes on stuff. He just wants to argue the masses rather than give his own opinion. He totally contradicts himself multiple times

[@SnakesGaming2016]

holy shit michael is wrong

[@jasondonnelly1861]

You took eyes off of baseball when they started going to other streaming sites if Michael Kay wants to pay for all those subscriptions for me great but I'm not paying for all the subscription just to watch a baseball game

[@Dave_Mayberry]

In 1960, the Pirates wanted Clemente up, not Mazeroski…Baseball is the sport where your Walter Mitty fantasies have a chance to become true… Manfred is the biggest a-hole and threat to the game since Kuhn…Someday, some of the rules will go back to normal, but this rule is idiotic at face value, moronic upon serious consideration… thought Kay was being sarcastic, but nope… He’s too close to the forest to see the tree…A legitimate change?? All of a sudden “ghost runners” larger bases, and robotic umpires seem almost quaint compared to this turkey of an idea…🙄

[@jodymoney1186]

Wait...those of us who didn't like the pitch clock have all been told it's a tremendous success. If baseball is still dying, was that not true? It sounds like those of us who love the sport's tradition are getting set up for another bait-and-switch. The "golden at-bat" will be implemented, we'll all be lectured about how it's beloved...but then the screeching about baseball dying and the need for more rule changes will begin again. Wash, rinse, repeat. These MTV Rock N Jock advocates need to argue honestly if they want this conversation to go anywhere with fans. I think Don is fundamentally right. If the game is actually dying, it isn't because there aren't enough gimmicks. It's because baseball is trying to avoid thinking about what really matters: accessibility.

[@jeremyboecker9236]

And for some reason they keep selling out seats at the stadiums. I think what they mean is baseball is dying in cities like Oakland, Tampa Bay rays, teams that get no attendance. Because it's not dying in LA, NY, Philadelphia..ATL

[@jodymoney1186]

@jeremyboecker9236 - right? It's dying...but it also wants to expand to Salt Lake City, Nashville, and maybe Portland. Pick a lane, folks.

[@tomking31]

My team loses, so, the game is broken?

[@candelasfragrances8612]

In Soccer games, the best player takes the penalty.

[@SwagMasterDank]

And there’s consequences for sucking… relegation. You best believe these baseball owners would start spending money if they faced relegation. No more tanking season after season and running a payroll so low it’s embarrassing. Meanwhile the owner is pocketing the “revenue sharing” money from the teams willing to spend and willing to put out a winning baseball team for their fans.

[@cashmoney6935]

​@@SwagMasterDank Soccer has the same parity problem as the mlb. Only 5-6 teams really spend money in the premier leauge. Everyone else loses their young prospects and fights for scraps in transfers

[@DC64_chea]

Bad take by Kay. We already have a universal DH, relief pitching restrictions, pitch clock, pick off restrictions and bigger bases. These are more than enough to move the game quicker and make for more "exciting" offense! There's a reason we have so many players joining the 30-30, 40-40 clubs and oh yeah... Ohtani just created the 50-50 club!

[@DC64_chea]

Also, Don hit the nail on the head. I subscribe to mlb tv but I also need apple tv, paramount, youtube tv and so forth just to watch all of my teams games. Its ridiculous

[@justinpolanco3729]

This is the dumbest take

[@josephvaccaro6940]

Peter and Michael you are a bunch of clowns. Pinch hitter instead of golden AB...

[@DrocksErocks]

Kay is and always will be a hack POS (Peter is just a moron tbh). This won’t bring eyes to the game…because a FEW teams could possibly let a superstar bat ONE extra time at the end of the game we’re gonna get more eyeballs? Stop. Spare us. The pitch clock changed the game and it made sense why. Shortened games are more appealing especially with 162 games in a season. Also didn’t really change a fundamental part of the game. Just made pitchers and batters not allowed to waste time. This is a fundamental change that does not have a reasonable and logical and PRACTICAL upside Joe in Des Moine, Idaho who casually roots for the Yankees is not going to watch more baseball because maybe Aaron judge who batted second will be able to replace Anthony Volpe batting 8th in the bottom of the ninth down by two. JUST STOP

[@raybohn5753]

Baseball is suffering?

[@jpcoqueran]

suffering? maybe not, but growing? absolutely not in the speed that they want

[@raysfan4211]

First ghost runners now just letting your hitters come up when u want this is the major's right cause this is some little league shit 😂

[@bwestby1]

Hahaha this is too good.

[@g311music]

The only reason Michael Kay feels this way is because the Yankees roster is dreadful of course he wants Aaron Judge at bat all the time but wtf I seriously thought Kay would go the other direction on this one he hates the Manfred Ghost Runner but now loves this crappy idea? You’re a very strange man Michael Kay!

[@jay-r6744]

Yeah especially when the ghost runner is really only to keep from 15 inning games in the regular season and isn’t the case in the playoffs.

[@SwagMasterDank]

I think he made it quite clear he didn’t endorse the idea. If he doesn’t vehemently hate the “golden at bat” he now suddenly loves it? Nope.

[@moonman2467]

Put the damn game on ch. 11. Why have a million apps to watch these stupid games. lol.