My modest suggestion for improving the ghost-runner rule

The ghost-runner rule is here to stay, sources say.

In all extra inning games -- at least during the regular season -- a runner will be placed on second base to begin the 10th inning, and in every extra inning after that, until a winner is determined.

Am I a fan of this rule? No. 

Unlike a lot of folks, I think it's fun on those rare occasions when a game would last 14, 15 innings or more. One of my favorite baseball memories came in July 2006, when I attended this 19-inning game between the White Sox and the Boston Red Sox. It's a little sad to know there's almost no chance I'll ever be at a game such as that again. The odds of a game lasting 19 innings in this era are almost nil.

This rule was first instituted to preserve pitchers' arms during the pandemic-shortened season of 2020. How big of an impact has the rule had, you ask?

Well, here are the numbers: In 2019, the last season before this rule was implemented, 37 games went 13 innings or longer. Eight games went 15 innings or longer. Last season, in 2022, there were only 11 games that lasted 13 innings or longer. A game lasting 15 innings or longer? Ummm ... those are extinct.

And, of course, the run-scoring increases quite a bit in extra innings under this rule. How often have you seen a game go to extra innings with the score tied at 3, and the final score ends up being 7-6? Happens all the time now, right? So, yes, this rule is fundamentally changing the game.

While I might not be a fan, the rule is definitely here to stay. Front offices like it because it eliminates the roster juggling that becomes necessary the day after a game that goes 15 innings or more. Players like it because it eliminates five-hour games and the like. Pitchers, in particular, like it because getting games over reduces wear on their arms.

So, everyone likes it except curmudgeons like me. However, here's my modest suggestion: I think I would be OK with this rule if the ghost-runner started the inning on first base, not second. The odds of the offense scoring are still increased, but it creates a little more of a challenge.

At minimum, the offensive team would more than likely have to get at least one hit in the inning to score a run if the runner starts on first. Also, if the runner starts on first, that puts the stolen base and the hit-and-run more in play for the offensive team's manager. Those are plays that I would like to see more often in baseball.

I'm just looking for a middle ground here. I know nobody wants to hear an old man yelling at clouds, trying to switch things back to the way they used to be. So, I'm accepting change as inevitable. I'd just like to see a different kind of change than the one that's being implemented.