While Tuesday night’s swing-off was captivating, Tony Kornheiser does not want to see it outside of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
During Wednesday’s edition of Pardon the Interruption, Kornheiser acknowledged that while he didn’t like the swing-off idea, a conversation with Buster Olney changed his mind. Olney, who Kornheiser labeled “a baseball purist,” not only loved it but also noted how popular it was with both the fans in the stands and the players on the field. That said, he’s concerned that it will soon become how MLB regular season games are decided.
“And I have to say that I was influenced by that, that he liked it so much,” Kornheiser said of Olney. “Just don’t tell me that we’re gonna end every extra-inning game this way in the regular season. Don’t tell me that. It’s taken me a year-and-a-half to adjust to the ghost runner, and I think it’s OK. But I think, Mike, if given the option, I think players would vote for this. I do.”
While co-host Michael Wilbon didn’t seem to think it would be a regular-season thing, Kornheiser reiterated his concern.
“I’m worried this will be the new rule in two years for all games,” he said. “Regular-season games.”
Kornheiser’s sentiments were similar to those shared by WFAN’s Shaun Morash, who felt that, because of how well the swing-off was received that it would soon come to MLB’s regular season.
So, how likely are we to see Kornheiser and Morash’s prediction come true? At this point, it feels like a reach.
Both Tony Kornheiser and Shaun Morash mentioned the ghost runner as a sign that MLB is willing to do something drastic to deviate from custom. And while that’s true, the ghost runner also serves as an adequate defense against the swing-off. Extra-inning games don’t often go beyond 10 or 11 innings anymore. When they do, they at least frequently have the excitement of both teams scoring runs or at least the tension that comes when a runner is in scoring position in a tie game. That was implemented as a way to save pitchers’ arms and prevent games from being decided at 1 a.m. It’s done its job.
Another area where the swing-off potentially loses a lot of luster outside of All-Star Games is star power. More specifically, a lack of star power. While Tuesday’s swing-off might have been more interesting if it included the likes of Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Cal Raleigh, it featured six All-Star players. Is a regular season game between two teams that combine to have 1-2 All-Star hitters (if that) on the roster going to match the excitement of seeing some of the game’s best power hitters?
Finally, much of the excitement around the swing-off is buoyed by the game’s place on the sports calendar. Excitement around the NBA Finals and NBA Draft has worn down. We’re still a few weeks away from getting into NFL training camp. The middle of July is one of the slowest times on the sports calendar.
Because of that, anything that happens at the All-Star Game — good or bad — is going to generate a disproportionately high amount of buzz. But something at the All-Star Game being well-received does not mean that a regular season game between two non-contenders on a Thursday night in September, when there are NFL and/or college football games also being played, will get the same attention.
So, is it possible that the swing-off will make its way to the MLB regular season? Yes. But not without a few significant leaps in logic.