On-Air Now
On-Air Now
Listen Live from the Casino Matrix Studio

Jeff Samardzija explains why MLB should eliminate extra-inning games in regular season

By

/


© Troy Taormina | 2018 May 23


Over the past 10 years, only one team (Angels) has played more regular-season extra-inning games than the Giants’ 166. If it was up to Jeff Samardzija, that number over the next 10 years would be zero.

Samardzija thinks the MLB should do away with extra-inning games in the regular season, and said that the league should adopt a system that incorporates ties, similar the English Premier League.

“The only one I care about is I just think you could change the points system,” Samardzija said via Kerry Crowley of the San Jose Mercury News. “I don’t think we need to play extra-inning games. We want to keep the game times down. End them in a tie, everyone gets one point like the Premier League. A win gets three points. Just end it at nine.

“We’re playing 162 games. Over that course of games, you should be able to tell who the best team is. That makes the ninth inning exciting all the time. And really, who wants to go out there and play 15 innings? The relievers don’t want it. The position players don’t want it. The managers don’t want it. Then they’ve got to move rosters around the next day. Obviously every game is important now with the extra wildcard. I just think it keeps every game important and again, it just kind of eliminates some innings that a lot of guys don’t want to play. But again, that’s a little wild for people.”

The MLB recently announced a number of rule changes this week to go into affect over the next two seasons. With commissioner Rob Manfred showing a proclivity to think outside the box, perhaps Samardzija’s suggestion will be taken into account in the near future.