Kotsay on return of extra-innings rule: ‘It's exciting'

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Not everyone is a fan of the MLB’s extra-innings “ghost runner” rule, but Athletics manager Mark Kotsay is happy to see it return this season.

Word of several last-minute MLB rule changes leaked Tuesday, with Joel Sherman of the New York Post reporting that the league would keep its extra-innings rule in place for a third consecutive season.

Although MLB had agreed to return to nine-inning doubleheaders rather than last season’s seven-inning games, a runner will still be placed on second should a game go into extras in an effort to keep games shorter.

Some love the rule and some hate it, and A’s beat writer Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle shared via Twitter on Wednesday that Kotsay is a proponent of the ghost runner. 

“It brings strategy into the game quickly,” Kotsay said. “And from my standpoint looking back as a player, those 17-inning games are a grind. You know that there may be the possibility of a pitcher being sent out after because he just went three scoreless and you can’t use him tomorrow and you need innings in the bullpen.”

But the skipper knows the extra-innings rule isn’t popular with all baseball enthusiasts.

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“So I know a lot of traditionalists aren’t going to like it,” he continued, “but I do think it’s a positive for the game and it’s exciting -- in my mind, it’s exciting.”

Kotsay was able to send ghost runners home during extras as Oakland’s third base coach last season, but after being promoted to manager in December, he will now be able to use the rule to his advantage as he strategizes in extra innings.

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