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Why MLB owners want bigger bases, explained

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. You may have come here wondering why Major League Baseball owners want bigger bases going forward. Wondering what’s up with that? We’re here to help.

The MLB lockout continues, but there’s been progress when it comes to rule changes.

Among the changes that the MLB Players Association agreed to in 2023 were a pitch clock, outlawing the defensive shift … and bigger bases?

Initially, that may seem kind of ridiculous. But as we’ll get into, it’s actually a smart idea that’s been tested:

... Bigger bases?

Yup! And they were tested in the minor leagues:

How much bigger are we talking here?

This big:

No, I’m kidding.

The bigger bases in the minors were 18 inches square instead of 15.

And why is this a thing?

Think about it. Given the game in 2021 — with the ball in play less than ever between the shift, pitchers throwing better than ever and hitters going more for dingers and striking out more — there needs to be more action.

So this is one way to do it. You could get more stolen base attempts and perhaps more safe calls at first.

There’s another change. From the New York Post in 2021:

You know the play in which a guy steals second base, pops up and separates from the bag for a blink as the middle infielder keeps his glove on him, which replay confirms upon a manager challenge, thereby sending the baserunner back to the dugout? Wouldn’t it be great if that play ceased to exist? While full eradication might prove too ambitious, a bigger base surely would help.

“The current base, if you don’t hit the front of it and stop, you’re going through it,” Chris Marinak, MLB’s chief operations and strategy officer, told The Post on Thursday in a telephone interview. “And this base is a little more forgiving in the sense that, if you hit the front of it, hopefully there’s more catch on the base. You can actually stop on the bag without popping off. Certainly that’s one of the ideas behind it.”

 

That's it?

There’s also a possibility it prevents more injuries at second base for the fielder in a double-play situation.

I get it! Can you show me more bigger bases jokes? Those are funny.

Sure!

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