Historical stuff below but here's the solution, which should have been implemented a century ago. Better late than never.
The team at bat has the option to substitute a pinch runner for the batter who just walked and the batter gets a new Plate Appearance (PA). This would eliminate any incentive to walk the batter "intentionally".
The pinch runner may be any player regardless of whether he has been removed, is currently in the game or has not yet played. His status is not changed. Exceptions:
- the player is already on base
- the player is on deck as the next batter as this may cause unnecessary delay and/or confusion.
This rule likely will be invoked only for the best hitters and even then only in certain beneficial circumstances.
Babe Ruth revolutionized baseball in 1920 when he broke the season Home Run (HR) record for the second consecutive year. Ruth became the first player to hit 30, 40, 50 HR all in 1920. The Babe broke his own record of 29 by hitting 54 HR. 1920 was Ruth's first season playing for the New York Yankees who became the first team to have home attendance of more than one million fans.
Ruth's walk rate (Bases on Balls (BB)/ PA) increased from 18.6% (1919) to 24.3% (1920). In the next couple of years it dropped to 20.9% and 16.9% but spiked back up to 24.3% in 1923 when Ruth set the BB record of 170. That record stood for 78 years.
1911 Jimmy Sheckard 147 (4 HR) 20.8%
1920 Babe Ruth 150 (54 HR) 24.3%
1923 Babe Ruth 170 (41 HR) 24.3%
2001 Barry Bonds 177 (73 HR) 26.7%
2002 Barry Bonds 198 (46 HR) 32.4%
2004 Barry Bonds 232 (45 HR) 37.6%
Ruth had at least 100 BB 12 times. 2,062 career BB 19.4 % of PA.
| Rank | Player (yrs, age) | Bases on Balls | PA | Bats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Barry Bonds (22) | 2558 | 12606 | L |
| 2. | Rickey Henderson+ (25) | 2190 | 13346 | R |
| 3. | Babe Ruth+ (22) | 2062 | 10628 | L |
| 4. | Ted Williams+ (19) | 2021 | 9792 | L |
| 5. | Joe Morgan+ (22) | 1865 | 11329 | L |
| 6. | Carl Yastrzemski+ (23) | 1845 | 13992 | L |
| 7. | Jim Thome+ (22) | 1747 | 10313 | L |
| 8. | Mickey Mantle+ (18) | 1733 | 9910 | B |
| 9. | Mel Ott+ (22) | 1708 | 11347 | L |
| 10. | Frank Thomas+ (19) | 1667 | 10075 | R |
| 11. | Eddie Yost (18) | 1614 | 9177 | R |
Recently some attention has turned to BB but with no reasonable suggestion of fundamental change.
Yankee slugger Aaron Judge so far in 2024 has had two 4 BB games and three 3 BB games. Judge leads MLB with 42 HR through August 12, 2024: 119 Yankee games. Judge also leads with 98 BB 18.7%.
Judge should reach 50 HR for the third time and maybe 60 HR for the second time. Judge set the American League (AL) record with 62 HR in 2020.
4 BB games:
Judge: BB, leadoff HR, BB, BB, BB
Baseball needs to get the best hitters up much more often and when they are batting let them swing the bat.
Recommendations:
Start each inning with the top of the order.
Three designated fielders: six man batting order, the fewest so that a batter does not come up with himself on base.
At the very least: one designated fielder: 8 man batting order.
Pitchers are not baseball players. Don't let them dressing up fool you. They are like the soccer style place kickers in the NFL who wear the uniform but are not football players. Imagine requiring that every 9th offensive play the place kicker must replace the quarterback. What the heck sense would that make?
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