Jul 7, 2021 5 min read

Through the first six weeks of the Frontier League season, the Wild Things have not had a game go longer than 10 innings.

They have had two 10-inning games, each ending in losses. In other words, they fell one clutch hit shy of having the game decided by the Frontier League’s newest gimmick to shorten games – batting practice.

To be more accurate, a home run derby.

The league made several rules changes for 2021 but none is more drastic, or more criticized, than the new format for extra-innings games.

From 2015 through 2019, the league used the international tiebreaker – a baserunner starts each half-inning at second base – beginning in the 11th inning. This year, if a game is tied after nine innings, the 10th inning will be played with international tiebreaker rules. If the score remains tied after the 10th inning, then a home run derby will determine the winner.

Here is how it works:

• Each team will select three players to participate. The player can be anybody on the roster. Players who were removed from the game can return to participate in the derby.
• Each player gets eight pitches (not strikes or swings). After all six players have had their eight pitches, the team with the most home runs wins the game. If a tie persists, then a fourth player for each team will get eight pitches, and so on. If a tie remains, the batting order will go back to the first hitter of the derby.

There have been seven games decided by a home run derby – the Southern Illinois Miners and Lake Erie Crushers each have been involved in three of them – but the Wild Things have not had a contest venture into swing-for-the-fence territory.

The Observer-Reporter is yet to find a manager who likes the idea of determining wins and losses with batting practice.

“I hate everything about this rule,” Southern Illinois manager Mike Pinto told the Southern Illinoisan. “I think it’s stupid. I think it makes us look like a circus. So I’m not in favor of it, but it was voted in and we have to live with it.”

“It’s a travesty,” Lake Erie manager Dan Rohn said.

One manager of a team that is not built for home runs said he was seriously considering using two pitchers in the derby.

“The rule is a joke, so we’ll make the thing a joke,” he said.

Quebec has had two games decided by a home run derby, losing the first and winning the second. Manager Pat Scalabrini doesn’t like the rule but he’s not ready to scrap the idea.

“As a baseball guy, I don’t like it. But we’re here for entertainment. And the fans love it. That’s why we’re doing it,” he said. “From my standpoint, it’s tough to play a game, leave everything on the field and then the game turns into batting practice.

“Before we participated in the first derby, we had never practiced it. It’s a different kind of swing and pitch. It’s something you have to practice. The second time we felt more prepared. … Before we talk about getting rid of it, I think we should get more feedback from the fans.”

Washington’s game with New Jersey last night was delayed by rain and the game did not end in time for this edition.

One change for 2021 that longtime Frontier League fans, coaches and players believe was long overdue is the addition of a third umpire.

Since its inaugural season in 1993, the Frontier League had used two-man umpiring crews, which obviously has its drawbacks. For example, flyball coverage often falls to the home-plate umpire in a two-man crew, and watching for balk moves by a left-handed pitcher is difficult because the base umpire in a two-man crew is often positioned between the pitcher’s mound and second base. Also, when an appeal is made on a check swing, it’s almost impossible for the base umpire to make anything more than a guess about whether a batter swung or not, if the umpire is positioned behind the pitcher.

In affiliated minor leagues, two-man crews are used at rookie levels and Class A leagues. Three-man crews are utilized starting at the Class AA level.

The Frontier League had planned to switch to a three-man crew for the 2020 season but that plan was delayed a year because the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the Frontier League season.

“This is what the umpires in our league are most accustomed to,” said Frontier League deputy commissioner Steve Tahsler said. “They use three-man crews in college. It helps makes some calls easier, like the double play.”