Look, baseball has a problem. And it\’s not just that games are too long or that kids don\’t care anymore. The real issue is that nobody throws complete games anymore, and one of the greatest pitchers who ever lived just dropped a solution that\’s so simple it might actually work.

The Death of the Complete Game

Remember when starting pitchers were expected to finish what they started? Those days are long gone. Today\’s starters are basically expensive relievers who get pulled the second they look tired. We\’re talking about guys making $30 million a year who can barely make it through five innings.

Compare that to the legends of the past who would routinely throw eight or nine innings, racking up 20+ wins in a season with ERAs that would make today\’s Cy Young winners jealous. The difference isn\’t just in the numbers, it\’s in the entire mentality of the game.

A Wild Proposal From Yankees Old Timers Day

At a recent Yankees old timers event, one Hall of Fame pitcher dropped a rule change idea that has everyone talking. The concept is brilliant in its simplicity and could completely flip how managers think about their pitching staff.

The proposal? Link your designated hitter to your starting pitcher. If you want to keep your best bat in the lineup, your starter better be ready to go deep into games. Pull your pitcher early, lose your DH. It\’s that straightforward.

The Domino Effect Nobody Saw Coming

Think about the implications for a second. You\’ve got a struggling pitcher on the mound in the fifth inning. Normally, you\’d yank him without thinking twice. But now? If pulling him means losing your superstar DH for the rest of the game, suddenly that decision becomes a lot more complicated.

This isn\’t just about keeping pitchers in longer. It\’s about completely changing the strategic calculus of baseball. Managers would actually have to weigh the cost of their decisions instead of just playing matchups every single inning.

Bringing Back the Lost Art

There was a time when throwing 20 strikeouts in a single game wasn\’t just possible, it happened. When pitchers took pride in finishing what they started and complete games weren\’t extinct. This rule could bring back that mentality.

Sure, it sounds crazy at first. But crazy might be exactly what baseball needs right now. The sport has over-analyzed itself into a corner where every decision is made by spreadsheets instead of gut instinct.

The Real Question

Would this rule change restore baseball to its golden era, or would it create even more chaos in a sport that\’s already struggling to find its identity? The answer might depend on whether you think baseball needs to embrace its past or continue evolving into something completely different.

One thing\’s for sure though. When a Hall of Famer who dominated hitters for over two decades speaks up about fixing the game, people listen.

Want to hear exactly how this rule would work and see the mind-blowing stats that prove how different baseball used to be? Check out my full breakdown video where I dive deep into this game-changing proposal that has everyone in baseball talking!