The Can-Am League is moving away from playing real baseball next year.
The league announced on Friday that it will adopt an extra innings tie breaker rule for 2014, based on existing International Baseball Federation rules.
If games reach the 11th inning, the player in the batting order preceding the innings leadoff hitter will be placed at second base. Should he score, the run and RBI will count for the team’s offensive stats, but it will not affect the pitcher’s ERA.
In an amazing feat of doublespeak, Can-Am League commissioner Miles Wolff touted the new rule as an “innovation” while bragging about its popularity in the World Baseball Classic and other international competitions.
You can read the Can-Am League’s press release at the league website.
PaulHadsall.com 
What’s next are we going to have do overs?
LikeLike
First, you have to assume the league will be in business next year. Newark is just about cooked and that’ll leave four teams. Tough to run a league like that, especially when two are in this area and two are eight hours away in Quebec. And I’ll bet that traveling thing out to the midwest to play the American Association will run stale quickly, especially considering the level of play in the league.
After all of THAT, I agree with Freddy. There’s nothing innovative about the international rule, and the joy of baseball–at least the game on the field–is that they steer away from gimmicks, unlike, say, the NHL, which first takes a man from each team off the ice for regular season OT, then settles things with a skills competition. Hey, that’s what Wolff is missing! A regular tenth inning, then an eleventh inning of put a runner on second, then home run derby!
LikeLike
Agreed on the NHL comment. Bring back the conventional tie the way it was- even better just play to sudden death. No time limit.
LikeLike
First cheerleaders, now tiebreakers….. maybe at least they should bring back the baseball-shaped bullpen buggies ($pon$or$hip possibilities)!
LikeLike
This is BULLSHIT. This is not how you baseball. I sat thru a 26 inning game & they didn’t put runners on base automatically
As for Bears, a did some digging. They are expected to be back
LikeLike