As readers here know, I’m a longtime advocate of baseball reform, which, to this point, has been a complete triumph. We’ve got more to do — the robo strike zones can’t come soon enough, and all mound visits need to be banned. But who can argue with the results of the pitch clock, which so-called baseball traditionalists opposed on the grounds that ridiculously inflated playing times, driven by massive changes to the game, should be sacrosanct? It was always nonsense:

But now the MLB is considering a change to the rules that would go too far: “a golden at bat” that would allow a team to randomly insert its best hitter in a key situation. I love the Savanah Bananas as much as the next guy, but this would be a mistake. The integrity of the line-up is important and helps lend consequence to every at-bat.

One reason you care so much about what your Number 8 batter does in the bottom of the eighth — please, just get a walk — is that it will help turn the line-up over and get to your Number 3 hitter in the ninth. Also, big match-ups between a great hitter and a closer in the late innings are so dramatic, in part, because they don’t always happen. Forcing it to occur in every close game would cheapen the experience. And, finally, part of the joy of the game is having someone you don’t expect come through in a big situation.

This idea should be shelved, but we do need robo umps — right now.