Dogs Pinch Running in Baseball.

"As long as he/she is vaccinated, domesticated, and willing to participate, it would add an entire new element to the game that is unprecedented in professional sports. We aren't just a human race -- but an entire population of organisms living together in unison; allowing animals to compete in MLB games may finally bring that fact to light. " There can be many problems in this. What if some players are allergic to dogs? This would be very inconvenient for them: an inconvenience that could be avoided. "They couldn't bat, pitch, or play defense, but they would compensate for it on the bases, where they can run significantly faster than your quickest human player. " Much faster. Greyhounds can reach speeds of 45 mph, while the human record is a mere half of that. [1] "The chess match between managers would be entertainment at it's finest. Picture a late inning scenario in which one manager has a Persian Greyhound on the bench eagerly awaiting the opportunity to swipe second, third, and possibly home, while the opposing manager is weighing his options of pitching to the #4 hole slugger, or seeing him be replaced by a canine as a pinch runner after issuing him an intentional pass. It's not an easy call for the manager of the dog either, as it carries certain risks as well. " Yay. More time-taking decisions. As if they don't have enough of those already. I'd assume that instead of letting a dog get an out at bat, he'd just replace the dog with someone else. Why would you keep the dog if he'd never get on base anyway? "I think many of you look at this as a slippery slope: first we will let dogs play baseball, and then a whole slew of animals will be bound to follow, but that simply isn't feasible. " Why isn't it feasible? Why not cats? Why not wolves? "The reason why dogs are still in existence is because they've adapted to their environment, specifically to humans, and have found their niche as a symbiotic relation to man kind. No other animal would naturally be inclined to willing participate by the rules, and thus would not be allowed to play simply based on regulations of the game. " That's just another problem: the rules. It would be extremely difficult to get the dogs to learn many of the rules (tag up for a pop fly, don't go to a base with a teammate on it, etc. ). It would also be difficult for the fielders who might have to tag the dog out. They would be more liable to accidentally injure a dog than injure another player, so lawsuits could arise. Your scenario for the falcon is ridiculous. How do you smuggle a bird of prey into a baseball stadium? Security checks INSIDE the bag. They would see the bird. They aren't THAT stupid. "These situations won't arise with a properly trained dog. They are more docile than most other species of animals (generally speaking), and deserve the opportunity if only the fans would allow them have it. " Well, they'd also need the approval of certain animal laws, and the other players. What if someone has an irrational fear of dogs? Then what does he do when a greyhound is charging at him at over 40 miles per hour. He'd scream his head off. "Are we bending any rules for them? No. There is no rule in the books that states a dog isn't allowed to participate in baseball. Are we creating new rules for them, or disregarding existing rules? No to both. Should some unforeseen circumstance arise by which they destroy the integrity of the game, then by all means write a new rule. 'No Dogs Allowed,' or maybe 'No Animals Allowed,' if the circumstance is specific enough to negate all non-human animals. " There are many other reasons to forbid dogs: When running to a base, they would be much more likely than human players to injure the fielder on the base, waiting for the throw. By going much faster, they would be more liable to crash, and less liable to slow down. Their claws could tear the base, or the other player's face. "3.02 No player shall intentionally discolor or damage the ball by rubbing it with soil, rosin, paraffin, licorice, sand-paper, emery-paper or other foreign substance. " A dog would probably reach the ball, hold it in its mouth, and damage it. Therefore, they should not be allowed. Also, when the ball is thrown, many dogs could be inclined to chase after it, get it, and be out. That would ruin the game. As of now, I think it would be insane to let dogs onto the baseball field.