The Arizona Diamondbacks are bringing back an old baseball tradition in 2018, and it will allow them to generate some revenue in addition to making fans feel nostalgic.
On Tuesday, the Diamondbacks revealed that they will be using a golf cart outfitted with a giant baseball cap to bring in relief pitchers from the bullpen. The Cleveland Indians were the first to use a bullpen car in 1950, and the Milwaukee Brewers were the last to do it in 1995 — until now.
“I think it wore out its welcome,” Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall told ESPN’s Darren Rovell. “There were these new stadiums, and the focus shifted to the guys running through gates and onto the mound. We think the time is right to bring it back.”
The Diamondbacks have sold a sponsorship to a courier service called OnTrac, which will have its logo plastered on the bullpen car. Hall notes that the team is also hopeful bringing back the car will help baseball with its pace of play problems.
“An ancillary benefit might be that it could speed up the game,” he said. “I expect a lot of teams to follow suit.”
MLB rules state that a bullpen cart must be offered equally to both the home and visiting pitchers and must not allow pitchers who use it any additional time to warm up. The D-Backs say they will not force their pitchers to utilize it, and players will still be able to walk or jog to the mound from the bullpen if they prefer that.
