During last month’s FanFest event at Dodger Stadium, yours truly asked several Dodgers relievers what their thoughts were on MLB’s new three-batter minimum rule, which goes into effect this season.

The replies from recently acquired 30-year-old right-hander Jimmy Nelson, 25-year-old rookie right-hander Tony Gonsolin and 31-year-old veteran right-hander Joe Kelly were as different as night and day.

“Oh, man, honestly, I haven’t even thought about it, you know,” Nelson answered, during the behind-the-scenes interviews at FanFest. “It is… it’s gonna be… obviously it’ll have more of an impact on the managers because they’re going to have to play chess a little bit more there with however they do that. But you know, if you’re in the big leagues, whether your lefty, righty, whatever, you’re good enough to get anybody out, lefty or righty. So I have full confidence in all of these guys here, as I’m sure the coaching staff does to where the three-batter rule is not going to be too hurtful to us.”

Although Gonsolin’s answer was much shorter, it echoed that of Nelson’s answer.

“I think personally for me, being able to get both lefties and righties out it might be a little easier as opposed to somebody else who’s like a lefty specialist, where I tend to do well against righties,” Gonsolin answered. “But yeah, that’s an interesting rule. We’ll see how it works.”

But whereas Nelson hadn’t given the new three-batter rule any though and Gonsolin only some thought, second-year Dodger and Anaheim, CA native Joe Kelly has given the new rule change a lot of thought … and he doesn’t like it one bit.

“Well, yeah, any time there’s a rule change I think there’s going to be a big impact, a learning curve,” Kelly began. “It’s going to be interesting to see how managers are going to go about deploying that. It’s going to kind of limit guys you can use that day.”

“You know, there’s numerous times where you talk to your manager during BP before the game, first inning, anytime you see him where you might have pitched three times in a row, and he asks if you can get one guy, will you be able to get this guy, the game’s close and in a big spot, you know, get us out of a jam, and there were times where I would say ‘Yes,’” Kelly continued. “It’s going to change the way that guys answer that question, which kinda sucks.

“You know, I’m not gonna say it’s going to cause injuries, but it could,” said Kelly. “It could make guys pitch more than they’re supposed to, and a guy that’s pitched three days in a row and maybe it’s day-four and then you gotta leave a guy in there. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but you never know. Someone could not come out on the right side of that just because of the over-use, and now you’re going to limit guys answering the question ‘Hey, can you get this guy out’ in a tight game – you know, bases loaded or two outs, big hitter, the guy’s got numbers – it’s going to change that answer to ‘No,’ because if we don’t get the guy out…

“So, it’s just going to be tricky, it’s going to be different to see how guys get used, but I think it stinks on a level where it’s changing the game dramatically from the bullpen,” Kelly added. “Like I say, I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but I guarantee you someone will get injured, and for a reason that might have been avoided before.”

As different as night and day.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *