The folks in charge of Major League Baseball have determined that the game of baseball – whose rules were designed for leisurely play – is too long and needs to be shortened.
Along with a series of rules that will change the way pitchers warm up, MLB is bringing back an element of its past to aid in speeding things up.
The Arizona Diamondbacks will be the first of the 32 teams to resurrect the bullpen cart to transport relief pitchers from the bullpen to the mound. It has been nearly 20 years since the bullpen cart was last used in a Major League Baseball game.
The Diamondbacks – who joined the League as a franchise team in 1998 – have purchased two golf carts that have been customized for the purpose. The team has even sold sponsorship for the cart – the delivery company OnTrac.
In the past bullpen carts ranged from a simple golf cart to a customized vehicle that was adorned with the team’s logos and at times was even driven by the team’s mascot.