PETA is pitching Major League Baseball to retire the term "bullpen" and use "arm barn" instead. The animal rights group says "bullpen" mocks the misery of animals and devalues players.
In baseball, a bullpen refers to both the group of relief pitchers and the physical area where the pitchers warm up.
To make the point, PETA Twitter account has at least temporarily changed its name to Arm Barn.
PETA says that cows and bulls are typically held in bullpens before they are "hung upside down and their throats are slit in the meat industry" and "tormented into kicking and bucking by being electro-shocked or prodded."
"Words matter, and baseball 'bullpens' devalue talented players and mock the misery of sensitive animals," PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a news release. "PETA encourages Major League Baseball coaches, announcers, players, and fans to changeup their language and embrace the 'arm barn' instead."
This is happening as the World Series is being played and MLB is facing continuing controversy over Atlanta Braves' fans doing the "Tomahawk chop," which has received criticism from Native American tribes.
PETA's suggestion draws mixed reactions
New York Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier jokingly advocated for the switch of terms on Twitter, saying "please name it this!!!"
The Tampa Bay Rays joined in and suggested their own term: Ray Tank.
One fan said they'd only agree to "arm barn" on one condition.
Nicholas Williams of the NFL's Detroit Lions, chimed in as well, tweeting, "lol I talked to the cows they said they don't care."
The origins of baseball's "bullpen" are hazy
There are many hypotheses about where "bullpen" as a baseball term originated, but it's thought to be have first been used to describe where pitchers warm up in the December 1915 issue of Baseball Magazine.
At the turn of the century, almost every ballpark had a large bull-shaped Bull Durham tobacco billboard on the outfield wall. Relief pitchers would warm up in the shadow of the bull, and the area eventually became known as the bullpen.
Poster Comment:
As if referencing a barn is going to be any less "insensitive" than saying "bullpen"? Couldn't the mention of a barn wind up giving horses somewhere PTSD?
#1: Esso To: Bill D Berger, 4um (#0)
Esso posted on 2021-10-30 00:39:36 Reply Private Reply
#2: Bill D Berger To: Esso (#1)
Yeah...I thought last year was crazy with all the covid paranoia, now watching Biden single handedly fuck up the country in less than a year. I really never thought it would get this bad this quickly.
Add to that the covid paranoia has ramped up, even as the virus has more or less disappated, yet the restrictions have become even more stringent.
Bill D Berger posted on 2021-10-30 00:49:48 Reply Private Reply
#3: Esso To: Bill D Berger, 4um (#2)
Esso posted on 2021-10-30 00:55:42 Reply Private Reply
#4: Pinguinite To: Bill D Berger (#0)
I'm guessing that name will offend the gun control crowd and we could see some brawling in the streets.
Pinguinite posted on 2021-10-30 02:53:46 Reply Private Reply
#5: Esso To: Pinguinite, 4um (#4)
Ya lost me there Top Gun, but I'm sure I'll wake up screaming in a cold sweat if I ever sleep again and figure it out in my psychosis.
(Edit) Aren't you in about my same time zone, or am I in a flat spin upside down again?
Esso posted on 2021-10-30 03:00:50 Reply Private Reply
#6: Pinguinite To: Esso (#5)
I'm in Central time right now, about to switch over to Eastern when all you American losers change your clocks in the next week or two.
Pinguinite posted on 2021-10-30 03:21:39 Reply Private Reply
#7: Esso To: Pinguinite (#6)
Eff you. DST makes high noon occur at 1345 for me. It's not this Sunday, but the next. If it wasn't for my smoking habit, I'd die of a vitamin D deficiency. I'd sure love to have a face-to-face with you before I'm retired for good. My daily flight briefings might give you some insight.
Esso posted on 2021-10-30 03:37:57 Reply Private Reply
#8: Pinguinite To: Esso (#7)
That would be cool. I don't know if I'll ever climb into a flying tube again. Maybe after this twightlight zone decade we're in comes to and end.
Pinguinite posted on 2021-10-30 03:57:56 Reply Private Reply
#9: Esso To: Pinguinite (#8)
I sure as hell won't. When I got reactivated after 26 years, I told 'em I won't fly in anything other than a .mil out of the 122nd out of FWA. I'm getting more butthurt everyday about my nurse friend getting killed by Bidet's mandates. Ask Dr. Horse what he thinks about the clot-shots. I know he's not an MD. I trust him a helluva more than that.
Seen our new Deputy Director of Health lately? S/he's a 4-star Admiral. Shoot me up, man!
Esso posted on 2021-10-30 04:45:48 Reply Private Reply