The Phillies bullpen plays a game where a reliever once a game can toss his hat if they think someone on the Phillies is going to hit a home run. Look how many of them tossed one for June Schwarber last night in the top of the 4th with bases loaded:

Schwarber almost made them look good too.

Look at this shot that would’ve been a home run in 18 ballparks if it wasn’t for a cartoonish baseball stadium built during the Woodrow Wilson administration:

Someone on the beat has to dive deeper into this game. Do they play for money? Are there standings? Who is the consensus pick in the bullpen? What’s the punishment for coming in last? I have so many questions.

The Twins played this game back in 2019 according to Do-Hyoung Park at MLB.com. Here are some of the rules:


Welcome to the world of the Twins’ bullpen game, in which the relievers compete to call their teammates’ home runs.

“We’re getting to the point where we’re laughing, it’s happening so much,” Trevor May said. “A lot of guys who have gotten a lot of them right. It’s fun. It’s a fun team to be on.”

The rules of engagement are simple:

• At any point during an at-bat, you can throw your hat to call your shot.

• The hat must hit the ground before the pitch is thrown.

• You must have a witness.

• You get one throw per game.

• If you “hit,” you get another throw during that game.

• A throw in the bullpen supersedes a throw in the clubhouse during any one at-bat.

Kyle Gibson was on that 2019 Twins staff. I wonder if he brought the game to Philly.

The bullpen has to be one of the coolest jobs in sports, right? You hang out with your buddies and get to watch baseball for free with unlimited drinks and snacks. Sometimes your number is called and unless you’re Matt Strahm a lot of days you cash a paycheck with zero amount of work. So you pass the time instead making up fun games. What a life.