As perhaps a microcosm of our national condition, this year’s World Series between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves has been morphed into a referendum on right and wrong on multiple fronts. The Astros’ very place in the World Series, for one, has become a point of contention after their 2017 championship was forever tainted by a cheating scandal.
The Braves have hardly escaped scrutiny either, as their World Series trip has spawned yet another controversy over Native American chants and imagery in popular culture.
Not to be excluded on either front, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has issued a statement on this year’s World Series, urging Major League Baseball to change the name of the “bullpen,” where pitchers warm up, to the “arm barn.”
PETA claims “arm barn” is a more animal-friendly term.
“Words matter, and baseball ‘bullpens’ devalue talented players and mock the misery of sensitive animals,” read a statement by PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA encourages Major League Baseball coaches, announcers, players, and fans to changeup their language and embrace the ‘arm barn’ instead.”
PETA, which has been known to insert itself into the sports industry through its calls for programs to retire live animal mascots, has already interjected into goings-on in MLB this season. Earlier this year, the organization called for a vegan hot dog to be added to the lineup of hot dog suits during mid-game races at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
