Blast from the Past:  Bullpen Carts

The MLB bullpen cart, a small vehicle used to transport relief pitchers from the bullpen to the pitcher's mound, has an interesting history in baseball. A Bullpen cart is a wheeled conveyance used to bring in a relief pitcher from the bullpen. The earliest carts, in the 1950's, were just regular automobiles, sometimes decked out in team colors. However, their weight made them inappropriate for operating on a well-manicured field, and soon teams tried other vehicles, such as scooters, before settling on a modified golf cart. The use of bullpen carts reached its peak popularity in the 1970s and 1980s but gradually declined, and today they are a rare sight in Major League Baseball.

 

Here's a brief history of the MLB bullpen cart:

Invention and Introduction:

    • The concept of a bullpen cart was introduced as a way to expedite the process of relievers entering the game. It was thought that using a vehicle to transport pitchers from the bullpen to the mound would save time, especially in situations where a quick entrance was crucial.
Cleveland Indians (1950s):
      • The first recorded use of a bullpen cart occurred with the Cleveland Indians in the 1950s. They used a small vehicle to transport relief pitchers to the mound during home games. The Indians used a "little red wagon" as a kind of proto-cart to escort players to the mound in 1950, but the first official entrance-by-bullpen-cart was made by Marv Rotblatt in 1951 when his White Sox took on the Yankees. 
      • The bullpen transport didn't become an immediate craze, though. The A's added one in 1955, but that same year, the White Sox ditched theirs because "customers were firing all sorts of debris" at the car. But despite the minor setback, the momentum was undeniable. 
      • The National League added its first bullpen transport when the Milwaukee Braves introduced their Harley-Davidson Topper scooter on June 23, 1959. General manager John McHale chose the scooter because its light weight meant it could ride directly over grass to the mound. On its debut, a chauffeur (with uniform and cap) escorted the Cardinals' Hal Jeffcoat.
      • The New York Mets introduced a bullpen car based on a golf cart with an oversized team hat in 1967.

Widespread Adoption (1970s-1980s):

      • The use of bullpen carts became more widespread in the 1970s and 1980s. Many teams adopted the concept, and the carts often featured team logos and colors. It became a symbol of the era and was considered a unique and entertaining element of the game.
      • The Seattle Mariners began using a version designed to look like a tugboat in 1982, called the M.S. Relief. On opening day of the 1982 season, the Mariners' Bill Caudill hid the keys to the bullpen car, causing a delay in the start of the game. Caudill organized a boycott of the tugboat, saying that it "should be fined as an embarrassment to the team". No Mariners player ever rode in the tugboat, and it was removed from use less than a week later.
      • The New York Yankees began using a Datsun 1200 painted with pinstripes in 1972. Rats chewed through the Datsun's cables, and the team switched to a Toyota Celica in 1982.
      • Bullpen carts came in various designs and styles. Some resembled golf carts, while others had more customized and elaborate designs, incorporating team branding. The carts were often sponsored by local businesses.
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Phasing Out (1990s and Beyond):

      • By the 1990s, the use of bullpen carts began to decline. Several factors contributed to this decline, including changes in team ownership, a shift in marketing strategies, and a move toward a more traditional approach to relief pitching.
      • The bullpen car remains in use in Japanese baseball. Most of them are convertibles so that fans can see the players inside, including many one-offs provided to the teams by the manufacturer.

Revival in the Major Leagues:

        • While bullpen carts largely disappeared from MLB, some minor league teams and independent leagues have revived the tradition in recent years for nostalgic and promotional purposes.
        •  With an increasing focus on speeding up the pace of play of MLB games, MLB had a committee discuss bringing back the bullpen car.
        • The Arizona Diamondbacks announced they would introduce their first bullpen car prior to the 2018 season.  While the car was available on Opening Day, the first reliever to use it was Collin McHugh on May 5, 2018 for a sixth-inning relief role.
        • The Detroit Tigers were the second team to introduce a bullpen car on April 13, 2018 and the Washington Nationals became the 3rd team on August 17, 2018.