PETA Wants MLB to Start Calling the ‘Bullpen’ an ‘Arm Barn’ over Treatment of Cows

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PETA is asking Major League Baseball to
change the name of the bullpen, a term used since the 1800s to
describe the area where pitchers warm up, to “arm barn.”

The nonprofit organization argued in a
news release Thursday the longtime baseball term is “insensitive to
cows,” per TMZ Sports.

“Strike out the word ‘bullpen,’
which references the holding area where terrified bulls are kept
before slaughter, in favor of a more modern, animal-friendly term,”
PETA wrote.

Tracy Reiman, the organization’s
executive vice president, added: “Words matter, and baseball
‘bullpens’ devalue talented players and mock the misery of sensitive
animals.”

While it’s possible baseball’s use of the term bullpen derived from actual bull pens, there are
various theories about how the word became associated
with pitchers, typically relievers.

It’s unclear why PETA decided to call
for a change now after over a century of the term’s use, though doing so during the 2021 World Series between the AL champion
Houston Astros and NL champion Atlanta Braves ensured the request would receive attention.

Regardless, MLB commissioner Rob
Manfred has other issues on his docket, led by labor
negotiations that could lead to the league’s first work stoppage in
26 years if an agreement isn’t reached by the time the current
collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 2.

The World Series resumes Friday night
with Game 3 at Truist Park in Atlanta. The teams split the first two
matchups of the seven-game series in Houston.