PETA wants MLB to rename the ‘bullpen’ to ‘arm barn’

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Chris Sale of the Boston Red Sox warms up in the bullpen before a game against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park on Aug. 1, 2017.

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«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!!!»

"now warming up in the arm barn"
"who is that warming up in the arm barn?"

please name it this!!! ??? https://t.co/h4OOcCkBzB

— Clint Frazier (@clintfrazier) October 28, 2021

The Tampa Bay Rays joined in and suggested their own term: Ray Tank.

Tired: Arm Barn
Wired: Ray Tank

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) October 28, 2021

One fan said they’d only agree to «arm barn» on one condition.

Only way I’m calling it “arm barn” is if it looks like this next year pic.twitter.com/EOGGW2eXBL

— Dave (@DoyersDave) October 28, 2021

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.»

Please @MLB don’t change the term “Bullpen” to “Arm Barn…” lol I talked to the cows they said they don’t care.

— Nicholas Williams (@NickWilliams_98) October 29, 2021

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.

Tien Le is an intern on NPR’s News Desk.