PETA chooses World Series to call for baseball’s ‘bullpens’ to be re-named ‘arm barns’

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - In the midst of the 2021 World Series, the animal rights organization PETA has called upon Major League Baseball and the “baseball world” to retire the term used for more than a century to describe the area where pitchers warm up.

According to PETA, baseball’s “bullpens” should be re-named “arm barns.”

“Words matter, and baseball ‘bullpens’ devalue talented players and mock the misery of sensitive animals,” PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman said in a statement. “PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) encourages Major League Baseball coaches, announcers, players and fans to change-up their language and embrace the ‘arm barn’ instead.”

PETA said use of the term “bullpen” was both “outdated” and insensitive toward bulls and cows. PETA even renamed itself “Arm Barn” on its Twitter page to demonstrate how serious it is about replacing a term it also described as “speciesist.”

Social media reaction to PETA’s suggestion from professional baseball players and the sport’s fans was ... let’s say less than enthusiastic:

When and where the term “bullpen” entered the baseball lexicon is a matter of some debate. But many baseball historians believe the term first was coined in a game report published by the Cincinnati Enquirer in 1877.

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