PETA Calls On the MLB to Replace the Term 'Bullpen' with 'Arm Barn' to Be More 'Animal-Friendly'

As the World Series continues, PETA is calling on Major League Baseball to retire the term "bullpen," citing its connection to the mistreatment of cows and bulls

Gerrit Cole. Photo: Mark Brown/Getty

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, spoke out ahead of Game 3 in the World Series to address the use of a term they find problematic.

In a statement published Thursday, the animal rights organization said the term "bullpen" — indicating where relief pitchers warm up their throwing arms before entering a game — "references the holding area where terrified bulls are kept before slaughter" and should be removed from the language of baseball.

As an alternative, PETA pitched the phrase "arm barn" to the Major League Baseball organization, a term they deem more "modern" and "animal-friendly."

"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 encourages Major League Baseball coaches, announcers, players, and fans to changeup their language and embrace the 'arm barn' instead."

The rights group even changed its handle to "Arm Barn" on Twitter, where a post said that bullpen is "a word with speciesist roots & we can do better than that."

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PETA also noted that in the meat industry, cows "hung upside down and their throats are slit, while in rodeos, gentle bulls are goaded into kicking and bucking by being electroshocked."

"While they await their violent fate, these sensitive, frightened animals are typically held in a 'bullpen,' " the statement added.

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As for its use in baseball, the term "bullpen" has been associated with the sport for at least 100 years, though its first usage is debated to date anywhere from 1877 to 1924.

The World Series resumed Friday night for Game 3 in Atlanta, where home team the Braves face off against the Houston Astros.

So far, each championship team has won a game in the best-of-seven series.