The Phillies' owner is a vocal proponent of 'torpedo bats'

Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton is perhaps the most fan-friendly owner in baseball. That should come as little surprise — he's a big fan himself, and not just of the team he owns.

Middleton attended the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in February. In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Middleton called it "one of the greatest sports moments in my life."

Speaking on The Phillies Show Thursday, Middleton touched on hot topics affecting both baseball and football: the "torpedo bat" craze and the "tush push," respectively.

Middleton is hardly opposed to the controversial torpedo bats. Although they're legal and have been in use by MLB players since at least season, they raised eyebrows Saturday for their funky design and their astonishing results.

The Yankees set a team record with nine home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers that day, with four players in the starting lineup using the unusually designed bats. But they're not alone.

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Middleton noted on The Phillies Show that second baseman Bryson Stott is among the Phillies' players who have used the bats already.

"It's going to work for some people, it's not going to work for others, but you don't know that until you try it enough to come to that conclusion," Middleton said. "I think it's great. I think it's part of the evolution of the game."

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MLB isn't intent on banning the "torpedo bats" — yet. But the NFL is planning to vote in May on whether or not to ban the "tush push," which the Eagles began using in short-yardage situations three seasons ago.

"I personally think it's like the torpedo bat," Middleton said. "It's legal. So I don't know why teams don't use it why it's legal. Everybody's so upset about banning it, why don't you just adopt it and use it? Just try it, you know? I can't see why there aren't 31 other teams experimenting and using the tush push."

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Phillies' owner is a vocal proponent of 'torpedo bats' — and the 'tush push'

By J.P. Hoornstra | 4:31 PM EDT