Why is it that bullpens are so often taxed?

Probably the same reason that blitzes are always dialed up. We've got a certain way we talk about sports, and I aboslutely love it.

The Mariners bullpen has been overworked recently, and when a bullpen is overworked there is one word that is inevitably applied: taxed. Why?

Same reason that your starting pitcher is said to be cruising if he has retired more than three consecutive batters in a game, but is laboring once a couple of runners are on base.

It’s the jargon that is baked into the way we talk about sports and baseball in particular.