OT - What's Wrong With Baseball? Could the Game Be Improved?

[jbbama]

No commercial interruptions for any televised game (which is most these days). Play it like soccer, you put a sponsor logo in the corner of the screen and move on, you never break away from the action. "The first inning is being brought to you by snickers"....etc, etc....... just my 2 (worthless) cents. Im not in a hurry to get the game over, i just dont want the game being delayed by commercials. PS, i absolutely detest any and all commercials pertaining to any TV viewing.

[doug.goodman]

No divisions, just two leagues, top 6 teams make the playoffs

No interleague play

154 game schedule (each team plays every other team in league 11 times)


Three game tie-breaker series if tie for last spot

Seven game series. 1-6; 2-5, 3-4

Seven game series. Winner of 2-5 vs winner of 3-4

That winner plays winner of 1-6 in seven game series

That winner plays other league winner in NINE game series


Bye, bye DH

Return of 4 pitch intentional walk

[Mark]

#1. to make the games faster, I would limit the roster to 22 players. This means starters would try to go 9, which means FEWER pitching changes and more incentive to pitch to contact.

#2. re-establish NL and AL umpire crews. Give the leagues some character and dignity.

#3. of course, no DH. Maybe on Tuesdays bw AL teams.

#4. Because the rosters have been trimmed, the players union will go crazy. Ergo we will need to add 2 new teams to compensate for cutting the number of players. They would be in Mexico City and somewhere else.

#5. world series games begin 5 p.m. eastern on weekends and at least once at 5 pm during the week.

[MVSNYC]

Some good points here-within...don't get me wrong. But, every time I see this thread title, I say in my head...I did't know anything was wrong with Baseball.

People will come, Ray. People will most definitely come...

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by MVSNYC

Some good points here-within...don't get me wrong. But, every time I see this thread title, I say in my head...I did't know anything was wrong with Baseball.

People will come, Ray. People will most definitely come...

I consider this a valid point. Perhaps

"How would you improve the game of baseball?"

would have been a better choice.

[egri]

Move the Tampa Bay Rays to Montreal, provided Montreal can build a better stadium than Tropicana Field.

[Leon]

As much as I am a capitalist I think there should be a cap on salaries. That would help a lot of things imo.... And the games are too long. Somehow they need to take less time to play. How about only 1-2 relief pitchers a game and no DH rule. Everyone bats, it's baseball. A good hitting pitcher would be a strategy too.

[Bpm0014]

One small, but not insignificant rule change: All base runners score on a Ground Rule Double. I'm sick of the offense getting screwed, by having to send the runner originally on first base back to third!

Good idea. Seriously....

[dabigyankeeman]

Games too long with bad pace. I would put a 14-second clock on the pitcher, that is, from the time the pitcher gets the ball back he has 14 seconds to start his windup and the batter has to be ready. I would limit visits to the mound by everyone total to two per game. And I would limit the number of pitchers a roster can have to 11 as having 12 and sometimes even 13 pitchers make for more pitching changes which slow down the game. I am tempted to say limit the pitchers to 10 per roster even, as pitching changes are way out of hand and pitchers are so babied that they cant ever pitch more than one inning.

I would get rid of revenue sharing, luxoury tax, etc, its time to stop penalizing success. Also i would find a way to reward the top ten teams in the game during the draft so that again they are not penalized year after year for being successful. Dynasties are good for all sports, it gives fans all over the country teams to love and teams to hate, but no matter whether they love or hate the dynasties it creates interest.

And no Pepsi allowed at games, Coca Cola only. This is of high importance for enjoyment!!!!

[Bpm0014]

I'd love to see them do away with all of the extra padding/protection for the batter. I never thought it was fair to see Barry Bonds crowd the plate so much that he was almost standing on it.....with zero fear because he had plastic protection on his bicep, on his forearm, on his shin, etc.

[BicycleSpokes]

Cheerleaders!

(They actually have them in S. Korean baseball.)

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by BicycleSpokes

Cheerleaders!

(They actually have them in S. Korean baseball.)

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

Perhaps this helps explain the popularity of beisbol in the Dominican Republic as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4zolhzKxHg

Dominican lurkers on this forum are no doubt perplexed by our concerns about the length of commercial breaks and the game itself.

[irv]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

Perhaps this helps explain the popularity of beisbol in the Dominican Republic as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4zolhzKxHg

Dominican lurkers on this forum are no doubt perplexed by our concerns about the length of commercial breaks and the game itself.

That's like going to two shows for one!

[OsFan]

Originally Posted by Section103

Each team gets 3 pitchers per 9 innings. 1 additional pitcher for 2 extra innings.

This is an interesting idea.

[OsFan]

My biggest problem with the game unfortunately is I assume any player having a stand out year is taking ped's. It sucks and hopefully over time if MLB stays on top of it, I'll begin to get over that.

[Butch7999]

Did anyone watch the "special limited commercial interruption" telecast of that Colorado-at-St Louis game a week or so ago?
Commercial breaks were linited to one minute between each half-inning. It actually didn't shorten gametime very much,
but oh, how much more satisfying was the pace and flow. Not exactly as much of an improvement as commercial-break-free
Olympic hockey, but a big improvement.
Seriously, have a few more pitching changes really added an hour or more to the length of a nine-inning game of years ago?
Prior to this 21st-century, did batters never step out to "adjust" themselves, did pitchers never step off the mound, did catchers
and managers never visit the mound for a chat?
We're pretty sure they've always done all those things, and the Roger Angell trope of the "ineluctible pastoral timelessness
of baseball" seemed to be a widely-shared ideal that would have repudiated the idea of putting a clock near the field
other than to tell us what time it was outside.
Is it just remotely possible that three-minute-plus commercial breaks every half-inning might be adding fifty minutes or more
to the time it takes to complete nine innings?

[packs]

Contracts will now come with mutually agreed upon minimum figures. If a player fails to reach the minimum figures outlined in the contract, the team is able to either restructure the contract for the remaining time, or cut said player without financial penalty.

This way we'll get rid of bums like Arod, Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, etc. who are pariahs and impossible to trade.

[TNP777]

Good grief. Only got through the first three pages before I'd had enough. What a bunch of grouchy old men. I'll bet nobody's allowed on your lawn, right? Not without getting an earful, at least.

I say those things with a slight grin on my face, 'cause at the ripe ol' age of 50, I'm prone to similar outbursts. I'm also pretty serious, too. It's a bit tiring hearing the older generation kavetch about things: "kids these days have NO RESPECT! They call that MUSIC?? Back in my day we had REAL music.

In my opinion, baseball's just fine the way it is. I hate the DH, but accept it. Bat flipping? Big deal. I like personalities in the game. I like people celebrating a great achievement. LOVED Jose Bautista's bat flip - he hit the 2nd biggest home run in the history of the franchise in a huge moment. Why the hell shouldn't he be pumped? Don't like the way the ump is calling pitches? So what - I'm sure that's been a complaint since the game was invented.

Baseball is a magical game, at least to me. Always has been. Yeah, little things sometimes bug me a little, but shaving a minute here or there (enforcing batters staying in the box, limiting warmup throws, etc) probably don't change much.

I'll tell you what really grinds my gears, though, and it has not a damn thing to do with the product on the field - fans booing the visiting pitcher when he throws to first to keep the runner close. STFU, all you blithering idiots! Oh, and GTFO my lawn!

[packs]

I got one more rule. During the game they should draw a section number for the daily "Serves Him Right" promotion. Then during the game if someone makes an error or gets picked off, that player is on the hook for one free drink to everyone in that section.

[JollyElm]

With all of the talk about the DH, here's an idea. Give AL teams a limited number of games in which they can use the DH (pitchers have to bat in all of the other games) during the season. Say they get a total of 30 opportunities to utilize the position and it is up to the manager to decide which games the team is going to use the DH in (maybe these managers could be taught to not end sentences in prepositions ). Do you save as many of these games as you can for the end of the year when (hopefully) it's crunch time and you have a shot at the playoffs, or do you employ the move when you face tough divisional rivals earlier in the year? Do you use it as a ploy to give your starting pitcher a 'rest' within the game? Perhaps the rule could be written where the home team gets to decide whether or not the opposing team can use the DH during each game of the series (so, in effect, you would generally play the DH only during your home games). Sort of a home field advantage. Would be a cool twist for strategic thinkers.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

With all of the talk about the DH, here's an idea. Give AL teams a limited number of games in which they can use the DH (pitchers have to bat in all of the other games) during the season. Say they get a total of 30 opportunities to utilize the position and it is up to the manager to decide which games the team is going to use the DH in (maybe these managers could be taught to not end sentences in prepositions ). Do you save as many of these games as you can for the end of the year when (hopefully) it's crunch time and you have a shot at the playoffs, or do you employ the move when you face tough divisional rivals earlier in the year? Do you use it as a ploy to give your starting pitcher a 'rest' within the game? Perhaps the rule could be written where the home team gets to decide whether or not the opposing team can use the DH during each game of the series (so, in effect, you would generally play the DH only during your home games). Sort of a home field advantage. Would be a cool twist for strategic thinkers.

It's bad enough that the two leagues are not playing the same game with the DH rule.

Now you want two teams playing against each other not playing by the same rules. I think not.

On another subject from a different thread there is one positive change I would cite,

The elimination or reduction of

CONCRETE DONUTS

[JustinD]

I would support a standard size for MLB fields.

The ridiculous porches at Yankee Stadium make me disavow the HR numbers compared to players in adult size stadiums.

In the obverse, Comerica Park here in Detroit is so stupidly huge that the ball can take a mileage deduction on it's taxes if someone goes yard. The fences are silly. There should be a happy median.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by Butch7999

No view-obscuring netting around the whole damn ballpark. Get off the cellphone and pay attention to the game.

I'll never understand this line of reasoning. You ever heard anybody that sits behind home plate say "Man, I wish there was no net here because it just messes up the view"? Of course not. Because it doesn't. I watch 35 games a year from directly behind home and the net "isn't even there". No one even sees it 5 minutes after sitting down.

And the "get off the cellphone" thing? Seriously? As if no one ever got hit by a line drive before cellphones?

We see coaches get hit by line drives on occasion. We see players in the dugouts get hit on occasion. We see pitchers - who are farther away than some fans - hit all the time. It's simply not realistic, nor reasonable, to expect every single fan to have a laser-like focus for every single pitch of a 3-1/2 hour game so that they might see a baseball rocketing toward them at 110mph AND have time to process that and react to it.

Put me in the "netting all the way to the foul poles" crowd. It will have literally zero impact on fan enjoyment and may actually increase it. Believe me, it's nice to not worry that turning your head for half a second could cost you your life.

And if you think we shouldn't have netting because it impacts the view, then remove it behind home plate, too.

[1952boyntoncollector]

NL no hitters are not to be worth as much as AL no hitter

Getting 3 homers and a double is to be more celebrated than hitting for the cycle.

Closers dont belong into the HOF but for maybe Mariono Rivera

[Tabe]

How would I change baseball if I were named all-powerful commissioner?

1) First thing I'd do? Give Armando Galarraga his perfect game. Unbelievable that this hasn't been corrected already.

2) Netting all the way to the foul poles (see above).

3) Visits to the mound by the catcher or other players count as an official visit. Pitcher must face at least 2 hitters (including current batter) after an official visit.

4) 4 tosses to 1st base per runner. After that, a throw over gets the runner awarded second base.

5) Pitchers get X number of seconds to enter a game, warm up, and throw their first pitch. Maybe 60. No strict warmup pitch limit. So guys who want more pitches can hustle to the mound faster.

6) Pitching changes from the dugout - no visits.

7) After the previous hitter is retired, the next hitter has 10 seconds to be in the box ready to hit. This is one of the biggest changes over the last several decades. Used to be guys were sitting there waiting to hit while the infield went "around the horn" after a groundout. Now there's a big delay all the time.

8) All pitchers must face at least 2 hitters when brought into the game. I'm flexible on this - could be 3 hitters or some other number.

9) Pitch clock displayed in the ballpark and strictly enforced. First couple times, a ball/strike is awarded. 3rd time, player is ejected.

10) 20-game suspensions for any player leaving his position during a brawl between two other players. 50 games for any player leaving the dugout/bullpen/on-deck. $2m fine for a team, per player, for anybody suspended under these rules.

11) Get rid of the DH.

12) If a batter swings and misses and loses control of his bat, he's automatically out.

13) Get rid of walk-up music for hitters and pitchers.

14) Go back to 2 divisions and ditch the wild card and 1-game play-in.

15) 150-game season.

That's a start.

[angolajones]

I would have players have to stay with the same team for a long period of time.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Tabe

I'll never understand this line of reasoning. You ever heard anybody that sits behind home plate say "Man, I wish there was no net here because it just messes up the view"? Of course not. Because it doesn't. I watch 35 games a year from directly behind home and the net "isn't even there". No one even sees it 5 minutes after sitting down.

And the "get off the cellphone" thing? Seriously? As if no one ever got hit by a line drive before cellphones?

We see coaches get hit by line drives on occasion. We see players in the dugouts get hit on occasion. We see pitchers - who are farther away than some fans - hit all the time. It's simply not realistic, nor reasonable, to expect every single fan to have a laser-like focus for every single pitch of a 3-1/2 hour game so that they might see a baseball rocketing toward them at 110mph AND have time to process that and react to it.

Put me in the "netting all the way to the foul poles" crowd. It will have literally zero impact on fan enjoyment and may actually increase it. Believe me, it's nice to not worry that turning your head for half a second could cost you your life.

And if you think we shouldn't have netting because it impacts the view, then remove it behind home plate, too.

Originally Posted by Tabe

How would I change baseball if I were named all-powerful commissioner?

1) First thing I'd do? Give Armando Galarraga his perfect game. Unbelievable that this hasn't been corrected already.

2) Netting all the way to the foul poles (see above).

3) Visits to the mound by the catcher or other players count as an official visit. Pitcher must face at least 2 hitters (including current batter) after an official visit.

4) 4 tosses to 1st base per runner. After that, a throw over gets the runner awarded second base.

5) Pitchers get X number of seconds to enter a game, warm up, and throw their first pitch. Maybe 60. No strict warmup pitch limit. So guys who want more pitches can hustle to the mound faster.

6) Pitching changes from the dugout - no visits.

7) After the previous hitter is retired, the next hitter has 10 seconds to be in the box ready to hit. This is one of the biggest changes over the last several decades. Used to be guys were sitting there waiting to hit while the infield went "around the horn" after a groundout. Now there's a big delay all the time.

8) All pitchers must face at least 2 hitters when brought into the game. I'm flexible on this - could be 3 hitters or some other number.

9) Pitch clock displayed in the ballpark and strictly enforced. First couple times, a ball/strike is awarded. 3rd time, player is ejected.

10) 20-game suspensions for any player leaving his position during a brawl between two other players. 50 games for any player leaving the dugout/bullpen/on-deck. $2m fine for a team, per player, for anybody suspended under these rules.

11) Get rid of the DH.

12) If a batter swings and misses and loses control of his bat, he's automatically out.

13) Get rid of walk-up music for hitters and pitchers.

14) Go back to 2 divisions and ditch the wild card and 1-game play-in.

15) 150-game season.

That's a start.

Just scratching the surface, eh?, Chris

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Tabe

I'll never understand this line of reasoning. You ever heard anybody that sits behind home plate say "Man, I wish there was no net here because it just messes up the view"? Of course not. Because it doesn't. I watch 35 games a year from directly behind home and the net "isn't even there". No one even sees it 5 minutes after sitting down.

And the "get off the cellphone" thing? Seriously? As if no one ever got hit by a line drive before cellphones?

We see coaches get hit by line drives on occasion. We see players in the dugouts get hit on occasion. We see pitchers - who are farther away than some fans - hit all the time. It's simply not realistic, nor reasonable, to expect every single fan to have a laser-like focus for every single pitch of a 3-1/2 hour game so that they might see a baseball rocketing toward them at 110mph AND have time to process that and react to it.

Put me in the "netting all the way to the foul poles" crowd. It will have literally zero impact on fan enjoyment and may actually increase it. Believe me, it's nice to not worry that turning your head for half a second could cost you your life.

And if you think we shouldn't have netting because it impacts the view, then remove it behind home plate, too.

I like the netting behind home plate. I personally would never set there again. Have tried it a couple times and looking through the net give me a headache.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Tabe

I'll never understand this line of reasoning. You ever heard anybody that sits behind home plate say "Man, I wish there was no net here because it just messes up the view"? Of course not. Because it doesn't. I watch 35 games a year from directly behind home and the net "isn't even there". No one even sees it 5 minutes after sitting down.

And the "get off the cellphone" thing? Seriously? As if no one ever got hit by a line drive before cellphones?

We see coaches get hit by line drives on occasion. We see players in the dugouts get hit on occasion. We see pitchers - who are farther away than some fans - hit all the time. It's simply not realistic, nor reasonable, to expect every single fan to have a laser-like focus for every single pitch of a 3-1/2 hour game so that they might see a baseball rocketing toward them at 110mph AND have time to process that and react to it.

Put me in the "netting all the way to the foul poles" crowd. It will have literally zero impact on fan enjoyment and may actually increase it. Believe me, it's nice to not worry that turning your head for half a second could cost you your life.

And if you think we shouldn't have netting because it impacts the view, then remove it behind home plate, too.

Originally Posted by Tabe

How would I change baseball if I were named all-powerful commissioner?

1) First thing I'd do? Give Armando Galarraga his perfect game. Unbelievable that this hasn't been corrected already.

2) Netting all the way to the foul poles (see above).

3) Visits to the mound by the catcher or other players count as an official visit. Pitcher must face at least 2 hitters (including current batter) after an official visit.

4) 4 tosses to 1st base per runner. After that, a throw over gets the runner awarded second base.

5) Pitchers get X number of seconds to enter a game, warm up, and throw their first pitch. Maybe 60. No strict warmup pitch limit. So guys who want more pitches can hustle to the mound faster.

6) Pitching changes from the dugout - no visits.

7) After the previous hitter is retired, the next hitter has 10 seconds to be in the box ready to hit. This is one of the biggest changes over the last several decades. Used to be guys were sitting there waiting to hit while the infield went "around the horn" after a groundout. Now there's a big delay all the time.

8) All pitchers must face at least 2 hitters when brought into the game. I'm flexible on this - could be 3 hitters or some other number.

9) Pitch clock displayed in the ballpark and strictly enforced. First couple times, a ball/strike is awarded. 3rd time, player is ejected.

10) 20-game suspensions for any player leaving his position during a brawl between two other players. 50 games for any player leaving the dugout/bullpen/on-deck. $2m fine for a team, per player, for anybody suspended under these rules.

11) Get rid of the DH.

12) If a batter swings and misses and loses control of his bat, he's automatically out.

13) Get rid of walk-up music for hitters and pitchers.

14) Go back to 2 divisions and ditch the wild card and 1-game play-in.

15) 150-game season.

That's a start.

Just scratching the surface, eh?, Chris

[Al C.risafulli]

Man, I do love baseball. I have no problem with most of the developments in the game over the years. I think 75 million tickets sold are a pretty good indication that MLB is doing all right.

That said, I'd be happy to see the following:

-Eliminate instant replay
-Bring back intentional walks
-Bring back the neighborhood play
-Bring back blocking home plate
-Stop trying to shorten the game. It has no clock, it's beautiful.
-Anyone who discusses placing an automatic baserunner on second to begin each inning after the 9th will be automatically fired
-More doubleheaders in exchange for adding one roster spot
-Get rid of single-game playoffs except in the event of a tie in the standings
-Kids get to run the bases at the end of each game
-Players sign autographs for kids before batting practice

That's about all I'd change. Nothing fundamental to the game.

-Al

[Butch7999]

We didn't say "no netting anywhere in the ballpark." Obviously it's a must behind the plate and
for some distance up the baselines.
We said "no netting all around the ballpark" -- granted, we should've worded that "no netting
beyond the infield," where it's a needless distraction and every bit as headache-inducing as Ben suggested.

Frank, when you recommended the elimination of "concrete donuts," did you mean stale confections
or 1970s stadia?

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

Just scratching the surface, eh?, Chris

Yeah, something like that

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by Butch7999

We didn't say "no netting anywhere in the ballpark." Obviously it's a must behind the plate and
for some distance up the baselines.
We said "no netting all around the ballpark" -- granted, we should've worded that "no netting
beyond the infield," where it's a needless distraction and every bit as headache-inducing as Ben suggested.

My point was that netting is not the visual distraction its detractors claim. People sit behind home plate all the time with no issues. I'll take you at your word that you find netting headache-inducing but know that you're in a really, really, really small minority that have that reaction.

And you just said nothing beyond the infield, meaning you'd be amenable to have all the way to the end of the infield - a significant increase over what we currently have. I'd take that as a first step.

Was at a game tonight and watched a guy foul a rocket into the stands. It hit an empty seat but there would have been just about zero chance for a fan to move out of the way had somebody been sitting in that particular seat. It's nonsense to think that a fan getting hit by a foul ball is 100% the fan's fault 100% of the time. So put up a net. People will get used to it in no time.

[timzcardz]

I understand the whole "prime time" thing for advertising dollars during the Playoffs/WS and including the prime time on both coasts, but for goodness sake, and the future of the game's fan base, at least play the weekend games during the afternoon/early evening when young kids can watch them and gain an appreciation as they grow up.

In all honesty, when the games don't start until 8-8:30 east coast time, it's even too late for me when I have to go to work the next morning.

[obcbobd]

Originally Posted by timzcardz

I understand the whole "prime time" thing for advertising dollars during the Playoffs/WS and including the prime time on both coasts, but for goodness sake, and the future of the game's fan base, at least play the weekend games during the afternoon/early evening when young kids can watch them and gain an appreciation as they grow up.

In all honesty, when the games don't start until 8-8:30 east coast time, it's even too late for me when I have to go to work the next morning.

Amen! And for commercials set for 11pm EST and later, the ratings may be higher but 1/2 of us on the east coast are sleeping.

[MooseDog]

Ok, I made it through all nine pages and no one brought this up. One of the things I think we all love in baseball is the cozy new stadiums. A big factor to long games could be due to the tiny foul territory in the new stadiums.

I grew up with the 1970s Oakland A's. They had starting pitchers who worked very fast (check out a Catfish Hunter or Vida Blue video some time...about 5 seconds between pitches), threw strikes, and won a lot of 2-1 and 3-1 games, and though my memory is foggy after all these years, games rarely went over 3 hours.

I think one of the big factors is that the foul territory at the O-co is HUGE. Just about any foul pop up is going to be an out.

One suggestion, empower an off-field umpire to make and correct calls via a phone/radio in the ear of the home plate umpire...let's get rid of the conference around the video monitor.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Tabe

I'll never understand this line of reasoning. You ever heard anybody that sits behind home plate say "Man, I wish there was no net here because it just messes up the view"? Of course not. Because it doesn't. I watch 35 games a year from directly behind home and the net "isn't even there". No one even sees it 5 minutes after sitting down.

And the "get off the cellphone" thing? Seriously? As if no one ever got hit by a line drive before cellphones?

We see coaches get hit by line drives on occasion. We see players in the dugouts get hit on occasion. We see pitchers - who are farther away than some fans - hit all the time. It's simply not realistic, nor reasonable, to expect every single fan to have a laser-like focus for every single pitch of a 3-1/2 hour game so that they might see a baseball rocketing toward them at 110mph AND have time to process that and react to it.

Put me in the "netting all the way to the foul poles" crowd. It will have literally zero impact on fan enjoyment and may actually increase it. Believe me, it's nice to not worry that turning your head for half a second could cost you your life.

And if you think we shouldn't have netting because it impacts the view, then remove it behind home plate, too.

I only know one place in MLB where fans are closer to the batter than the pitcher.
And there, the net is a really good idea. Sadly I can't afford getting even close to those seats anymore plus they're pretty much all season ticket holders there now.
People were hit with line drives before extended netting, but it was usually not a major problem since they were paying attention and usually at least got an arm up. The ones not paying attention.....Lets just say it's bad luck.

[1952boyntoncollector]

1. Computer calls balls and strikes.

2. Teams play stratomatic in the event of extra innings.

3. If struck by ball, a player shall rub the bruise for at least 10 secs.

4. If can run around the bases in under 8 seconds on a home run you are awarded another run.

5. Bring back pitcher fake to third and look/throw to first.

6. After the first 3 outs in the top of the first inning, announcers will now say
"X team 0 (or more if they scored runs) and the other team '0' instead of coming up to hit..

[steve B]

A few ideas, none of which I expect to get any traction whatsoever

Keep the DH/AL no DH/NL it gives us something to talk about even when the teams are made up entirely of guys we have never heard of.

Go with a designated runner who can be used once a game with no penalty.(The player runs, returns to the bench and the original player stays in the lineup and the designated runner is still available as a sub) The catch is that the opposing team gets to choose which player becomes the runner.

Put Herb Washington into the HOF as a pioneer.

Get rid of the participation medal all star game. If your team doesn't have anyone good enough they need a better farm system or better coaches or better front office, or all of the above.

Eliminate the hitters backdrop. sell the seats, or if the players MUST have music to get out and play, a bandstand with a live band. If the wall is more than 420 at the deepest the bandstand are must be there , and is IN PLAY.

Bring back stuff like the lederhosen wearing people who slid down into a beer mug if the Brewers hit a HR. Maybe make them mandatory? Tampa can use bikini girls (Or whoever, it's 2017 after all, but bikini girls would get my vote)

Bring back Promotions like bat night, ball night, nickel beer night.....especially if they're combined - I do love a promo gone awry, especially if it's a PR disaster.

No indoor ball. It's MLB, not whiffleball or something cooked up for gym class.

Do make new stadiums in coastal cities on a huge turntable. That way no matter the time of the game the field can be rotated to take advantage of the ocean breezes. Teams with weak pitching might opt for "wind always blowing in" ones with stronger hitters might go for "wind always blowing out" No penalty for teams caught rotating the place between innings.

[Vttlarry]

Great topic! My response is based primarily on something I think COULD be implemented. The suggestions about fewer teams, no teams in Florida or Arizona will not likely happen due to contracts with stadiums, politics, etc.
Suggestions about fewer games has merit but will also likely not happen due to revenue streams.

Speeding the game up is paramount. We live in a fast paced, action packed world and baseball is none of that. Most people accept that because of the great game of baseball itself, but 3-4 hour games in difficult, even for hard core fans. Here are some suggestions to help speed the game up:

1. Batters should stay in the box and pitchers should stay on the mound. Penalties for failing to do that should be enforced.
2. No players should be able to visit with a pitcher on the mound. That is what a pitching coach is for.
3. Replay, while necessary, is adding alot of time to games, and particularly dead time. Have 1 challenge per game, period! Umpiring and bad calls are part of the game, and unless you have unlimited challenging, it just has to be lived with.

Other things I would change:
1. If rosters are not expanded, why not allow players to play the whole game? For example, why is a pinch hitter, pinch runner, etc out of the game? The bench used to be a big part of the game. Now, with as many as 13 pitchers, you only have 3 bench players and if one of those is your extra catcher, you really only have 2 moves you can make. Other sports allow players to leave the game and come back in again.
2. Eliminate inter-league games. Make the world series even more exciting.
3. The leagues should have the same rules. Either DH for both leagues or for neither league. I personally favor the DH as there is simply nothing exciting about watching most pitchers hit. The way constructed now, an American League team is penalized more when they are not allowed the DH in national league parks and national league teams are rewarded by getting an extra hitter that they were not used to having the entire year. In the event national league teams insist that their way is the better way and the DH is not eliminated, then let national league teams continue to bat their pitcher in american league parks if they wish. American league teams should not have to play up to 4 games in the most important series of the year DRASTICALLY different then they played the entire year up to that point.

[tschock]

Originally Posted by Vttlarry

I personally favor the DH as there is simply nothing exciting about watching most pitchers hit.

I would offer that is due, in part, to pitchers never required to hit starting with what? High school? Should you eliminate the DH everywhere, then you might start seeing some level of excitement on par with watching some of these 2B and SS hitters.

[BleedinBlue]

Originally Posted by sedin26

Expand the DH to the national league!

What do you have against managers having to actually manage a baseball game/roster?

When was the last time an AL manager had to make a double switch? Paul Molitor botched this against the dodgers the other day. When did an AL manager run out of bench players? I much prefer watching a weak hitting pitcher actually contribute on offense and all the strategic maneuvering required to work around this spot in the order than the AL version of the game where the offensive maneuvering is essentially non existent.

I understand that the DH has lengthened the careers of David Ortiz, Paul Molitor, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and others. But I'd rather see Madison Baumgarner and Clayton Kershaw face off in the box and try to grind out runs/wins for their club.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by BleedinBlue

What do you have against managers having to actually manage a baseball game/roster?

When was the last time an AL manager had to make a double switch? Paul Molitor botched this against the dodgers the other day. When did an AL manager run out of bench players? I much prefer watching a weak hitting pitcher actually contribute on offense and all the strategic maneuvering required to work around this spot in the order than the AL version of the game where the offensive maneuvering is essentially non existent.

I understand that the DH has lengthened the careers of David Ortiz, Paul Molitor, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and others. But I'd rather see Madison Baumgarner and Clayton Kershaw face off in the box and try to grind out runs/wins for their club.

Despagne got a hit against Scherzer driving in a big run for the marlins yesterday... though marlins still lost but at the time was cool

[rdixon1208]

The only change I would make is implementing a salary cap of some sort. I wish every team had an equal opportunity to win.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by steve B

I only know one place in MLB where fans are closer to the batter than the pitcher.
And there, the net is a really good idea. Sadly I can't afford getting even close to those seats anymore plus they're pretty much all season ticket holders there now.
People were hit with line drives before extended netting, but it was usually not a major problem since they were paying attention and usually at least got an arm up. The ones not paying attention.....Lets just say it's bad luck.

Well, the question was "baseball" not "MLB", so I'm including non-MLB stadiums.

And, again, you're back to blaming fans who get hit. What about people who sneeze? What about people who have somebody stand up in front of them and block their view? Or have a kid who demands their attention? Is it REALLY realistic to demand 100% perfect attention to games for every single pitch of the game. Of course not. Is it REALLY reasonable to expect people who are in cramped seating to be able to somehow dodge an incoming missile traveling at 110 mph or more? of course not.

And, let's not pretend that this hasn't already been implemented, without issue, in other places. Japan has been doing pole-to-pole netting for 3 decades. Their ushers blow whistles and point to where balls are going.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyidtI-uNXw

[frankbmd]

I was ambivalent about the netting issue until I saw the cheerleaders. We have to protect the ladies even if it gives us headaches.

[egri]

I can understand the wanting to end interleague play, but there are currently an odd number of teams in each league. Unless there is a team willing to change leagues, we would need another round of expansion.

[insidethewrapper]

Both leagues play by the same rules. Home Team always decides if DH will be used that day or not. This would increase strategy not reduce it, which is why the NL is against the DH . Decision based on who is pitching that day, who is healthy on both teams, make the opposing team decide if they want to play their normal "DH" in the field or not etc. etc. Compare DH options that day .Would it be an asset that day to give a player a day off in the field ? etc This would make the game the same in both leagues with the option always available based on several factors that day.

[RichardSimon]

Eliminate the DH and increase the rosters to 26 players.
Limit the number of pitchers on the roster to 12.
Not sure about this one but have been thinking about it lately,, illegal defenses. Two men must be on each side of the infield.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

Eliminate the DH and increase the rosters to 26 players.
Limit the number of pitchers on the roster to 12.
Not sure about this one but have been thinking about it lately,, illegal defenses. Two men must be on each side of the infield.

I can get on board with limiting rosters to 12 (even 11) pitchers.

Illegal defenses, I'm not sure. Just teach guys to bunt. I mean, heck, I've seen plenty of instances where the defense put all four guys on the same side of the infield. And the hitters still swing away. Good grief. Drop a bunt, fer cryin' out loud.