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

[mr2686]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

WHAT IS WRONG WITH BASEBALL

Most of what I will said has already been said:

1.) Reduce the number of teams - start with the Florida teams.
(the state of Florida should go back to spring training only)
...as others have already stated, reducing the number of teams will also solve the 'too many pitchers pitching' issue and there bye remove the very worst hurlers from the bigs - plus, by not having so many pitchers available, there will be far less pitching changes...which, IMHO, is the biggest thing dragging out game times.

2.) Get rid of interleague games if for no other reason than what it does to certain statistics: For example, is the American League Batting Champion legit if he hits .400 in interleague games while the second place batter hits only .200? Box scores showing a players home run total or a pitchers win-loss record is separated if the player is traded from one league to another, but the same adjustment isn't made for interleague games they may have played.

By getting rid of the interleague games, the 'purity' will return of whatever world series matchup results -IE you won't have two teams who have faced each other for home-and-home series already. It used to be fun to try to figure out how different teams would do against each other.

3.) For the playoffs, never again have a one-game play-in. Teams in each league should be seeded according to overall Win-Loss record. Additionally, the team with the best overall record should host the World Series. This will make the long schedule carry weight again...and every game will again be important.

4.) Suspensions for failed drug test should START with a full season suspension.

5.) Instead of reducing the number of games from 162 to whatever, start having at least one double-header per team per week. That will allow for more off days...and we won't have to worry about the 'Popovich Effect' coming to Baseball.

6.) Chewing tobacco needs to be banned from the Big Leagues - Call it The Tony Gwynn Initiative.

I agree and forgot to mention in my post that I HATE interleague play. A WS with two teams that have already met during the season is just wrong.