Well we have a few more days until baseball gets back into the swing of things and we start the postseason push. I love baseball, it is by far my favorite sport to play and watch, always has and always will be. That being said the game I love isnt without its problems. It's probably because of these problems that baseball is not nearly as popular as it once was. So it got me thinking, how can we make the game better, more watchable, more enjoyable, and what decisions could be made just in general to make baseball better. Now, ill be the first to admit, im not a genius (just ask my friends), but i think most people who love baseball can agree that Bud Selig has not been the best commissioner the sport has ever had. Some of my suggestions you might think are great others not so much, just saying these are thing i would change.
1) All Star Game goes back to being just an exhibition
This one might be the simplest but the the one that at least to me makes the most sense. The fact that home field advantage is being decided at the All Star Game is completely moronic. This was a panic move made by Bud Selig after the 2002 All Star game ended in a tie. So of course you cant have a game that means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things end in a tie can you???? There are a couple reasons why the All Star Game shouldn't decide home field advantage. First, the managers still treat this like an exhibition. If you are really trying to win a baseball game you don't bring in a different pitcher every inning, you ride the starter as long as you can and only go to the bullpen only when needed. Also if this game counts, discontinue the rule that every team needs to be represented. I'm sure Anthony Rizzo (Cubs), Jose Altuve (Astros) or Paul Goldschmidt (D-Backs) really don't care if their league gets home field advantage in the World Series. Here is a simple solution, the two teams that are in the World Series, the one with the better record gets home field advantage, I know its crazy talk.
2) Going back to a more balanced schedule
Having to play each team in your division 18-19 times can be an unfair situation for some teams. If a team is playing in a much weaker division they can beat up on all of their division rivals and play mediocre ball against everyone else and still win the division easily. It can be unfair when you play in a very competitive division as well. Last year the AL East had 4 of the 5 teams finish above .500, the only division to do that last season. So obviously playing in the AL East last year was tougher than say the NL West, whose only above .500 team was the division champ LA Dodgers. My proposal would be going down to 12 games. You still play enough within your division that the games still mean something but also open it up to potential new rivalries and playing more teams from the other league.
3) Expand Instant Replay
Baseball purists are going to hate me for this one but why have the technology if you are not going to use it to its fullest capacity. First of all Major League Baseball still has no idea what they are doing with instant replay. They don't seem to differentiate between challenges by the manager and just a plain review by the umpires. The fact that some plays aren't review-able is crazy and ill give you an example. Watching an O's-Red Sox game earlier this season and the Red Sox won the game on a sac fly. In the heat of the moment it was unsure if Dustin Pedroia left third base too early. Replay showed he did but he also went back to the bag just to make sure, so it didn't really matter. However the broadcasters said even if Pedroia did leave early the play is not review-able, that's insane. Can you imagine if a team clinches a pennant on a sac fly but replay shows he left early but the umps cant review it? In my opinion, everything except balls and strikes should be review-able. Some would argue that it would slow down the game even more, I disagree if you plan properly. If you have a station at every ballpark and they are watching the game and can see every replay angle available, no reason why a quick decision cant be made.
4) Install some kind of pitch clock (like a shot clock in basketball)
People complain that baseball is far too long and honestly its hard to argue that point. There is no reason why a 2-1 game should take 3 1/2 to 4 hours to complete. It might take adjusting for the players but basically what I would propose is once the pitcher has the ball he has 10-12 seconds (whatever you want to make it) to throw the ball or you add a ball to the pitch count. Same goes for the hitter because i know at times the batter is the one who holds up the game. Now ill admit this so called pitch clock might take some adjusting but again something has to be done about the length of some of these games.
5) Reinstate Pete Rose
This one has nothing to do with the on field play but it might be the most controversial. Pete Rose is arguably the greatest hitter to ever play the game and for him not to be in the Hall of Fame is a travesty. Yes, he bet on baseball and yes he lied about it for a very long time, but before we condemn Pete lets look at other guys in sports Hall of Fames. Ty Cobb, the record Rose broke for most all time hits, was a horrible racist and there are stories of him running into the crowd and getting in fights. O.J. Simpson is still in the pro football hall of fame. My point is guys have done a lot worse than betting on baseball and it didnt affect their status among their sports elite. The sad thing is even if Pete Rose was reinstated, there is no guarantee he'd get in . The baseball writers are a bunch of bitter old men, some who wont vote for a guy because no one deserves 100%, or they wont vote for someone on their first ballot because in their minds that certain player shouldn't be a first ballot hall of famer. Bottom line is Pete Rose did this to himself but still being able to vote for him should be an option.
That's all i could think of right now, im sure as the season rolls on I'll think of my situations and things I would change about the sport I love more than any other. Also, i'll try to update this blog more often, it's been way too long since my last entry.
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