So I love the sport of baseball.
However, the economics of the era has created a situation that is the complete opposite of the NFL. Whereas the NFL you can rebuild quickly, within 2-3 years max, the games remain exciting, and you can learn to love indiivudal players. In baseball, sustained success requires a massive planning and minor league investment strategy that can take a minimum of 5 years to fully realize the benefits of the strategy (the tanking strategy). And if you fail, you're in the whole for a decade. On top of that, without a salary cap and a salary floor, the good teams can buy there way through minor league droughts (see Dodgers, Giants, Yankees, Red Sox).
So here is my proposed changes to make baseball great again.
1. Increase Roster sizes from 25 to 28, this allows for greater flexibility, more off days, and more well rested players.
2. Decrease the number of games from 162 to 154, again, to increase the quality of the product on the field.
3. Increase the minimum age for MLB/MiLB to 20 years old. This allows for minor leaguers to move more quickly through the system and replenish the major league club. Plus the 28 man roster allows more time for players to develop at the ML level.
4. Contraction, the product is too diluted. Do we really need teams in Tampa Bay, Miami, Oakland, San Diego? These places are not baseball towns and draw extremely small crowds.
5. Salary Cap/Salary Floor. Teams need to spend.
6. Reduce service time needed to reach free agency. 6 years to 4 years. Again, gives team the ability to replenish and rebuild there teams through free agency. And with equal money across the board, teams will always be forced to compete. Allow for Franchise tags so teams can hold onto their stars longer and fan bases can stay attached.
7. Reduce the number of minor league teams. With age restrictions, you can really reduce the number of organizational filler players and make the minor leagues much more competitive. The amount of non-prospects in the minor leaguers is staggering. And do we really need 7 levels of minor league ball? (DSL, RK, RK2, A, A+, AA, AAA); Lets just reduce it to 3 levels. Let the players sink or swim quicker. If they still want to try, they can join independent ball and try out anytime. But lets make the minor leaguers more competitive too.
8. We have three discreet outcomes right now that has taken over the sport. Strikeout, Home Run, Walk. Lets standardize the bat sizes to require bats to be no more than a certain weight. Force = Mass x Velocity. Players have got to be using heavier bats to increase the mass. Lighter bats mean fewer strikeouts, and fewer home runs. Incentivises small ball.
9. Ban the shift. Again, the shift leads to more unexciting play.
Another difference is that in football, the bad teams are really bad and now you have a lot of bad teams. In baseball the bad teams are going to win one out of every three games. So, for example if the Patriots are playing the Browns, you're going to see a shitshow. If the Browns are playing the Jets you're going to see an unwatchable shitshow. If the Astros are playing the White Sox you may actually see a competitive game. Also IMHO in baseball the quality of the game is actually improving. Pitching, hitting and fielding is far better than it was when I first started watching baseball in 1970. Pitchers can throw 100 mph now. High 90's is common place. In response to the shift, hitters that are coming up now can hit to the opposite field with power. Previously that was a rarity.
I'm not saying that MLB couldn't use some minor tinkering, but it doesn't need wholesale rule changes
baseball would need a Rozelle character to come in and drive this kind of change.
to me it's all about game time. get it down to 2:15 and i'm good.
Another difference is that in football, the bad teams are really bad and now you have a lot of bad teams. In baseball the bad teams are going to win one out of every three games. So, for example if the Patriots are playing the Browns, you're going to see a shitshow. If the Browns are playing the Jets you're going to see an unwatchable shitshow. If the Astros are playing the White Sox you may actually see a competitive game. Also IMHO in baseball the quality of the game is actually improving. Pitching, hitting and fielding is far better than it was when I first started watching baseball in 1970. Pitchers can throw 100 mph now. High 90's is common place. In response to the shift, hitters that are coming up now can hit to the opposite field with power. Previously that was a rarity.
I'm not saying that MLB couldn't use some minor tinkering, but it doesn't need wholesale rule changes
I agree. Good observations. To build on your last point, I'd go so far as to say the shift demonstrates the level of innovation that's inherent to baseball. While short term, yea, it can suck, over time hitters will adapt and improve and the shift will likely become a useful tool in limited instances, adding more intrigue.
Yes, the game needs to be more competitive. I think in doing so that would likely improve the popularity of the game and relieve much of the impetus toward contraction.
1. This costs teams money. It won't happen.
2. This costs teams money. It won't happen.
3. ???
4. This costs teams money. It won't happen.
5. This costs PLAYERS money. It won't happen.
6. This costs teams money. It won't happen.
7. This costs PLAYERS money. It won't happen.
8. Faulty premise, plus...This costs teams and players money. It won't happen. (Incentivizing "small ball" won't make the game more appealing to the masses. That means fewer tickets sold and less money for all involved.)
9. I was originally in favor of banning the shift, until I realized that baseball as much as any other sport is about players and teams making adjustments to combat what the other player/team is doing. When more players learn to hit to the opposite field, we'll see less of the shift.
The NFL has problems left and right and none of them are goojg away.
Believe the largest bat is 36 in/36 oz. They put a limit on it back around Babe Ruth's time.
My biggest gripe about the game is pitchers and catchers going through a 3 minute routine between each pitch...that’s what drags the games on so long, more than any intentional walk was
I also think they could trim 2 weeks of the season in April and 1 week in a September, but that won’t happen, Baseball loves it’s stats and owners love their revenue too much
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Your inference on bats is incorrect. Players today use lighter bats than in the past to increase bat speed. Forcing players to swing heavier bats would be more likely to achieve the results you desire. In any case, changing the ball would be an easier and fairer method of restricting distance.
Believe the largest bat is 36 in/36 oz. They put a limit on it back around Babe Ruth's time.
Reggie swung a 44, Soriano swung a 44.... No restrictions
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In comment 13962726 Jim in Fairfax said:
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Your inference on bats is incorrect. Players today use lighter bats than in the past to increase bat speed. Forcing players to swing heavier bats would be more likely to achieve the results you desire. In any case, changing the ball would be an easier and fairer method of restricting distance.
Believe the largest bat is 36 in/36 oz. They put a limit on it back around Babe Ruth's time.
Reggie swung a 44, Soriano swung a 44.... No restrictions
You are right though, I looked it up- 42 in (not 44) and no weight was listed. For 50 years I thought it was 36/36.
Barry Bonds and Don Mattingly used 34/31s.
From your suggestions I would agree only with cutting back the regular season games. But, we know that isn’t happening. I don’t understand banning the shift; how about hitters learn how to hit it where they ain’t?
The old dynasty teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, A's and even the Braves - teams that had long, sustained runs, has seen upstarts rise and fall quickly and some maintain for a few years. The Mets, Royals, Rays, astros and Rangers have been teams who have risen up, some falling off, some middling out.
The Tigers, Orioles, Reds, Jays and Dodgers have all been competitive and non-competitive in successive years.
MLB doesn't have parity, but the idea it takes forever to be competitive held true much more in the past than today.
baseball would need a Rozelle character to come in and drive this kind of change.
to me it's all about game time. get it down to 2:15 and i'm good.
Rozelle and The Duke were the visionary architects who created the worlds greatest and most lucrative sports-entertainment franchise. Mara practically invented modern pro football.
Until the ginger moron Goodell came along and F'ed it all up.
I'd bet they draw better than the Diamondbacks.
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rules you can't impose a cap/floor. it all starts there.
baseball would need a Rozelle character to come in and drive this kind of change.
to me it's all about game time. get it down to 2:15 and i'm good.
Rozelle and The Duke were the visionary architects who created the worlds greatest and most lucrative sports-entertainment franchise. Mara practically invented modern pro football.
Until the ginger moron Goodell came along and F'ed it all up.
Just how did Goodell screw it up? Thursday Night Football? Stretched out the draft to three days?
I agree on TNF because it doesn't give teams time to plan and the players time to recover. The 3 day draft thing is better than I thought as it allows better planning for teams, especially after the 1st round (see Landon Collins).
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In comment 13962736 markky said:
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rules you can't impose a cap/floor. it all starts there.
baseball would need a Rozelle character to come in and drive this kind of change.
to me it's all about game time. get it down to 2:15 and i'm good.
Rozelle and The Duke were the visionary architects who created the worlds greatest and most lucrative sports-entertainment franchise. Mara practically invented modern pro football.
Until the ginger moron Goodell came along and F'ed it all up.
Just how did Goodell screw it up? Thursday Night Football? Stretched out the draft to three days?
I agree on TNF because it doesn't give teams time to plan and the players time to recover. The 3 day draft thing is better than I thought as it allows better planning for teams, especially after the 1st round (see Landon Collins).
TNF, MNF on pay tv ESPN, removing one of the most exciting plays in football KR, anthem protests, Ray "Elevator Suckered Punch" Rice...
NFL TV ratings have disastrously plummeted over 20 percent the last few years. What don't the dumbf*** owners understand, why is he the only commish that gets booed by the knowledgeable fans on draft day?
1. Increase Roster sizes from 25 to 28, this allows for greater flexibility, more off days, and more well rested players.
Not. The last thing we need is more pitching changes
2. Decrease the number of games from 162 to 154, again, to increase the quality of the product on the field. AGREE. Epsecially with the increased playoffs.
3. Increase the minimum age for MLB/MiLB to 20 years old. This allows for minor leaguers to move more quickly through the system and replenish the major league club. Plus the 28 man roster allows more time for players to develop at the ML level.
No need.
4. Contraction, the product is too diluted. Do we really need teams in Tampa Bay, Miami, Oakland, San Diego? These places are not baseball towns and draw extremely small crowds.
Agree but it won't happen. But at least move Tampa to MTL
5. Salary Cap/Salary Floor. Teams need to spend.
NOT. Do you like the NHL where every team ppays the same, has a hot or cold treak every year?
6. Reduce service time needed to reach free agency. 6 years to 4 years. Again, gives team the ability to replenish and rebuild there teams through free agency. And with equal money across the board, teams will always be forced to compete. Allow for Franchise tags so teams can hold onto their stars longer and fan bases can stay attached.
Too complicated. The worst of the NFL
7. Reduce the number of minor league teams. With age restrictions, you can really reduce the number of organizational filler players and make the minor leagues much more competitive. The amount of non-prospects in the minor leaguers is staggering. And do we really need 7 levels of minor league ball? (DSL, RK, RK2, A, A+, AA, AAA); Lets just reduce it to 3 levels. Let the players sink or swim quicker. If they still want to try, they can join independent ball and try out anytime. But lets make the minor leaguers more competitive too.
NOT. You want development, yo need minor leagues, otherwise you have the NFL and NBA
8. We have three discreet outcomes right now that has taken over the sport. Strikeout, Home Run, Walk. Lets standardize the bat sizes to require bats to be no more than a certain weight. Force = Mass x Velocity. Players have got to be using heavier bats to increase the mass. Lighter bats mean fewer strikeouts, and fewer home runs. Incentivises small ball.
Not. Compltely wrong. Bats are lighter than ever.
9. Ban the shift. Again, the shift leads to more unexciting play.
The shift sucks, but as we hve seen quite a bit just watching the Yanks, the occasional bunt (Didi), and the willingness to go with the pitch opposite field (Judge, Sanchez, Stanton, Garnder) renders it useless. Teams are already teching kids in th emnors to use the whole field
With batters working the count and pitchers nibbling I doubt you will see those times in all but 10% or less games. Realistically, 2:30 TO 2:45 is doable.
No other American sport has the built-in advantage of continuity, and no other sport risks opprobrium for even minor changes to the way the game is played.
A 154-game schedule would ironically track with history, but I don't think owners are especially interested in forfeiting four home games a year.
Adding one or more players to the roster is a great idea, but it does risk exacerbating the trend toward reliever specialization, which slows the game down.
Baseball's economics are supremely weird, so a cap that consigns the big markets to irrelevance would actually be pretty terrible for the game (they need heavy hitters in the final four, preferably in the WS - everyone loves a Cinderella but not enough people care to watch one). A floor is reasonable, especially if tied to revenue sharing income.
Pace of play is a huge deal, but a lot of the fixes suck too. A clock is semi-obtrusive and disruptive, but there should be a less obtrusive way to get pitchers to stop finger-fucking the rosin bag for two minutes a pitch, and hitters to stop assembling and disassembling their batting gloves every time they step out of the box.
Which games did you get to over the weekend? I managed Thursday, Friday and Saturday the kids had karate and Mother's Day would have been tempting fate
You love that the Yankees are doing well as you should, but it’s likely you couldn’t care less if the Yanks weren’t doing well. That is a big problem with MLB, it’s extremely regional.
Despite everyone saying they don’t watch the NFL, they still do and the ratings are proof.
I hate the Red Sox probably more than any other sports team then besides the Eagles, but the one thing I give both franchises is the intensity of their fanbase. Just last year, we took a long weekend up to Boston to do kids stuff (museums, freedom trail etc) and my six year old still remarks to me that everyone in Boston wears a Red Sox hat. In NY it is almost impossible to get that intensity, we have multiple teams and so many transplants.
I think that is messing with the game, too much. I don't think enforcing a pitch clock or you get a ball, as long as the pitch clock is not ridiculous, interferes with the game. I mean these players have become OCD freaks and just have so many stupid rituals before they throw the freaking ball. I think 20 seconds from the time you get the ball is enough.
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significantly is to change a rule and make RPs pitch to a minimum of three batters, or some such thing. The downside to that is it stops teams from going from a lefty to a righty specialist as the game dictates. But it sure would speed up the games, while making the demand for RPs who can get both LH/RH hitters out increase.
I think that is messing with the game, too much. I don't think enforcing a pitch clock or you get a ball, as long as the pitch clock is not ridiculous, interferes with the game. I mean these players have become OCD freaks and just have so many stupid rituals before they throw the freaking ball. I think 20 seconds from the time you get the ball is enough.
My problem with baseball is the length of the game & that a lot doesn't really happen. There's just a lot of dead time. Football has the same issue, but it's just different.
The sport that seems to be on the upswing is basketball. It's probably my favorite sport to watch.
2. I have no problem with moving back to a 154 game schedule, but I don't think the extra 8 games is a real issue.
3. I see no value in increasing the minimum age for MLB or MiLB
4. I would contract Minnesota before SD. Minnesota (I believe prior ownership) admitted to personally pocketing revenue sharing and luxury tax money. I wouldn't mind contraction, but at this point I'd just rather move a few teams to towns that will support them.
5. I have been advocating a cap with a hard floor for years. Too many teams have been refusing to spend for years (see my comment about the Twins). As some people are embarrassed by a couple of teams with $200M payrolls, it is equally or more embarrassing for a team to have a payroll under $50M.
6. I don't like the idea of reducing the # of years to FA. It would only make it harder for the teams that don't spend to compete.
7. MiLB doesn't have an issue with competitiveness or the number of teams.
8. First, some comments about bat size already being regulated are wrong. Second, there is no reason to. Third, lighter bats don't necessarily mean less strikeouts. It can lead to worse discipline at the plate. If you want to regulate bats, it is more important to regulate the wood used and methods to produce them and maintain them.
9. There is nothing wrong with the shift. It is up to batters to adjusts and they are starting to. The shift will start to drastically be reduced in a year or two.