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

[Section103]

Batters are not allowed to leave the box once they have entered.

5 seconds of dead time is set for batter/coach and pitcher/catcher to relay signs and then play is on. Pitcher then has 5-10 seconds to pitch, pitch out or other.

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

Pete Rose is banned for life and banned for life a second time in case of reincarnation or resurrection.

[KMayUSA6060]

For the game of baseball...

Bring back collisions and intentional walks.

For the fans...

No cell phone usage during play.

[KCRfan1]

I would reduce the number of teams. This should weed out lesser talent, and increase the level of play, making the game more enjoyable.

[hysell]

Real simple fix to the time of games! Call strikes as they are in the book, if you cant, get some one who can? We have replay for most bad calls, now! Need the strike zone called !

[SmokyBurgess]

Originally Posted by KCRfan1

I would reduce the number of teams. This should weed out lesser talent, and increase the level of play, making the game more enjoyable.

That would be my first move too. Less teams, better pitching...thus taking care of the length of games,

[frankbmd]

I sort of thought I wasn't alone with ideas to improve the game and appreciate all the suggestions. One topic that hasn't been addressed directly though is the increasing number of strikeouts and the apparent increase in non-PED home runs.

The strike out issue is largely due to the nine man bullpen of 100MPH relievers who can no longer pitch more than one inning.

The home run issue may be related as well to pitch speed, as the 500 foot fungo is as yet unheard of (I think).

Both the strike out and the home run render the fielders superfluous, which raises several possible rule changes.

1. Increase the weight of the ball, which would slow down the pitching, decrease the strikeouts and the home runs. Not sure how much weight to add, but taken to the extreme I can't envision a bowling ball leaving the infield, let alone clearing the fence.

As a corollary I would add decreasing the weight of the ball, which would have the same effect as in Wiffle Ball.

2. Alternatively make the strike out a strategic decision. Every inning or half inning if you will. If a batter strikes out, the team in the field must remove one fielder for the remainder of the inning. Two strike outs and two fielders must sit. And a three strikeout inning would result in the reduction of a fielder for the remainder of the game. (Rules similar to the penalty box and game misconduct in hockey.)

[bnorth]

I would like to add the unbalanced schedule.

[tiger8mush]

I think Little League is more "pure" than MLB. Enough 25 man rosters. You get 15. Thats right, it means your pitchers are also positional players and batters.

[SAllen2556]

1. Go back to a 154 game schedule.

2. Limit mound visits by catchers, pitching coaches, and managers, and reduce the number of warm up pitches by a reliever to one. (Why does the manager need to go to the mound for a pitching change? Save it for Little League.)

4. To reduce strikeouts, change the definition of a check swing back to the 60's when a batter had much more leeway. (Watch an old game on you tube and you'll see the difference.)

5. Remove pitch counts from the graphics presented on TV, and fine any announcer who mentions the specific number of pitches thrown by a pitcher. (The obsession with pitch counts borders on the insane.)

6. No female announcers. (Oh my god, what a bigot! )

7. Make every fan who wants indoor baseball attend a game at Fenway Park.

8. Somehow better reward the team with the best record in each league when it comes time for the playoffs - more home games or a bye for an entire round - something more substantial. I want it extremely difficult for a wild card team to win the World Series.

[Mountaineer1999]

Homeruns!!! We need more homeruns!! Shorten the fences to 300ft at all parks so we get more Homeruns! Every at bat should be a homerun or strikeout, I think we are all tired if those pesky singles!
Why not more Jerry Jones style Jumbotrons? Suspend them right over 2nd base so we can see the advertisments a little more clearly! Baseball needs more advertisers for a capital infusion, players are just not making enough money so they are not really trying to hit homeruns!
Hell, if a player hits the Dennys Jumbotron, HOMERUN!

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by SAllen2556

7. Make every fan who wants indoor baseball attend a game at Fenway Park.

As one of those wussies that would love to see all stadiums become indoor, attending a game at Fenway Park is on my bucket list. Sitting on the green monster is a dream seat to me.

[vintagebb2014]

+1

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by bnorth

1.26 million, that includes batting/fielding practice and games. That is the estimate I found.

Ben, that's only 42,000 balls per team. Are you sure?

Hell, today the balls are replaced before the "spit" dries.

Originally Posted by tiger8mush

I think Little League is more "pure" than MLB. Enough 25 man rosters. You get 15. Thats right, it means your pitchers are also positional players and batters.

Ironically 25 man rosters are compromising, since the introduction of the 8-9 man bullpen of one inning (one batter) pitchers. Rarely is a bench player available in extra inning games as a result.

[savedfrommyspokes]

Eliminate commercial breaks when a pitching change occurs during an inning. If the manager walks out of the dugout and signals, the pitcher can jog in within less than 15 seconds. I can throw 8 warm up pitches (to get used to the mound) in less than 30 seconds. 45 seconds should be enough time. Next time you are at a game, watch how much time gets killed by the pitcher waiting for the commercial break to end after a pitching change. These pitching change commercials run about 1 min 50 sec each. Eliminate five during the inning pitching change commercials in a single game and that would save 5 or so extra minutes per game.

Obviously the lost revenue would be a concern for MLB/the teams. Easy, on air announcers already promote products/services during the telecast (for a cost), let that occur during pitching changes. Also, on mlb.tv, on most of my devices, there is no commercial playing(some devices there are though)....why not sell more commercial time on mlb.tv to compensate for the "lost" revenue from not showing commercials during pitching changes.

Of course, if both pitchers are throwing great games or all of the pitching changes occur between innings, there is no revenue from this commercial time anyway. Then again, games with few if any pitching changes are the quick games.

[Huysmans]

The NUMBER ONE easiest way to make an afternoon watching baseball more enjoyable?
Turn the channel to hockey.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by Section103

Batters are not allowed to leave the box once they have entered.

This actually IS a rule...it just never gets enforced!

[Tom S.]

Games take too long now, especially when there are so many calls to the bullpen being made.

To help speed up the pace, they should eliminate the reliever from taking the 8 or so warmup pitches he throws before he faces the batter. Isn't the 5 to 10 minutes he was throwing in the bullpen beforehand enough of a warmup?

[cardsfan73]

The game has changed for sure, but I still love it just the same.

I remember being a kid in the early 80s and having the old timers tell me how bad the game was now compared to the good old days.

I am sure kids now will do the same when they grow up.

[BleedinBlue]

The expansion of the rosters in September is a joke. Limit the number of eligible players each day to 25. Enough of the 40 eligible players. I'm tired of seeing games with 20 total pitchers appearing.

Solution: each manager must submit his 25 player lineup card (out of the expanded rostered players) at the start of the game. Only those 25 are eligible for that game. This will still allow for deeper benches and bullpens since the 4 idle starting pitchers will obviously not be on the card. And resting or dinged players can take a day off and have their spot filled as well.

[BleedinBlue]

Originally Posted by Tom S.

Games take too long now, especially when there are so many calls to the bullpen being made.

To help speed up the pace, they should eliminate the reliever from taking the 8 or so warmup pitches he throws before he faces the batter. Isn't the 5 to 10 minutes he was throwing in the bullpen beforehand enough of a warmup?

Pitchers will argue the mounds are different and they need to take a few pitches to get it to their liking.

[BleedinBlue]

Shoot the DH's. It will never happen but I'd endorse it.

Alternatively, switch when the DH is used in interleague games. Use the DH in NL parks and make the pitcher swing in AL Stadiums. Let the fans see the other style of play in person.

[triwak]

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!

[JollyElm]

For the love of freakin' God, when a pitched ball hits the ground on the way to the plate, leave it in the game. Throw it back to the pitcher and keep using it!!!! Do not immediately take the ball out of play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It hasn't been cut in half. It's not dented. It doesn't suddenly have a killer virus on it. It simply has a speck of dirt on it. That's it. What the hell is wrong with the MLB????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Butch7999]

No domes. Open-air ballparks only.
No artificial turf. Real grass only.
No tediously long commercial breaks. One minute maximum between each half-inning except the 7th.
No Major League teams in Florida or Arizona. Those states are for spring training. Support your minor-league team.
No view-obscuring netting around the whole damn ballpark. Get off the cellphone and pay attention to the game.
No DHs. Pitchers learn to hit or get pulled for a PH. Nobody pitches more than three innings at time now anyways.
No extended warm-ups for relief pitchers. Three-pitch warm-up limit after entering game from bullpen.
No yard-wide strike zone. If it ain't over the plate it ain't a strike.
No pajama pants. Sanis and stirrups for everybody.
No gloves bigger than a bushel basket. Ten-inch limit on all gloves and mitts.
No Duck Dynasty beards, no billygoat beardlets, no Wall Street yuppie stubble. Moustaches and sideburns of any size or style okay.
No bat-flipping. Flip a bat after getting a hit and an opponent is allowed to throw a bat at you from ten feet away.
No sushi, champagne, kale, calamari, wine coolers, or any of that trendy crap at the concessions.
Hot dogs, burgers, pizza, beef on weck, nachos, popcorn, pretzels, beer, and cola only, all priced reasonably.

----------------------------------------

Upon further review (one day later):
Forgot to add three things to our original post -- "No regular-season interleague play," as many others have since said;
and "No extra charge for scorecard and pencil -- both are freebies with purchase of reasonably-priced game programme;"
and we left "Ice cream" off our list of of acceptable concession items, preferably the flavourless little styrofoam-pellet ice cream
served in those little plastic collectible souvenir batting helmets.

[56Horsehide]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

For the love of freakin' God, when a pitched ball hits the ground on the way to the plate, leave it in the game. Throw it back to the pitcher and keep using it!!!! Do not immediately take the ball out of play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It hasn't been cut in half. It's not dented. It doesn't suddenly have a killer virus on it. It simply has a speck of dirt on it. That's it. What the hell is wrong with the MLB????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with this 100%. How much time is being spent (a) throwing balls to the dugouts (rather than back to the pitcher); (b) the umpire signaling for more baseballs; (c) the bat boy running out to the umpire; (d) the umpire giving the ball to the catcher to throw out to the pitcher; (e) pitcher rubs the new ball; etc. When I was a kid we used the same ball for multiple seasons. Does anyone know how many baseballs are used by all 30 teams in a single season?

[rats60]

Originally Posted by BleedinBlue

Pitchers will argue the mounds are different and they need to take a few pitches to get it to their liking.

Give them 3 pitches. No warm up pitches between innings. Limit time between pitches. No stopping the game to go to mound for players or manager. Manager hits button to change pitchers. Limit number of pitching changes (soccer has limited substitutions, why not baseball?). No throwing the ball around infield after outs. Limit commercial time between innings. There is a 12 second rule between pitches, enforce it. If the pitcher doesn't release the ball in 12 seconds, it's a ball. If the batter isn't in the box, it's a strike. Baseball games used to be under 2 hours, now over 3 hours. They need to speed up play so most games are done in 2 hours.

[barrysloate]

Get rid of all the noise added to entertain the fans. Used to be you could go to a game with a friend and talk baseball while you watched. Last time I went to Yankee Stadium it was so loud I couldn't hear my friend at all, and at some point just gave up trying to have a conversation.

If the powers that be think that the game itself isn't interesting enough, then something is clearly wrong.

[BengoughingForAwhile]

During all even numbered innings batters will run the bases in a clockwise direction, thus negating the current advantage that left handed hitters have being closer to first base.

[Tom S.]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Get rid of all the noise added to entertain the fans. Used to be you could go to a game with a friend and talk baseball while you watched. Last time I went to Yankee Stadium it was so loud I couldn't hear my friend at all, and at some point just gave up trying to have a conversation.

If the powers that be think that the game itself isn't interesting enough, then something is clearly wrong.

+1 At least MLB hasn't gone as far as the NBA with allowing artificial noise to be pumped in during play...yet.

[Rhotchkiss]

Allow only 2 relievers and starting pitchers must pitch at least 6 innings. What happened to the days when Nolan Ryan or Mike Scott would pitch all 9 innings and then start again 3 days later?

[PiratesWS1979]

Keep the replay but stop the open communication to your own replay booth. If the managers, coaches and players on the field can't decide to ask for a replay...then you don't need a replay.

[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.

[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