Baseball - what would you change or add?

[Tdub]

I would have a couple of changes:

Batter can run to third instead of first - then first would become third until the bases clear. Or if a runner is on 2nd and 1st or 3rd is open, same thing, batter can run to first or third. This would keep everybody on their toes and bring a little strategy into play.

Also a pitch clock - 5 seconds after the pitcher gets the ball from the catcher or ump. Catcher must throw the ball back to the pitcher immediately or get a delay of game penalty (has to forfeit his catchers mitt until the next batter).

Also I would allow the use of cell phones to call the bullpen. It's 2009 and they still reach into that box on the wall and pull out the big receiver with the curly cord.

I doubt if MLB will implement any of these improvements anytime soon.

[PK]

Run to 3rd instead of first would make it more like cricket, ick! I'd dump the DH, send it to girls softball where it belongs, and dump the homeplate ump using computer imaging to call balls & strikes. Balls & strikes are often called incorrectly, and this seems like an easy fix.

PK

[dale_c]

Get rid of the astronomical salaries. It's not even about the love of the game any more.

[PK]

Originally Posted by dale_c

Get rid of the astronomical salaries. It's not even about the love of the game any more.

Its been done! They call themselves the Pittsburgh Pirates

PK

[jazztele]

6 built in day night double headers (one per month) would shorten the season a week (and hopefully have the WS end in OCTOBER) and teams would lose no ticket revenue from a fewer-gamed season.

i'd also change the schedule so that more games in august and september are played intra-division.

I'd get rid of the ridiculous "who wins the all-star game has home field advantage" for the WS idea, and cut down on interleauge play as well

[The Bone]

#1. Get rid of a few teams completely.
#2. Shorten the season to 154 games.
#3. Eliminate the wild-card.
#4. Eliminate the All-Star game giving home-field advantage.
#5. Eliminate different rules for the American and National Leagues.
#6. Fire Bud Selig.
#7. Gid rid of all the noisy music between innings and when the players come to the plate.
#8. Reinstate Pete Rose.
#9. Declare the past decade or so "The Steroid Era" and start with a clean slate, with no hinderance to anyone that played during that era from getting into the Hall of Fame. Look at performance only.

[jazztele]

Originally Posted by The Bone

#1. Get rid of a few teams completely.
#2. Shorten the season to 154 games.
#3. Eliminate the wild-card.
.

unfortunately, these will never happen. more games = more revenue.

[getbent]

bring back double headers.
complete the world series prior to Nov 1
bring back organists
no fireworks
quit tossing every dang ball into the stands. If they fly in there of their own accord, fine, but even foul balls down the lines don't get tossed to needy fans.

make a third league by bringing back the pacific coast league as a major league. American, National, Pacific. ESPN doesn't cover the west anyway, so this would allow them to adjust how they program.

Best overall record in the season gets #1 seed. The other two league champions play a 7 game playoff (in 7 straight days, no travel days) to determine the world series teams.

Then 7 straight days of games to determine champion.

[Ptrallan01]

Ban the DH (even if my team won because our DH was the MVP)!!!!

Ban interleague play.

[Bako]

Hit the batter with the ball, He's OUT!

[jspeter51]

Originally Posted by The Bone

#4. Eliminate the All-Star game giving home-field advantage.
#6. Fire Bud Selig.
#8. Reinstate Pete Rose.

also, reinstate Joe Jackson
and GET A SALARY CAP!!!!

[neocaster]

Originally Posted by Bako

Hit the batter with the ball, He's OUT!

Arena Baseball!

The National (League) Anthem: No DH.

No All-Star game, at all.

+1 to the return of organists. They did it in ice hockey and it was a much needed shot of old-school charm. Made it feel more like someplace I could bring a family.

Maximum TWO pitching subs per game. Why does it take 6 pitchers to pitch 9 innings? These guys are making how much again? If your starter stinks and you have to pull him in the second, sub in a starter and hold your breath.

[Telarkaster]

Make them play on skates.

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by Tdub

Batter can run to third instead of first - then first would become third until the bases clear. Or if a runner is on 2nd and 1st or 3rd is open, same thing, batter can run to first or third. This would keep everybody on their toes and bring a little strategy into play.

I tell you what. How about corporal punishment for pitchers or hitters who delay the process of the game to adjust themselves?

A swat on the backside, in front of the whole world.

[lobotomyactivist]

Eliminate the DH.

Salary cap.

Video review.

Change playoff venue format from 1-1-2-2-2-1-1 to 1-1-2-2-1-2-1.

[emu!]

CHEERLEADERS! Lots and lots of female cheerleaders. Skimpy outfits and all.

What's wrong with those baseball dudes?

[mjb1967]

hold the officials that make obvious bad calls accountable

[castpolymer]

1) Fire Bud Selig.
2) Make Bob Costas the new commissioner.
3) Get rid of the DH.
4) Get rid of interleague play.
5) Fold the Devil Rays and Nationals. Find a buyer for the Pirates that actually wants to win.
6) Get rid of All - Star Game home field advantage in Series.
7) Cap the amount teams can pay draft picks. Paying a kid who has never even made it to the show millions is bad business and unfair to the players who have proven themselves.
8) Install a real salary cap. Not to level the playing field ( I could care less about that ), but to make sure the game is financially sound in the future.
9) Last, but most importantly, make Old Style the official beer of MLB!

[stealyerface]

I see some of the ideas here are meant to be funny, but here are two things that they need to address soon.

Instant Replay has its place in the game. Tagging both guys out at one base, and blowing the call so badly show just how important this technology is needed to make the game better. Mauer's fair ball (by 5 fu**ing feet), the phantom tags at the plate... The Crew Chief gets an earpiece, and the call comes down from the booth. We get to see a replay at home in less than 10 seconds after it happened. Make the call, and if it wrong, it is overturned. No strikes and balls, just plays on the bases, fair or foul, homerun or not.

Secondly, there needs to be some regulations for the maple bats that guys are using. Maybe a minimum circumference at the most narrow point, I am not sure... but a fan, or a player is going to be badly hurt or killed by a flying shard of bat. It WILL happen, and then they'll do something about it. They need to fix it now.

My baseball league I play in now is wooden bat only, and we buy "dipped" bats for the team. I spent $60 on a bat too often to have someone shank one off the trademark and leave me with firewood. Baum makes a bat dipped in resin/polymer that not only makes it more sturdy, but when it does break, the poly keeps the shards from splintering and exploding. The pros will never use them because of the weight, but for safety, there needs to be an adjustment made.

syf

[jazztele]

Originally Posted by castpolymer

Last, but most importantly, make Old Style the official beer of MLB!

well, harry was a Bud Man, but whenever I go to a Cubs game, I gotta seek out the concession stand that serves old style...so that's a baseball ammendment i can get behind!

[morroben]

SALARY CAP!!!
Get rid of the DH...I'm an Angels (AL) fan and I still hate the DH.
I agree with Stealyerface about the maple bats...something has to be done about that. I actually think that the shattering is the appeal to the players. There's a lot better chance of legging out an infield grounder if the shortstop has to worry about maple daggers flying towards him while he's trying to field the ball.

[castpolymer]

Originally Posted by jazztele

well, harry was a Bud Man, but whenever I go to a Cubs game, I gotta seek out the concession stand that serves old style...so that's a baseball ammendment i can get behind!

I remember Cub Fan....Bud Man from my childhood days in Chicago. I really just love Harry, so I put up his picture.

[kelnet]

INSTANT REPLAY

I saw too many missed calls in this World Series.


And can someone explain the strike zone to me? Why does it seem different depending on who's umping?

[sonicland]

2 things:

1. Fire Bud Selig

2. Get rid of the Players Union

Then there would at least be a chance that rational and logical thought would return.

[castpolymer]

Originally Posted by sonicland

2 things:

1. Fire Bud Selig

2. Get rid of the Players Union

Then there would at least be a chance that rational and logical thought would return.

I totally agree with your #1. I do think that MLB needs a players union to balance out the owners. I don't support either, just the game.

[Joe-Bob]

The batter steps into the batters box one time. He remains there for his entire at bat. Within 6 seconds, the pitch will be thrown. There will be a 9 second clock between pitches. There will be a 90 minute overall time limit.

Anyone who breaks the rules is expelled, and can never play baseball professionally ever again. Teams that break the rules are disbanded permanently and all assets liquidated within 3 business days. Teams cannot be reassembled from sold assets, they must be used for a different purpose entirely. Any team with 7 players expelled in any one season is disbanded and liquidated.

[Califiddler]

1) As a lifelong AL fan - dump the DH!
2) no interleague play in the regular season
3) bring back scheduled doubleheaders

[stevieboy]

Originally Posted by getbent

bring back organists
.

Look south.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-...ey/77336422498

[jitensha]

there's a kind of baseball in UK called rounders.

girls play it.

[telideli]

Since the NBA salary cap we've seen the Lakers 3-peat, and in football the Patroits repeat.....since the Yankees 2000 season 3-peat, 9 years ago.

[BuddyLee]

This thread is just bad and you should all feel bad. You just do not mess with perfection.

What next, The Nicole Kidman needs breast implants thread?!

*Hiss

[The Bone]

Enforce the rules. If a batter is clearly out of the batters box and making no attempt whatsoever to even be close to it, then call him out as soon as he hits one into fair territory, OR, just get rid of that rule and let the batter stand wherever he wants.

[BritishBluesBoy]

1. Change the shape and dimensions of the field, get rid of the pitchers mound and lay down grass.
2. 11 players per team.
3. change the size, shape and material of the ball.
4. Put a goal at each end.
5. Change the name to Football. Real football, not that odd game you Americans play with tin hats and shoulder pads on.

[toadman]

i've always beleived that if the batter got to take the bat with him around the bases the game would be a bit more exciting!

[BuddyLee]

Originally Posted by BritishBluesBoy

1. Change the shape and dimensions of the field, get rid of the pitchers mound and lay down grass.
2. 11 players per team.
3. change the size, shape and material of the ball.
4. Put a goal at each end.
5. Change the name to Football. Real football, not that odd game you Americans play with tin hats and shoulder pads on.

That sounds like the games those fops play with short-shorts and girls knickers.

Some of the kids that are too delicate for Football play that here.

[BritishBluesBoy]

Originally Posted by BuddyLee

That sounds like the games those fops play with short-shorts and girls knickers.

Some of the kids that are too delicate for Football play that here.

Oh, how little you know...

[BuddyLee]

Originally Posted by BritishBluesBoy

Oh, how little you know...

No really, Soccer looks kinda fun, but I pretty much hate all sports other than baseball.

It is more like chess than a sport.

[hekawi]

i like getbent's suggestions.

i'll add one: When you want to issue an Intentional Walk, don't bother with four lobs just give a signal and the batter gets 1st free.

or, in the style of Bob Gibson, just hit the guy with the 1st pitch...why waste 4 when you're giving him the base.

[hayseedtele]

Not allowing scalpers to scam off tickets by buying them all on the first night of availability and then scamming people into paying twice the price.

Cheaper tickets. I don't care if you keep the same stadium for 30 years if your team plays well and I don't have to shell out an arm and a leg.

Oh, and free beer.

Play Ball!

[The Bone]

"or, in the style of Bob Gibson, just hit the guy with the 1st pitch...why waste 4 when you're giving him the base."

Absolutely. Brilliant. Why not? The players have so much armor on them anymore, it won't hurt'em that bad....

Oh, that reminds me, another change: take away all of the protective gear, other than the batting helmet, that allows the batters to crowd the plate..

OR, don't get so pooey about it when a batter gets hit. It's baseball, for goodness sake...