Saving Baseball: 2013 Edition

This is my eighth installment of trying to fix baseball. But before we can get truly started, here are the previous versions:

Version #1 (I correctly predicted the Challanges aspect of Instant Reply, which is happening next year)

Version #2 (The Fixing Interleague Play edition)

Version #3 (I correctly predicted MLB caving in and giving YouTube the ability to show baseball clips)

Version #4

Version #5 (Includes proposal for an 88-game season)

Version #6 (Just discussing potential future locations)

Version #7 (The World Baseball Classic edition)

Now that those seven are out of the way, here is my eighth edition in fixing the greatest sport of them all into new heights of quality. Some are possible, some are impossible, some are hopeful, and all these I believe will clear out some of the small issues plaguing the sport.

1) Shorter Season

Let's all be honest, 162 games is a bit much in a modern society in which we have to do so much more than in the past when baseball games could always be played in the afternoon in front of a sold-out crowd. To me, my dream season would be 112 games with the modern playoff system implemented. It would give each game more importance, the rivalry games that much deadlier, and also would allow for the playoffs to breathe nicely in September as the NBA and NHL still not starting and the NFL just getting its feet wet. I don't see the owners ever agreeing to this as its less potential money in their pockets, but the sport would definitely improve with more days off and more open space for make-up games and potential one-game playoffs to decide the playoffs.

2)  32 teams, no all-season Interleague

Interleague ratings have suffered immensely because its appeal has taken a hit by existing year-round and creating mildly unfair schedules for certain teams. This unfairness has heightened because of the inclusion of the second Wild Card, which gives virtually all the middle teams a chance to make a run and have a shot at the playoffs. But if we add two teams and one in each league, we are looking at 4 divisions of 4 teams, and Interleague can revert back to being a summer fling and being a little more potentially organized. While I would love to see an Orlando team, we all know that's not going to happen with Florida having two sub-par attended teams.

In the future, I can see Portland, Albuquerque, one of the Appalachian states, and potentially an international city getting a team in the coming years. I strongly believe building an MLB team in Mexico would do amazing things to the sport.


3) A more set schedule

Look, I love baseball, but I will admit unless you are a diehard it is tough to keep track of your team. If we were to have specific guaranteed days of the week to host baseball games (like Football's usually-reliant Sundays) then we would have a better chance to be more invested. If you throw in a few more doubleheaders, then I can see baseball being played every Wednesday through Sunday with Mondays and Tuesdays being days off for travel or for make-up dates. If you were to run 24 weeks of 5 days of baseball, then that's 120 games. Nice schedule is you ask me.

4) Better marketing

We are getting much much better with marketing in MLB, but it still needs some extra work now that ESPN focuses primarily on NBA and college football. We need to make sure that there are heroes to root for amongst all the teams and a few villains we all need to root against. Every team has a personality and we must find ways to display them out for the world to see.


MLB has gotten better with its commercials though.

5) All-Star Game Changes

The All-Star Game has been diminished because of Interleague. But Interleague definitely isn't going away soon, the Mets/Yankees and Cubs/White Sox matches are just too much fun. What needs to be done is more events that give more players some exposure on the national stage. And not just the newer players, the veterans deserve their chance to shine too.

Similar to the NBA, MLB should adopt a Rookies vs. Sophomores so that way the world can see the rising stars of baseball. Imagine a team with Bryce Harper and Mike Trout taking on a staff with Yasiel Puig and Wil Myers? That would have been a sight to behold. I would also like to see a softball game amongst the veterans, and not one blended in with so many celebrities. They should really make a major push and see how many old-schoolers from the 80s and 90s they could grab.

Finally, the All-Star Game should not determine home-field advantage. That should end too.


6) Pure, Uncut Punishment for Cheaters

I have already mentioned this in an earlier post. For steroids, PED users and abusers: caught once 150 games, caught again permanent banishment from baseball.


7) Shorten the game a little

The game needs to sometimes speed up a few things. Little things like allowed only one timeout per at-bat, and only 2 per inning for each team. No warm-up pitches for the relief pitchers when they replace the starter unless there is an injury. If they are warming up in the bullpen, why do they need another 10-15 throws while the rest of us waits?

We need more balks towards pitchers that last more than 20 seconds between pitchers. The same goes with batters that take their sweet time trotting back to the plate. Baseball is indeed meant to be slow but every once in a while it can get quite frustrating.


8) Free Agency Changes

Now, we need a salary cap to even out the score a little better. Contracts should not run you past $300 million dollars for a player, not now, not ever. We need to make that the limit. We already have limits on what baseball teams can spend per year, but we need to also establish a minimum amount of money baseball teams should spend to continue existing in the league. Teams like the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins still make money despite frustrating fans and not seeing much of an attempt to improve at all. If we force these teams to spend a little more, then there's a better chance for role players and there will be actual effort in finding decent players-----especially if we punish the non-spenders by not giving them any of the luxury tax money for incompetence.

Baseball is a sport in which anybody can beat anybody, and no-name teams can band together and become great. But we need owners that care if there were to be any shot at a nice run. Putting a salary base as well as a salary cap can accomplish this.


This is about it for me, as instant replay, playoff system, and division layout has improved in recent years. And then there's the new major hunt for cheaters. Baseball is heading in the right direction, even if you don't always notice it. Here's to hoping the 2013 playoffs are just as exciting as this season has been.



Go Rays!!!!!