If I were comissioner of MLB...

[Nottso]

I thought this might be a fun topic. What would you change if you were given the opportunity? I've given this a good bit of thought, and here's what I'd do:

1. The DH would have to go.
2. All stadiums would have retractable roofs and natural grass.
3. Playing fields in all stadiums would be identical. Same amount of foul territory, same-width warning tracks, dugouts & camera wells would be identical, etc, etc, etc.
4. Outfield fences would all be at 400 feet. Placement of said fences would be determined by driving a stake in the center of home plate, running out 400 feet of twine, and drawing an arc. No more nooks, crannies, jigs, jags, whoop-de-doos, or stupid hills with flagpoles in the field of play (Houston, we have a problem).

The first thing people will say is that the players union will never give up the DH, but I think they might if all of the above were done as a package deal. The DH prolongs the careers of a few players. The above would prolong the careers of most players, and make all of their lives more comfortable. No more 6 hour rain delays. No more rain-outs. No more doubleheader make-ups. No more turf injuries. No more stupid flag pole injuries. You get the point.

 

Attendance would surely go up as well, wouldn't it? How many tickets aren't sold due to the mere possibility of inclement weather on game day? All of those tickets would now be sold. I'll even venture to guess that once the idea of "no more bad weather on game day" sinks in, season ticket sales would increase as well. People could buy theire packages knowing full well that they were going to see x amount of games, at their scheduled dates/times, in warm dry surroundings.

 

I think the long fences would bring more excitement to the game. Less "cheap" homers, but more triples and inside-the-park jobs. I also firmly believe that NL style ball is far more exciting to watch. I think that most AL fans would feel the same once they understood the strategies involved in NL ball. Of course, I could be wrong.

 

What say you?

[aracko]

Id Bring Back Weekend double headers. Id offer Dollar Hotdogs and Dollar Sodas for kids every game day. Getting familys back to the ballpark is a must. Id encourage players to get out in our schools more often. With baseball games being so expensive for a family now a days I think that we are taking away from the future fan base because that first love of Baseball often comes from being able to go to the ballpark and get to know the players.

[zzzmanwitz]

Other than the DH rule, I completely disagree with you. I think one of the best parts of baseball is the differences between the parks. It really doesn't affect the game since both teams are playing on the same field on the same day, so I'm not sure why you would want to eliminate how unique one park is from another.

 

As for what I would do...

 

Salary Cap and Roster Minimum. I really can't stand the way the Yankees and Marlins run their organizations.

 

Edit: I do think that any new stadium built north of St. Louis should have a retractable dome.

[DrWood]

More Revenue Sharing.

That's It.

I really don't like your #3 and 4. I really like differently-configured ballparks, though some minimums for foul territory, distance in power alleys, etc. might be reasonable.

 

If they could engineer a retractable-roof stadium that still wasn't closed in on all sides, your number 2 would be fine. You should be able to look into the outfield and not see a wall past the seats. I'm indifferent on the DH, though it would help provide a place for Prince, long-term.

[zzzmanwitz]

though it would help provide a place for Prince, long-term.

 

Too bad that place isn't Milwaukee....

 

Here's my problem with the DH, I think it give the AL an unfair advantage in the World Series. They have an extra player on their roster that gets paid to hit. There are very few NL teams that have a bench player on their roster that can match up with the top 12 DHs in the AL.

[DrWood]

If your only concern is some believed advantage to the AL, provide the DH for the NL, too.

Or make it up to the home team to decide, in both leagues.

[Patrick425]

Well, I'm not sure what I would do as a commissioner, but I would like to see teams give equal time to defense and offensive practice during the season. Not really part of the commissioner's job though.

 

As for your list.

 

1) I agree - hate the DH

 

2) The commissioner would really have very little power over this. and even if an edict like that was handed down, I'm not sure how many new ballparks would be constructed, given the extra cost of adding a retractable roof. Would you expect current stadiums to retrofit a roof on their current place? Not really realistic.

 

3&4) Wow, I completely disagree. The different dimensions of the game is one of the things that adds character, tradition, and separates it from other sports. The Green Monster in Boston, the spaciousness of the old Polo Grounds. I would never want to go back the cookie cutter stadiums of the 70's.

[zzzmanwitz]

I also feel that the NL style of play is much more exciting. AL managers have a cake walk when it comes to in game decisions, fill out a lineup card, maybe go to the bullpen once or twice.

 

NL style is a thinking man's game.

[Invader3K]

Here's what I'd do:

 

- Rearrange the divisions so each one has five teams. Yes, I realize this would necessitate interleague play throughout the year. However, it just bugs me that the Brewers play in a division of six teams, while the AL West only has four teams total. I'm in favor of expanding interleague play anyway. I enjoy getting to see stars from the AL play at Miller Park, if only for a couple games a season.

 

- Do more community outreach programs...build new local ball parks in inner city areas so kids have easier access to the game. I know they already do some stuff like this, but the more, the better.

 

- No more racially based programs or ceremonies. I'm sorry, but it bugs me when they do stuff like the "All Latin All Star Team" and such. Jackie Robinson's number is already retired in all stadiums, so I wouldn't do another "Everyone wears Jackie's number" game, either.

 

- Hard salary cap. Level the playing field just a bit more. I would also have a minimum pay roll requirement so the Marlins couldn't get by on a $21 million-ish payroll in this day and age.

[Brewtacular]

aside from keeping or banning the DH

I would change the DH rule during interleague play.

If the intent is to create excitement then why not have the pitchers bat at the AL parks and DH at the NL parks?

[NeedMoreFans]

I don't like the DH, so I'd welcome getting rid of it.

Regarding retractable roofs...it would be really, really expensive, and how to you fit a roof over stadiums that currently don't have one?

I have no problem with different dimensions of fields, but I do have problems with stadiums that have giant mounds and flag poles in play (Houston, I'm looking at you).

 

Changes I'd make...

 

1) Home field advantage in the World Series would be granted to the team with the best record. No more of this All-Star stuff.

2) Schedule regular double headers. It would shorten the duration of the season by a couple days, but maintain the same amount of games. It could help injuries and such by having an extra couple of days off here and there.

3) End "natural rival" interleague games and go to a rotation, just like the NFL does. The problem is how would you schedule the NL Central and the AL West? That way, fans would get to see every team. The Brewers have been in the NL for 10 years now, and Tampa has yet to come to Miller Park. I also don't think they've played the White Sox since they switched leagues, yet us fans see the Twins every year.

[sbrylski]

1. More revenue sharing, but still not equal or a cap. Keep the team's market-size character. Just some type of system to help the bottom 3rd markets retain two or three star youngsters. Maybe a franchise tag system similar to the NFL in which the player gets tagged, their salary is an average of the top 5 at their position, but they get paid from a revenue sharing pool.

 

2. Bring back the character of the individual leagues. For this reason, I don't necessarily agree that the DH should be abolished - I don't like it, so I'm an NL fan, simple as that. Bring back the AL and NL umpire hats. End interleague play. Make the All-Star game have some novelty to it again. Make me root hard for the NL team in the World Series just because they're from "my" league.

 

3. Create a small ball environment. Don't force, small parks also have character, but highly recommend new ballparks to have large dimensions to get the average distance much greater and reduce the number of home runs. A home run should be a unique event, not the by far primary way to score runs, and would make for a more exciting speed and contact game. Open up the strike zone a little, make the players swing the bat - it should be hard to take a walk.

 

Going along with the ballparks, but on a more personal preference level: Ballpark designers, no fake character. Houston's ballpark is neat because of its unique field dimensions. However, they were designed for that very purpose, and that detracts from it, IMO. Build in character in a practical sort of way, if that makes any sense.

 

4. Stop phasing out the lower and middle class. Much easier said than done from the outside looking in, as catering to the upper class is the fiscal way to go. I don't what might help end that trend yet not cut into profits, but this should definitely be explored. Or at least build more cheap seats. Somehow dull down the difference between the speed of rising cost to run a team verse the stagnant middle class yearly income to keep ticket prices down in the long run.

[Ennder]

DH in both leagues. Pitchers are scarce enough without them getting hurt while batting as well. I know it adds more strategy blah blah, it really doesn't add that much, certainly not enough to justify watching guys who can't hit out there and having a handful of major injuries to pitchers each year.

 

Make RP face at least 2 hitters. This mostly for selfish reasons, I hate watching late game where 3 RP come in to face 3 different hitters. It just bogs the game down and makes it not as much fun to watch.

[zzzmanwitz]

I guess I wouldn't be totally opposed to DH in both leagues. I just feel it should be equal. It is too apparent that the AL has a huge advantage in home games in the World Series. (I know i said this already in the thread, but it is really the one thing I dislike about baseball the most).

[Invader3K]

Have any pitchers really been injured recently batting? I can't recall.

[zzzmanwitz]

Mark Prior... 5 years ago http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Chkyhks2and0]

Didn't Baseball try your Stadium Idea in the 70's? Cookie Cutter Stadiums are all gone. I don't think the owners would go for that idea.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Things I would do:

 

1. Raise the pitcher's mound - maybe not to the height it was during Bob Gibson's dominant season that warranted lowering it, but raising it to a height somewhere in between. Hitters have greatly benifited from advances in bat technology, a shrinking strike zone, and smaller field dimensions...raising the mound would help to level the playing field a bit more.

 

2. Set a maximum and minimum salary cap - the numbers would have to be worked out, and would obviously adjust to accomodate inflation and revenue from year to year, but I think this is what baseball needs to do to improve the quality of their product, coupled with more revenue sharing.

 

3. Eliminate the DH - I'm in agreement with many others on this here. If they want the DH to remain in the AL, I'd want to do #4, listed below...

 

4. Eliminate interleague play and the inter-division heavy schedule and go back to a rotisserie schedule - I think this is the only way to allow for a true wild card winner with how the playoff system is currently set up. Otherwise, teams competing for the wild card don't play similar schedules at all.

 

5. Mandate that northern teams with retractable-roof stadiums get opening day series and homestands, and that northern cities without them don't...Baseball can't control mother nature, but they should have some common sense when scheduling games in March and April.

 

6. Develop a hardline slotting system for the first 3 rounds (+supplemental rounds for free agent losses) of the amateur player draft that teams have to follow, so that prospects know going into the draft what their earnings potential/signing bonus is and small market teams aren't forced to pass on superior talent due to signability issues. Baseball is the most lucrative sport for a professional athlete to work in - it's very annoying for me to watch 18 year old kids with power agents demanding 7 figure signing bonuses from teams just to sign a contract and report to low level rookie ball. The way the draft is set up right now, with some teams following and others not following the slotting system, small market teams can be crippled with injuries to prospects who are their bonus babies.

[Fatter than Joey]

I'd keep the DH in one league as it is.

 

I'd fire Tim McCarver.

 

I also think that the crazy differences in the parks is awesome.

[drezdn]

Manny Parra got injured bunting last year.

[RightFieldCoder]

I also don't like the DH. It creates an unbalance between the leagues. I don't mind the leagues being different, but that creates a radical change that draws power hitting/bad fielding players away from one of the leagues. Any wonder why the AL is the league right now?

 

I don't see why all stadiums have to have retractable roofs. Rain outs also cause double headers, which the owners have tried to do away with.

 

I love that baseball stadiums are unique. I think it's kind of cool that Houston has such a unique park. I wish more teams did that (just not the objects in the field of play, the odd angles and small hill way way out there)

 

There is no way the players union agrees to all of the changes in the first post. Besides loosing the 14 DH jobs, they would loose tons of respect from the ladies. Moving the power allies and foul lines to 400 feet would take away tons of home runs. Players get paid for home runs.

 

I still don't think the home field advantage for the WS is bad. It's better than it used to be.

 

I would make a hard salary cap and floor. It would float based on revenue just like the NFL does it.

[MessiahRp]

DH in both leagues. Pitchers are scarce enough without them getting hurt while batting as well. I know it adds more strategy blah blah, it really doesn't add that much, certainly not enough to justify watching guys who can't hit out there and having a handful of major injuries to pitchers each year.

 

Make RP face at least 2 hitters. This mostly for selfish reasons, I hate watching late game where 3 RP come in to face 3 different hitters. It just bogs the game down and makes it not as much fun to watch.

Ennder - I like both of your suggestions.

 

In addition if I were Commish:

 

-I'd lift the baseball bans on Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson

 

-Salary Cap with Payroll Minimums AND broader Revenue Sharing. It's not just a cap that helps a team like the Packers out in the NFL

 

-I'd make the draft an International Draft where Asian and Latino Players are entered. If a player from another country wants to play here that's fine but instead of allowing the richest teams make out by paying an exorbitant bidding fee to stop mid-market teams from having a chance, I enter them in the draft and then raise the slot salary ceiling. If the player doesn't want to play for the team that drafts them, they get a first rounder next year... if a rich big market club picks them they lost a first rounder they would have had for a top young prospect. You shouldn't be able to go nuts and buy the international players off the market and then turn around and in addition to that get a top pick.

-I'd lower the Hall of Fame voting requirements by 5-10%. Let's face it a lot of HOF worthy players get left out because of old school baseball writer politics.

 

-I'd have the MLB Extra Innings package have alternate channels where you can hear the games synched with the teams' radio broadcasters voices rather than their TV announcers. Give fans a choice and make the package worthwhile. I'd also make sure every single game was on the package. No more paying $189 for some of the games.

 

-I'd designate one interleague team a rival and then randomize the interleague play more often. It seems that the Brewers always find a way to play the Twins or the Royals but rarely get games with the Yankees or Red Sox. One team should be the interleague rival and then all other teams should be changed up as opponents every year for some fresh opponents and matchups.

 

-I'd spend at least one game in every ballpark in the stands by the fans and open up the league commissioner's office to a bi-weekly chat with fans that would like access or to suggest things or just to express opinions. The game needs to be more fan friendly and seem like it cares more about their fans' opinions.

 

-I know someone else mentioned this but I would make much deeper urban investments to get more fields and equipment to kids in cities nationwide. Currently the baseball league that's available for my son at school costs $175 to join (or $100 plus selling two boxes of candy bars). That's a lot of dough for poor parents to come up with.

 

I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting but that's what I have right now.

 

Rp

[Ennder]

Have any pitchers really been injured recently batting? I can't recall.

 

Prior

Parra

Hampton

 

I'm sure there are more and when you add in minor leagues probably a lot more. Pitching is fragile enough that even 1 injury a year is enough for me since I dont' think the pitching hitting adds anything to the game. They just don't have time to keep up with the skills that are needed to hit while pitching at the major league level.

[Big Reed]

the brewers don't really play traditional NL style of baseball. they play for the big innings just like the traditional AL teams do. Ned Yost doesn't think very much. I'm not sure he knows the meaning of strategy. I'm not sure why so many brewers fans like the NL style of play since the brewers have very seldom if ever played it. the brewers have never been a team to win games using speed and defense. Then again, that's the way they played when they were in the Al. Their dh was a singles hitter with speed and batted lead-off. The brewers have always been a contrast in styles.

 

First- make a decision on the Dh either abolish it or incorporate it for all teams. Standardize it.

 

Second - either expand and have 2 more teams, or have two leagues of 15 teams each with three divisions. Play more interleague games to make the schedules work. The Yankees and red Sox should not be playing the rays 17 times a year. That's a crime! the max should be 12 times a year. let some NL teams play the rays and KC more often. let some Al teams play the pirates too. the long history and tradition in football was not hurt at all by the incorporation of increased interleague play. take a cue MLB - follow the NFL's lead.

 

No baseball games should be played in March or November! period! The opening game should be played in the US not Japan, Australia, Mexico City or London. You play exhibition games in foreign countries, not ones that count. if you need to play more double headers or have fewer days off, then so be it. Playing baseball in March and November is stupid! the world series should be completed in 7 days max!

 

Create a level financial playing field. Create an acceptable financial salary cap. rather than teams like boston and new york spend ing $200 million, there should be more revenue sharing among baseball teams so that all teams could spend $100 million.

 

get rid of the baseball union.

 

get rid of salary arbitration.

 

get rid of guaranteed contracts.

 

do HGH testing sililar to what is being done in the olympics. or allow all supplements and not worry about players using them. people liked all the homers and higher scoring games the steriods era created.

 

Ban Jose Canseco from writing any future books.

 

Allow Buck O'Neil, Shoeless Joe and Pete Rose into the hall of fame. I think it's safe to say if Pete bet on games as a manager, he probably also bet on games as a player as well. MLB just doesn't want to admit it happened, so they looked the other way. Paul Horning bet on games as a player. he's in the NFL Hall of Fame.

 

make public all documents on Bonds and Clemens and all other testimony.

 

Either force all patrons to sing God Bless America, or stop playing it. Equal time should be given to those patrons who like to sing Rubber Duckie and Gimme dat ding and Wierd Al songs. I hate insincere patriotism.

 

Give Reed Bigelow a 0.005% commission on all the hot dogs and dip-n-dots sold in MLB ball parks. Eliminate all cooking fires in parking lots. Eliminate tailgating.

 

Force all LA Dodger fans to stay and watch an entire baseball game and not leave early.

 

Let teams trade draft picks before the draft. have the player draft in the Winter to generate more interest in the off season just like the NBA and NFL do.

 

let the fans vote for the starting pitchers in the all star game. The fan voting for the position players has bee n pretty good. Give them the opportunity to select the startoing pitcher as well. Force the red Sox to place big poppy on the all star ballat at the position he plays - Dh and put Youkillus on the ballet as a first baseman.

 

Force Sporting News to go back to it's newpaper format and include boxscores again in it's magazine. Force USA Today Baseball Weekly to stop covvering other sports besides baseball and change its name back to baseball Weekly.

 

Force yahoo to make its stattracker free to yahoo fantasy players.

 

have a celebrity pro am baseball game like Golf does and have celebrities and other sports stars play a baseball game. Rather than having the legends game, have a celebrity game. MTV does it, so why not MLB?

 

I may not be a popular commish, but I've got some ideas.

[Patrick425]

Had time to think about it a little more.

 

I'd like to see a salary cap, but I know the players union would balk at that. This is what I would propose. A total league (MLB) cap based on a formula that takes into account total MLB revenue from the previous year. This cap would then be divided equally among all MLB teams, to determine each teams salary cap (i.e. if the formula calculates a total league cap of $2.7 billion, then each teams cap would be $90mil - 2.7 bil divided by 30). If the total actual payroll of MLB players ends up being less than the caculated MLB total cap then each team (regardless of whether or not they used their full cap) would have to make up the difference by contibuting to a "payroll shortage" fund based on their percentage of the total MLB revenue. This "payroll shortage" pool would then be redistributed to the players on a weighted basis (based on their salary).

 

Probably didn't describe that very well and I'm not sure if anyone can follow it. Probably not a realistic idea. However, since the unions big objective to a cap is that it would slow pay growth for players, the objective of this plan would be to guarantee the players an agreed upon percentage of total revenues each year while curbing the large discrepancies between the large and small market teams.

 

Also, I would get rid of the rule in the playoffs that states that you can't play a team from your own division in the division series. Best record goes against worst record..period.