What if they made you Commissioner?

[splitterpfj]

http://www.baseballintheblood.com/?p=935

[craigharmann]

Agreed on DH being the #1 priority, #2 would be reinstate Pete Rose, and then I'd follow your list.

[razzzorsharp]

I think Selig has a done a good job for the most part but my number one thing would be tv revenue being shared, whatever it takes to get it done, even losing games.

[BuckyBrewer61]

Not to hijack the thread (though I have a feeling this is about to...), but the MLB rules clearly state:

 

"Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible."

 

This is not, and has never been, some big secret. Pete Rose knew exactly what he was doing and exactly what he was risking. Saying Pete Rose should be reinstated just because he is the hit king is like saying we should let a murderer out of prison because he was otherwise a great guy. No - you do the deed, you pay the price.

 

And I'll agree on the DH, though with the opposite opinion. I would eliminate the DH, everyone else in the sport has to play both offense and defense, why doesn't the pitcher? I know the answer, but much prefer the NL version of baseball.

[Ennder]

DH is such an over the top completely needed change that it really bothers me that traditionalists still win out when it is so obviously good for the game. With the new scheduling it just more obvious that it should be in both leagues. Yeah it hurts the strategy a little but it improves everything else about the game. Though if the Brewers had a DH I wouldn't have an easy reason to go to concessions every few innings since watching a pitcher hit is almost as boring as watching golf. Now that starters only go 6 innings the whole strategy thing isn't even a big deal anymore, by the 7th inning all the strategy is out the window in most games.

 

Something really needs to be done about all the tiny delays with pitchers and hitters calling time out etc as well. Anything to speed up the game.

 

I'd kill for automated strike/ball calls but obviously the technology has to be in place first.

[Rock hard Brouhard]

On the DH thing I am going to agree to disagree. After watching my beloved Brewers in both leagues, I love the NL, but with that being said a lot of careers have been prolonged to the DH like Edgar Martinez, Harold Baines and Paul Molitor.

 

Number one(although I am not sure if this his job) I look at the Hall of Fame.It is one of those things a committee would have to look at but I would like to see a different voting process besides just writers, weather its a mix of fans,writers and Hall of Famers. But I think something has o change. Something needs to be cleaned up with the upcoming classes too. Not sure what to do but my only thought is to make upcoming classes wait an extra 10 years to get in, because people(around them, be it family,friends or teamates) will talk about PEDS the longer a person has to get in.

 

I dont think this has been done in a while. I would like to see weekend daytime world series games.

 

I would aim baseball to the younger viewer, more daytime games,less expensive baseball cards, more programing geared toward kids like the Baseball bunch.I would like to see players sign balls or cards for free. Nothing ticks me off more than paying 25 dollars to someone who is making 25 milion per year. I guess this is just me

[Ennder]

The DH isn't even about prolonging careers that much these days. Ortiz, Hafner, Berkman I guess are the only 3 old dudes I can think of that are just DH's now. More than anything it is used to let guys coming off of injuries play when it might not be a good idea to play them in the field, that and to rest older players on off days.

[adamb100]

I would add a salary floor but remain without a cap.

[Patrick425]

I would aim baseball to the younger viewer, more daytime games,less expensive baseball cards, more programing geared toward kids like the Baseball bunch.I would like to see players sign balls or cards for free. Nothing ticks me off more than paying 25 dollars to someone who is making 25 milion per year. I guess this is just me

 

First of all, welcome to Brewerfan Rock hard Brouhard!

 

I really agree with the baseball card thing. I don't understand why baseball cards are so expensive now. Are they that expensive to make and is the demand really that high to justify what they charge for them? I doubt it. I would also like to see them available in the candy isle at drug stores and grocer stores like they use to be.

 

Bringing back a program like "the baseball bunch" sounds good in theory, but I think there are just too many other "distractions" now for kids...hundreds of TV channels, video games, etc. What would be great is baseball on network TV in prime time once a week.

[The stache]

DH is such an over the top completely needed change that it really bothers me that traditionalists still win out when it is so obviously good for the game. With the new scheduling it just more obvious that it should be in both leagues.

 

/David Ortiz slips Ennder a $100.

[Invader3K]

One minor thing I would do: Require names on the back of all uniforms. Sorry Yankees, Giants, etc. but it's the 21st century.

[xisxisxis]

Day 1: Remove San Jose from the Giants territorial rights and approve the A's move to San Jose.

 

Day 2: Expand the number of teams by 6 (Add New York and LA team, and 4 from Portland, Charlotte, Memphis, Louisville, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, New Orleans). All 6 teams go into the "second division" and 6 of the franchises with the worst record over the last 10 years (3 NL and 3 AL). That leaves 24 teams (12 AL, 12 NL) for Major league baseball. Go back to 3 division plus 1 wild card for each league make the playoffs. Each year the worst team in the NL and the worst team in the AL are relegated to the second division and the 2 best teams from the second division are promoted. Realignment as necessary based on relegation/promotion.

 

Day 3: Complete revenue sharing by all teams in the Majors. Also all teams in the "second division" share revenues.

 

Day 4: Change service to 1 year @ minimum salary (1st year) and 3 years of arbitration with all players free agents after their 4th year of service.

 

Day 5: Eliminate luxury tax and install a graduated dispersal draft - if a team is under the cap they can protect 30 players on 40 man, as they go over the cap they have 1 less player for every $10million they exceed the cap. At the end of the year a dispersal draft will occur until all players are protected or until all teams are done picking. Order based on Minors/international draft seeding. Second division and relegated/promoted teams are excepted from the dispersal draft.

 

Day 6: Combined international and US Draft for all 36 with a bias in seeding to second division teams.

 

Day 7: Add the DH (sigh).

[James Zumstein]

I'm going to suggest something a little bit of a compromise in regards to the DH. The starting pitchers still bat for themselves, but when they are taken out of the game, the player that bats for them stays in for the remainder of the game as the "DH". I also would look at expansion, but only by two teams to make it 32, and then set up playoffs similar to the NFL. You could play more playoff games in a shorter time period by playing all games at the higher seeded teams stadium. No home playoff games for the bottom seeds, but no more travel days. Don't like it, win enough to not be the bottom seed. And lastly, of course, revenue sharing.

[RobertR]

1. Do whatever is necessary to get Jeff Loria out of the game. He's poison to whatever chance baseball has in South Florida.

[LouisEly]

#1 - All broadcast media contracts are with MLB and all broadcast revenue belongs to MLB and is shared. Recognizing that some teams may have been purchased or some stadiums built with an understanding that revenue will not be shared, there would be some exceptions where some revenue is not shared but that revenue must be used to pay down debt incurred to purchase the team or build a stadium. At a minimum, 51% of all revenue is shared.

 

#2 - See #1

 

#3 - Agreed on Giants/A's/San Jose

 

#4 - Tennis has incorporated technology to judge whether a ball is in or out, and tennis balls travel as fast as baseballs (faster on serves - 130mph+). One of the events that sticks in my mind as having a very negative effect on the perception of baseball is Eric Gregg's egregious strike call on Livan Hernandez that was at least a foot off the plate. You can't have something like that on a national stage. But you can't challenge every call - that would bring the game to a screeching halt. Tennis has addressed it by giving players only three challenges (I think it's three) per match. The technology is automated and incorporated into the scoreboard so no manual umpire review - it takes about five seconds to happen. So a team is allowed to challenge three pitches per game by its pitchers and three pitches per game by its batters. Or just make it three events that can be challenged, whether it is pitches, home runs, a runner tagging up early, whatever. Tennis has challenges, football has challenges, the NBA allows reviews of certain calls, the NHL can review goals... why not baseball?

 

#5 - Every team must have at least 2000 seats every game for $9 or less.

[James Zumstein]

1. Do whatever is necessary to get Jeff Loria out of the game. He's poison to whatever chance baseball has in South Florida.

 

Whoa, where was my head in my earlier post? Thanks for having my back.

[Funketown]

I'm only okay with adding the DH as long as we can have pitchers' amnesty day so we can all still laugh at pitchers flailing a large wooden object at some small spherical object at least a few times a year. Part of me loves watching these exceptional athletes fail so hard at something.

 

I'd also make an executive order to move the St. Louis Cardinals to Svaalbard.

[Nottso]

1. I'd add the DH to the NL but tie the DH to the SP. When the SP goes, so does the DH. After that, it's NL rules. This gives both leagues a DH for what should be most of each game but also brings NL strategy to the AL. Best of both worlds.

 

2. All stadiums built from now forward will have a retractable roof and grass playing surface with ALL teams to comply by 2050.

 

3. All fields of play to follow uniform spec in the future. You can add "charm" to your ball park without a tree growing in right field or a whirling hot-dog machine at third base. This would go right down to locations of camera wells, width of warning track, etc. No more injuries because of architecture.

 

4. Pete Rose stays out (and he was one of my favorite players of all time).

[logan82]

1. I'd add the DH to the NL but tie the DH to the SP. When the SP goes, so does the DH. After that, it's NL rules. This gives both leagues a DH for what should be most of each game but also brings NL strategy to the AL. Best of both worlds.

You would probably have to expand rosters to 26 but I like the idea.

[torts]

1.) erect an enormous statue of bud selig, for without him I would not have this job

2.) ?????

3.) profit

[RobertR]

2. All stadiums built from now forward will have a retractable roof and grass playing surface with ALL teams to comply by 2050.

 

San Diego (average precipitation April - September is <1.2 inches) would beg to differ with that complete waste of money. The Angels, Dodgers, Giants, and A's too.

 

Robert

[bani1717]

3. All fields of play to follow uniform spec in the future. You can add "charm" to your ball park without a tree growing in right field or a whirling hot-dog machine at third base. This would go right down to locations of camera wells, width of warning track, etc. No more injuries because of architecture.

 

How about a giant flag pole in fair play 430 feet from home plate?

[nate82]

If they made me Commissioner I would:

 

1.) Realign the divisions:

 

AL:

Division 1: Yankees, Red Sox, Nationals, Mets and Phillies

Division 2: Cubs, Tigers, Cardinals, White Sox, and Reds

Division 3: Angels, Dodgers, Giants, Rangers, and Mariners

 

NL:

Division 1: Orioles, Rays, Braves, Marlins, and Blue Jays

Division 2: Brewers, Indians, Royals, Pirates, and Twins

Division 3: Rockies, Astros, Diamondbacks, Padres, and A's

 

2.) DH for everyone

 

3.) Legalize HGH I want to see players be healthy and not sitting on the bench half of the year.

 

4.) International draft minus Cuba and Japan as these players are not amateurs.

 

5.) Pool all revenue made by the teams and distribute it evenly with a stipulation that a team must maintain a $80m payroll from the beginning of the season to the end.

 

6.) Get rid of the compensation rules for free agents and instead just have a franchise tag a team can place on any player once. If a player is signed who is a franchised that team will give up their 1st round pick (no protected picks) and if a team signs multiple franchised players they have to give up their next 1st round pick and are not eligible to sign a franchised player the following off season or more if more than 2 franchised players are signed.

 

7.) Get rid of Loria.

 

8.) Allow teams to trade draft picks.

[Nottso]

San Diego (average precipitation April - September is <1.2 inches) would beg to differ with that complete waste of money. The Angels, Dodgers, Giants, and A's too.

 

Can't play favorites. The overall savings that would be had by making this universal would eclipse those savings. Players would benefit... no more turf injuries, rain-outs or rain delays, all of which could culminate in possibly extending careers. Fans would benefit by being far more comfortable and by knowing a game will be played when they buy tickets. Owners would benefit in higher attendance because people would be more likely to buy tickets knowing the game will be played and played on time. Win/win/win.

 

How about a giant flag pole in fair play 430 feet from home plate?

 

Exactly.

[RobertR]

San Diego (average precipitation April - September is <1.2 inches) would beg to differ with that complete waste of money. The Angels, Dodgers, Giants, and A's too.

 

Can't play favorites. The overall savings that would be had by making this universal would eclipse those savings. Players would benefit... no more turf injuries, rain-outs or rain delays, all of which could culminate in possibly extending careers. Fans would benefit by being far more comfortable and by knowing a game will be played when they buy tickets. Owners would benefit in higher attendance because people would be more likely to buy tickets knowing the game will be played and played on time. Win/win/win.

 

 

I'd like to see your math on that. Because, it makes absolutely no sense to put a roof on stadiums that don't have rain problems to begin with.

 

Let me turn it around, why are you playing favorites and punishing teams economically by forcing them to build roofs on stadiums that don't require them? Roofs cost hundreds of millions of dollars and should only be built where they're a benefit. And it's not a benefit to build a roof in California.

 

And there's a cost to a roof. Let's say the A's, which is the only team in the next 30 years likely to be affected by this "rule", find a great spot in San Jose with a great view. A view that makes the stadium as aesthetically pleasing as the Giants stadium. San Jose averages less than 3 inches of rain a year during the baseball season.Why should they be forced to obstruct that view and damage the experience of fans for 80 games a year as opposed to perhaps one game a year where a roof would benefit? It doesn't take much of a cost benefit analysis to think that's a drain on revenue which impacts the profit of the team and the salary of the players.

 

You make a rule, you make a rule that holds up to common sense and is an economic benefit. There's no economic benefit to put a roof on a stadium to keep out rain when you're in a climate that averages less than, say, six inches of rain during the baseball season. Otherwise, you're throwing away money for no gain.

 

And, honestly, it's much too late to enact such a rule. The A's are the only team likely to build a new stadium in the next 20 years where a roof probably won't be built. The time to institute a rule to have any effect, would have been before the stadium building boom of the 90s and 00s, not now when it won't make a difference.

 

What's more, since stadiums are almost always a private / public partnership, it's probably an unenforceable rule. I'd love to see MLB's reasoning for telling California what they can or can't build.

 

Robert