What are the first 5 things would you do if you were the new MLB commissioner?

[logan82]

Exactly what the title says. I have a couple in mind already. I will post later in the day.

[lcbj68c]

1. Look for a house in NYC

2. Secure a new Twitter handle

3. Make an appontment with my financial advisor

4. Look for private tutoring for my children in NYC

5. Wake up

[Bombers]

Nice lcbj. I think the poster was thinking higher level action items. But I like your level of thinking. New Twitter handle is key.

 

In no particular order here are some thoughts I have:

1. Salary cap - I am on the side of the fence that this is completely out of whack. I like the football model. And to me, it would be easy for Baseball to take back all the ownership of the TV deals and work out their own TV deals. Yes Turner sports, and YES would have to buy the rights to their own baseball team but that is the right way to do it. How much money would Packers TV make if they had all Packers games aired on this new channel? They need to fix this. It should all go into 1 pot, and then divided 30 ways. (However, there are other implications like requiring teams to spend X % of that pot. Like in the NFL, they are required to spend 80% of shared revenue.)

 

2. PED's - Someone gets busted you should be able to terminate their deal. Or require all deals get mandatory "out" clauses if they get suspended.

 

3. Intl FA's - They need to continue to refine this. Maybe the recent changes they made are the right changes but guys like Puig, chapman, darvish - the Brewers have no shot at. They can only sign guys like Lara at 16 years old.

 

4. Loosing draft pick for signing guy. They need to figure something out. Having a guy like Morales sit for 5 months (Feb - June) isn't good. Something should change here.

 

5. The DH - Now before I get banned from BF.net. I have been against the DH for, well basically always. Until somewhat recently where someone said: "Name another sport where players get put into situations that are the furthest from their best skill set and ultimately why they are on this grand stage. It would be like requiring your starting QB to kick all PAT's." Ok. Well yes, if you put it that way, that sounds silly. So should the hitting pitcher go to the wayside? Should the NL have a DH? I don't know. Their are times when the Brewers have bases loaded and the pitcher is walking up where I would love to see someone else walking to the plate.

[folly412]

1) End the All-Star Game win = home field nonsense

 

2) Reduce interleague games to the 9-12 range vs. the 20 on our schedule this year

 

3) Cut back on the scope of replay

 

4) Make the competitive balance lottery qualification based on those with the lowest market size AND revenue, not OR. Teams with large markets (i.e. Phoenix, Miami) should not be rewarded for not capitalizing on the market they're in, and teams with cash to pay players (St. Louis) should not be rewarded because they're technically in a small market.

 

5) From above, do something about teams not able to void the contracts of PED users. It can cripple a small market team to have a huge contract on the books, and really isn't even right that the Yankees have to pay A-Rod. I can see how the MLBPA would have issues with disputed PED users having contracts voided, but perhaps working through an insurance program to limit the liability a team has so they don't pay the full salary out of pocket if they choose to cut ties.

[logan82]

1. Make the All-Star game an exhibition again. No more deciding home field advantage. If it ends in a tie so be it.

 

2. Market game. I know it's popular now but make it more TV friendly. Enforce rules already in place to speed up the pace of the game. Market star players.

 

3. Centralize the revenue for MLB. Players are paid out of a central fund owners do not pocket as much money. Salary caps. MLB negotiates all TV deals.

 

4. Try to make PED use not as prominent an issue. Guys are cheating, don't make a big deal about it.

 

5. Games start earlier. Especially WS and playoff games.

[SRB]

1. Find a new label for "PEDs" to dampen the media firestorm, and then legalize them for players with bona fide injuries, with safeguards to prevent uninformed players from abusing them.

 

2. For any international signing bonus, the team must pay an additional 10% of that bonus to an oversight committee to investigate and prevent exploitation within the Latin American system (pre- and post- signing)

 

3. Eliminate the DH in the American League.

 

4. Set minimum and maximum salary caps (not necessarily too close, maybe $60M to $160M?). If a team falls below the minimum cap too many seasons, MLB will institute proceedings to force a move to another city. If a team falls above the maximum cap for too many seasons, MLB will hold a competitive balance draft - starting with the team with the lowest payroll - and each team will select a player and his contract from the offending team's roster until the offending team's payroll is below the cap.

 

5. Dramatically raise minor league salaries and force the MLBPA to represent minor league players. Force teams to redirect revenue to upgrade minor league stadiums and promotion. Not only the moral thing to do re: minor league players, but revitalizing the minor league systems would do a lot to grow interest in baseball throughout the country.

 

Think I'll get selected?

[Bombers]

4. Set minimum and maximum salary caps (not necessarily too close, maybe $60M to $160M?). If a team falls below the minimum cap too many seasons, MLB will institute proceedings to force a move to another city. If a team falls above the maximum cap for too many seasons, MLB will hold a competitive balance draft - starting with the team with the lowest payroll - and each team will select a player and his contract from the offending team's roster until the offending team's payroll is below the cap.

The best part is you could take all of these players from the Yankee's and they would still be OVER the $160 mil cap

 

[pre]David Robertson RP $5,215,000

Alfonso Soriano RF $5,000,000

Alex Rodriguez DNP $3,868,852

Matt Thornton RP $3,500,000

Ivan Nova SP $3,300,000

Kelly Johnson 3B $3,000,000

Vernon Wells DNP $2,400,000

Brian Roberts 2B $2,000,000

Brendan Ryan SS $2,000,000

Shawn Kelley RP $1,765,000

Francisco Cervelli C $700,000

David Phelps SP $541,425

Michael Pineda SP $538,475

Adam Warren RP $527,400

Vidal Nuno SP $504,500

Dellin Betances RP $502,100

Dean Anna SS $500,000[/pre]

[pogokat]

1. contract the cardinals

2. get fired

3. ?

4. ?

5. profit

[Funketown]

There should also be incentives for players to grow amusing moustaches.

[dacbrewers]

1. Reinstate Pete Rose

2. End All-Star win equals home field

3. Eliminate DH at Major and Minor levels.

4. PED's - First time 1 year suspension, second time life ban. That should put an end to it.

5. If at first you don't succeed try again...Reinstate Pete Rose

[Baldkin]

1) Admit that the baseball was changed and that PEDs have almost no effect on baseball

2) Remove anyone who was suspected of ever taking a currently banned substance from the hall of fame, including greenies, steroids, testosteroneor any other thing and have a panel of 200 re-vote on each individual player.

3) Have replay handled like college football. No stupid challenges, no arguments. A guy in the booth, buzz the ump, 60 seconds to decide if it's correct, if it can't be determined, play stands.

4) Enforce rule 8.04:

 

8.04

When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall call Ball. The 12-second timing starts when the pitcher is in possession of the ball and the batter is in the box, alert to the pitcher. The timing stops when the pitcher releases the ball.

The intent of this rule is to avoid unnecessary delays. The umpire shall insist that the catcher return the ball promptly to the pitcher, and that the pitcher take his position on the rubber promptly. Obvious delay by the pitcher should instantly be penalized by the umpire.

 

5) More revenue sharing. If the Yankees and Dodgers complain, they can form their own league.

[reillymcshane]

1. Speed up games. Enforce staying in the batter's box, make pitchers make pitches within a set time frame, limit the number of visits to a pitcher during a game.

2. Limit the number of September call ups. Teams manage with 25 guys for 5/6 of the season, then suddenly get an extra 10 guys? That's just ridiculous.

3. Ramp up punishment for players (and coaches and even management) for throwing at batters. The Pirates recently lost McCutchen in a stupid tit-for-tat move. The meathead mentality should get out of the game.

4. Treat minor leaguers better. More pay, good nutrition, etc. Interns get more money than some of these kids.

5. Ban bad rip offs of the sausage races. In Denver, they have some horrible thing related to teeth. It's a toothbrush, toothpaste, a tooth - that sort of thing. Lamest thing ever.

 

I'd probably look at something regarding competitive balance. I don't know if a salary cap is the answer, but I'd like to see something. Just don't know the answer.

[igor67]

1. Pace of games, including streamlining replay with more training and hire more guys to look at every play and call for a pause if needed.

2. Incrementally work on revenue sharing though Bud's move to snag all of the online rights years ago really helped level this one out compared to the 90's.

3. trade higher costs with better minor league pay and retirement rules for an extra-long labor deal.

4. Start talking up how low the concussion rate is compared to football, among other strategies for growing the game.

5. Resist urges to change the game, expand playoffs and other such things.

[adamb100]

1.) Add a salary floor based on individual team revenue to stop greedy owners who only care about money.

2.) End the All Star game Home Field Advantage.

3.) Have the World Series end in mid October to avoid any chance of baseball in November.

4.) Eliminate the DH

5.) Lower the pitching mound since pitching is too dominant as of late.

[JJHardy7]

1. Add some type of salary floor/ceiling.

2. Do not end All-Star Home Field Advantage, but remove the need for one team to have a representative. The managers for the respective teams will be from the team that has the best record going into the All-Star break.

3. Make the 25-man roster a 28-man roster. Too many moves throughout the season made for injuries and this way you may be able to avoid the DL for some injuries.

4. Enforce pitch/batting box clock.

5. Change free agency rules to allow for players to be under control of original team for an extra year or two. If player is not on original team, they revert back to current rules.

[trwi7]

1. Solve the Rays and A's stadium situations. Hopefully it leads to both staying in which case I'd consider expansion.

 

2. Eliminate bonus pools for the draft and international free agency. You are worth what you and the team agree you're worth. No more we'll give you this if this player signs for this but if he doesn't sign for this too bad for you because now we don't have the money.

 

3. Make PED use legal for players with injuries under the supervision of MLB hired doctors. Completely optional if a player wants to use them.

 

4. International draft.

 

5. The all-star game goes back to being an exhibition instead of deciding something in the World Series.

 

6. Salary floor of $60 million to start. It goes up or down based on MLB revenues.

[ewitkows]

1 back to 152.

2 either add 2 teams so no interleague or get rid of 2 teams

3 pay minor leaguers a bit more. say like 30k,50k and 75k for A,AA and AAA

4 WS would be 3 games at home and 3 games away with 1 day inbetween for travel

[afeter]

1. Automated strike zone. I don't care if its fox tracks or the very same zone for every hitter. I would implement a tool that makes consistent and accurate decisions on balls and strikes.

2. Standardization of ball parks. if bases must be 90 feet everywhere, shouldn't the OF be the same as well. I would probably allow for a small margin of difference, but say good-bye to the green monster.

3. Institute and promote a new award for the team with the best regular season record. I believe the best baseball team is the team that wins the most of 162. I'd love to see this team acknowledged with accolades on-par to that of a World Series victory. This could require some balancing of the schedule or not. In any event this team should be celebrated and remembered in some meaningful way.

4. WS home field advantage. This should be awarded to team with best overall record, next= record vs similar opponents, next= head to head, next= league record, next= division record, next= interleague record,…

[TooLiveBrew]

2. Standardization of ball parks. if bases must be 90 feet everywhere, shouldn't the OF be the same as well. I would probably allow for a small margin of difference, but say good-bye to the green monster.

For the specific example you cited, the reason for the Green Monster is the footprint/location of the stadium. Saying goodbye to the Green Monster would mean requiring the Sawx to tear down Fenway & rebuild.

 

http://www.wellsj.com/library/images/fenway/fenway_60.jpg

[guylanderfridancies]

1. NO MORE DH. Pitchers can learn to hit in the AL.

 

2. RAISE WAGES FOR MINOR LEAGUERS. This is a joke, a lot of them are getting under minimum-wage.

 

3. MINIMUM SALARY REQUIREMENT. Teams not going to the playoffs for 20+ years is stupid and bad for the sport, let's get some parity.

 

4. REINSTATE PETE ROSE. And apologize.

 

5. GO TO WORK ON ROBOTIC UMPIRING. With lasers and micro-chips and all that good stuff. Put em in the baseballs, the gloves, the cleats, the bases; there'd never be a dispute or discrepancy. There'd only be the right calls getting made.

[FVBrewerFan]

1) International players have to be included in the annual MLB draft.

 

2) Hard floor/ceiling cap

 

3) 27 man active roster

 

4) Kill instant replay except in the playoffs.

 

5) Add more ribbon style scoreboards to all NL parks.

[djoctagone]

1. move the non-waiver trading deadline from 31 july to the middle of august.

 

2. allow for a 26-man roster to start the season, with one player as an unavailable reserve. this allows each club to carry an extra player until that one unavailable reserve player is needed (usually the fourth or fifth starting pitcher).

 

3. i agree with doug melvin's suggestion when rosters expand to 40 in september. each club sets a roster with an equal number of players per game. if the brewers roster is at 29 and their opponent's is at 31, each team's roster of eligible players cannot exceed 29 for that game, and if the brewers decide to go with 28 players, so must the other club.

 

4. require all clubs to enforce a no mobile phone use for voice calls in lower seating behind home plate. if you need to use your phone for a voice call, you leave your seat and head up to the concourse. this will improve the viewing experience for those watching the game on their televisions and mobile devices.

 

5. require clubs that give kids t-shirts to wear for on-field activities (like helping the grounds crew swap the bases) to give out youth-sized t-shirts. i'm sick of seeing kids drowning in adult t-shirts at games.

[MadScientist]

1) Total TV revenue sharing. Teams will not be allow to own their own network to hide the revenue, or the books will have to be fully open to all owners.

2) PEDs - any player suspended for PEDs will have a one year period after their suspension ends where their contract is not guaranteed. Teams will be totally off the hook for cutting a player during this period. After that, the contract returns to the guaranteed status.

3) Replay - the replay process shall take no more than one minute from the time the manager leaves the dugout to the time the call is made. If the replay officials can't tell by then, the call stands.

4) Earlier starts for World Series games, at least for Saturday and Sunday games. This will give young kids a better chance of seeing the whole game.

5) Ban tobacco use by players and coaches while they are in the stadium, and extend this down to all minor levels.

[trwi7]

Also would like to add robot umps for balls/strikes and a replay ump in the press box.

[dacbrewers]

I would change the blocking the plate rule to say that a runner coming home must be within sliding distance of the plate. This is based on a horrible reversal call by umps on a play at the plate in the SF game today.