What if you were Monarch of Baseball?

[Ulice Payne]

Treego14's post in the Trade Rumors Forum made me think of this.  A creative idea that probably can't happen in the real world.  Maybe it should, maybe it shouldn't; but a thought provoking post nonetheless.

 

 

It made me wonder; what would a person do if they were suddenly appointed Monarch of Baseball for Life?  No worrying about if the owners or players would like your edicts.  You are the Monarch.  What the Monarch says goes.

 

A couple of things come to mind for me.

 

I would pay players a set percentage of revenue.  No individual contracts.  The teams sign the players; the players union decides how to pay them.

 

I'd also allow the trading of draft picks.  I'd move the draft to the same day as the trade deadline, televise it, and encourage all the teams to trade up & down while moving current players.  Like an NFL Draft, but in the middle of the season.

 

What would you do?

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I would force teams to share TV revenue the same way they share gate revenue, basically an even split with the team they’re playing. Then I would implement a salary floor and cap with players receiving 50% of revenue. 

[HarryDoyle]

Is it weird the title of the thread reminded me immediately of the cowardly lion singing If I Was King Of The Forest?

[young guns]

29 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I would force teams to share TV revenue the same way they share gate revenue, basically an even split with the team they’re playing. Then I would implement a salary floor and cap with players receiving 50% of revenue. 

Basically this, but all tv revenue goes into 1 pot split evenly among all teams.  Also eliminate blackout restrictions and I would also create some sort of MLB streaming service with a relatively cheap subscription price.  Something like 20 bucks for the year.

[Brock Beauchamp]

4 minutes ago, young guns said:

Basically this, but all tv revenue goes into 1 pot split evenly among all teams.  Also eliminate blackout restrictions and I would also create some sort of MLB streaming service with a relatively cheap subscription price.  Something like 20 bucks for the year.

I'm not sure 100% financial equality is actually the best thing for baseball but I'm certainly not against it. Damned near anything is better than what we have right now.

[SomewhereInTime]

Definitely a warning moat instead of warning track

[MNBrew]

I don't have any really clever ideas, just a long list of things that I think need fixing, so I'd....

I'd permanently banish Rob Manfred -- ultimate source of dumb ideas, hair-brained rule changes & needless tinkering, and the relentless & clueless alienator of players.

I'd also permanently ban the 3-batter rule for relievers, the notions of ads on uniforms, Manfred's ghost runner rule, and Nike's NBA-ish attempt at trendy (but actually horrendous) uniforms -- so far they're all as bad or worse as those awful Turn Ahead the Clock ones.

I'd forever allow defensive shifts so players finally get around to figuring out again how to hit the ball where the fielders ain't.

I'd insist that official scorers be consistently trained to recognize that is a fielding error is a fielding error, and then make the correct ruling, rather than often opting for a ruling that favors a hitter's stats.

The HOF is full of guys that broke rules or gained competitive advantage (greenies, anyone?  cocaine is an upper, you know -- faster recovery/fake energy???  hello!!!!).  I'd remove all sanctimonous & self-righteous approaches within BBWA rules and HOF voters so that all steroid-era players with HOF-caliber numbers are judged solely on their on-field performance -- just like their predecessors from all other eras.

I'd take the red (or whatever catchy color name they call it) OUT of the AZ uniforms and replace it with the purple that they first had.  Both are "southwestern" colors on some level and neither are rattlesnake colors, so go with the one that's more unique.

I'd also go back to minimizing interleague play & have four 8-team divisions.  Toward that end, I'd add a Montreal Expos team back into MLB (with the early '80s versions of the uniforms, not the pinstripes), which would necessitate a 32nd team, too -- and that one CANNOT ever be in Las Vegas.... There was a time in the '80s & '90s that Buffalo was thought to be the next most-likely expansion city. . . . For that matter, I'd find a way to build a stadium in Tampa for the Rays.  That's where everybody in that area lives, not out the causeway in St. Pete, which is a pleasant but definitely NOT "happening" area by comparison.

I'd make packs & sets of baseball cards forever stay at early- to mid-'80s prices so they're always accessible & affordable for collectors & young kids alike.

Finally, I'd bring back the previous Brewers uniforms & color scheme and incorporate the ball/glove logo as an official part of that look so it AND the M/barley logos could forever coexist.

Bonus:  I'd bring bag a modernized version of the giant stein & Bernie's chalet.  The dugout & waterslide-into-the-hot-tub is alright, but nothing says "Milwaukee" like that stein did!

(The warning moat idea is a pretty awesome idea, too.)

[djoctagone]

it's the fair pole, not the foul pole.

i'd bring back printed tickets. no more phone app crap.

the play review umpire(s) in new york are no longer anonymous.

all players, regardless of contract status, are paid in spring training.

minor league players get to unionize.

player names on the backs of all jerseys.

spring training is shortened. rosters are at 40 until 1 may, and must contract to 26 on 2 may. no roster expansion in september.

carry-in policies are the same across all teams. factory-sealed flavored water bottle of any size? okay. 

"america the beautiful" is performed before games, not "the star spangled banner". no more songs glorifying a war.

every mlb stadium stateside for eliminated teams becomes an early voting center in even-numbered years.

any team hosting a "faith night" must disclose the faith they're representing in all promotions. if it's christian faith night, call it that. if it's flying spaghetti monster faith night, call it that.

[jerichoholicninja]

Suspensions that actually matter. You throw at a batter you sit for at least 20 games, if not more and the suspended player takes up an active roster spot the whole time. You instigate anything, ala Yadi every other week, you get suspended at least 10 games. 

[NBBrewFan]

What do butterflies have to do with baseball?

So if I had supreme power I'd do the full revenue sharing with salary cap and floors like the NFL on Day 1.

Day 2 install a plan that any team that accepts public money (be it any form of corporate revenue) is required to make their finances public.

Day 3 crush blackout rules and allow anyone to view any game from any location/market. 

Day 4 International draft and slot values

Day 5 minor league minimum wage with travel/housing allowance.

Day 6 Agree to a fixed revenue sharing with players so that X% of revenue is for player salaries (including minor leagues). 

Day 7 Play Ball!

[TheEndless7]

All Major League Stadiums need to be redesigned to the dimensions of the old Polo Grounds.

[Brock Beauchamp]

4 minutes ago, TheEndless7 said:

All Major League Stadiums need to be redesigned to the dimensions of the old Polo Grounds.

Let's see you elevate and pull that ball out of the stadium, you exit-velo-launch-angle-bobo. ?

[Dead Simmons]

Flatten the mound and move it back 5 feet to fit the steroid giants we got in THIS era and starting in the 7th inning the base runners RETURN to their bases the next inning

[wallus]

• Pitch clock
• 3 balls, 2 strikes. If you take the first strike, you are out
• Do 3 half inning hitting intervals until the 7th inning, clear the bases after 3 outs and start over
• Lower the mound
• Share all revenue and have a payroll floor

[Ewitkows1]

RELEGATION that will keep teams from tanking

[owbc]

End tanking by implementing a two-tiered promotion/relegation system. I would use around 40 teams including MLB and about 10 teams that are currently AAA. The worst records in MLB go down to the lower league and the best from the lower league get promoted every year. Less revenue sharing in the lower league, so it costs the owners $$ if they don't field a competitive team. 

More talent is needed for a league of that size, so minor league pay needs to be greatly increased along with significant additional investment in youth and HS baseball. 

Every team has to play an international series every year. 

Robo balls/strikes and a strict pitch clock. And by strict I mean strict. Going over the pitch clock needs to be a play that can be challenged and reviewed by the opponent.

Scoreboard shows a "gameday" interface which will improve engagement with casual fans at the stadium. 

Create a set of standards for the 'ideal' baseball game -- runs, K, BB, stolen bases, doubles, triples, HR per game. Adjust rules after every season to aim for those metrics. Need to avoid the current situation where drastic changes are needed to get things back to 'normal' baseball. 

In extra innings, teams have to play with one less defender every inning. 8 men in the field in the 10th inning, 7 in the 11th inning, etc. 

Foul bunt on two strikes is not a strikeout until the 2nd or 3rd attempt. 

 

 

 

[nate82]

I would shorten the game to 7 innings.  Extra inning rules start in the 10th inning.  After the 12th inning if still tied any player that is no longer in the game can come back and pinch hit.  Unless they were removed due to an injury.

Shorten the season to 100 games. Games are played in series with teams having Mon-Wed off,  Mon-Tue are for makeup games.  Each team plays Thur-Sun.  The season starts in April and ends in September.  If a home team is not able to reschedule during a mon or tue they forfeit the game.

Standings is determined by points.  Extra inning games award each team 1 point with wins giving the winning team 3 points.  The winning team in an extra inning game gets 1 point for the extra innings plus 1 point for winning.  Points determine the seeding each team gets in the playoffs.

Move the Rays from Tampa to Miami and the Marlins from Miami to Charlotte.  Move the A’s to Vegas.  Add Nashville and Portland as new MLB franchises.  

[mtsportsfan]

Install a salary cap and floor.

Pitch clock , batter can't leave the box

Keep the ghost runner for xtra innings

Automated strike zone

Replay on on everything but 1 minute to decide.

If a player is cut and signs with another team his former contract is voided. 

$4.00 beer and $2.00 hot dogs

All games to start season are either in a dome or in warm weather climates

[Brock Beauchamp]

36 minutes ago, mtsportsfan said:

If a player is cut and signs with another team his former contract is voided. 

Oh, this is a terrible idea. It allows teams to force players to either retire or accept a lesser (often minimum) contract on a whim if they're underperforming.

What happens if you sign a 32 year old player to a four year deal and he just sucks in the second year? Waive him and basically force him to retire or, if he actually wants to continue baseball and can effectively play the sport even in a diminished capacity, he loses a boatload of money.

That's such a boon for teams and such a bad thing for mid-tier players who often only earn "real" professional sports money when/if they reach free agency and sign a large deal. Basically, you're allowing teams to exploit those early highly productive seasons at the minimum while also giving teams an out to not pay those same players after signing a contract.

[Ulice Payne]

5 hours ago, nate82 said:

Games are played in series with teams having Mon-Wed off,  Mon-Tue are for makeup games.  Each team plays Thur-Sun.  The season starts in April and ends in September.  

I had an idea like this.  Games six days a week as a home and home series between the same teams.  So, for example, Brewers would host the Pirates Tues-Thurs, then visit Pittsburgh Fri to Sun. Then Monday off & start the next week with a different team.  I'm sure a schedule could be configured to be a bunch of 6 game homestands & 6 game road trips.  

It's be nice for marketing, especially for the weaker teams.  A team like the Orioles could market the heck out of Angels week, capitalizing on the popularity of the opponent.

[Brock Beauchamp]

27 minutes ago, Ulice Payne said:

I had an idea like this.  Games six days a week as a home and home series between the same teams.  So, for example, Brewers would host the Pirates Tues-Thurs, then visit Pittsburgh Fri to Sun. Then Monday off & start the next week with a different team.  I'm sure a schedule could be configured to be a bunch of 6 game homestands & 6 game road trips.  

It's be nice for marketing, especially for the weaker teams.  A team like the Orioles could market the heck out of Angels week, capitalizing on the popularity of the opponent.

The problem with this is that it accentuates (in a bad way) the ebbs and flows of a baseball season. Say Burnes is having an arm issue at the same time Yelich has a calf issue... what if that happens during a late August stretch during which you play the Cardinals six times during that ten day period? Sure, that can happen now but this plan literally bakes it into the schedule.

Baseball is a grind and part of what makes it great is the randomness of that grind. You may get the Dodgers for awhile but then will get the A's afterward. And this is why I'm in favor of the new "play all teams every year" schedule MLB is planning for 2023. The more random baseball becomes, the better it is.

[Tbadder]

1. 154 game schedule, mandatory Sunday doubleheaders for a single game price. No everyday player can participate in more than 120 games per year: all rosters are set at 32 players 

2. no DH anywhere, any league, college, sandlot, nothing

3. players receive 60% of gross revenues, player union decides all salaries and all rosters and all roster moves

4. the other 40% of gross revenues goes to owners, all monies everywhere are pooled and distributed evenly based on this 60/40 formula

5. all minor league teams must provide air conditioned dorm style living quarters and healthy meal programs free of charge, all minor leaguers must be paid a living wage

6. running is the key excitement in nearly every sport, anything that discourages running (BBs, HRs, Ks) must be minimized. The triple is a more thrilling play than the dinger.

7. no public money in any sport for any reason, build it and they will come

8. all building projects must be funded based on the 60/40 formula

 

[Samurai Bucky]

20 hours ago, Ewitkows1 said:

RELEGATION that will keep teams from tanking

You beat me to it

[Samurai Bucky]

1. @Ewitkows1 beat me to the Relegation point.  Even with that, the larger markets would never be relegated (akin to Man U and Chelsea in the EPL).  I would like to see some form of it, but it would be tough in the US culture.
2. Give minor league players a better paycheck.  SI Article
    

   Quote

   "Most Minor Leaguers make less than $15,000 per year and won't receive their next paycheck until April," Marino said.

3. Football thrives because of exposure on TV.  Provide better streaming options where I don't have to pay a boat load of money to watch my local team.  I know it is a little different, but I can't watch any games without subscribing?
4. Either go with all DH or no DH.  Then, get rid of the American and National Leagues.  Or, if you have relegation, have one be the Premier league and the other is the First division.
5. Force fans to pay a fee when they are constantly getting up DURING THE INNING or DURING A PITCH to do... whatever.  I'm there to watch the game, not play elevator getting up and down multiple times an inning.  [disclaimer] This one is tongue in cheek [/disclaimer]
   
    

[jerichoholicninja]

As bad as Manfred is, I think letting BF.net run MLB would be an ever worse disaster.