The Five Actions The MLB Should Do To Make it a Major Sport Worth Watching Again

 The Five Actions The MLB Should Do To Make it a Major Sport Worth Watching Again 

  It’s Saturday or Sunday morning the weather is starting to get warm you’re a kid and this excites you more than anything. Your mom tells you to get ready to go to your Little League game. How you felt about going was entirely up to you. Nonetheless you were like millions of other kids on those days. Being a child playing baseball is one of the most common traditions growing up in the United States. For the most of my life it has been looked at as “America’s pastime” because of its popularity in the country. It’s much different than most sports. For one it’s the only sport in the United States that’s been around since the 1800s, it has no clock or timer, every kid plays it, and unlike NBA or NFL games you don’t really need to watch all of the games. You can play the game as background sound the season is nine months long, 162 games you don’t need to fully pay attention every time. A baseball player’s season is much longer but it can be their sport isn’t as physically wearing as basketball, hockey, or football. You get the picture though baseball is very popular in the United States amongst all ages, genders, and races. My point is growing up baseball was by far the number one watched sport. It was cool to play, great money in the sport, the superstars had personality, and was fun to watch. Ever since Bud Selig took over the MLB as commissioner that went straight down the drain all of the greatness of the game. Rob Manfred took over after Selig in 2015 and he might be worst if that’s possible. Both of them gutted the game of its purity, dignity, it’s watchability, and most importantly its fun. We could get into the corrupt ways of both and bash either one of them for hours but that’s not why we are here. We are here to propose some good ideas (which they lack over at MLB headquarters) for the better of the game. From someone who is a baseball purist, from someone who played the game, and still has love for the dying sport. In my opinion we can save it. Here are five good ideas on how to bring back baseball to being fun to play and watch again. 

Not on the list because it’s a dumb one: Salary Cap Inserted 

Some baseball purist believe that the MLB should finally do what every other league did and establish a salary cap. According to purist it’s unfair that big market teams can just out spend small market teams. For example like the Dodgers or Yankees where people give those teams the narrative of buying their teams. Meaning they don’t develop players they just buy everyone’s best players because they can afford them, and the small market teams that developed these players can’t. Which is not true the Yankees and Dodgers are ranked among the top farm systems every year. Just like the Red Sox. Maybe that’s why these teams are always good because they develop good players, they have money. When bad teams want to get rid of contracts what do they want? Young players the Dodgers and Yankees have a lot of good ones, and they can afford the superstars. Bravo to their organizations. At the point where we are in the game that’s utter nonsense. The league is nearly worth trillions. We aren’t talking about small market teams like Green Bay. We are talking about small markets teams like San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds. Cities small to the likes of New York City and Los Angeles but not small in the general construct of things. Every team can buy players. The teams are owned by billionaires that own other billion dollar companies beside the billion dollar organization they own currently. If you have a bad billionaire owning your team like the Pirates who just pockets the money then sorry sucks to suck that’s the game. No salary cap helps players get paid more. So what if some players are getting overpaid because of this? Owners have taken advantage of the players for years let them get that money. The league is better with no salary cap. 

5 Keep universal DH 

Last season in the 2020 season when the game schedule was shortened from 162 to 60 games the MLB did some experiments. One of the most pronounced experiment was adding a universal designated hitter. To be is was awesome. Which is not the answer people would of expect before the 2020 season. The change was so in a shortened season the pitchers never worry about hitting from the American League to the National League. The American League adapted the designated hitter back in 1973. Since then the pitcher hitting has been up in controversy. Casual fans and baseball purist argue that why should the pitcher have to do three things (pitch, hit, and field) when everyone else as to do two? It is a fair question. Seems like a heavy work load on maybe the most important player on the field. Baseball purist such as myself for awhile said that it’s what set the two leagues different from each other. When the AL goes on the road in the World Series they had to have their pitcher hit, which gave the National League an advantage since at least their pitcher has hit before. Then when going to the American League team’s stadium the DH was put into place. The American League had a designed guy for that while the National League had to use one of their bench hitters who doesn’t hit as much as a starter. The National League would get the advantage more since the bench  hitter probably will hit better than a pitcher who hasn’t hit all season. The thought of universal DH grew on me through the years even with the thought in my mind the purity of the game was most important. However the DH would make the game better and more fun. No one wants to see Jacob Degrom hit, people rather watch Dominic Smith hit, and not have to play terrible defense in the field. No one bought tickets to a game to see David Ortiz field. The universal DH will be better for fans and players. Players that are older can extend their careers like David Ortiz. The universal DH will bring more offense. Which is how you entertain or get the non hardcore baseball fans to tune in. People want to see home runs not a pitching duel all the time. There’s no salary cap it’s not like MLB teams have to fight or squeeze a designated hitter on their team. This is the MLB, finding someone who just can hit is not that hard. The universal DH was rejected in the labor deal for the 2021 season. Leads the season on a bad foot to attract more fans. The universal DH would bring back some fun, extend players careers, players will get paid more to be a DH then just a casual bench player, it will up the scoring, attract more fans, and make the World Series an even contest again. Don’t see why not and this is coming from someone who was against for it for years. 

4 Get rid of runner on second to start extra innings 

I’ve seen some dumb things in my day but this rule right here maybe the dumbest of them all. When we say Rob Manfred is ruining the game and has terrible ideas this is what we are talking about. The man has no idea what baseball fans want. Baseball purist are some of the worst fans at changing their mind on how the game can change. Even if it doesn’t work well baseball purist will argue “That’s how the game is played.” So Manfred takes that information, tries to make the game fun, and make the game faster so in a 60 games season with many double headers teams aren’t playing 18 inning games. In my opinion who cares? That’s the point of the game. It has no clock no timer you have to give the other guy a chance to win you can’t avoid him like football with winding down the clock. If they play 18 innings should of scored sooner sorry. Imagine Roger Goodell came out and said in overtime the home team starts at opposing team’s 20 yard line. You’d be like that’s awesome especially if we just make it like college football rules. Then he said but if they score a field goal game is over. You’d be like wow how dumb? Manfred and the MLB had the answer to making games go faster without messing with it. The clock between pitchers and innings is the best idea the MLB has had. You shouldn’t wait ten minutes for opposing bullpen pitcher to warm up or five minutes for a pitcher to get warm who was just out there ten minutes ago. Putting someone in scoring position without the team deserving it is exactly what someone like me doesn’t want. Getting someone to second with no outs is hard and it should be kept that way. Also how does that affect bullpen pitcher’s ERAs? They get an earned run allowed even though they didn’t give up a double at all? ERAs are important for bullpen pitchers especially since they only pitch one to three innings at a time. That one run can be a big deal if someone gets a job next year or not. You are not getting the true winner of the game. The rule is dumb and should be scrapped. Let 20 inning games exist who cares if causal fans don’t watch it they didn’t watch 1-4 anyways. 

3 Add bye round for 1 seed in each league 

The MLB should expand the playoffs yes there it was said. Beyond the two top wildcard teams figuring it out in a one game playoff to see who gets into the real Playoffs. In fact you should keep that. No will ever say no to a one game playoff. You don’t have to expand the playoffs greatly just add one more team to each league. How do you that? Simple you have the number one wildcard team who finishes at the top of the Wildcard standings as the fourth seed still. They just don’t play in a one game playoff to get in. The ones that plays in the one game playoff is the team second in the wildcard standing against who is third. The second team gets home field advantage. The winner plays the second best seed in the certain league. The number one seed gets a bye round. For example if the Rays finished first in the wild card, the Athletics finished second, and the Twins finished third. The Rays the top wild card team are in the playoffs automatically they’ll be playing a five game series against the division team with the worst record amongst division winning teams in the American League since they are American League teams. The second seeded Wildcard team the Athletics in this case will get to play at home against the Twins the third wild card team in a one game playoff. Winner gets the play the second best record among division winners. Or the second seed. So the Playoffs will start with a 5 game series with the second best team record wise in the league against a team that finished second or third in the wildcard round. Then the worst division winning team playing against the top ranked wildcard team in the first round as well. The lowest seed will play the one seed in the next round or the official divisional round. That will give the number one seed who may have the best record in the whole MLB a bye round. It’ll be about a week long break since that’s the average of the time of the first round of the playoffs. Then the league championship and trip to the World Series run through their stadium. It will make the one seed or having the best record actually finally mean something in baseball. A week off in a 8 month season is a really big deal. It could be advantage could be a disadvantage. More fans will tune in since another team can make the playoffs so people tune in longer since their team will have more of a chance to get in. You’ll have more competitive baseball games. Also what sells best? Playoff games. You are adding playoff games more revenue for you greedy MLB owners. Finally coaches will be more prone to keep their job since it’ll be easier to get into the playoffs. Or maybe not since how did you not get in the playoff with an extra team? Makes things more interesting. The stakes are raised which makes sports more fun. The idea works out for everybody players, franchises, coaches, fans, and owners. 

2 Let the players play 

For the sport to be deemed fun again you have to let the players have fun. For example back in the day bench clearing brawls were looked as exciting even by the front office of the MLB. Batters talking smack to pitchers and vice versa. It was all looked at as part of the game. Then at some point the commissioner decided we can’t have fun anymore. They wanted to give a better imagine for the league. People up top wanted the trash talk to stop. Remember the non written rule of if you injured or hit one of my guys now my team has to throw behind you or at you? The MLB has tried really hard to get rid of that fashion of policing by the players. You can face major fines or suspension for talking smack. The league tried to fine bat flips. Yes bat flips one of the best part’s of the game. Last year’s playoffs you could see the players had enough. The players were having a hell of a time playing high level competitive baseball. Higher ups probably let the trash talking go because their was no one in the stands to really hear what players were saying.  The MLB tried to make Joe Kelly enemy number one for throwing behind Astros players. The same Astros players that screwed Kelly out of a World Series with their cheating a year before. The MLB protected the cheaters throughout that process and did it again when they fined and suspended Kelly. Trevor Bauer 2020 NL CY Young has been a big advocate of the MLB suppressing players voices. Bauer and Manfred aren’t friends let’s just say. As they shouldn’t Manfred and friends are destroying the game he loves. In a world where players aren’t allowed to have fun it’s not possible for us fans to enjoy a lame product. Let players have fun again and the sport will be great to watch. Let them talk trash let and be highly competitive man. As long as they aren’t killing each other don’t really see the big deal. 

Honorable Mention 

MLB Gets Rid of Rob Manfred 

Throwing this one right in here because didn’t want to waste a spot on the five ideas especially since this one will never happen. Rob Manfred took over office in 2015 from Bud Selig. We thought Selig was a terrible commissioner compared to Manfred well Selig is still terrible he just less terrible than Manfred. It really is picking between two poisons that’ll both kill you. It’s a terrible decision to have to make. Manfred, Selig, and their cronies have done numerous things to ruin the MLB. The steroid era was in Selig’s era of overseeing the MLB. Numerous players were left off his famous Mitchell report that caught every player that used performance enhancers during that era. Except some Red Sox players on the list. The owner of the Red Sox was apart of the Mitchell report. Then years later David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are busted for steroids after their run is over. Weird how that happens. Their are books out on how Selig was very corrupt that is no secret. So you don’t think the guy who was his little side kick in Manfred isn’t corrupt either? Come on now of course he is. Manfred and Selig have stripped the league of its integrity as they were saying they were bringing some more in the game. Getting rid of Manfred would make things go a lot smoother in bringing back the beautiful game of baseball. 

1 Expand the league 

Now the obvious one the MLB needs more teams. Their is so much talent throughout the baseball world. We have three drafts one with one hundred rounds because their is so much talent. Each team has at least three minor league teams with side independent leagues. The NFL having more teams than the MLB is absolutely unacceptable. Everyone plays baseball at least once not everyone plays football. Guarantee you their is more baseball players than football players. The world also plays baseball. No one else plays football and basketball like Americans. Baseball on the other hand Cuba, Japan, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and others all play baseball as their favorite sport. Baseball is huge in a lot of places not just America. The league can definitely expand. Why isn’t their a team in the Carolinas? That’s ridiculous North and South Carolina produce some of the best baseball players in the world. Iowa where the Field of Dreams took place why no stadium anywhere near there? Mets Brandon Nimmo talks about how he had to travel throughout Montana to find a baseball team because his high school didn’t promote it. Bring baseball up to the Dakotas, Utah, Montana areas expand the product. Put a team in Mexico City, San Juan, and Montreal. The MLB can expand. Their is more than enough money and talent. Every major league is talking about expanding expect for the MLB. Which to me is ludicrous. The MLB has more than enough money, more than enough money, and more than enough fans to expand the league from thirty teams to even forty teams. 

These five things in my opinion would really help change the game for the better. Didn’t add changing the MLB Hall of Fame voting because for me that doesn’t make the game more fun. At some point we should change the voting of the Hall of Fame but it’s really not a must right now. People like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are Hall of Famers. Literally everyone was doing what they were doing back then the evidence is clear. Nonetheless changing the game wouldn’t change anything or at least not as much as these rule changes would. Broke it down to five because the six ideas that would change the game doesn’t have the same ring to it honestly. Anyways hope you enjoyed my thoughts and hope the MLB take some of them up, because personally miss the old game of baseball very much. 

By Matthew Doherty