What if you were commissioner?
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jul 20, 2009 
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A reader suggested this would make a good topic to generate discussion. Let’s find out.
If you were the commissioner of baseball for one day, what would be your first order of business?
Let’s not make this too complicated. Give us just one thing you would do. It can be a rule change or some other decision that would benefit the game. Let’s pretend for a second you have the cooperation of the owners and the MLBPA.
Here’s mine: I’d change the draft. Instead of just the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, the draft would encompass the world. There also would be a mandated salary slot system to control the costs, much like the NBA draft.
What would you do?
I have two things,
Make contracts non guaranteed.
and
Best record gets homefield for the world series.
UnBalanced Schedule and Inter-league Play: GONE!
I would take out replay the way it is and give a manager some sort of challenge system like the NFL. Only on fair foul, safe out, HR or no HR, no balls and strikes.
If I wasn’t a die-hard Yankees fan, I’d say… SALARY CAP.
As it is… it’s all good.
Institute the DH in the National League.
If I were commissioner, I would mandate that no WS games can begin later than 7pm on the East Coast, so that everyone can see it to the end, including kids, who are the sport’s future fans.
Jen took the home field advantage one so…
We’d have an instant replay challenge system, similar to NFL.
No divisions, best 8 teams overall make the playoffs.
Cut off the combover and change my name from Bud to something respectable.
“The Yankees could give him the catcher everyone loves…”
Montero has a name, Francesa.
Smythe has it exactly right: get rid of interleague play and the unbalanced schedule.
Go back to two divisions. We’re going to end up with a sub .500 world series champ one of these years. And I like your idea about the draft, Pete, but slots are an absolute disaster, and unfair to the players.
I’d fire Bud Selig.
Instruct Toronto and Tampa to play on real grass – no more articifical turf; require the new Twins park to have a retractable roof – (pitchers could ruin their arms in the cold weather of April and MLB could pay for it) but the turf issue is my first priority.
Give a greater disadvantage to the wild card winner during the playoffs, like having to win an extra game or getting only 1 home game. Forcing the team with the best record in its league to play a short series against a team that didn’t win its division is simply unfair and can lead to random results
Fatcesca knows who Montero its about time
I am a huge yanks fan and i still say Salary Cap.
It just makes the game fair.
I would make the strike zone automated via Questech or something better. This whole idea that human error is good, or that we need to preserve the history of the game, just doesn’t make sense.
I know most won’t agree with me, but I am hard pressed to believe I am wrong, it’s a new era, let’s make it as exact and objective as possible.
I’d hire the best lawyers and lobbyists money could buy to influence the NFL single entity supreme court case.
Increase access to restricted free agents the way they do in the NHL.
Salary cap and non-guaranteed contracts.
If I have the cooperation of the union, I can dream…
add 2 teams, make four 4-team divisions per league, abolish the wild card making just the 4 division winners the playoff teams and make each playoff series a best of 9, even the first round.
5 game series are a joke.
Wild card would be the second thing, I like the idea of 2 wild cards, one game playoff, now you really try to win that division.
He only knows who Montero is because he’s been talked about a lot lately. Otherwise he wouldn’t have the slightest clue who he is.
Have the DH in both leagues. Too many pitchers getting hurt.
1.- World Series: 9 games instead of 7. Also, Division Series to 7 games instead of 5.
2.- Contracts based on performance (this is a tricky one)
3.- Improving methods to detect PED’s, but amnesty to those who use them before it was prohibited by MLB. Also try to bury this witch hunting that has prevailed in the last years.
4.- The League Champ with best interleague record has home advantage.
Mandate more traditional baseball. Ban artificial turf, domes, and all sound effects/video/commercials during an inning. Well, except “Enter Sandman.” That stays.
My point about bringing up Mike and Tampa earlier was that he will spend half his show praising Tampa. However good they are, they are currently 4 behind the Yankees. Can he spend ANY time giving credit to the Yankees? With him, it’s always that the Yankees are nowhere near as good as the Sox or they’re barely better than the Rays. I’m not suggesting that we ignore the Rays – I’m saying that for Mike, other teams are praiseworthy and the Yankees are not. He never seems to enjoy the this team – he’s always complaining about something
oh, and get rid of interleague play and make more of a majority of the schedule within the division.
Go back to the 154-game season but make the Division Series a best of 7.
release the names of ALL who tested positive
Two things I would do as commissioner:
1) Three strikes and you’re out rule for umpires.
2) Run a report on steroids in baseball not headed by an owner of the Red Sox. Oh really Mr. Mitchell, Manny Ramirez didn’t happen to pop up on your report?
Balanced scheduled / AL and NL. No divisions. Best 5 teams in each division makes playoffs. #4 and #5 play a one-game play-in to see who will play the #1 ranked team. WC round would be best of 5. #2 and #3 play 2-2-1 format BUT #1 and #4/5 winner play 3-1-1 format. ALCS, NLCS and WS are 2-3-2 format with best overall record getting home field in WS.
It is a long season and winners should be rewarded.
Chet
Ken, in principle i agree with you. In practice, i think you’d see a huge advantage to the hitters. I’d almost like to see MLB trial it somehow to see what the impact would be on run scoring.
Oh god, Diet Coke knows about Jesus?
That idea of 2 wild cards to play 1 game playoff is really good.
Interleague is gone. Balanced schedules are back.
Olympic Style drug testing and punishment.
Instant replay and questek(sp?) are gone.
Warnings to the pitchers for throwing inside are gone.
1) Salary cap
2) DH in National League
I would change the DH rule as follows:
- Make NL and AL follow the same rule.
- Make the DH stand in for the starting pitcher only. Once the SP leaves the game, the strategy is the same as any NL game. This would satisfy the Player’s Union (who wants to keep the DH) and those who say the DH takes away from the strategy of the game.
Halladay – per Mike, he’s never been in a big game, so he’s implying that he would not be a help to any team. Naturally, watch him bring up Josh Beckett. LOL Now if the Yankees get him, it’s too much…..aww, right, the big bad Yankees. They aren’t allowed to play by the same rules as other teams. What a clown.
Sorry to bring Francessa into the room, but he’d be embarrassed if the Yankees won it all with Halladay.
Hey, let’s just worry about winning it all. Let’s not cut our nose off to spite our face.
Mets could make a good package with Flores, Meija, Tejada, Fernando Martinez, and Daniel Murphy.
That would be enough to get Doc.
Interleague play – gone
Fans voting for all stars – gone
All Star game results impacting anything – gone
DH – gone
Unbalanced Schedules – gone
Artificial turf – gone
john sterling’s texeira homerun calls – gone
Francesca says it would be embarassing if the Yankees brought in Halladay and won.
Anyone else have that problem?
I’d make the NL play the game the rest of the World (except for the one Japanese league) is play.
I’d leave the draft alone, because “slotting” the picks would mean that everyone would go back to school and you couldn’t have minor league systems if that happened, unless you were willing to take all slot guys who probably won’t make the bigs.
They should also keep the IFA structure the way it is. A lot of wealth moves into those communities from the deals they can make as fa’s and why should they submit to a slotted draft when they have had none of the other benefits and protections that kids on American, Canadian or Puerto Rican schools have?
finally, I’d limit interleague and give schedule oversight to an independant agency charged with making sure that travel requirements, etc. were fair.
“He never seems to enjoy the this team – he’s always complaining about something”
Which defines about 90% of the fanbase.
Determine HFA another way.
I would allow cheerleaders at the games for between innings. Every other sport has them. Why doesn’t baseball?
7 game divisional series, no doubt about it. The current 5 game setup re-stuns me every time I think about it. .
While the schedule/timing of the season, WBC, All-Star game (on SEVERAL fronts) all come to mind, I’d have to say slotting and contract limits in the draft.
It’s gotten out of hand. People talk about the money NFL guys get, but some of these kids get comparable money considering they won’t even sniff professional ball for half a decade.
1. Less games – in the neighborhood of 125 (and no interleague play).
2. More playoff teams (8 per league).
3. Playoffs to begin in mid-September with shortened season.
We’re not trading for Halladay.
Two things :
1) Institue a Lifetime Ban for those found guilty of taking steroids from this day forward. And not a steve howe lifetime ban.
2) Require outfield fences to be at least 425 to CF and 400 to the power alleys. No minimum distance down the lines. This would generate more extreme angles, more triples, more in the park home runs, higher batting averages, and more fun!
First order of business:
Divisional series best of 7
Second order of business:
Balanced schedule
Third Order of business:
Allow teams to trade draft picks
I agree with Nick… DH in the NL.
I also agree with you pete about making the draft a worldly affair and following th NBA, but why not make draft picks and draftees tradeable, all while keeping a ceiling on contract costs.
I’d EXPAND interleague play.
Why just play one division? Play all 3 NL divisions.
Cut division games down from 19/18 to 10. Allot those extra games to the NL.
I have a few:
1. Have DH in the All-Star game. It’s ridiculous that Roy Halladay had to bat.
2. Speaking of the all-star game, remove the mandatory player per team, reduce the roster to 25 players, but add a 26th player that would be the emergency pitcher. So, if the game went extra innings, this pitcher would be the one to pitch until the game ends. This is similar to a 3rd QB in the NFL, where they don’t play unless the first two get hurt.
3. Keep contracts guaranteed, but allow a buyout to terminate the contract early (similar to the NHL and NBA) at a reduced amount. Maybe, standardize the cost of early buyouts, or write them directly into the contracts.
4. Like Peter said, put all players into the draft, especially from the DR. But, if they are not drafted in their eligible year, they are a free agent (like the NFL).
Eliminate the DH entirely.
It would mean starting pitchers go longer into games in the AL, meaning fewer innings thrown by nondescript middle relievers no one knows and quicker games.
It would add strategy to the games in the AL, require managers to use their bench every game.
Second, Best record gets home field in the WS… forget this ASG nonsense, and the alternating years nonsense, and who cares if the schedule is balanced or unbalanced. If you have a better record, you get homefield in the World Series.
Third, change the playoff schedule. Eliminate the off day between games 4 and 5, its ridiculous. Make the first round best 4 out of seven and take a home game away from the wild card team.
Division Series, Best of Seven, #1 seed gets 5 home games against #4 seed
LCS, Best of Seven, lower seed gets 4 home games
WS, Best of Seven, better record gets 4 home games
I’d abolish interleague play and make 2 divisions. The AL and the NL. Balances schedule w/in each division.
Then the top 4 teams in each division advance to the post season. No more East, Central & West and division winners w/82 wins.
If you have the 4th best record in your division you make the playoffs.
Then the playoffs could possibly be NY, Boston, Tampa instead of one of the those three being punished for being in the most competitive division in the league.
This is quite the admission from a ESPN guy:
Jamie (Utica, NY)
Hey Tim. How impressed have you been with Phil Hughes out of the pen. He has been absolutely electric and has completely dominated. Do the Yankees now have the best bullpen in baseball? Thanks
Tim Kurkjian
(12:11 PM)
I’m not sure it’s the best in baseball, but it’s been really close lately. They have the best closer, and in the last 20 or so innings, Phil Hughes has been as good an eighth inning guy as there is. To strike out six in two innings was very impressive. You can’t underestimate the importance of feeling like the game is over if you’re ahead after seven, and that’s what Hughes has done for the Yankees lately. If they continue to throw like this, they could be good enough to win the World Series.
I would call for a moratorium on interleague play and make draft picks tradable.
Also, I would let players reach free agency earlier. This term of indentured servitude is ridiculous, especially as the game gets younger.
No hitters stepping out of the box. No asking for time out.
Keep the game moving.
“We’re not trading for Halladay.”
We weren’t signing Teixeira either.
Limit ticket prices to a % of team payroll.
I’ll tell you what I’d do; I’d set a salary FLOOR. That way fans in every city can be guaranteed that their owners give a hoot about baseball and aren’t just in it for the money. That would stop some smaller team owners from lining their pockets with revenue sharing and putting a bad product out on the field.
I also agree with Southern Yankee and Rebecca, NFL style challenge so managers’ tirades on these close plays can mean something. Give them one, and if they get it right they get a second. No more than two.
Mike Francessa. That’s all I have to say and it’s safe to assume he said something stupid.
No more fluke champions: 140 game schedule (starting later/ending earlier), best of 7 LCS, best of 9 WS, maybe bring it back to 2 divisions (and increase the LCS’s to 9) with only 2 teams in the playoffs.
And a full steroid investigation and public flogging of all 2004 Red Sox members. Include Curt Schilling, even if he came up clean.
1. Eliminate the division play in interleague play, and make historic rivals play other historic rivals (Yanks vs. Giants, Sox vs. Cubs, Sox vs. Dodgers, Cardinals vs. Yankees). Who wants to see Yankees/Nationals or Astros/Red Sox?
2. Eliminate the DH in the NL.
3. Eliminate extra innings. If a game is tied after 9, make the teams participate in a HR derby… like the NHL does with shootouts.
“Jamie (Utica, NY)
Hey Tim. How impressed have you been with Phil Hughes out of the pen. He has been absolutely electric and has completely dominated. Do the Yankees now have the best bullpen in baseball? Thanks
Tim Kurkjian
(12:11 PM)
I’m not sure it’s the best in baseball, but it’s been really close lately. They have the best closer, and in the last 20 or so innings, Phil Hughes has been as good an eighth inning guy as there is. To strike out six in two innings was very impressive. You can’t underestimate the importance of feeling like the game is over if you’re ahead after seven, and that’s what Hughes has done for the Yankees lately. If they continue to throw like this, they could be good enough to win the World Series.”
Chad
July 20th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
While the schedule/timing of the season, WBC, All-Star game (on SEVERAL fronts) all come to mind, I’d have to say slotting and contract limits in the draft.
It’s gotten out of hand. People talk about the money NFL guys get, but some of these kids get comparable money considering they won’t even sniff professional ball for half a decade.
————————————————————
You do realize that the minor leagues are part of professional baseball, right?
Oh, no one’s going to like this one. But allow review of calls on the basepaths.
I like the idea of adding another WC. Make two WC teams play a best of 3. Than have to go onto the next round. What is the disadvantage of being a WC team? A few years back instead of fighting for the division Torre was content with getting the WC.
It doesn’t matter if the Yankees trade for Halladay or not – Francesca sounds like the clown he is when he says it’s
“too much”. Again, the man is never happy with the team, not once. Also, he didn’t want CC – said it many times (then kissed his behind the day of the press conference. He HATED the Burnett signing (then also kissed his behind on the day of the press conference). Then, he disliked the Tex signing as unnecessary. So, Francesca really didn’t want the Yankees going out and helping themselves……..
Require the Angels to choose one home city and stick with it.
Bah, extra innings have always been part of the game. No need to change it. At least hockey playoffs don’t come down to shoot outs…
Cando said:
3. Eliminate extra innings. If a game is tied after 9, make the teams participate in a HR derby… like the NHL does with shootouts.
Maybe we can throw octopuses on the field too.
if my name is bud selig, I retire…
Otherwise I think the mandatory slotting system makes the most sense. Otherwise what’s the point in a terrible team getting the first pick in the draft when they have no chance of signing the best player?
I’d also have to consider letting Pete Rose go on the HoF ballet
Move the Giants and Dodgers to the AL West, move the A’s and Angels to the NL West.
Move the Blue Jays to the NL East and the Braves to the AL East.
If wild cards are determined by records, the very unbalanced nature of the schedule is a huge problem. There should be much more equity in who plays who how many times. I’d be OK keeping an extra 3 games between natural rivals in inter-league play, but the huge disparity in intra-division vs. inter-division games has to go.
Get rid of rain-shortened games.
1) A/N LDS = 7 games
2) World Series to 9 game series…first 2 games at a neutral site.
3) Pete Rose to be put in the HOF…and a big “i’m sorry” to him aswell…
4) you test positive for steroids once..you are GONE! not for 50 games…not for 100…but FOREVER!
ps…Mike Francesa is an idiot! Fatso wants him to go the red sox or rays…yeah that makes sense you FAT tub of lard!
I am a diehard Yankee fan and I still favor a salary cap.
something to balance the divisions, maybe move the pirates to vegas, place them in the NL west.
since there will now be and odd number of teams in each league, we get to change interleague (can’t remove it, too much $$$ to be made). instead of solid weeks of interleague schedules, now the leagues have an odd number of teams, so every day there would be 1 AL team and 1 NL team with no one to play against. TADAAA rolling interleague starts here. every day/series there will be one interleague series going on. this also allows the schedule to be better balanced.
use the laser systems to call the strike zone. purists can eat it, they are accurate to less than 1/4 of an inch, and consistent from pitch to pitch. have the system radio the call to the home plate ump so he can still make the call.
my bets are that the technology exists to give the home plate ump a HUD with a floating strikezone or at least the words strike/ball right in his view.
allow replay challenges on any play. no reason to be wrong because some guy made a bad call. the “human element” argument is just plain stupid. humans can never be better than right, they can only be wrong. MLB needs someone working full-time at every game watching replays of every play made on the field as they happen. this way if something is challenged, the correct call is available immediately.
good bye DH. not really much of an arguement… find me someone that says “i really want to see the pitcher bat” and i’ll show you someone that doesn’t actually watch baseball games.
i can think of more, and i’ll use your responses to do so
exercise the “good of the game” clause and fire Sterling and Waldman on the spot
Rob G – your idea about the DH being for the starting pitcher only is the best I have ever heard. I love it!
“3. Eliminate extra innings. If a game is tied after 9, make the teams participate in a HR derby… like the NHL does with shootouts.”
I would require both the NL and AL to use the DH. It’s not “quality” baseball to intentionally walk the normally weak #8 hitter to bring up an even weaker “hitter”, the picther.
If I may also, contraction. The MLB is too large and “watered down” with talent.
Swap the Red Sox and the Nationals in the east.
oh, and change the playoffs so that the wild card team starts down 0-1, so the team with the best record only needs 2 wins to get to the next round, and the WC still has a chance, but at the very least an uphill climb.
Although I prefer the DH i would like the NL and AL to play both either with or without the DH. Same rule for both leagues!
I would make the All-Star game U.S.A v. the World for a couple of years, just to change to format.
Eliminate rain delays.
Make the team play in whatever weather, as long as there is no lightening.
this is bad that mike knows about montero…once he and his chronies find out about a prospect they clamor for the prospect to be traded for every bronson arroyo out there or be called up every day
I don’t get sports talk shows hosts – are they clueless?
Dom La Greca is talking about how big the Tigers series was because we got pitching and that, prior to that, our offense had been carrying us. Am I missing something? Outside of the Angels series, the Yankees had won 15 of 18 or something like that and we had gotten very good pitching (granted, not from Andy or Joba). LOL again also, the only teams that ever seem to count are the Angels and Red Sox – not the Twins, not the Rangers.
This will get more and more outrageous as go along
1) Get rid of divisions and the unbalanced schedule and intra league play(has to go as an effect). Top 4 teams to the play off from each league
2) Automated strike zone and replay on virtually all other major rules
3) Make the draft global
4) Penalize any team who’s player is caught with PED with BOTH 5 lost games AND any salary during the suspension period has to be paid to the league rather than just withheld by the team.
5) Automatic termination of any team that fails to win 50 games in a season and any team that spends less than what it receives from the other teams – instead elevate the most successful AAA team in the previous 5 years
6)
Create a team in Portland, Oregon and move it to the NL West. Then move the Arizona D-Backs to the AL West.
Move the Blue Jays to Buffalo. Move them to the NL East. Move the Phillies to the AL East.
Another vote for using the DH in the National League.
Second choice would be to reduce number of interleague games.
I would eliminate the Fox Saturday exclusive national window. It drives me crazy that I pay for MLB Extra Innings but can never watch Saturday afternoon Yankee games because the YES broadcast is blacked out outside the NY market.
OOOH i got another one.
remove the BBWAA’s right to vote on anything. cy youngs, mvps, HOF, ROY… i don’t know who exactly should be making these decisions, but the writers are not those people.
I would allow the trading of draft picks.
Lets say the Nationals cannot afford the asking price of a certain player and do not draft him for this reason. Why not trade the pick for multiple picks and/or prospectus?
If they want to make fans watch the draft, allow trading. How many times do we stay glued to the NBA/NFL/NHL draft because a trade can happen at any moment?
Make the playoffs with 8 teams like the NBA/NHL. Who cares if the Indians and Royals are in the playoffs? It wpuld be fun.
Raise the pitching mound back up to the old height.
It would improve all pitchers, increase strikes, lower pitch counts, shorten games, and reduce injuries.
Move the Mets to the NL West.
I would implement a salary floor (not ceiling) to help even the playing field. It’s teams like the Marlins, who pocket 40% of their operating costs, worse for the game than a team like the Yankees, who operate at -7% and puts all their money back into the team and then profits from their TV network.
The Marlins can still make money as a business with a payroll around 50 or 60 million, yet they get sympathy and the Yankees, one of two teams capable of selling out Landshark Stadium, are the bad guys.
Keep the NL and AL but have the DH in both.
7 game playoffs through out.
No insane sighning bonus $$ for draft picks or FA from other. The NBA does have a good model for this.
Allow draft picks to be traded. As such, good teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels have the ability to get a top phenom like Bryce Harper without him having to redact his US citizenship.
wow…some of these suggestions are getting down right insane lol
1. Penalize teams for inaccurate radar guns (like the 97 MPH curveball Joba threw yesterday)
2. Make all series a best of 7
3. Get rid of the DH. It is a mockery of baseball.
4. If an owner is found Twittering, ban him from baseball for atleast 1 year.
I would get rid of the dh in the AL, and have the ump call the high strike. Baseball games are way to long now a days.
Okay, we all agree, though, right?
The main thing is the different rules?
Some sports jock was talking about this over the weekend.
He said the two NBA conferences don’t have different 3 point lines. The two NFL conferences don’t have different rules, etc., etc.
Wow ZA are you going to hit little kids with your walker too?
I would shorten the season to at most 154 games (possibly shorter) and create an actual world series. Create a league in all countries that wish to participate, and create a tournament to be held at the end of every year to crown a ‘real’ world series champion. It won’t be all star teams, like the WBC teams currently are, but it would be a tournament of the best teams within each countries respective leagues. (Think, final round match up Yomiuri Giants vs. New York Yankees for the real world series). This would open free agency world wide, and any player can sign with any team within the system (thus eliminating posting). As a side effect of shortening the season to 154 games, Ruth would be looked at as the current home run record holder (since no player could break the 162 game record in 154, let alone without the juice) and we can begin to forget about the steroid era. (this is the abridged version, as I’ve thought about this many times)
La Greca – I would imagine if the Yanks faced the Tigers in the playoffs, they would go to the ALCS.
Yeah, just like in 2006 right? lol
Get rid of the the Team by the name of “Boston Redsox”
Definitely implement an automated strike zone. I don’t see any down side. It’s fair and accurate, and unquestionably objective. One unfair ball/strike call can change everything, and it’s impossible for umpires to be 100% consistent all the time. If we have the technology to do it, then why not? It makes the game so much fairer.
I’d say stricter penalties for umpires who make blatantly wrong calls.
Tom B — I don’t like their choices sometimes but the Writers are pretty much the only people who should vote on in-season awards. IMO maybe add some kind of vote for players but you have to think, who else watches every game like Pete and the other writers?
The hall of fame is a bit different because a lot of the writers didn’t see the players on the ballots, but how could we find people who did to vote? I say leave that stuff alone.
1. Replace the Rays with The Mets.
2. Replace Toronto with the Braves
3. Replace clev. with the Cubs
4. Replace the As and Texas with Giants and Dodgers.
No more wild card
I would forbid the Yankees from playing GBA, CEJ, and YMCA.
Its amazing how they just count out the Rays. Like I said, I think it will be Yanks and Rays in the playoffs or Sox and Rays.
If I was commissioner, I’d make sure I was able to govern in a bi-partisan manner – meaning that I should be representing the owners and the players. I should be hired and fired by a committee consisting of owners and players. etc…
The Twins are 2 games over .500
The Rangers are 8 games over .500 and sliding fast.
Angels are 14 games over .500
Red Sox are 19 games over .500
……
Why shouldn’t we be judged against the Sox and Angels? We have proven we can beat the Tigers/Rangers/Rays, who are on the 8-10 game over .500 plateau. We are better than those teams.
I would make it so ticketmaster sells people more than 2 playoff tickets per buyer. and obvi, like everyone else, alds = 7 games.
Agree with the salary floor but in the same manner as the luxury tax is now the ceiling.
Impose a tax on teams failing to field a team with a payroll at or above the floor. For every dollar the team is below the floor, the team pays two dollars to whatever fund the luxury tax goes to. Additionally any team not above the floor will not receive any revenue sharing.
With that system, smaller market teams have economic choices to make similar to those made by large market teams with the luxury tax. They also have incentive to spend revenue sharing dollars on the team, as I assume was the original intention.
mine would be that you can trade draft picks, so teams like the nationals wouldnt have to draft an expensive guy like SS, they could trade down and get multiple players-
Corey — I love that idea, one of the best ones so far. Making a ‘real’ World Series would be amazing IMO.
Fully test all players four times a year.
“Its amazing how they just count out the Rays. Like I said, I think it will be Yanks and Rays in the playoffs or Sox and Rays.”
Agree. I would venture to say the Rays are even more dangerous than Boston from this point forward.
People counting out the Rays are foolish to do so.
Only 1 team per game can wear a jersey that is not white or grey.
Create a AAAA division and Send the Mets, Nationals to it.
I would include a clause in the FOX contract that Buck and McCarver must be removed.
I’d also require ESPN to be more fair and balanced or risk losing their right to cover MLB.
I would get rid of all drug testing. If you want to take steroids/do coke/acid/meth/grass/cigarettes, well you’re a big boy, you know the risks.
I would also raise the mound and get rid of the “warning” from umpires and let the players police themselves.
1. Have the WBC every year. It is a great event that fans are interested in and creates an early buzz in baseball.
Did Mike really say he wanted to see Doc go to the Rays or the soxs? That just proves what we’ve all known for a while. That he isn’t a Yankee fan. It is one thing to say you don’t want him on your team. It is quite another to say that you want him to go to your two biggest contenders to make the playoffs.
I don’t think anyone’s counting out the Rays, but can you guys seriously say they have a better chance than the Red Sox?
The Red Sox aren’t going to fall flat on their face, which is what will need to happen for the Tampa Bay Rays to pass them.
And yes, I think the Yankees will be there all season.
shorten the season to 154 games, 7 game DS.
1) Adopt The IOC drug testing program.
2) Get rid of the DH.
3) Have the “best interests of baseball” clause mean something.
Also, long term (think 20-30 years), they should be looking to add about 6 teams to get to 36, or 6 divisions of 6 teams each for this playoff format to really work. Once they get there, they could have 2 WCs in each league play a best 2 of 3 play in series while the division winners have 3 days to get their rotations set for the playoffs. Then 7 game division series, wild card only gets 2 home games. Then 7 game LCS with no off day between games 4 and 5 (1,2,off,3,4,5,off,6,7). Then 7 game WS, same schedule.
mandatory doubleheaders one Sunday every month. (the old fashioned kind)
weekend World Series games in the afternoon sun.
allow Pete Rose in the HOF.
Boston, if you do that than ESPN loses 75% of its viewers. They “bias” towards east coast teams for a reason and it’s not because they’re in Bristol.
R-Tek July 20th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
1. Have the WBC every year. It is a great event that fans are interested in and creates an early buzz in baseball.
*******
You are too funny.
“Create a AAAA division and Send the Mets, Nationals to it.”
——–
I actually think this is brilliant.
A friend was explaining to me that in soccer, they have a “AAAA” division and it makes it very interesting.
The worst teams in the league get bumped down (and lose out on a ton of $$$). They actually have a playoff to see who gets called back up to the bigs.
It makes things very exciting.
It also gives great incentives for teams to not finish last (and actually keep their better players rather than always dumping salary).
I would set a salary cap at $10 mill just for the Red Sox, wait I mean the Rump Wranglers. O wait, did I mention I would change the Red Sox name to the Rump Wranglers?
Olympic-brand testing for all players.
Create a salary cap of about $130 million and floor of about $90 million.
“Boston, if you do that than ESPN loses 75% of its viewers. They “bias” towards east coast teams for a reason and it’s not because they’re in Bristol.”
————
I realize that… but this is a fantasy topic, right?
haha, fair. As long we we’re on the same page.
Change the start times for All-Star and playoff games. Also would get rid of the Fox monopoly on Saturdays. It’s unfair to out of market fans.
1) Pete Rose in the Hall
2) DH in the NL
3) No more unbalanced schedules. (Who wants to see the Yankees vs Baltimore 19 times a season. Seriously)
4) Playoff games start promptly at 7:30
5) Division series is 7 games
6) Cut the season down 7 games to 155 games to accomodate for the longer postseason
Kelly just asked a very rude quesiton. Wildly funny, but really rude.
“Olympic-brand testing for all players.”
——–
good one.
sad that it would take TD213 as commissioner to do something so obvious.
1. All playoff rounds to best-of-seven.
2. Wild Card gets no more than one home game in 1st round and two in 2nd round.
3. DH in both leagues.
4. World-Wide Draft with the ability to trade picks.
5. Fire Bud Selig and rehire Fay Vincent to correct the biggest wrong in the baseball history.
Allow the fans to punch 1 player in the face per team
Best record decides home-field advantage in the World Series. If the two World Series teams have the same record, THEN the All-Star game decides.
m what did she ask?
Also like 7 game ALDS. Two off days during each series (after games 2 and 5). Restructure the AL East and ship the Blue Jays out so the franchise doesn’t hang itself in frustration.
lol. Alex, “And you know…I’ve been guilty of a few things.” with a big smile at the audience. That’s how you do it, Alex.
Get rid of interleague play and get rid of the unbalanced schedule.
Interleague play would decide homefield advantage for the
WS. NL vs AL head to head record. The ASG deciding WS homefield is absurd IMO.
-dennis
No question – Pete rose in the hall of fame.
Did Mike really say he wanted to see Doc go to the Rays or the soxs? That just proves what we’ve all known for a while. That he isn’t a Yankee fan. It is one thing to say you don’t want him on your team. It is quite another to say that you want him to go to your two biggest contenders to make the playoffs.
====================
I heard him say that too.
I think all the diet Coke has rotted his brain
Mike Fatcesca shut up!
Have 2 drafts: North America (US and Canada) and World with the following guidleines:
All players must declare for the draft in order to be eligible as a free-agent.
In addition, all draft dicks may be traded or sold to another team.
(Possibly include a maximum purchase rule, so no team has the ability to dominate a round by purchasing picks)
Instead of a luxury tax where the ‘small market’ teams are GIVEN money, the luxury tax money pays the signing bonus of any first-round and/or second round picks, if not sold. luxury tax money can also be used to purchase another pick.
I would kill off the unbalanced schedule. Seeing the same teams over and over is just boring and takes away some of the meaning when playing your rivals.
1) Keep interleague play but reverse the rules so pitchers hit in al parks and dh in AL parks.
2)Reduce interleague to 15 games per year and return rivalry series to alternate home team every year
Oh, and a suggestion…
Wild Card teams must win five, not four in 1st & 2nd round.
My theory? You didn’t win ANYTHING in the regular season, why should you have everything equal in the playoffs with teams who actually won? Wild Cards need to be penalized somehow for not winning. Having to win an extra game to advance, okay, maybe it’s a bit over the top, but…
Have pitchers hit in both leagues…maybe they would spend more time on their hitting which would add another dimension to the game.
def best record gets home field in the WS
that was supposed to be dh in NL parks
carl,
“Are you the biggest player in baseball?”
“Yeah probably. I know I have the biggest pants in the league.”
And that Alex response was for this, “Alex. Even if you’re not a baseball fan, everyone knows who Alex Rodriguez is. Because, you know…people are obssessed…obsessed with you! How do you deal with the glare, and are you used to it.”
And he said, “Yeah, well it doesn’t help that you play for the greatest franchise in the greatest city…(wild applause)…and you know…I’ve been guilty of a few things…” big grin. Terrific.
I would put a salary cap into affect. This would mean that the Yankees could spend as much on players salaries as say Washington, Baltimore and Florida.
….then we’ll see how people are interested in watching baseball in New York!
DH in both leagues, pitchers are valuable commodities nowadays.
@Rob NY
The problem is that most of those writers spend so much time covering their own teams that they truly don’t know what’s going on in the other parts of the country. We are very fortunate in NY to have guys that exhibit great care and dedication to making the right choices, but elsewhere in the country this is just not the case. Now you rely on writers for other teams in other leagues to vote for guys they haven’t even seen play that season. These guys are all have way too much work to do with their own respective teams and divisions, that they get a very small window to view the rest of the league with. How should we expect a beat writer for the Cardinals to have any idea about AL ROY/MVP votes? Not to mention the fact that all they do is drool over RBI/HR totals, which is a piss poor way of determining anything in baseball. This is how Derek Jeter lost his only shot at an AL MVP.
If I had to choose, I give the in season awards (ROY/CY/MVP) to the managers and coaching staffs of every team, only stipulation is you can’t vote for guys on your own team. Same with the All-Star game, actually. (I might even let the players vote on the all-star game)
Problem with the HOF is who really has the right, or the statistical knowledge to make those decisions. It’s not the writers. They need HOF comittee dedicated to doing this.
First, institute the DH in the national league, thats a no-brainer.
Second, team with best record gets home field advantage in the World Series.
My commish changes to MLB:
-DH in both leagues.
-No divisions, AL and NL only, balanced schedule.
-Top 4 teams in each league make playoffs.
-All playoff series are best of 7. (5 game series are a joke)
-Wildcard penalty: 4th place Wildcard starts down a game in 7 game series and only get 2 home games of remaining 6 games vs. 1st place.
-Stop pretending MLB is ashamed of previous steroid use, when they did nothing about it until 2003-2004.
-Replay expanded to out/safe calls on the bases, institute challenge system.
I think each team should also have one “instant replay” request pass per game.
Not just on HR calls
Put Pete Rose in the HOF.
m
She tried to diss big sexy!?!?!
Allow players who get Hit by a pitch to swing the bat at the pitcher at least once.
I would put in a time limit for pitches. Kind of like a shot clock in Basketball, a “pitch clock” would speed up the game and make it more marketable to people who find baseball slow and boring. It wouldn’t be something ridiculous like 5 seconds, but something to just move the game along so you don’t have pitchers taking their sweet time on the mound.
thats easy.
i’d legalize steroids.
I would castrate John Henry.
More doubleheaders during the summer part of the season
responding to Ken w an automated strike zone. i disagree. technology is taking over the world as it is. no need to remove that element from the game. bad calls are part of the game. they typically even out over the long run (law of averages)
As many mentioned, interleague is the first thing I axe. Then, I would invest in technology that would render on-the-field umpires useless. Lasers, cameras, whatever – and one off-the-field umpire to watch everything that the technology can’t. The only “human element” that I need in sports is the players themselves.
1) No guaranted contracts. (like the NFL & real life) If you do not perform at your job, you get fired right? Make these guys have to perform every year to earn their $$.
2)DH in the NL. ITs boring to see pitchers hit.
3) Pete Rose in HOF.
4)Best of 7 in 1st round. Makes it less of a chance that the better team will not win.
5)Release names of ALL 104 on steriod list. Lets be done with all the speculation & move on after that.
6) Fine Umpires for blantant bad calls, & set restrictions on tossing out players. No one comes to see them ump.
7) Set a rookie salary cap, so teams like the Nationals can’t get held hostage by young players who have yet to prove themselves.
8)Make showering after games mandatory for the BoSox.
Need to address bean ball and inside pitch warnings, cannot warn both teams until both teams do something.
I’d use a laser grid to call balls and strikes.
I’d also like to win the lottery.
The odds of either one happening are likely very similar (I don’t play the lottery).
The umpiring is getting worse by the year. The home run replays have worked out well so far and don’t delay games.
In 2010 have disputed base calls done the same way.
In 2011 have cameras in center field for called balls and strikes.
If a pitch was in fact a correct call, a green light goes on. If an incorrect call, a red light goes on. The camera rules.
This should make the umpiring more uniform.
carl,
No. It was an ice breaker.
After the commercial break, Regis asked CC if he’s always been a big guy. CC said that he’s always been the biggest guy in his school, in little league. Regis followed up with the “but you’re athletic” question, and he said he also played basketball and football. Regis said, “you had a football scholarship” and CC said, “Yeah, for the University of Hawaii.”
Tom posted his comment while I was typing mine. My question for Tom is why do bad calls have to be “part of the game”? Why do we settle for imperfection? Why not make the game all about what the players do, not what the umpires think the players do?
m
Ah ok. Sucks that I missed it
maybe it will be on youtube or their website.
IF YOU GET TESTED FOR STEROIDS, YOU BAM FROM BASEBALL FOR EVER JUST TO SEND A MESSAGE. ALSO CONTRACT SHOULD BE 5 YEARS MAXIMUM.
//Get rid of the the Team by the name of “Boston Redsox//
Then you wouldn’t be able to go 0-18 against them in 2009!
…oh wait…I see… good point.
Get rid of the team that sent us to the worst choke in sports history in 2004 and now this….embarrassing!
Can Cashman try to steal Jonathan Sanchez already.
I’d eliminate the DH in the American League.
Require that all teams that get revenue sharing dollars reinvest that money into player payroll.
Tom, I don’t understand why human element is good even if it evens out in the long run??? I want the all right done everytime, not have to wait 2 weeks to hope I get one back.
“I’d eliminate the DH in the American League”
Boo!
Betsy – Please stop with your comments. I roll my eyes every time I see your name on a post.
The Yankees are a good team and they are going to the playoffs. In the playoffs we are going to face the Angels and if we win, the Red Sox await. So to compare the Yankees to those teams is fair. And to mention the Yanks abysmal record vs. those teams is fair.
yeah, the human element argument is completely ridiculous.
you are literally saying that you want calls to be wrong. there is not a single advantage to having a real person make these split second judgement calls.
they can never be better than right, but they can always be wrong.
#1 – Salary floor of $50M, salary cap of $125-150M. Teams should spend money and respect their fanbase.
#2 – Four divisions, 5 teams each. Too much disparity when one division has more teams than the others.
A bad division winner should be at a disadvantage in the playoffs. Make it so that the 8 best records from all the 4 divisions get in, seeded according to winning percentage, not according to who won their division. The only purpose of the “division” is to keep the local rivalries alive and well.
#3 – All Rounds of playoffs = 7 game series. No more of the 5-game nonsense.
#4 – In my system, interleague play can remain as long as all the teams’ interleague schedules have the roughly the same strength of schedule based on previous year’s records.
#5 – Hold umpires accountable. Have an independent commission of former players, managers and umpires to judge performance and penalize the more terrible mistakes.
#6 – HFA in the World Series goes to the best record in the ML, whether it be AL or NL. As it should be.
#7 – Have the All-Star Game at the end of the season in a warm climate, like the NFL. This way, less players will skip due to “health” reasons. No point making the game count – just put it into a big festival at the end of the season so fewer players are inclined to skip because of injury concerns.
#8 – Institute the DH in the NL. It’s about time these guys get with the times. Too many pitchers are injured doing something no one wants to see them do anyway. This also eliminates the “Washed up AL pitcher becomes #3 starter in NL phenomenon”.
#9 – Allow three challenge flags to use instant replay on ANYTHING other than balls and strikes. This includes balls down the foul line and missed calls on the basepaths. This could affect the game as much as a botched HR call and should be corrected when necessary.
#10 – Demote the MLB teams with the worst record in each league for one season to the minors. In their place, call up the best AAA team in the minor leagues for one season as well, and have them take the name of the demoted team. This is similar to soccer in Europe, your team stinks enough and off with its head. That will encourage teams and their cheap owners to stay out of the basement of their respective leagues.
1) Get rid of Sterling and Waldman
2) You don’t get a base for sticking your elbow pad into the strike zone to get hit by a pitch.
3) At leat 1 day world series game, the rest must start (not come on tv but actually start by 8PM)
4) The batter can not adjust his batting glove, wrist band or elbow pad after every pitch. If he does the pitcher can pitch while he is out of the batters box.
5) No divisions, the 4 best team in each league make the playoffs.
Brandon… I’M AWESOME ! (Say No to DOC!)
July 20th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Can Cashman try to steal Jonathan Sanchez already.
***
Do you realize that Sanchez is actually not that good. He just happened to throw a no hitter and you have been all jazzed up about him ever since?
If you have formerly played for the red sox and are interested in playing for the yankees via free agency. You must present a formal appology to the fans for formerly being an idiot.
Very simply: a team can void the contract of any player who tests positive for PED.
1: Put the DH in the NL
2. Make the All Star Game an exhibition and the team with the best record gets home field.
3. Make the draft international.
Kid “I See Your Point” — How does David Price’s Fastball Taste? Like a long winter after game 7 I bet. So you’re bragging about clinging to a 1 game lead when you’ve won… all the games head up? Seems the team in Boston isn’t as good as the dimwits would have us believe. Don’t buy the hype.
I agree with DT. More doubleheaders.
Also, 1 league wide dayoff a month so teams can make-up any rainouts…
“Francesa earns over $1 million a year for a reason. Love him or hate him – he’s entertaining”
no he’s not.
“mark texsharealot
July 20th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
If you have formerly played for the red sox and are interested in playing for the yankees via free agency. You must present a formal appology to the fans for formerly being an idiot.”
Great Freaking IDEA!!!
I would demand that all bats used in major league baseball be made out of whatever they used to be made of so that they are not breaking and flying into the infield and the stands several times per inning.
Do we need to wait until a player or fan is seriously hurt before something will happen on this issue?
Yankee U.
Great suggestion. One WS day game.
-dennis
Institute a pitch clock.
Pitchers get x seconds to pitch to the batter (or throw to a base if there are men on).
If the clock goes off before the pitcher takes action a BALL is awarded to the count of the current batter.
This should help move the game along, making it more full of action.
I always think its more entertaining watching fast paced pitchers as opposed to those who take their sweet time on the mound.
In addition limit the amount of time a batter gets between pitches to fix his gloves, helmet, elbow pad, shin guard, retie his cleats, etc. They should have equipment that fits. If they take too long to get into the batters box either a strike is added to his count or the umpire gives a green light for the pitcher to throw even if the batter is not in the box.
Top 8 teams from each league go to the playoffs, get rid of home field based on All Star game, get rid of maple bats, drug testing offense – 1 and done, instant replay for select plays(no more than 3 a game), no unbalanced schedules, 1 week of interleague OR make sure that interleague is balanced (at least for prior year playoff teams), cap 1st year signings.
Just for fun, implement a special luxury tax against the Red Sox for every Tweet issued by John Henry, any comment about the Yankees from Lucchino, and every time Youklis cries about being thrown at by Joba.
“I would put a salary cap into affect. This would mean that the Yankees could spend as much on players salaries as say Washington, Baltimore and Florida.
….then we’ll see how people are interested in watching baseball in New York!”
I would say that the level of interest would still be the same.
The Northeast and their teams are the only areas in the country where baseball is still the biggest sport. New York, Philadelphia and Boston. In these cities, the baseball teams rule all.
No DH. This will speed the games up and bring more strategy back in to the mix. Probably include a salary floor so that most AL players wont hopefully lose as big a check.
i vote for automating the strike zone. with taking peter and a-rod camping a close second.
Make Gammons stop schilling for the Red Sox.
Salary floor, not salary cap. Owners pocketing luxury tax and the mlb.com/mlb.tv pool money lose that money if they don’t spend it on thier team (like Federal Highway funding).
Move Florida teams to places where people actually attend games.
Also, there is no need for pitchers to bat in the NL. Bring the DH to both leagues.
Wang got hurt last year, how? Running the bases in interleague play. Yesterday, Oscar Nieve of the Mets got hurt trying to beat out an infield hit.
Let pitchers pitch and hitters hit.
Pete,
This is why your idea of hard slotting will never ever work (nor should it):
Jim (NYC)
Hey Keith, good afternoon. Someone asked Rob a great question the other day. Since a drafted player is not part of the union yet and has signed no agreements or contract with the union or team, shouldnt they be able to challange legally in court their right to negotiate and sign with any team? Legally without a contract or union membership they are free like any American to apply for any job they want. Rob’s answer was that may be a legally sound argument but it may take years to win in court and a draftee would rather play and be paid then fight in court. So… couldnt a later round HS drafted player be convinced by an agent (i.e. Boras) to fight it out in court while going to college (which may have been the indiviual players intention anyway)? Its a pretty sound argument that without any union membership or contract with baseball, how can they prevent a US citizen from seeking employment where he chooses or more importantly, how can they say, you can ONLY work for this employer in THIS STATE. A player can say, I live in Texas I want to work in Texas (with no state income tax), I don’t want to move to Canada, I’m 18.
Keith Law
(1:06 PM)
Yes, this is what is going to happen if MLB and the MLBPA agree to hard slotting. And the knowledge that it’s going to happen is part of why MLB has always been half-hearted about pushing for hard slotting. It only takes one player willing to be the plaintiff in what is essentially an agent’s lawsuit for the entire system to come crashing down, and I, for one, will be glad to make the popcorn.
“Francesa earns over $1 million a year for a reason. Love him or hate him – he’s entertaining”
Then why have I stopped listening to him? He’s cluless.
Create a schedule where the Yankees could visit Wrigley Field more than once every 15 years.
Distressing to see so many calls for an “automated strike zone.” Consistent umpiring withing games is obviously needed, but variable strike zones by umpire make the game so much more enjoyable if you can be bothered to keep track of starters and umpires.
carl,
Jennifer linked the Today show segment. It’s coming up “live” for me soon.
The guys are wearing their Hope Week Tees and signing balls for kids. Looks like they’ve got a batting cage set up on the plaza.
Let Alyssa Milano and other women hit for the pitcher in NL games. It will still be called the “DH”, but for “Designated Hottie”. This will improve the game in multiple ways:
- interest in the game will improve
- since she’ll be wearing her clothing line to the plate, Alyssa can sell more clothing that supports and markets the game
- they AL may consider implementing this change, since guys like Shrek Ortiz have been difficult to stomach
- this position in the order will finally start to hit for average
Charging the mound might look a bit different…
“The Youuuse thing”
Why can’t he say his last name correctly?
In response to those people saying salary cap, I really don’t think it’s necessary. Not because I am a Yankee fan, but baseball has had a great deal of parody just look at the Rays last season and Rockies season before just 2 recent examples.
If i were commissioner though
1. Best record gets home field advantage for WS
2. As much as I love the world baseball classic, it just doesn’t work in beginning of the season. I think doing something mid-season, similar to what the NHL does when the winter olympics comes around.
3. Best of 7 in division series
4, To speed up the games, I’d also limit the amount of times pitching coach/catcher can visit the mount per inning
5. Something pretty cool can be a manager can challenge a call once per game with a call they don’t agree with. There would have to be some penalty though if they challenge and the call is correct.
The rookies would love an automated strike zone.
Mo wouldn’t be Mo with an automated strike zone.
Arroyo!!!
SAY IT SAY IT!!!
Intentional walks……put up 4 fingers and take your base
Teams with the best 4 regular season records in respective leagues go to the playoffs, whether or not you “win” your division
Also instant replay for everything. Rules like football, a mangers gets two challenges to calls, if he challenges then the play is reviewed by a MLB official in the booth not the umps and the booth can review and overturn any close call in the 9th inning or later.
Arroyo!!!
SAY IT SAY IT!!!
==================
LOL. I’m waiting for it too
I would expand the RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) to tap into minority talent while increasing minor league salaries to a “livable wage” to ensure that low income talent can continue to play.
And the off-the-wall ultimate fun idea….
Have a re-draft of every player like a video game. The first tv event would be like the NBA lottery to choose the order of the teams’ picks. Two weeks later have the draft. Can you imagine the speculation? The internets would blow up.
I could see the Royals drafting first and speculating over Pujols, Longoria or Lincecum. Then drafting Pavano. haha.
Thanks M found it in the other thread
I’d get rid of the Luxury Tax and Revenue Sharing. Force the owners to spend their money! If you can’t afford a team, maybe you shouldn’t own one! Look at Walt Disney when they owned the Angels. They recieved money from Revenue Sharing and won the World Series in 2002. What a shame that was.
In no particular order:
1. WBC after WS instead of during spring
2. 154 Game season
3. LDS 7 games (starting earlier due to newly shortened season)
4. Best record determines home field advantage
5. Salary cap AND floor
6. All WS Games start no later than 7:30p Eastern (first pitch, not pregame cov’g)
7. Olympic style testing, with amnesty for anything that occurred prior, release all info from steroid related investigations
8. Interleague play only once every 4 years
9. NFL style instant replay on fair/foul, safe/out, HR calls, no balls/strikes
10. Crackdown on umpires creating their own interpretation of the strike zone
carl,
Good. And I never realized how big Tex is. He makes Alex look like Gardner!
Total autonomy. Old school. No more being a puppet for the owners.
Arroyo!!!!!!!!
There it is!!!!!!
Make everyone have only one vote for the all star game instead of everyone getting to vote up to 26 times.
Which by the way is the dumbest voting system on earth
Yeah Tex is a big boy…And CC dwarfs both of them lol
all star game dose not count
They need to get rid of the old-boy network way of doing things.
If Mark Cuban’s the highest bidder, then he should be allowed to buy a baseball team if he wants to.
re: Arroyo, doesn’t Mike F. know that Arroyo sucks? He always has and he always will. Does Mike know baseball or not?
Get rid of interleague play. Forever.
Abolish the DH… It was a gimmick for the AL to increasing scoring and served its purpose…
I like the All-Star game, but I agree it should not count. The all-stars should be chosen by players. So people like me cannot vote for Johnny Damon 200 times.
The HR Derby however, should be peacefully retired. It’s very sad
“re: Arroyo, doesn’t Mike F. know that Arroyo sucks? He always has and he always will. Does Mike know baseball or not?”
Agreed…the only thing he’s got going for him is 2 complete games this season…it Mitre is absolutely terrible then maybe we could use a guy like him just to eat some innings…but only if he’s super cheap and no one better is available…
Make John Henry wear diapers because he is a baby. Oh wait he does there called Depends.
The DH works. No one wants to see most pitchers take weak hacks and be an automatic out, or get injured on the basepaths.
Salary Cap=bad. Bad for the game. The Yankees make so much money, it would be unfair for the fans to limit what they can spend. Why should they be forced to pocket so much money that could be used to improve the team and quality of the sport?
I’d like to see home-field advantage in the World Series go back to an alternating format. I just always liked it that way. The leagues are always too unbalanced to give it to the team with the best overall record in my opinion.
Reinstate Pete Rose. He’s done his time.
End the unbalanced schedule. Immediately.
“The HR Derby however, should be peacefully retired. It’s very sad”
I still like it, but it needs to be drastically shorter. In the first round they should get 10 pitches not 10 swings…no taking pitches allowed. And the pitcher should be a nuckleballer
Johnny Damon 200 times HAHAHAHAA
Al is like 6’5 in person, not short at all, damn is CC tall, I mean I never noticed it until today
***
“Do you realize that Sanchez is actually not that good. He just happened to throw a no hitter and you have been all jazzed up about him ever since?”
***
You hope to steal him if he’s available.
I would completely revamp the Hall of Fame election process by taking it out of the hands of the BBWAA hands and into a body of real experts.
Swap the Red Sox and the Nationals in the east.
————————————————–
The Nationals are already in the AL East…they’re called the Orioles.
I would rotate the teams in each division so that teams like Toronto won;t have to deal away a Roy Halladay type because they have no shot to surpass the Yanks, Sox and Rays.
Nah, Brandon’s been sniffing around Sanchez for over a year. But there was a reason he was in the bullpen.
LOL ARROYO
Bring the DH to the NL.
Sue to have the last 102 names on the list wiped out.
Abolish the draft.
Channel Charlie Finley, go all one-year contracts.
No interleague play.
Two divisions, two wildcards per league.
All-Star Game no longer “counts” for anything.
Put an asterisk next to the pitching stats of any Padre (kidding).
Firmly state that the records are what they are, and MLB will do nothing to influence the context they are viewed under.
Gag John Henry.
Stop respecting Japanese contracts. This posting fee business is for the birds.
1) Create a AAAA division
2) Get rid of the Boston Redsox
3) Fine Carlos Beltran 500K everyday for having an ugly mole on his ear
4) Allow fans to punch Francisco Rodriguez in the face for stupid antics
5) If a player gets hit by a pitch they are allowed to swing the bat at the pitcher at least once
Why get rid of Inter-league play? Who wants to see the Yankees face the same 14 teams over and over again for 6 months?? Inter-league Play allows you to play teams that you would never have the chance to play otherwise.
Sure you get some terrible match ups on paper (Astros-Rays, Marlins-Orioles, Rockies-Blue Jays) but I love having the Extra Inning Package and seeing these different teams face off. Inter-league Play is what, 20 games? We are really making a big deal out of that? Yeah lets have the Yankees face the Royals for another 3 games, or better yet… Travel to LA twice in a season (oh wait.. doing that already). This allows about 3-4 weeks of interesting match ups. I’m sorry but I’m more likely to watch Red Sox vs Cardinals than Red Sox vs Oakland.. Or the Cubs vs Angels as opposed to another boring Angels-Seattle game.
It also makes for great pitching match ups you may never have the chance to see elsewhere. What true Baseball fan wouldn’t get excited seeing Albert vs Halladay or Josh Johnson vs the Yankees lineup. Possibilities are endless. Just do away with the “rival” series.. No reason there should be 6 games for those. Total waste of schedule.
Inter-league Play is fun and interesting. That’s The ONLY thing I would change is this stupidity of having the Subways Series games 6 times a year. It should be just 1 series with the teams alternating parks every year. But to do away with it would just be stupid..
1) limit the number of time pitchers can throw over to first to check a runner.
2) get rid of the DH in the AL. It’s time to even the playing field. The NL team usually has the advantage in the World Series. In the AL park they gain a batter and in the NL park, the AL team loses a batter.
3) Get rid of the home run contest. It’s boring.
I would change the format of the All-Star game. I think home field advantage in the WS should go to the team with the best record. But, to make the All-Star game still mean something, I would have the next All-Star game play with the winning league’s rules. You could get AL rules in an NL park and vice-versa, which would give fans a new twist.
1. as in the “old days”, the only people who can vote for the all-stars are those who attend games: 1 ticket, 1 ballot. Otehr fans can write for a mail-in ballot.
2. All Star game is just an exhibition and does not count for the World Series home field advantage.
3. Overall W/L record for each league in Interleague play determines which league’s representative has home-field advantage in World Series.
4. DH for the NL
5. reduce the number of games in April and September. It’s ridiculous playing baseball in freezing weather.
6. mandatory annual continuing education for umpires. Some of these guys just don’t know how to get into position to make the correct calls on close plays.
Other than that, I’m satisfied…..
May I suggest that Pete take the top ideas, make up an online survey and let the blog vote for the top 3 suggestions. Then Pete should mail those to the Commissioner. Hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained……
I’ll gladly quit my job today if called to serve.
154 game schedule or Sunday double headers to shorten the season a week or 2.
7 game first round playoffs
Balanced schedule.
Just like any other sport, change the draft system and allow picks to be traded. At least the small market teams who refuse to draft the top tier talent due to signing issues would get talent in return for picks and imposing the cap per pick allows them a better chance to holding onto drafted players.
“You know he is one of my, uh…”
Mike F. on Francessa…
Kevin S. You have some great ideas, I agree with most of them. Don’t like the one-year contracts though
1. Let baseball be co-ed. Women and men should both be able to play in the big leagues.
Sabathia has a rival for being the biggest (by weight and sheer size). Take a look at the Padres 1st baseman/right fielder Kyle Blanks, 6’7″ and 285 pounds. Big, strong and fast.
I am so tired of hearing about the salary caps nonsense. If a franchise is successful, why can’t they spend what they want to spend?
If there is a salary cap, then you have to have allowances to cover cost of living differences. After all, it costs more to do everything in NYC as compared with just about every other city in the nation.
I agree that there should be some penalty for being a WC team. Better yet, simply go with the record setting up the 4 teams to play off in each league. No wild card, just the 4 best records.
No best of 5 series for the playoffs.
Mike keeps saying that Arroyo has beaten the Yankees in many big spots. Is there actual proof of that?
Lots of good suggestions about the draft, the all-star game, interleague play, salary floor. Mine would be to fire the current commissioner because none of the good suggestions have the slightest chance of being implemented or even pushed by Bud Selig.
While Selig has been good for the business of baseball, I think he has been terrible for the game of baseball.
I would change the playoff/WS schedule. Right now teams could be off 4 days before any games are played. I would start the games the Tuesday after the regular season (Monday used for divisional/Wild card playoffs), all teams would play on Tuesday, and all series (Divisional and league championship) for the AL and NL would start on the same day.
In addition, the playoff schedule would be played with a minimum of off days. The Boston/Tampa series went 7 games last year and took 10 days to play. When does that happen in the regular season? Depth in pitching is the main ingredient in winning the regular season, and that gets dismissed in the playoffs by allowing an inordinate number of off days. A team with 2 dominant pitchers has a huge advantage over a team with 5 very good starters.
No DH
WS home field advantage to team with best record/Afternoon WS Games
No Wild Card/Interleague
“Arroyo!!!
SAY IT SAY IT!!!”
LMAO
+100 points for the reference
1.) Home field for the World Series based on record
2.) Teams from the same division can play in the first round of playoffs
3.)Balanced schedule (has to be to determine wild card)
4.) New scoring term – “Team Error” – If a ball is lost in the sun, it’s not a double. The pitcher should not be penalized for giving a fly ball that normally would be caught.
Why can’t he prop up Jonathan Sanchez instead of Bronson Arroyo
Lots of very good ideas that were already mentioned: Salary cap (perhaps with an exemption for 1 or 2 franchise players), unbalanced schedule removed, no interleague, DH in both leagues, NFL style instant replay, regulated world draft, and perhaps putting Mr. Selig out to pasture.
Also, I’d like to see a few new teams via expansion. There’s lots of good size cities out there without a major league team.
Hokiehill
July 20th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
“The HR Derby however, should be peacefully retired. It’s very sad”
I still like it, but it needs to be drastically shorter. In the first round they should get 10 pitches not 10 swings…no taking pitches allowed. And the pitcher should be a nuckleballer
***
I like it too. At least in theory. One problem is most guys don’t want to participate. The other is the announcers. They either talk over each other or they just yell “back, back, back, back” for 10 minutes straight.
I like the idea of changing the playoff format.
The NBA takes top 8 in each conference.
The NFL takes division leaders + multiple wild cards.
Teams play 162 schedule for 4 spots. That’s too bad, so sad for at least a few teams.
MGUMPHER, I do think salary caps and luxury taxes should be calculated after-tax. Good point.
Patrick, that’s probably the most radical idea I threw out there, but it would serve the double purpose of keeping costs down and allowing salaries to closest approximate talent level. Maybe a shorter reserve clause, with arbitration to begin after one year, so that teams have an incentive to develop talent.
Have all World Series games start at 7:00.
not sure if someone already posted this as that is a lot of comments to sort through but my first order of business would be to make Pete Rose eligible for the HOF. I’d hate to see his induction held off until he wasn’t alive to see it. it’d be a shame if the all-time HR and H’s leaders were both kept out of the Hall
Francessa comparing our closing schedule to Tampa/Boston… ouch. We better have a sizable lead going into that last weekend.
Our final 2 weeks are
@ Seattle, @ LA Angels, vs. Boston, vs. Kansas City, @ Tampa
Tampa has 13 of their last 16 at home. Boston plays TOR/CLE to finish the season at home.
Alex from Bedminster…YES !
“You know he’s my, uhh…”
That’s Mike F on Arroyo.
Now he’s lamenting that after Jeter, Mariano, et al there won’t be any Mantles and DiMaggios to say reminisce with their kids with.”
Get rid of the unbalanced schedule. It makes competing for the Wild Card a farce. Besides, I’m SICK of the AL East.
Interesting how many want to either scrap the DH or impose it on both leagues. Personally I’d love to scrap it – making the pitcher hit adds a whole layer of strategy that’s absent from AL baseball. As a dyed-in-the-wool Yanks fan, I’m stuck with with the American League, but any time I get the chance to watch some National League ball, AL games start to look like bowling with bumpers.
All that said, the DH is going nowhere, so let’s at least keep it out of the NL. It’s cool to have something that differentiates the leagues and their respective styles of play. Keeps things interesting.
big dog
July 20th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Johnny Damon 200 times HAHAHAHAA
***
If only I were joking….
I voted for Johnny Damon about 200 times for the all star game and I am not ashamed to admit it. But this only proves the theory that voting should not be up to the fans
I wouldn’t be shocked if the playoffs come down to that final weekend in Tampa, with us having to win 2\3 to get a spot.
Wow, would that be drama or what.
brandon-
Alex from bedminster a big letdown lol
I bet Cashman is looking at a Jonathan Sanchez or Ian Snell type pitcher to acquire at the deadline.
Shorten the season to 156 games. No April games. Should prevent injuries to players, especially pitchers.
All baseball fields be the same dimension ie football, basketball, soccer etc.
Banish all astro turf.
“Mike keeps saying that Arroyo has beaten the Yankees in many big spots. Is there actual proof of that?”
Francessa literally has ZERO clue what he’s talking about.
Bronson Arroyo has a career 0 – 0 record in the regular season against the Yankees with a 5.45 Era and in the post-season also has a career 0 – 0 against the Yankees and has allowed 8 runs on 10 hits in 7.1 innings.
So, if you’re keeping score, he has never beaten the Yankees in his life.
Here we go, Diet Coke’s take on Youuse/Jobber and the bullpen
Is Alex from Bedminster the one saying that the two corner OF are terrible?
If it is, he makes at least one good point.
lol. He doesn’t want to talk about Hughes. Cuz he can’t say anything at all!
More on field fights!
“leave him alone.”
Well alrighty then
You play 162 games, only 4 teams from each league should make the playoffs. October Baseball, is October Baseball because it takes up JUST OCTOBER (usually..). We don’t need 8 teams from each league making the playoffs, we going to play Baseball in the snow? Baseball is a long enough season where the best teams usually make the playoffs.. Sure you may have a team here and there once and a while that doesn’t make the playoffs because a weak division leader got the spot, but oh well.. I can’t recall many 92+ win teams in the wild card era that did not make the playoffs. Plus Temps are already cold for baseball come the third week of October.
THE ONLY change I would make is maybe to have 1 extra wild card spot per league. Then you take the 2 wild card winners, have them face off in a winner take all (sort of like the play in game during March Madness) game and then have that winner face the team with the best record in the league. Being a Wild Card shouldn’t give you an equal chance in October. Imagine how exciting those 2 Wild Card Games would be.. You could call it WILD MONDAY !
Is Francessca really still beating the Arroyo drum? Haha!
And people listen to him, why? He really doesn’t watch the game.
That’s Francessa who doesn’t want to talk about Hughes. Says leave there for now b/c he’s unhittable. Cross that bridge when it comes.
I like the expansion idea, but I think you need to do something to avoid too much watering down of talent before you expand again. Like getting rid of the DH in the AL so that starters can pitch deeper in games and you dont need as many middle relievers all the time. Also, if you eliminate the DH you have 14 extra “starting” position players (the current starting DH from every AL team) which could make up two more teams. But there are a lot of cities that could support teams, and the unbalanced divisional structure can only be addressed through expansion.
Plus, now that everybody that needs a stadium has a stadium deal virtually in place, Bud needs new building projects.
“Is Francessca really still beating the Arroyo drum? Haha!
And people listen to him, why? He really doesn’t watch the game.”
I mean even though Arroyo has NEVER beaten the Yankees in the regular season or the playoffs, maybe Mike is talking about a big game he had in spring training against us?
Francesa is not going to say much about Hughes because he was wrong about him in the pen.
When he’s wrong about something he either doesn’t talk about it much or he down plays it.
Ramey, thanks a lot for looking up the numbers. I didn’t have the time at work to do it, but you at least proved what I thought.
If I were commiss I`d fix the schedule. If you are in the same division competing for that division (say AL East) Everyone plays the same opponents and the exact schedule. Everyone has the same amount of off days per month. I would also make Mondays an off day- excpet for rain out makeups
Joe I
no problem. When he said that I got angry and needed to cnofirm what I always thought, Arroyo was never good against us. Maybe the big spot Francessa was talking about is the infamous slap he took from Arod in the playoffs?
Joba to the pen, LOL. I hope you keep rolling your eyes – I’m not going to stop posting because you don’t like what I have to say. Skip my posts – or don’t – I don’t care.
Michael Kay would gladly trade for Halladay and then not extend him, lol. That makes a lot of sense – give up some of your best prospects for 1 ½ years of Doc. I do agree, though, that it’s slightly annoying that no one can spell or pronounce his name, lol
Joba to the pen, LOL. I hope you keep rolling your eyes – I’m not going to stop posting because you don’t like what I have to say. Skip my posts – or don’t – I don’t care.
Michael Kay would gladly trade for Halladay and then not extend him, lol. That makes a lot of sense – give up some of your best prospects for 1 ½ years of Doc. I do agree, though, that it’s slightly annoying that no one can spell or pronounce his name, lol
A lot of things could change…….If I were commiss I`d fix the schedule. If you are in the same division competing for that division (say AL East) Everyone plays the same opponents and the exact schedule. Everyone has the same amount of off days per month. I would also make Mondays an off day- excpet for rain out makeups
Interleague once every 3 years
Kay would give up Jobber, Pena and one of the catchers for Doc?
Kay on his show
“I wouldn’t give up Austin Jackson because they need OF’ers next year. I’d give up Joba, Ramiro Pena, and one of the catchers for Halladay”
LOL
Dismantle the Redsox…..
Dismantle the Redsox…..
Someone tell Kay Cervelli isn’t in the same breath as Montero. Jackson Cervelli and Pena ain’t getting Halladay either. lol
I wouldn’t allow batters to step out of the box more than once and create a time limit for the pitcher to deliver each pitch (or issue a balk); also in a similar light, allow only one mound visit by the catcher per at bat and only one visit from the bench per inning.
That’s what I’d do
Have the manager of the team with the best record in each league manage the All Star game. Often times, he has more to play for than last year’s Pennant winner. It would make for a more competitive and meaningful game.
“brandon-
Alex from bedminster a big letdown lol”
gayle, he sounded like a pure sissy. I would have been all over Diet Coke about Joba, screw the ESPY’s and w/e other nonsense, he was kissing major ass today.
There is no guarantee that Halladay will even want an extension right now. He may want to see if he likes NY and is comfortable here. Doc doesn’t seem like the type of guy who will just take the money and run.
Re-haul the power element of the game: whatever the hell ball specifications were in effect during the 1950s, they’re applied. Minimum wall height – 10 feet. minimum foul line distances – 360; minimum lf/rf – 395; minimum power allies – 415; minimum center field – 430.
If a team wishes to have the fence closer for quirky dimensions, wall height must rise 8 inches for every foot closer.
Fewer off days during the playoffs.
It makes no sense that to make the playoffs you need a 11-12 man pitching staff, but to win in the playoffs all you need is 3 good starters and 3 reliable arms in the pen.
Anything to speed up the game. Allow only 1 step out of the box per at bat. If more then one occurs, it is a strike.
If a SP holds the ball for more then 30 secs on the mound, then it counts as a ball.
I think that Jim Kaat mentioned these things the last time he was on YES and it sounded great to me.
Why does A-Rod call him “Mark Texshera”?
steve,
That goes back to his Texas days, when he was young and stupid.
THE ONLY change I would make is maybe to have 1 extra wild card spot per league. Then you take the 2 wild card winners, have them face off in a winner take all (sort of like the play in game during March Madness) game and then have that winner face the team with the best record in the league. Being a Wild Card shouldn’t give you an equal chance in October. Imagine how exciting those 2 Wild Card Games would be.. You could call it WILD MONDAY !
____ I really like this idea.. Interesting-
Give exclusive rights to EA Sports so they can bring back the MVP series video game. Nothing has lived up to it since 2005.
Shorten the season from 162 to 154. Add two more playoff teams. Three WC and worst division play best of five, then on to current format.
Playoffs are good, more of them would be better.
Rob NY took mine at 2 PM: Salary floor, i.e., Make cheap owners spend their revenue sharing money! That money is not supposed to be welfare for greedy or incompetent owners. It’s supposed to help level the playing field, literally ON the playing field. It might not be the best thing for the Yanks, but it’s best for baseball.
Kill interleague play and the unbalanced schedule. If you have a wild card – then these don’t make sense
1) the entire steroid positive list gets published. get rid of that albatross that shows up every so often.
2) DH instituted in the NL. Pitchers hitting is asinine and silly.
3) Salary cap and salary floor. Sorry Pirates, Royals, and Marlins.
4) Make it so that profit sharing money that the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, and whoever else pay every year has to go to baseball related operation! The teams must spend the money on players or player development. Not on putting in more seats or stadium renovations, not on bonuses for the head office, not for a new grounds crew.
5) Move one of the Florida teams to Las Vegas. Vegas is a huge untapped pro sports market. Its crazy no team is there yet. Florida doesnt care about either of their teams in particular. The new Marlins stadium should be getting built in Vegas not Miami.
Would also give teams like this years Rays a chance at playoffs when the have to fight against RS or NYY.
Rays may be 3rd best team in AL. At years end they should be rewarded for it.
Scott, I totally agree with you — the MVP series was the greatest, but I don’t know if you ever checked out MLB The Show — it’s not as good but it’s still a quality game (they even have September call-ups this year!).
“I bet Cashman is looking at a Jonathan Sanchez or Ian Snell type pitcher to acquire at the deadline.”
No move is better then either of those moves…especially if we’d have to give up one decent prospect to get either of those guys. If Cashman picks up Snell (who’s been demoted to AAA for the Pirates!) then he should be fired.
1. Get rid of DH
2. More scheduled double headers (so playoffs end in Oct)
3. Salary Cap
4. With the revenue sharing (and proposed salary cap), team bonuses for playoff teams player’s cut based on number of games played.
5. Have a global draft as Pete said
6. Two visits to the mound whether its the catcher, infielder, or coach
Sorry about more than 1….I have lots of issues with baseball.
The steroid issue is by far the biggest challenge faced by baseball since integration. Like then, it’s time to do the right thing.
I would acknowledge that the Steroid Era happened and that both players and management own responsibilty for it. I would take responsibility for management’s involvement and admit the warnings were not heeded. I would then give a one time amnesty to those who used PEDS and steroids from the mid 90′s through the testing that began in 2007. I would not, and could not, extend that amnesty to anyone who broke the law. Not all steroids or PEDS used were illegal at the time.
I would then propose mandatory random testing 3 times per year. At that point, if you are found beyond a reasonable doubt to be using, you are banned from baseball for life and forfeit your pension.
all these posts about the pitch clock and not stepping out of the batters box and not fixing their gloves after every pitch.
you guys do realize that those rules are already in place, they just aren’t enforced?
Why are people asking for more playoffs? As it is, the playoffs are filled with way too many bad teams. If anything, I’d shorten the playoffs. Get rid of divisions, which would allow a balanced schedule again. Top two teams in each league advance to LCS. It should be difficult to make the playoffs. This idea that every team needs to be in the race every year is silly. Fans can deal with a few losing years, as long as they have hope that they can get out of it. The only thing that kills fanbases is when it looks like a team doesn’t have the resources to compete.
is there a link to the guys on regis an kelly?
MVP Baseball 2005.. Those were the days. I LOVED that game.
BUT MLB 09 The Show is just as good.. Actually better. If you have a PS3, well you probably already have the game.. If not, a PS3 is well worth the investment for JUST that game! Plus you get a Blu-Ray player out of it.
BTW…I know he pitched a no hitter, but this season Sanchez is averaging around 4.6 innins per game, has a 3-8 record and a 4.69 ERA…who is he replacing that will be an improvement?
1)Amnesty for steroid users prior to MLB banning it. Testing done & regulated by WDA.
2) End Home Field advantage in All-Star game.
3) Draft applies to the world w/ mandatory slotting system.
4) Return of Sunday Doubleheaders (back to back not day/night) – with an off day scheduled for every week at minimum. Rain outs will be solved w/ doubleheaders as players should not lose an off day.
5) Playoff series have off days only for travel, and the games start no later than 7pm EST.
To convince MLBPA:
1) Minimum salary increased
2) Aribitration/ Free Agency require one less year
3) Veteran minimum instituted
4) Roster for April is expanded to 30
WOW, talk about having to earn our playoff spot our last stretch is brutal.
should be fun….. or miserable. LOL
Rebecca–Optimist Prime–Montero Fanaticus Primus
July 20th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Jen took the home field advantage one so…
We’d have an instant replay challenge system, similar to NFL.
What the….aren’t you a purist?
Although, I do agree with you. Instant replay for a day just to see how it goes. If the challenging team fails they are forced to take an extra out.
Make Kim Jones do all telecasts in a bikini, and have her naked on the post game show.
@Tie Sawks Tonight
I’m sorry but this years “The Show” is still not nearly as good as MVP 05. Not by a long shot.
Besides the Hobbit’s mug being on the cover, MLB 09 The Show is more than a worthy successor to MVP Baseball.
I’d put the DH in the NL and make it a major league, again.
Have rivalry weeks instead of interleague play
Salary Cap
Have all playoff series best out of 3
Get rid of signing 16 year olds
Have players wear the All-Star game jerseys instead of their team jerseys but keep the hats
Have an All- MLB first, second and third team
Just like every other job in the world -you get rewarded for doing well and fired for not performing. Why should sports be any different?
Base salary and a bonus at the end of a season for outstanding performance. You don’t play up to GM’s expectations, you’re fired, Trump Style. Unlike Jason Schmidt who hasn’t pitched in two years but has gotten paid $30mm.
the replay system should be more like the ACC Football system. Challenges are issued via a replay official and the calls are made in the booth by said offical, not by the ump on the field. it takes away the need for the ump to go stick his head under a hood and watch the same thing over and over for 5 minutes…the issue here would be the need to hire at least 1 replay official for every game…
The number one thing I would like to see changed is the first round of the playoffs expanded to best of seven.
- The season is far too long for a team’s fate t0 be dicided by a best of five.
also, on voting for the hall of fame. votes should be made public and those that vote poorly repeatedly should be forced to explain their reasoning (or every one should) if the explaination is “I don’t vote for anyone the first time on the ballot” then that person loses their right to vote for being an idiot.
Tom- Not be a long shot? That’s a little harsh.
I’m interested in why you feel that way. Not like I work for SECA or anything but very curious. I love both games but the Show really filled the void left by MVP for me.
OK ENOUGH OF THIS SANCHEZ TALK
2008
9-12 record
5.01 ERA
158 innings pitched
5.4 innings per start
1.45 WHIP
8 H/9
4.3 BB/9
2.09 BB/K
This seasons he is pitching less innings per start, and walking more (5.3/9).
This is in the NL(easy) West(easier) pitching as their 4th starter.
Exactly what good could come of us signing this guy? We already have a guy pitching like this, his name is Andy Wangerlain.
Get rid of body armor unless you are coming back from an injury. No more Barry Bonds type sticking your well padded elbow right over the plate.
so if I were considering picking up an MLB game for XBOX 360 what should I get. I don’t care if it’s a year or two old as long as I can update rosters online.
It’s SCEA SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT OF AMERICA!!!!
I’m just sick of disgusting Mets and Red Sux players on the cover of MLB. I’d settle for a Justin Upton or Hanley Ramirez.
i don’t have a good reason, when I play the show, all i can think of is man… i wish mvp 05 looked like this. just biased i guess lol
@hokiehill, you should consider not buying a baseball game at all for the 360.
Anyone know how many years are left on Take-Two’s exclusive deal?
Sanchez would be eaten alive in the AL East..He has serious control issues and does not throw that hard. I have the Extra Innings Package, I’ve seen him pitch and he isnt that good. He pitched a no hitter against the Padres.. Still a major league team but come on..
Be honest, all you asking for him.. Did you even know his name 10 days ago?
1. DH in the NL
2. All Star Manager brings his pitching staff as the extra innings relief staff.
3. Only Reporters pick the All Stars…Only Fans pick the HOF.
4. Buck, McCarver, Berman never announce another game…ever.
5. Tear down Fenway and put up an ugly cookie cutter stadium.
6. Realignment…including expansion to Portland and Las Vegas.
AL North NL North
Tigers Phillies
Twins Pirates
Blue Jays Brewers
Mariners Portland
AL Central NL Central
Rangers Astros
White Sox Cubs
Indians Reds
Royals Cardinals
AL East NL East
Yankees Mets
Rex Sox Braves
Rays Marlins
Orioles Nationals
AL West NL West
Angels Dodgers
A’s Giants
Las Vegas D-Backs
Rockies Padres
i would institute a salary cap, but force the owners to take the dollars they’re not giving to the players and use it to lower ticket prices for the fans across baseball…
there is no reason why it should cost a family of four over $400 for decent seats + parking + concessions.
…well, maybe that’d take longer than one day.
Don’t get any hokie, all of them are bad.
I’m with you Tom B…Sanchez caught lightning in a bottle, but he is not good
Tom- Fair enough !! I can’t imagine what MVP 09 would have looked like. I actually just got a tear in my eye thinking about it. But the Show is no joke and since there is no lag during Online Play this season, online leagues are just too much fun.
is this PS3 vs. 360 bias I’m getting, or are there really no good MLB games on the Xbox?
No bias, 2k sports just isn’t good with baseball. I love my xbox 360.
The game should have the same rules. Either get rid of the DH, or add it to the NL. <>
Hokiehill- No biased here.. I have both systems. But if someone offered me MLB 2K9 (the only baseball sim for xbox) for free, I would kindly not accept it.
Xbox is good for any other sports games just not baseball.. Sad but true.
@Tie Sawks Tonight
Unfortunately I don’t own a PS3, so I only play it at my friends house… and embarass him when i do lol…
Yeah, MLB extra innings is a god send… I love the mix channel. I’ve finely honed my skills at watching 8 games at the same time
I hardly ever miss one of my fantasy players starts/at bats. Plus you get a good perspective on the rest of the league. How god awful are the NL west announcers? they could definitely be put to better use in an insomnia study.
well that’s a shame…
1) 154-game season
2) No interleague play
3) One mandatory, single-admission doubleheader per team, per year
4) Get-away games are always day games
I agree with a lot of what has been said, so I’ll try to fix the WBC instead…
WBC – round 1 half way through spring training
round 2 – pick a time in May, and have MLB take off for a few days. doing this once every few years is not a big deal.
Semi-finals and finals during All-star week, at the same venue of the all-star game. Monday of allstar week is a doubleheader of the semi-final teams. Tuesday is the HR derby (with international competition – pick one rep from each country). Wednesday is game 1 of WBC finals. Thursday is game 2. Friday is MLB Allstar game. Saturday is game 3 of WBC (if necessary). Back to work on Sunday or Monday.
Players aren’t away from teams for a long period of time in spring training.
Season is delayed about a week, but you can start spring training earlier.
all-star week is more interesting (perhaps).
Tom B-
I agree on the NL West announcers comment, except for the Dodgers Vin Scully. I can never get tired of hearing him. Padres were good last year when they still had Vasgersain.
IMO the worst announcers are the Cubs, White Sox and Reds.. Such homers. LOL imagine Michael Kay shouting at a foul ball “come on, stay fair, stay fair..Good guys on top 1-0″. These guys call the games as if they have a $2000 riding on it every night.
I would make the Divisional Round of the playoffs a 7 game series.
I agree with TimNYC, 5 game series is not a true test of which is the better team
1. Eliminate the wild care, best-of-9 pennant, best-of-9 world series
2. Soft salary cap
Eliminate the amateur draft.
It’s designed to rein in the Yankees and other successful teams but it does the opposite.
By preventing good teams from getting good amatuer plaers, it leabves them little recourse but to spend wildly for free agents in order to sustain good performance. In other words, the Yankees and other good teams have to spend big to keep up. But isn’t that spending what Bud Selig and others who want a salary cap keep complaining about? MLB has created this mess by rewarding incompetence and punishing good performance.
Peter Rose reinstated.
1) Outlaw any public funding for stadiums.
2) Make the draft worldwide, and make players register to be eligible (no loophole by slipping through the draft unnoticed).
3) Make draft picks tradeable, before and immediately after the draft.
Re-instate Pete Rose is a must.
PENALIZE the team who wins the Wild Card.
You need to place a premium on winning the division. A Wild Card team only having 1 less home game is not enough.
Wild Card team gets 1 home game 1st round, then gets 2 games in the 2nd round.
World Series goes back to normal.
You have to put the Wild Card team at somewhat of a disadvantage for NOT winning their division. As it stands now, there isn’t any real incentive or “plus” of being a division winner
1) Instant replay on fair or foul, out or safe, and balls or strikes.
2) Stamp every person who attends a game not in Yankee Stadium with “unpatriotic” on their forehead, because they don’t do God Bless America before the 7th-inning stretch.
3) Require the Yankees stop to do “God Bless America” after every out made. Come on, do we love this country or not?
4) Add an asterisk to Alex Sanchez’s numbers.
5) Manager/Player vs. Umpire arguments must now take place in a moderated Lincoln-Douglas style debate, with the original 60-minute vs. 90-minute vs. 30-minute rejoinder rule.
6) Reinstate Pete Rose, and comp him for the past 23 seasons.
Instant replays on close calls (not balls&strikes). Use a challenge system like the NFL
If I were commish:
1 simple change: NO MORE PLAY-OFF GAMES starting at 8/8:30: ALL GAMES WOULD START NO LATER THAN 7 PM. And I’d tell Fox to shove it if they don’t like it.
1. Downgrade interleague play to 12 games and only play the “natural” rival once a year.
2. Balance the rest of the schedule and create only one division with the four best teams making the playoffs in each league.
3. 7 game playoff series for each round to be completed in 9 days from the start of the first game. (rain outs can go longer obviously)
4. Minimun standards of All Star players (games played mainly)
5. All star voting is a mix of fans, writers, and players not just fans. Also, no team should have to have an All Star on it.
6. Best record has homefield advantage for playoff series.
7. Olympic standard testing and anyone who is found guilty can have contract voided or salary and length of remaining deal cut 50%.
8. Send Steve Phillips to moon!!!
some of the best ideas have already been said: 1) start World Series game at 7:37 ECT at the latest 2) salary cap floor 3) somebody beat up and disfigure Joe Buck 4) World Draft 5) expand rosters to 30
not sure if anybody has said these, but
1) I think that all the awards (MVP, Cy Young, All-Star games, etc.) should be voted on by the players and coaches only…….writers can keep the Hall of Fame vote, but the rest are subject to politics(like when Jeter got robbed 3 years ago…seriously, look at Pedroia’s numbers last year and Jeter’s 3 years ago and you’ll be baffled)
2) Teams should play every team in their division once every calendar month, minimum six weeks
I would do away with pitchers batting in the national league. I would either have both leagues use the DH or even go to an 8 man lineup, although I’m not sure if that would cause any other issues. I can’t think of any, but if any of you can, let me know.
Make every player, minors and majors, undergo olympic-style blood testing.
Salary Cap does not ensure parity or diversity. How many years did the Patriots rule football?
My one move as Commissioner would be to remove ALL barriers to accessing baseball. This includes doing away with exclusive provider deals (think MLB EI and Direct TV) and it means doing away with all blackouts – of any kind – but ESPECIALLY the Saturday afternoon blackouts.
Restricting access to your product is never, ever a good thing, and in this day and age where technology rules and access to information and services are easier than ever, there is no reason to make it so that your audience can not enjoy what you are selling.
If I was the commish I would get rid of the wildcard,and division play.
All of bsasball would have the DH.
A permanent ban on having salary caps,ever.
Luxury tax out,along with revenue sharing.
Give the AL two more teams bringing the total for baseball to 32. IMO
Aroider caught gets a yerar ban automatic,and any violation thereafter permanent ban from baseball for life!!
Meant division playoffs,the short series.
I forgot cut out interleaque play,and ban is for a year first time.
When an ump makes up his own rules he’s fired,or demoted to minors for five years!!
The most fundamental change that I could make as commissioner is with the following. Every team could have one alternative “home”, and I would begin to institute this by taking the 5 lowest revenue teams and letting them have first choice. Rather than expansion, MLB would have been better served by having 40 home games of some smaller market teams played in a second city. Cable rights would be sold in both cities. This would increase MLB revenues, because they would only have 40-41 home dates to sell and would have cable TV rights to sell in two markets. Small market teams could now compete, and we would no longer have to see baseball played in 40 degree weather (northern teams would presumably pick a warmer climate for their other city and play there in April.)
I would institute mandatory cheerleaders.
Somebody wanted to move the Phillies to the Al East? Are you serious? You want 4 possible 90 game winners in a single division?
And scrapping the DHdoes not add “strategy.” I think Bill James wrote a very good article on that.
Guess I missed the part in the “Terms of Service” where it says only Peter can make fun of A-Rod.
Make the first round of the Playoffs a Best-of-Seven series.
Expanding the rosters to 30 man for the entire season would be awful if we kept all 30 teams. The teams would be diluted of skill and talent which would hurt the game.
The alternate home city would not bea good. I don’t think the fans of Oakland would be happy if the A’s played 40 games in Vegas or if the Marlins played 40 games or even 20 games down in Puerto Rico. The players would not be happy either beacause they would be on the road that much longer away from their city homes and families.
I’d offer the players union an extra active-roster spot in both leagues in exchange for eliminating the DH. It’s an abomination. I’d also revive the Hall of Fame Game at Cooperstown.
Cheerleaders.
My way would be to expand Major League Baseball to 32 teams, either 8 divisions of 4 teams, or 2 divisions a league of 8 teams.
Put a new team in the North Carolina area (Charlotte, Greensboro, or Raleigh), and put a team in Portland, Las Vegas, or Puerto Rico.
Make a salary cap, and have the team with the best record have home field advantage in the World Series.
Expand the playoffs to 10 or 12 (either division winners plus two wild-cards, or top four-six teams in each league), and do away with those stupid blackout rules.
We are 5 1/2 hours away from Atlanta, yet all the competing feeds (including Yankees feeds) for all games are blacked out.
Make the NL start using the DH. This charade of pitchers hitting needs to stop. I can’t believe people take their ABs seriously.
Instant replay, on a challenge system, like football or tennis.
Pete Rose in the HOF…
Sounds dumb, but I would require all networks to display “replay” in the corner while showing replays. Nothing messes with emotions more than being out in public where there is no sound and you think someone jacked one to the third deck only to find out twenty seconds later that happened three innings previously.
You have no idea how many game changing hits I’ve thought I’d seen over the years while bartending.
My first order of business as commissioner would be to make players wear their uniforms tighter in the legs and wear their socks up. The uniforms today are looking less professional and more like pajamas; the pants of the uniform should not we worn as loose as CC Sabathia’s and not long enough for them to be caught in players’ spikes. The ideal way to wear a uniform could be modeled after Johnny Damon, A-Rod, or Brett Gardner.
Pete Rose in the hall. Seems so trivial to ban the all-time hits leader for losing his money gambling while PED cheaters are still in game and eligible.
Find a faster version of “God Bless America” so that all of those people complaining about having to stand for a whole 2 minutes won’t be inconvenienced.
I would change the drop third strike rule. I don’t think a batter should be able to be safe for missing a pitch in the dirt. I dont know if its just me but I hate that rule. (It killed the Yankees that one game in Anaheim.)
I’d create a strict salary cap floor to ensure parity.
1 – no more 5-game playoffs, it’s stupid that a team can just get hot for a week and destroy a team with a better record. A 5-game series is not indicative of a teams performance whatsoever. Maybe some kind of double-elimination thing, I know it makes the season longer but it is the most fair way.
2 – Salary floor. Make it fair though, cause many team owners wouldn’t take the risk running a team if they weren’t going to make money.
3 – No more artificial turf.
4 – AL DH always carries over. But if the AL and NL face one another they play with a DH, but no penalty for pinch-hitting in the DH spot.
5 – Allow teams to include minor league options in contracts (not sure if they currently can). This way struggling people can be sent down to rehab without passing through waivers, but their contract would still be guaranteed.
6 – Trading draft picks. Slotting bonuses and incentives along the way. Like if a team is not willing to give a guaranteed 40-man spot, the draft pick gets more money. Depending on where they’re optioned to (A, AA, AAA) they get bonuses. Performance bonuses as well. The max a drafted player would get is: Drafted Slot Bonus + Roster Bonus + Minor League Bonus + Incentives.
To make it fair the team would need to be penalized for not realizing the talents they have, and taking the cheap way out (no roster spot, A ball) and allow the incentive multiplier to be higher while they play in lower leagues.
7 – Remove rookie salary arbitration, make everything contract renewable for 40% increase per season, for 5 years.
Opening the season is pathetic. 1 Sunday
night game at 8 and then day games while most are at work! Here is how to open a season –> Each team plays 1 game to on opening weekend – some on Saturday others on Sunday. Make it an event to say the cold will soon be gone and Summer has officially started!!!
I would make one major change to interleague play – use the DH in National League parks, and make the pitchers hit in AL parks. I feel there’s too much of a home field advantage in these games now and this would help level the playing field. This would also give fans in NL cities the chance to see the games’s top DHs play in person. I’m sure there must have been some fans disappointed not to see Matsui play. And it would give fans in AL cities a chance to see what NL ball is like. Plus if CC, Joba, AJ, etc. are only going to get to bat in one or two games a season, wouldn’t it be cool if it was in Yankee Stadium? Imagine the excitement if Mariano got his RBI at home.
Another change I would make is to the playoff seeding. Once the playoff teams are in, I would reseed them 1-4 based on record. If that means two teams in the same division meet in the first round, so be it. But if the wild card team is the number two seed, I would still give home field to the three seed. There needs to be some penalty for not winning the division. And I would make the first round best of 7.
This is easy… I would extend the ALDS to a 7 game series. The current 5-game series format creates an unfair advantage for teams that did not compete well during the regular season.
“Go back to the 154-game season but make the Division Series a best of 7.”
I second this.
I would abolish the Designated Hitter, Bowie Kuhn’s ludicrous attempt to make baseball more like football, where players are either on offense or defense, but not both. As I believe Red Smith said when the DH was instituted, “If Kenesaw Mountain Landis or Bowie Kuhn were alive, this would never have happened.”
Raise the pitchers mound to pre 1969 hieght
Expand the strike zone
Lose the DH
I would move 1 team out of the National league central division, into the American league making it even 15 teams each league. Locate the new American league team in Las Vegas and put it in the western division, then move the Texas rangers to the central division where they belong. Now you have 2 leagues 15 teams each 3 divisions 5 teams each.
(And I would get to travel to Las Vegas 1 or 2 times a year to see the Yankees play!!!)