You Are New Commish: What Is Your Agenda?

1. Pete Rose is put on the ballot.
2. Eliminate base coaches...place speaker in helmet (NFL) that serves as communication to player. No more stepping out of box for signs.
3. Eliminate DH
4. Eliminate Interleague Play- make the All Star Game special again.
5. Draft becomes FULLY International.

#2 would only be possible if the communication device stopped after stepping in the box, otherwise to much opportunity to relay what pitch is coming. I agree with all your other thoughts, though.

I like all your changes, but I would keep base coaches, I think a coach waving a runner home on a close play adds excitement, maybe I' weird.


Do away with the new rule, that the catcher cant block plate.
Do away with review, I could see keeping it just to review home run balls.
Limit amount of warmup pitches

jbhofmann said:

1. Pete Rose is put on the ballot.
2. Eliminate base coaches...place speaker in helmet (NFL) that serves as communication to player. No more stepping out of box for signs.
3. Eliminate DH
4. Eliminate Interleague Play- make the All Star Game special again.
5. Draft becomes FULLY International.

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#4 would require a team switching leagues, so you'd have your work cut out for you convincing the teams to undo the switch they just made!

I'd want to eliminate the ASG winner getting WS home field; that could go back to alternating years, or team with the best overall record. I'd also eliminate walk-up music; most of it is crap and is terrible.

Put the Rangers and Astros back where they belong!!!

DeliciousBacon said:

I'd want to eliminate the ASG winner getting WS home field; that could go back to alternating years, or team with the best overall record. I'd also eliminate walk-up music; most of it is crap and is terrible.

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Couldn't agree more about the walk-up music. I suppose WS home field advantage is a good form of motivation during the ASG but, come World Series time, I think it sucks. Give the winning AS team some money. Sports players love money.

1. Place all replay-related activities solely in the hands of an off-field umpire and/or the official scorer. There should be absolutely no reason for the on-field umpires to be involved. That is what wastes all the time. Then expand what replay covers, but not the number of challenges per game.

2. Re-instate the rule book mandated strike zone. That would definitely speed up games.

3. No west coast post-season games should be allowed to start later than 7pm pacific. No east coast post-season games should be allowed to start later than 7pm eastern. Put the game back in the daylight hours on weekends!

4. Drop at least two games from the regular season schedule and tighten up the scheduling for the post-season. No MLB games should be played in November!

5. Lose the WS home field advantage from the AS game. If a team wants home field advantage in the post season, let them earn it, don't make it random chance.

6. End TV blackouts. They are meaningless and just prevent fans from watching games. There is not a team within 3 hours of my house, so we should not be a blackout zone for any team.

I think the new commish will keep on keepin on. They're making billions and why would a new commish want to change that?

Also I think the Pete Rose thing will be a "who kicks the bucket first" thing. A new commish will keep Selig's ruling in place. If Selig dies first (time isnt on his side, 10 years older than Rose) then Rose gets on the ballot, and enjoys baseball/HOF glory for rest of his life. If Rose dies first, then he gets on the ballot/voted in posthumously.

But I could be wrong!

Fordman

#1 Speed up the game by both pitchers and batters. No more leaving the box after every pitch and no more 50 seconds in between pitches

#2 Off the field replay "booth". Take it out of the umpires hands completely. The booth has 15 TVs going with different angles, replays would take 30 seconds max if done correctly

#3 Eliminate the AS game winner having home field. Give it to best record

#4 Get rid of interleague every year. Instead make it once every five years to bring some juice back to it

#5 Go back to the balanced schedule. No more playing 19 games against your division. Might make for some longer road trips but I cant take seeing the same teams for half of the teams schedule

#6 No more November baseball. Whether that means they need to drop 4, 6 or 10 games off their schedule just make it happen.

Have a few others in my head but I'll need to refine them more

1) Ensure that as few early-season games as possible are played in the north. No need to open the season in Cleveland, Minnesota, etc. when weather is cold and snow sometimes interferes.

2) End all video review.

3) Limit interleague play to a few select series/weeks per year. Having constant interleague match-ups spoils the novelty.

4) Allow Pete Rose to be HOF-eligible.

1. Apologize for BUTT Selig ruining the game.
2. Get rid of that stupid "blocking plate" rule.
3. Get rid of replay.
4. Put Pete Rose in HOF
5. Get rid of DH

Most of you are describing completely unrealistic scenarios here. Sorry folks - no matter who the commissioner is, the DH isn't going away and neither is interleague play. Pete Rose is and should be a non-issue for the commissioner. Here are some realistic changes:

1). Get going on a widespread PR/promotional campaign that isn't exclusively on the MLB Network. I see NFL commercials all day long on tons of channels - market the sport for this century and make it widespread.

2). Break the umpire union completely. No more of this "behind the scenes" discipline. I want a publicly available rating system for umpires that has pitch track info for ball/strike accuracy. Umps that don't want to comply with the written strike zone are gone. Guess what? You don't have one NFL ref calling a 9 yard first down, or an NBA ref calling a shorter 3 point shot than the others. Why the hell is every umpire allowed to have their "own" strike zone?

3). Playoff games start at 7. Yes, I realize the need for prime time dollars from TV. Yes, I realize the networks have a lot of power. That being said - my kids can't watch more than 3 innings of a playoff game without blowing by bedtime. You are alienating a whole generation of potential fans - and potential revenue source, for the TV ad execs.

4). Cap replay at 2 minutes. If they can't figure a decision by then, the call stands no matter what.

5). Do away with the "every team must be represented in the all star game" rule and bring the rosters back down to 30. If you truly want the game to count and have the winner get home field in the World Series, then stop forcing rosters. Good lord - almost 10% of the league makes the team now!

6). Another all star rule - realistic fan ballots. Why the hell were people allowed to vote for Matt Weiters? Remove him from the ballot if he hasn't played! We live in a digital age and 90% of votes are cast online! Update the ballots as needed based on suspensions/demotions/promotions/ injuries.

I would add the DH to the national league.

6. In 2019 for the 150th Anniversary of baseball, every team must wear Throwback Uniforms for the entire year.

7. In 2020 a salary cap will be in place.

8. Joe Jackson placed on ballot.

9. Require home team batting practice to be accessible to the public. This seems silly but at one point the Cincinnati Reds never opened the gates before their BP was over.

11. Cap stadium capacity at 40,000 for new stadiums. Trying to create a better fan experience at the park and get fans closer to the field.

10. I would likely contract 2 teams. I would base it off of team production over a ten year period. If you can't perform as an organization, you aren't needed in this league.

gpenko826 said:

2). Break the umpire union completely. No more of this "behind the scenes" discipline. I want a publicly available rating system for umpires that has pitch track info for ball/strike accuracy. Umps that don't want to comply with the written strike zone are gone. Guess what? You don't have one NFL ref calling a 9 yard first down, or an NBA ref calling a shorter 3 point shot than the others. Why the hell is every umpire allowed to have their "own" strike zone?

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The strike zone is and has always been at the personal discretion of the homeplate umpire. It's a judgement call and is indisputable. Players and mangers know this from day one.

Btw, the umpires have the right to organize and collectively bargain their labor just as any other work force, it's not up to MLB.

Fordman


Sell me your Jay Bruce cards!

jbhofmann said:

1. Pete Rose is put on the ballot.
2. Eliminate base coaches...place speaker in helmet (NFL) that serves as communication to player. No more stepping out of box for signs.
3. Eliminate DH
4. Eliminate Interleague Play- make the All Star Game special again.
5. Draft becomes FULLY International.

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I dont think any of this will change because the new commish is nothing more than a rubber stamp for the old commish. Only if the new guy wants to put his mark on the game will he actually make a change and reverse some of the things Selig has put in place such as eliminating interleague play. I hope the new guy does something instead of sitting on the status quo.

jbhofmann said:

5. Draft becomes FULLY International.

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Might be hard to draft players from Cuba, Venezuela, china and certain South American countries due to travel bans to the US. Most have to defect and claim asylum to play in the US when they get here.

Fordman


Sell me your Jay Bruce cards!

gpenko826 said:

4). Cap replay at 2 minutes. If they can't figure a decision by then, the call stands no matter what.

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I agree. And the 2 minutes should start with the conclusion of the play, not when the challenge is made.

Find a way to get massive use of performance enhancing drugs back into the game.

And to institute a salary cap on contracts.

Abolish the DH and Interleague play immediately.

Beer prices at the games cut in half.

All season end awards voted on after the World Series.