Problems That The MLB Needs To Fix

Problems that the MLB needs to face in the offseason

Megan Hines

As fans watch their team rise to the occasion or to crumble down in the last two months, the Major League Baseball Committee has to start considering ideas to make the game better.

 First Case: Replay System

The replay system has worked in both tennis and football. In tennis the replay system is done in a quick pace and corrects close calls. In football the replay system has prevented any miscalls that could determine the outcome of a game from happening. In baseball, the replay system can enhance the close calls that the umpires called wrongly. MLB should combine what football and tennis have done but like the other two sports some simple guidelines and rules should be as followed:

1. A team gets two challenges a game, if the team is right they keep the challenge and if the team is wrong they lose a challenge.
2. A team can challenge catches or non-catches
3. A team can challenge homeruns or non- homeruns
4. A team can challenge outs or non- outs but they can’t challenge steals
5. A team can’t challenge strikes or balls
6. There are four umpires in a game so two umpires should go to the away dugout and two umpires should go to the home dugout, then they talk after but this will help quicken the pace of the game up

A team should only get two challenges a game because baseball doesn’t want the constant stopping of the game and one challenge is too little. A team can challenge catches or non- catches because it’s hard to see when someone traps the ball or actually catches the ball. A team can challenge homeruns and non- homeruns for close calls on the upper part of the foul pole. A team can challenge outs or non- outs except for steals because there have been times when the umpires make mistake on a safe call. But a team can’t challenge steals because steals are risk and if a team wants to steal a base they are at their own risk for a correct call. A team can’t challenge strikes or balls because those are calls that if challenged will take away from the game too much. Splitting up the umpires to watch the replay without the others talking about the call around them will allow for a quicker pace and more focused replay system. A replay system is very important for the MLB to strive and not have the headlines be “Umpire messes up call for the record books”.

Second Case: Non- Guaranteed Contracts

Non- guaranteed contracts would be good for the MLB to use because then the players have to work for their money. Too many times has MLB baseball teams signed large contracts to players who get injured for one or multiple seasons. MLB teams/ franchises are getting screwed because they are wasting their money on a player who is injured or long suspensions. So if they add guaranteed contracts they won’t have to worry about losing a ton of money. Some rules/ guidelines they should use:

1. 70% is guaranteed money and 30% is unguaranteed money
2. That if a player wins an award they get their unguaranteed money
3. A committee should be appointed to deal with times when the player thinks they should get their unguaranteed money and when the team doesn’t, so basically like an appeals court
4. Any player that gets suspended for taking steroids or HGH or should automatically not get their unguaranteed money

The players union will never let the whole players contract go unguaranteed but MLB might be able to get away with having a small percentage of a players contract unguaranteed. In the early part of this past decade, steroids put a black eye on baseball and for anyone to bring back drugs to baseball should be punished. So the punishment should be no unguaranteed money for the player so they won’t make the same mistake again. Some players might feel like they might be getting screwed with not getting much of their unguaranteed money after having a great season, so the MLB should have something like an appeals court that will hear both arguments and make a decision. This committee should not include coaches, owners, player or anyone that works for a specific team so it’s not bias.

Third Case: Salary Cap

The Salary Cap doesn’t have that many positives because it hurts teams that make a lot of money. Such as the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox, from day one these two teams have been through debt and money issues but they found a way out. The Tampa Bay Rays are number 28 out of 30 teams on Forbes for the richest baseball team. But they aren’t a bad team right now; they lead the Wild Card Race and are very close to wining the American League East. The Rays don’t have a lot of money but they have a great team that has a big possibility of winning the World Series. The MLB has a luxury team that helps the other teams keep up with the richer teams but the other teams need to start getting more fans. Some suggestions will cost money but might be worth it in the end such as having a promotion day where they give discounts for their tickets. Have discounts when you buy a certain amount of tickets or give away something, appeal to the audience. So right now, the MLB doesn’t need the salary cap.

Fourth Case: Stadium Food

The latest negative report that has been out about the MLB: is the stadium food issue. On ESPN, there were pictures and conversations with the unseen workers on how unsanitary the food is. It showed rodent poop on the boxes of the food and workers keeping the rolls that were in a moldy bag. The MLB has to higher the food processing standards in order to keep a lot of their fans. Here are some guidelines that the MLB should follow:

1. Having random checkups two times a month to see how the food is processed and the conditions.
2. If they have unsanitary food conditions then the fine should be $10,000

The MLB has to have a lot of checkups in the first couple of seasons because unsanitary food processing has been going on way to long. In order to make sure that the MLB teams have learned their lessons by going the cheap way they should be checked more often and fined a lot for making mistakes that is risking the health of others. Teams of the MLB get a lot of money from their concessions at the stadiums and it will be a shame if the Food and Health Department has to shut some stadium food places down for a little because of unsanitary food making.

So right now, the MLB committee has to consider these ideas and if they are good enough they have to start trying to put them in place. The hardest thing for the MLB will be getting the rules by the players union, agents, coaches, managers, and owners. So to change a rule or to add one they have to please most of the people that are part of the MLB.