Dear Bud Selig: 5 Great Ideas for Improving Major League Baseball
MLB Commissioner Allan H. "Bud" Selig has made countless changes to our "National Pastime" since ascending to his current position, but he hasn't done enough.
Selig has approved three new franchises and realignment of the divisions, a schedule that features mid-season interleague play, an expanded postseason, the implementation of instant replay and a handful of breath-taking ballparks during the last couple decades.
Each of these could—and should—be taken a step further.
I will briefly reflect on Selig's innovations and propose more radical ideas that would serve the sport better than his have.
36 Teams
1 of 6Every look at the Major League Baseball standings is an embarrassing reminder that those in charge can't balance out the six divisions.
Currently, the league consists of 30 teams. Inexplicably, there are four franchises in the American League West and six in the National League Central (instead of five in each).
The Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins began playing in 1993, but were approved by Selig's predecessor, Fay Vincent.
The Milwaukee Brewers were moved to the National League, and the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Washington Nationals (previously the Montreal Expos) all came into existence under Selig.
Without disturbing the divisional rivalries that have developed in recent years, I would like to even out this mess. The answer is to add six additional franchises.
The MLB Players' Association would obviously consent to this idea as it would provide many more job opportunities for players.
Similarly, the league should pursue this and spread itself to as many venues as possible.
The hypothetical standings below incorporate my suggestions. Each were chosen for geographical reasons, socioeconomic factors, popularity of baseball in the region or some combination of the three.
The bottom line is that Major League Baseball needs to fill up this map.
| Baltimore |
| Boston |
| New York |
| *Richmond |
| Tampa Bay |
| Toronto |
| Chicago |
| Cleveland |
| Detroit |
| Kansas City |
| Minnesota |
| *New Orleans |
| Los Angeles |
| Oakland |
| *Oklahoma City |
| *Portland |
| Seattle |
| Texas |
| Atlanta |
| *Charlotte |
| Miami |
| New York |
| Philadelphia |
| Washington |
| Chicago |
| Cincinnati |
| Houston |
| Milwaukee |
| Pittsburgh |
| St. Louis |
| Arizona |
| Colorado |
| *Las Vegas |
| Los Angeles |
| San Diego |
| San Francisco |
*New Franchises
150-Game Regular Season and Different Scheduling
2 of 6Further expansion ends the necessity for Major League Baseball's 162-game regular season marathon.
The current model is seemingly endless! It bores fans and convinces them that single games are insignificant. Moreover, it exhausts players, leads to injuries and deprives dedicated supporters of their favorite players.
Dropping the load to 150 games would raise the stakes of every matchup, increase average attendance and hopefully save a few players from going under the knife.
My proposed league total of 2,700 games—up from 2,430—would be more of a burden for those guys at the MLB Fan Cave in New York City, but it would represent hundreds of millions of dollars of extra revenue for the league.
I want to keep some aspects of the schedule unchanged, including an early April opening, 18 off-days and a mid-season All-Star break.
The regular season would start and finish on a weekend!
I would make divisional play less prevalent (about 60 games) and interleague play more substantial (about 30 games).
On another note, I was floating around the idea of intentionally scheduling doubleheaders. A slate of 36 games on select days would bring a lot of positive attention to the sport.
All teams would participate in these "Super Saturdays" thrice a season, ideally on opening weekend in April, immediately before the All-Star break, and on the final weekend of season.
New Playoff Format: 12 Teams and Four Rounds
3 of 6As of 2011, the postseason is disproportionately exclusive and brief.
Eight franchises—less than 27 percent—qualify.
The Division Series is in a best-of-five format; the League Championship Series and World Series are each best-of-seven.
Selig made this expansion in 1995, but why can't October baseball come even earlier?
In a scenario where my other improvements are implemented, the MLB playoffs could use the 12 days that I extracted from the regular season. That allows for a new best-of-three "Wildcard Series" round and an extended best-of-seven Division Series.
Six teams per league (American and National) would earn playoff berths. The top two records in each would have byes through the Wildcard Series.
The shenanigans would begin in the second half of September and conclude before conditions become to wintry.
Yes, the system would resemble the National Football League's. After all, the NFL is America's favorite professional league, and unless Major League Baseball adjusts, that gap will continue to widen.
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Expanded Instant Replay
4 of 6The current regime recognizes that technology is important.
Limited video replay to review potential home runs was established late in 2008. It is referred to whenever there is doubt about whether the ball went over the fence, stayed fair or was touched by a fan.
In that short period, 64 incorrect calls have been reversed.
Umpires—like the rest of us—are occasionally incorrect. Baseball plays transpire very quickly, and there are cases when only the camera knows what happened.
Arriving at the right decisions is paramount, so instant replay needs to be more readily available.
I would give MLB managers the chance to challenge any safe/out call that is made concerning a batted ball or a baserunner.
Examples include tags and force plays on the bases, ground balls and fly balls.
Ball and strikes would be nonnegotiable.
I suggest there be a maximum of two challenges per team in the first nine innings. Another two would be added if the game goes into extra innings.
There would be no penalty for having a challenged play upheld.
All you "human error" advocates out there might disapprove of this innovation, but the tradition of fudged calls in baseball doesn't sit well with me.
100 Feet Between Bases
5 of 6Beautiful new ballparks in Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and San Francisco have risen in the 21st century to attract the masses.
Quite frankly, the strategy has been to fool people into paying for a game that doesn't truly intrigue them.
Attendance nationwide has been acceptable, but tweaking one sacred rule could have a terrific impact.
I propose that the distance between adjacent bases—home plate and first base, first and second, second and third, third and home—be lengthened from 90 feet to 100 feet.
This modification would require more athleticism from both batters and infielders. The former would be less likely to steal or try for extra-base hits; the latter would need better range to cover their enlarged areas.
To keep the pitcher's mound aligned with first base and third base, it would also need to be pushed back several feet.
Of course, this would favor the offense, and isn't that exactly what Major League Baseball needs coming off a season where 17 starting pitchers had sub-3.00 earned run averages?
I have an unconditional love for this sport, but it's difficult for me to deny that it has evolved into a lazy man's game.
This subtle rule change could change that perception.
Bud Selig Era: 1992-2012?
6 of 6It finally seems that Bud Selig is ready to step down from his throne.
The 77-year-old has said repeatedly that he will retire once his contract expires following the 2012 World Series.
I admire all the progress Selig has made—honestly, I do—and am saddened to watch his career wind down.
He is the only esteemed man in the Major League Baseball community who would ever consider adopting my five proposals!
Hopefully, his successors are equally open-minded because I don't want to wait a generation or so to implement them myself.
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