how do we save baseball

[Marvin the Martian]

Mike and Mike have been discussing ways to improve baseball. Some ideas have been a pitch clock, ban extreme defensive shifts, limit pitching changes (a reliever must face at least 2 batters), change the world series home field advantage to best record (or another, best regular season attendance).

I am against a clock, and very much against the shift ban. A clock in the sport with no clock makes no sense to me. And shift bans? Why ban a valid strategy. Hitting the other way is a skill anyone can learn, heck, it was the only baseball skill I had. If a batter only thinks pull, why punish the defense.

Limiting relief pitchers I could live with, though I would say 2 batters or two outs. If he gets a DP then he can get relieved. Also, limiting mound warmups to 3 pitches can work. Relievers are warm, they just need to get the feel of the mound.

But I do not think these solve baseball's issue. It does not televise well. In person and radio are great, but tv lacks. I think part of that is the camera, it shrinks the scope. Everything is zoomed in. Maybe baseball needs wider shots. Especially with big HD tvs. Sitting in the stands I cannot see the pitch was 3 inches below the belt and 1 inch outside the plate. Maybe I don't need that on TV either.

The other thing about baseball compared to football is baseball is regional. Cubs fans will watch the Cubs, but won't necessarily watch Seattle-Texas. NFL fans pretty much watch anything NFL. I do not know how to change that. It had some nationality when Bonds/McGuire/Sosa were doing there thing. But we know that wasn't what we thought.

Last year the MLB playoffs were on some networks no one has ever heard of and killed in ratings by college football. So something is wrong. But what? Is it the usual "just need more offense"? If it is that, why is attendance good but tv problematic?

I hate to say it, as one who still hates the DH, maybe we have issues with baseball's reliance on tradition? Maybe the youth want something different?

 

[Sope Creek]

Baseball is a pass-time . . .

that is being challenged by a whole lot of other pass-times that are more engaging to more people. Its demise has coincided with the demise of the newspaper, for the same reasons I think. Heck, I used to buy newspapers just to read the box scores, and then the rest of the content thereafter. No need now when you can watch the game or get status updates and stats in real time.

Because of its history and the skills required, I think there will always be a niche for baseball, and for the same reasons it will have its place on mass media for special events like opening day, the all-star game and the World Series (I'm not so convince of the divisional and league championship series, though). But that niche will get smaller, along with most other sports . . . they'll all have niches as the "internet of me" continues to fracture into smaller and smaller segments. Same with TV . . . just as we've already seen radio fracture into more and more marginalized demographics/segments.

 

[Univee2]

Relief pitching dominates. Reduce the rosters.

And I know this would never be approved by the players' union.

On a 25-man roster many teams carry 12-13 pitchers. As I heard someone say yesterday, teams can bring in 4 or 5 guys who can all throw well over 90 MPH. Pitch to one guy, go left, right, left, right or whatever. The other team's batters don't have the time to adjust.

Reduce the rosters to 23, with a limit of 8 pitchers. You then have 15 position players. Starters thus revert to the days of Gibson, Drysdale and Spahn, among others, and pitch more innings and complete games. No more of the pitch 5-6 innings, balls to the wall, and then turn it over to a conga line of specialists. Offense would improve and more value would be placed on good defense as more balls would be put in play.

Time clocks, banning defensive shifts, and so forth, are just a bunch of marketing gimmicks. Let's ban the dunk again, while we're at it.

Maybe, come to think of it, and to appease the Union, let the roster stay at 25, with two "inactive" players, both non-starters, The Manager can then designate which 4, out of the 6, relief pitchers are active for the game. This also assumes the establishment of a defined 4-man starting rotation.

And as that great philosopher would say (paraphrasing here): "I'm extra hungry today; better cut that pizza into 8 slices rather than 6."

 

[ARMZP]

I'm not sure baseball needs saving.

You and Sope make some good points, but... Attendance is WAY up. Salaries are up, there is so much money in baseball with regional TV contracts it isn't even funny. Qualify offers went off this year at 15.3M. That is an insane number.

There are some things that can and will help. Getting rid of Bud Selig was a huge up-grade. To let the steroids run rampant through out the sport and give everybody a bad taste, just was way harmful for the sport. I also don't think divisional play was a good idea. It diminishes the WS, big time. But I am probably on an Island on that. Also instant replay in a game that is to slow anyway, was beyond stupid. The NFL showed that doesn't work. Besides part of BB is yelling at the ump.

But until we do something to bring inner-city kids into/onto baseball fields, the sport is going to lag behind the others. Just to much room and money needed for that. Plus the time of year isn't great for today's kids to want to play.

The main thing, and I have said this for years, that would help the game is have the umpires call the strike zone as it is written in the book. It would 1) produce more offense 2) speed the game up 3) cut down on the need for so more pitchers.

Another thing, how about having the middle infielder actually touch the bag, with the ball, during a DP.

I'm not sure why people want to change the game. There are plenty of other things to watch and do if you don't like it.

 

[iubud]

Don't mess with baseball

Clocks should never be part of baseball. If TV has an issue with the length of the game, allow more time for the broadcast and fill in with a better post game content.

I like the chess match between managers. In the NL, managers have to decide to leave their pitcher in or pull him for a pinch hitter. The AL loses that part of the game.

Baseball at any professional level is awesome the way it is. One rule in a non-affiliated league has 7 innings for double headers. I think that is a good idea. I would like to see more double headers.

 

[ebielasi]

great topic, my 2 cents

I am turning 30 next month and I think I am a perfect example of why baseball is failing.

I grew up in a house where everything took a backseat to the redsox. We watched every game we could and if not taped them on VHS. Then when more channels were available we got the MLB package. I never missed a second.

Somewhere around 2007 and the sox second championship I wasn't watching every second anymore. The time and effort it took to be a true baseball fan was hard.
With football you need 16 free Sundays to become a diehard fan. 1pm Wednesdays games against the Yankees lasting till 530 in June?!?! Come on now.

Less games is the first thing, making each game more valuable. Hell you can still go to a cheap game for 10 bucks in 50% of parks in the nation. Hard to find a 100 buck ticket anywhere on Sundays in December.

They should play with the design of stadiums. There aren't enough "green monsters". How cool would it be to have a 300ft wall in left and a 380 ft wall in right? Maybe centerfield is only 350 and it jets out to 420 in the gaps. They could have a lot of fun with designs of parks that would bring new challenges to the game. Last but not least, got to clip it to 7 innings. 9 is just too freaking much.

I want to love baseball like i once did. BIG big changes need to be made, and they better be the right one or it could kill the game as we know it.

Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Univee2]

I vote for you as King on the basis of just that 5th paragraph

..alone. Some videographer could put together a pretty good, and large, montage of DPs with no foot coming within a foot of the bag.

And it's not just the inner city. Suburban kids just don't play the game in their free time as we did as kids. We have some wonderful fields in several parks within walking distance of our home. They are used sporadically in the Spring for t-ball practices and games. The bases are obviously pulled way in for the small kids, but the field is large enough for a regulation diamond. They are maintained and are immaculate. But .. you .. never .. ever .. see any kids just hanging around shagging fly balls or playing any pick up games. That's what we grew up on; we were "Sandlot".

 

[Univee2]

"You still get a newspaper, Dad? Why?"

Signed,

The Kid Down the Hall

 

[Sope Creek]

And he's in a profession . . .

that is all about analyzing and synthesizing all sorts of information from multiple disciplines, geographies and sources.

Go figure.

 

[Sope Creek]

There are no sandlots any more . . .

in the ATL if you're not scheduled for a baseball diamond expressly for baseball practice, there is nowhere, and I mean NOWHERE, to put together a game, even if you could muster enough kids with similar enough skill sets to play a marginally competitive game.

On the north side, low income single family housing starts about $600k . . . .

 

[Marvin the Martian]

Maybe there isn't a problem

But it seems strange the new Commissioner is looking at ways to change the game if it is fine exactly as it is. World Series ratings are not good. And I still have no idea what channel the playoffs were on, I had a hard time finding it. Not being able to air your playoffs on a major network isn't a sign of strength.

I wasn't a fan of Selig, in fact, I liked the good old days where the Commissioner was hired to act in the best interest of the game only. Eventually though the owners wanted someone who worked in THEIR best interests and we got Bud. I'd prefer the blind trust method, the trustees job is to do what is in the sports best interests and sometimes that may work against the owners (but logically, if it helps the game it will more often than not help them).

I agree umpiring is a problem, I don't like the in the neighborhood calls either. I only considered going to baseball umpiring school, I did go to softball umpire training a couple times. If baseball has the same attitude, it explains the problem. One instructor basically said "our job is to call 42 outs (7 innings), the sooner you do that the sooner you are done". That alone would explain the neighborhood plays. The same is true not just on DPs, if the throw beats the runner on a steal he's out no matter if a tag is made or not.

Baseball has been very slow to react to problems, like PED's. And I'll admit that every strike weaned me a bit more from baseball (the year the Reds had the best record and baseball and didn't make the playoffs REALLY annoyed me). Growing up I would listen to every Reds game I could and went to several a year. I still have yet to step in GABP, and for whatever reason WLW just does not come in for me in Bloomington. I've listened to WLW in Colorado and the east coast, but Bloomington has always been a real problem. And as I suggested, watching the game on tv just doesn't work real well for me and I'm not sure why. I do make Indians games though, maybe I've just decided I like minors more than majors and haven't admitted it to myself.

 

[CO. Hoosier]

Good thread

A few things:

1. Shorten the time between half innings. The time has been increased to accomodate more advertising and more money. Money isn't everyting.

2. Prohibit pitcher-catcher conferences during an at-bat; between batters only.

3. Make pitchers hit.

4. Lower the mound.

5. Make batters stay in the box between pitches.

Basseball is not a TV show. That is its problem. I love the game. love to watch it. I love going to the games. If I'm out for a walk and there is a game in a park, I'll stop and watch. But I don't like watching it on TV unless I have rooting interest in the game. That is the reality. A clutch hit is boring compared to a clutch reception in football with DB's hanging on the receiver. That's life.









This post was edited on 2/6 10:27 AM by CO. Hoosier

 

[Univee2]

Had never heard of, nor seen, micro-fiche, either.

He was incredulous that such a thing ever existed or was ever used.

He knew I was off my rocker when I also told him we once had rotary phones .....

Kids these days.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

I think stadium design has gotten better

The days of Riverfront/Busch/Three Rivers are gone. Those are three parks that never should have been built. I was pretty young when Crosley was around, but I seem to recall they had a hill in left field (I guess some fields did that, had a hill instead of a warning track). I think personality like that is great. Short alleys, high fences, anything like that provides character and I like the idea.

I think you are right, to really follow baseball requires a lot of time. Football is the easiest, you have a week to think about the next game and to anticipate it and talk to friends about it. But only a couple hours on a Sunday to actually watch it. Baseball is a 3-4 hour commitment every day alllllllllllll summer long.

I've been in two rotisserie leagues pretty much since 1986 or so (I took a couple years off). I quit at the end of last year for the time reason. I can't justify the time it takes. Looking every day all summer at who's hot and who's not, who is being called up and sent down. In fact, I didn't do it near enough and I know that explains a rash of second place finishes (I just finished 2nd in one league 3 years in a row to the same guy). I always had far and away the fewest roster moves in the league. Fantasy football, by comparison is easy as can be (I don't like it either, but for different reasons).

Baseball is a commitment, 182 games each taking 3 hours is 546 hours. That is just if you watch\listen to your team play and never another game. The math becomes tricky. If I want to watch/listen to every IU BB game it is 66 hours, give or take on the number of games played. Much more doable. Football has a Thursday game, 3 Sunday games, and Monday game. For about 255 hours I get an entire week's worth of games of many different teams over a regular season.

And maybe that has been my problem with baseball. One can't be a part-time baseball fan. You have to commit to living/eating/sleeping baseball and I lost that passion a couple strikes ago.

 

[Univee2]

Your Indiana math has failed you.

Unless I missed it, the season is still 162 games. Give the owners time, though ......

J/K. I get your point. It was well-made.

 

[ARMZP]

Great point. That was

what I meant when I said not enough space. Takes a pretty good sized "open" area for kids to play sandlot BB. No windows, little traffic....just can't find it.

Hurts the game from the US side.

 

[ebielasi]

your last point got me thinking....

Taking away running into the catcher, and any rules involving contact for that matter, was a huge mistake. America likes contact, and the big hit. I understand why football is limiting it, the whole game is contact tho. They are preventing deaths, how many catchers have brain issues from big hits, lets be real. I wanna see my guy come screaming into second and take out that SS. The plays at the plate tho..... Those are the best. More contact!!!

 

[Marvin the Martian]

Your last point

I think that explains it better than I did. I'll go to an Indy Indians game and think "why don't I watch more baseball". I'll flip on Fox Sports Ohio to see a Reds game and after an inning think "why am I wasting my time watching this".

I do like no conferences during an at bat, and making batters stay in the box. I prefer making pitchers hit, I've never been a fan of the DH.

I don't know about lowering the mound. That one worries me somewhat. Maybe it would work, but I worry pitcher safety. In a way anything that helps hitting is going to make that 60 feet 6 inches somewhat more perilous to the pitcher. For some reason I seem to recall hearing Tom Seaver talking about facing Boog Powell in an all-star game. He said the bat looked like a toothpick in his hands. He looked at the third baseman and found him standing so deep at third he may have been behind the left fielder. Which got Seaver thinking why the heck was he only allowed to be 60 feet from him. I'm probably wrong on that, but for some reason that story has always been something I remember.

I was just reading one assessment on hitting. They suggested we have too many swingers and not enough hitters. They suggested bat speed has become the dominant thinking in baseball offense. I'm not sure, I'm not as close to the game as I once was. But if bat speed is now taught over bat control, maybe some of the lack of offense comes from that. Sure the ball is hit harder when it is hit, but it isn't 1) contacted as often 2) contacted on the proper part of the bat 3) hit away from fielder as often. So offense is down.

That may be wrong, just something I saw online of someone explaining why they thought baseball was having an offensive drought.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

Let's see, playoffs, WS, and rainouts

Yep, I clearly screwed that up. But as you say, the owners will get to that.

I do miss doubleheaders. Get in two games for the cost of one day. One could get a magnificent sunburn.

 

[KE91]

How about no foul ball territory. Any hit in park is playable. Pitch limit per batter.

 

[ARMZP]

Ask yourself this question,

In this steroid age and glamour for the homerun...would Rod Carew, Pete Rose and Wade Boggs be superstars.?

I think he have hit on a major point.... I watch the game a lot and it drives me nuts the number of guys that strikeout and the rate that they do it. Especially by watching strike three.

 

[mjvcaj]

Why make things up to support your personal view?

1) Attendance figures are never accurate, and this isn't just related to baseball. You go to a game you think is 1/2 full and claims are made that indicate the stadium is 95% full. Something is clearly not accurate. People that buy tickets but do not end up physically attending are not being gauged on parking and concessions, the big money makers.

2) Attendance is not up. If anything it has fallen off and clearly stagnated in general. Look at the growth in the 80s and certain portions of the 90s.

3) Just because you enjoy the game doesn't mean it will be popular once demographics change. Young people are not nearly as into baseball as they are other sports, particularly the NFL. Fantasy Football is a huge part of that, but there are obviously many other factors (fewer games, faster pace, more athleticism).

 

[ARMZP]

Do you have something to add

or you just going to attack me.

I posted just the other day (in your thread I believe) where the attendance for MLB was the 8th highest all time for MLB. That is pretty damn good.

When a city like Detroit, who has fallen on huge economic hard times, can draw almost 3 million fans, there isn't a hell of a lot wrong with attendance.

But thanks for adding nothing. Perr usual.

 

[ARMZP]

Once again. This time try reading.



MLB records seventh best attendance total ever in 2014September 29, 2014



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Press Release | September 29, 2014








Major League Baseball finished the 2014 regular season with an attendance of 73,739,622, marking the seventh highest total of all-time, it was announced today. Competitive balance throughout the game and exciting late-year pennant races have led to the last decade producing all 10 of the best-attended seasons in Major League Baseball history.

The final weekend of the season drew 1,648,624 fans to ballparks across the country, the second highest weekend attendance of the season, and the largest final weekend of a season since 2008, when 1,683,763 fans attended games. Overall, the 2014 season posted 17 weekends with at least 1.5 million in attendance, also marking the largest since 2008, when there were 19 such weekends.








The 2014 total finished just 0.4 percent lower than 2013, despite playing five fewer dates (2,421) than last year (2,426). In addition, the 2014 average attendance of 30,458 per game was just 0.2 percent lower than the 2013 average of 30,515.

Among the highlights of the season:


Twelve Clubs surpassed the 2.5-million mark, including five that topped the three-million mark.

The five to reach three million have all now reached three million in consecutive seasons, including the New York Yankees (16 straight); the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (12 straight); the St. Louis Cardinals (11 straight); the San Francisco Giants (five straight); and the the Los Angeles Dodgers (three straight).

The Pittsburgh Pirates established a single-season attendance record of 2,442,564 in 2014, breaking the previous mark of 2,436,139 set during the first season at PNC Park in 2001. The Pirates also posted 23 sellouts during the season, tying the club record set in 2013.

The Washington Nationals drew 2,579,389 on the season, topping the 2.5-million mark for the second consecutive season and for only the third time in club history (also their debut season in 2005). The Nationals recorded eight sellouts, tied with 2012 for the most in a single season.

The San Francisco Giants, who sold out every game this season, ended the 2014 season with 327 consecutive sell-outs, dating back to October 1, 2010, for the longest active streak in the Majors.

The St. Louis Cardinals attracted 3,540,649 fans in 2014, the second largest attendance in the Majors this season, and the second highest attendance in franchise history behind 2007 (3,552,180). Led by 52 sellouts and an average of 43,712 per game, the 2014 season was the second time in franchise history with 40,000 or more fans at every game (also 2007).

The Detroit Tigers, who recorded 27 sellouts during the 2014 season, posted the fifth largest total attendance (2,917,209) in the 114-year history of the franchise.

The Los Angeles Dodgers led the Majors for the second consecutive season with 3,782,337. The Dodgers surpassed the 3.7-million mark for the sixth time in club history, and it was their second highest total overall, behind 2007 (3,857,036).

The New York Yankees led the American League with 3,401,624, marking the 12th straight season they have drawn the most among AL Clubs.

The Baltimore Orioles drew reached the 2.4-million mark for the first time since the 2005 season.

The Kansas City Royals posted their highest attendance (1,956,482) since 1991.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim logged nine sellouts in 2014, and their attendance of 44,561 on August 7th against the Los Angeles Dodgers established the largest regular season crowd at Angel Stadium since 1998.

The Milwaukee Brewers attendance of 2,797,384 was an increase of 10.5 percent from 2013, marking the largest increase in the NL and the fourth largest in the Majors.

The Seattle Mariners drew 2,063,622, eclipsing the two-million mark for the first time since 2010. The club's attendance represented a Major League-best 17 percent increase over 2013.

The Oakland Athletics had an attendance of 2,003,628 in 2014, surpassing the two-million mark for the first time since 2005 (2,109,118).

The New York Mets attracted 2,148,808 fans in 2014, marking the club's first increase over the previous season in Citi Field history (since 2009).

The Houston Astros drew 1,751,829 fans in 2014, representing an attendance increase for the second consecutive season.
"During the last week, all of us who love the game witnessed a wonderful culmination to the 2014 regular season with thrilling Postseason races down to the final day, an emotional farewell to an icon of this generation and a milestone in our nation's capital," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "Once again, I'd like to thank our great fans for their continued enthusiasm and support over the last decade and beyond. I join our fans in looking forward to another magnificent Postseason and all the best of our National Pastime."

 

[Sope Creek]

Did you tell him . . .

how pissed you were when you had to learn how to use a seat belt and couldn't bounce all over the back seat any more, when those became all the rage as newfangled safety features?

My kids were shocked when I told them we used to stand up in the bed of a pickup, holding on to the top of the cab, going 60 mph on local highways. Then they thought about it for a second and demanded that we go find a pickup truck and a rural highway . . . some things don't change, and one of those is boys and the sense of high mobility.

 

[Sope Creek]

Tony Gwynn was, more recently . . .

and Ichiro has been more recently than Gwynn.

I think there's room for those guys, but I'm not sure that their production - or the production from Carew, Rose and Boggs - was the result of slower bat speed.

This post was edited on 2/6 11:39 AM by Sope Creek

 

[Marvin the Martian]

They wouldn't be

That part of the game has changed, just being a good hitter isn't quite enough. I'm not sure that Lou Brock would be a superstar today. Steals aren't even valued.

I don't like high risk high reward players. I never appreciated the Dave Kingman's of the world. In the AAA all-star game at the Vic I saw Adam Dunn just crush a ball, as hard hit as any homer I've ever seen. I recall thinking his swing was never going to let him be a major league player. I was wrong, he played and played a long time. But I never would have had him on my team. Striking out 3 times or more for every homer I don't believe leads to team success.

I think then you'll like Mike Schmidt's take on the issue. And like you, I think taking a 3rd strike is a sin. The old saw "close enough to call is close enough to swing" should be drilled into batters.

 

[Sope Creek]

Regarding No. 1 . . .

if the game were to shorten the TV advertising time between innings, would the scarcity of advertising time increase both the price of the advertising (because there's less of it available) and the watchability of the game (because there's more baseball proportionately), which also could contribute to higher advertising time prices? That actually has some real appeal.

Still might not be enough to offset the total revenue generated from lower price/higher volume advertising though . . . unless you consider the other-activity-opportunity-cost that airing more TV advertising imposes on all those folks watching, or (ahem) not watching, the game.

Maybe we could take a page from the carbon credits legislation, legislate the maximum TV advertising time between innings and have folks watching on TV sell to the networks "credits" for more advertising time in some form - maybe regulated lower prices on the goods sold in the "extra" advertising time, or cash-back to viewers for sticking it out through the extra advertising time?

Sounds like you're starting to think like a Democrat. GRIN

 

[Sope Creek]

I think that data is incomplete . . .

the overall trend line has been up from 1950 through 2006-7, but then falls off . . . and that might be at least as attributable to the Great Recession and the fact that very few people had money to go to games. The drops in 92-94 and 2000-01 correspond with overall tougher economic conditions generally prevailing.

2013-14 data would be helpful to see whether the dip from 2008-2012 is economics-based or part of a larger trend regarding baseball.

This post was edited on 2/6 11:57 AM by Sope Creek

 

[Sope Creek]

Another point to consider . . .

is the aging of Baby Boomers and the dying-off of the WWII vets - the parents of the Baby Boomers. Baby Boomers represent a population bubble that is, and will continue to be, diminishing for the next 30 years. So the overall numbers could plateau even without any reduction in the percentage of prime baseball attendance demographic segments actually attending the games.

 

[CO. Hoosier]

Another thing that irks me

is advertising during an inning--mostly on radio. "This pitching change brought to you by Joes's bail bonds".

 

[IUJIM]

I can only speak about here in Indy.


Youth baseball is thriving in the suburban areas. Have you seen the new complex in Westfield that just opened in the last couple of years. 26 diamonds, about 1/2 synthetic, and PACKED virtually ever weekend. Down on the southside, a new complex of 8, all synthetic diamonds is set to start construction this spring. It, also will be packed.

Baseball in the inner city is where there is an issue. The ability of inner city youth, and for that matter, the desire of inner city youth to play baseball is probably not there. I am not sure what the answers are with this.

Lastly, as concussions are becoming more and more of an issue in football. That is translating, at least in the community that I live (Center Grove), which is a power football community, in much smaller numbers playing youth football, by about 20%. And while this is happening , youth baseball, particularly travel baseball, in our community is up substantially.

 

[Sope Creek]

You must hate NASCAR . . .

and the PGA tour events.

So far IU has held out from selling naming rights to its stadia and gyms . . . and I'm grateful for that.

 

[CO. Hoosier]

I think some of the ball park advertising signs are kinda cool

when it is done in a nostalgic manner. Those signs have always been a part of baseball.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

Expand the strike zone again. Make batters swing.

I can't think of any other way.

 

[ARMZP]

Correct. I wasn't

referencing slower bat speed as much as contact.

 

[HoosierHomey]

This is what I..

would do. A batter can't take both feet out of the box during an at bat, unless it is a fair/foul ball or equipment failure. The pitcher must deliver the pitch within 12 seconds of receiving the ball unless there is a runner on base. Shorten the time between half innings. When a reliever comes in the game, he has 60 seconds to throw warm up pitches from the rubber once he touches it.

Personal things I don't like. Way too much blaring music, we don't need walk up music for every at bat. I actually want to hear the sound of the crowd. No more pajama pants, players must wear stirrups and the the pant leg can go no lower than two inches below the knee cap. Post season games should not start any later than 7:05pm eastern. Kids need to be able to see the games.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

How about 3 balls for a walk

Force pitchers out of nibbling thus giving the batters better pitches?

 

[iubhounds]

The following ways:

1. 8 teams in the American and National leagues...back to the orginal 16 teams.
2. No playoffs ... just the world series
3. Finish the season by September 30
4. Do away with replay review to have somone in NY on TV to make the f..... decision.
5. Salaries reviewed annually based on prior season performance.
6. One game on weekends ... in black and white, analog picture (vbg)



This post was edited on 2/6 4:28 PM by iubhounds

 

[mjvcaj]

True

But others agree that the generation is baseball's core audience.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/booming/why-do-boomers-love-baseball.html?_r=0


Still, younger fans seem more drawn to other sports, said a recent report by the ConvergEx Group, a trading and investment company that uses baseball attendance as an economic indicator. "So who exactly is the M.L.B. fan base?" the report said. "It's primarily middle- to upper-middle class baby boomers."