If Granted the Power Over Major League Baseball...

[Greg Pappas]

... what changes would you make, if any?

The Realignment threads have stirred up considerable interest in determining what is in the best interest of baseball. So, let's here what you have to say on these matters, and feel free to discuss some of your own...

• Should we realign the divisions or leagues, contract two teams, or add two?
  
• Should we have the DH across the leagues, drop the DH entirely, or stay with how it is?
  
• Should we keep Interleague play as is, alter it somehow, or dump it outright?
  
• Is the season too long? If so, would you be open to a 154-game schedule?
  
• What are your thoughts on replay or other forms of technology to 'help' umpires get the calls right... perhaps including the strike zone?
  

Please share.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Appoint OH Superstar "DrungoHazewood" as my deputy commissioner, then retire

[JTrea81]

Juice the ball to end the pitcher dominance and make it more even between hitters and pitchers.

Move the A's to Brooklyn to dip into the Yankees' market control share. New York can support three teams.

End the unbalanced schedule and add a second WC team. Go back to two divisions like it was pre-1994. Keep interleague play and the AL DH.

Establish a salary floor and force teams to open up their books so paying fans can see what the team is spending and where.

[SammyBirdland]

- Salary cap

- Balanced schedule

- No more maple bats/skinny shaft easy-breaking bats

- Blood testing for PEDs

- Never ever "black out" a game telecast, ever

- Implement DH in National League

- Reinstate Pete Rose

- No more body armor. Batting gloves and one shin guard allowed. No more padding on elbows to allow batters to take full advantage over the inside corner, a la Barry Bonds.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/y9Svt.jpg" />

[backwardsk]

- Salary cap

- Balanced schedule

- No more maple bats/skinny shaft easy-breaking bats

- Blood testing for PEDs

- Never ever "black out" a game telecast, ever

- Implement DH in National League

- Reinstate Pete Rose

- No more body armor. Batting gloves and one shin guard allowed. No more padding on elbows to allow batters to take full advantage over the inside corner, a la Barry Bonds.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/y9Svt.jpg" />

I don't have a problem with the hitter's wearing body armor. But my rule would be that whatever you wear to the plate you have to wear in the field and on the basepaths. The only exceptions I'd have are obviously catcher's equipment and maybe batting gloves.

[Can_of_corn]

Move one National league team to the American league. I don't know maybe the Brewers could be an American league team...

Keep the DH like it is, I enjoy the fact that the two leagues have a rule difference, it serves to separate them.

Kill interleague play, it causes scheduling difficulties and takes away from the all star game and world series.

If you expand the playoffs then you have to shorten the season, the weather doesn't support baseball in March or November

By all means take calling balls/strikes away from the umps, I am sick to death of each ump having a personal strike zone and certain players getting calls that other players don't. They also need to be more proactive in dealing with showboating umps like "cowboy" Joe West that instigate interaction with players.

[backwardsk]

Move one National league team to the American league. I don't know maybe the Brewers could be an American league team...

Keep the DH like it is, I enjoy the fact that the two leagues have a rule difference, it serves to separate them.

Kill interleague play, it causes scheduling difficulties and takes away from the all star game and world series.

If you expand the playoffs then you have to shorten the season, the weather doesn't support baseball in March or November

By all means take calling balls/strikes away from the umps, I am sick to death of each ump having a personal strike zone and certain players getting calls that other players don't. They also need to be more proactive in dealing with showboating umps like "cowboy" Joe West that instigate interaction with players.

I'm not sure you can have 15 teams in each league without Interleague play. It would make scheduling a nightmare. One team at a time from each league would be off three days in a row.

[Can_of_corn]

I'm not sure you can have 15 teams in each league without Interleague play. It would make scheduling a nightmare. One team at a time from each league would be off three days in a row.

Valid issue, OK I guess interleague play can stay, lets keep it to one series at a time then. That way each team would only play in a couple series a year and it would probably mean more to the players and fans.

[backwardsk]

Valid issue, OK I guess interleague play can stay, lets keep it to one series at a time then. That way each team would only play in a couple series a year and it would probably mean more to the players and fans.

I'd be down with that. I'd be in favor of moving the Astros and put them in AL West.

[scOtt]

I'd go with a balanced schedule. Otherwise no changes.

Oh... And I'd ban anyone with the initials DJ.

[mweb]

Two 15 team leagues. Six Divisions of 5.

DH in both leagues.

Interleague play would be required throughout the year, but would limit it to 1-3 IL series at a time.

More revenue sharing.

Luxury tax over $125M payroll. Hard cap at $150M. Luxury tax in total player spending over $135M. Hard cap in total player spending (includes signing bonuses for amatuers) at $165M. No double penalty for being over both luxury taxes.

A spending floor which includes the amateur draft and international signings. Would need to look at more to determine and with that extra info I may adjust the ceilings as well.

Get rid of draft pick compensation rules.

Enforce rules that speed up the game.

Add technology usage for replay and even for instant use with the strikezone if the system is good enough.

[orayole]

Remove divisions and leagues.

DH for all

More replay

Machine strike zone

Move a team to NY/NJ

[Gurgi]

Totally set the leagues so that we never have to play baseball west of the Mississippi again. Have a Eastern League and a Western league and let the top five teams in each league get to the post season.

Automate the balls and strike calls. To take it out of the umpires hands.

No maple bats. Perhaps force MLB to use the new composite bat being tried out in college.

DH for all of baseball.

Random blood testing and storage of blood results for periodic testing at a later date.

Make a international draft.

Hard slot the money in the draft.

Increase the revenue sharing percentages to really cripple teams that push the envelope.

Cancel the World Baseball Classic.

Any Cubans that defect have to enter the draft.

Increase the Player Rosters to 26 players.

Shorten the season to 154 games.

Limit player contracts to max of six years.

Allow no deferred contracts.

[Can_of_corn]

Totally set the leagues so that we never have to play baseball west of the Mississippi again. Have a Eastern League and a Western league and let the top five teams in each league get to the post season.

Automate the balls and strike calls. To take it out of the umpires hands.

No maple bats. Perhaps force MLB to use the new composite bat being tried out in college.

DH for all of baseball.

Random blood testing and storage of blood results for periodic testing at a later date.

Make a international draft.

Hard slot the money in the draft.

Increase the revenue sharing percentages to really cripple teams that push the envelope.

Cancel the World Baseball Classic.

Any Cubans that defect have to enter the draft.

Increase the Player Rosters to 26 players.

Shorten the season to 154 games.

Limit player contracts to max of six years.

Allow no deferred contracts.

Thank goodness you are not one of the overlords!

I am strongly opposed to an international draft, I think it would deincentivize Latin American development.

I am also in favor of some form of WBC I think the positives outweigh the negatives, some tweaking of the format will be needed however.

I also don't see the point in hard slotting the draft, let the kids get what they can get, I do want the deadline for signing moved up so all the kids that sign get a chance to play the year they were drafted.

[DrungoHazewood]

Totally set the leagues so that we never have to play baseball west of the Mississippi again. Have a Eastern League and a Western league and let the top five teams in each league get to the post season.

Like.

Automate the balls and strike calls. To take it out of the umpires hands.

Like

No maple bats. Perhaps force MLB to use the new composite bat being tried out in college.

I'm not sure the material is as important as the size and weight. I'd tighten up the specs, adding a minimum handle diameter and a minimum weight, setting both a good bit higher than today's average bat.

DH for all of baseball.

If the NL fans like watching an .080 hitter who strikes out in 65% of his at bats, who are we to tell them to stop?

Personally I'd make the DH rule home manager's choice.

Random blood testing and storage of blood results for periodic testing at a later date.

Workplace/CBA issue. If everyone thinks its important enough it'll happen. If not, then no. Do you take blood tests as part of your job? If not, why not? I have a security clearance and a job with national security implications and I don't.

Make a international draft.

Lots of issues there, including Can_of_corn's thought that it disincentivizes investments in international academies and scouting. There's evidence that making Puerto Rico draft eligible drastically cut the talent pipeline from there.

Hard slot the money in the draft.

High risk of making the O's worse off, since they've been players in the overslot market.

Also high risk of reducing baseball's long-term talent, by shunting players who'd otherwise sign overslot deals off to college. NCAA baseball is already very scholarship limited, so many of those players would go to basketball or football. Darnell McDonald isn't the best example from a results standpoint, but instead of signing with the O's he'd almost certainly have been a football player if hard slotting was in place.

Increase the revenue sharing percentages to really cripple teams that push the envelope.

I like it, but there would be much opposition to crippling the league's highest earners.

Cancel the World Baseball Classic.

Very short-sighted, MLB-centric view. It's already becoming a venue that's growing interest in the sport internationally, which will eventually lead to more fans, more good players, more money into the game. MLB needs to expand it's international reach, not crush it.

Any Cubans that defect have to enter the draft.

Falls under the international draft discussion.

Increase the Player Rosters to 26 players.

If anything I'd like to reduce roster size to increase strategy and innovation in the game. 26 man rosters would probably just lead to teams carrying 14 or 15 pitchers regularly.

Shorten the season to 154 games.

How do you make up the loss in revenue? The Yanks probably make $3-4M off those eight games.

Limit player contracts to max of six years.

Why? Aren't you really just protecting stupid GMs from themselves? I'm glad there are other owners willing to spend $180M over 7 or 8 years for Barry Zito.

Allow no deferred contracts.

Why? Why put any restrictions on the reasonable terms of between and employee and his employer?