If Granted the Power Over Major League Baseball...

[SammyBirdland]

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.

The material is definitely important, as well as specs. This article does a good job of explaining why maple bats are problematic. Essentially the batter doesn't get the warning signs that their bat is going to break soon like they do with ash.

Scientists and engineers have also considered the problem — they know that differences between maple bats and the more traditional ash bats, as well as the ways that a bat is shaped and hit, can influence how and whether it breaks.

In the 1990s, maple started to make the rounds as an alternative. It was appealing because it was stronger (which is better for hitting longer distances) and less prone to flaking than ash, so players didn't go through bats as quickly. Most players still stuck to their ash bats, though — that is, until Barry Bonds got the single-season home run record in 2001, using a maple bat.

Maple and ash tend to break in different ways. While ash tends to crack and flake off in smaller chunks, maple tends to fracture in bigger, jagged shards.

Because of maple's diffuse pores, cracks in the wood can grow in any direction, making it easier for them to grow out toward the edge of the barrel, causing a large chunk of it to break off entirely. And since maple doesn't flake, serving as a warning to a player that his bat is cracking, "you're perhaps more likely to have bat particles flying through the infield," Smith said.

http://www.livescience.com/2699-science-breaking-baseball-bats.html

[Greg Pappas]

Maple bats should be outlawed. I am awaiting that fateful day that a player, coach or fan is seriously injured by a splintered maple bat.

[waroriole]

Maple bats should be outlawed. I am awaiting that fateful day that a player, coach or fan is seriously injured by a splintered maple bat.

The fact that nothing has been done is typical Selig "leadership." Wait until the problem is so bad that you can't ignore it anymore and then make a half-assed solution to it.

[Dipper9]

I am one who likes the actual game of baseball just the way it is. I don't need faster games. I don't need rules in place to speed up the game. I like a good game of baseball, regardless of its length.

Some changes I would make to Major League Baseball:

1. 2 Divisions in each league, just like it was prior to the WC expansion of the early 90's. An East and a West in each league, 7 teams in each AL division, 8 teams in each NL division.

2. No interleague play until the World Series. The thing that makes the WS special is that its the first and only time all year where you see the best of the AL face the best of the NL.

3. Each league keeps it current rules...ie DH in AL, no DH in NL.

4. Salary Cap AND Floor. Make an equal playing field for all teams.

5. Keep the 162 game season. Playoffs equal division winners and 2 wild cards in each league.

6. All Star Game: Get rid of the home field advantage to the winner. Its an exhibition, treat it as such. Get rid of the fan vote as well. Each team picks one representative from their team. That person is guaranteed a roster spot. The remainder of the team is made up of the best statistical players in the league.

7. Last but not least....Cheerleaders! Why is baseball the only sport without cheerleaders?????

[DrungoHazewood]

4. Salary Cap AND Floor. Make an equal playing field for all teams.

I'm confident that won't fully accomplish what you want. The cap, with existing revenues, will just force teams to spend their cash in other areas like development and coaching and facilities and academies. Long-term that might be more of an advantage than lavishly spending on over-the-hill free agents. The Orioles' only hope at competing is by having a better development pipeline than richer teams. A cap almost guarantees that won't happen, and it forces teams like the Yanks to really consider what they're spending and only go for the really great players while passing on the higher-risk guys.

And the NFL has had big problems with a floor. They've set it to a level where some teams can barely meet the floor because it's set based on overall or average revenues. In baseball that would be even more of an issue with the wider disparities in revenues.

[scOtt]

I am one who likes the actual game of baseball just the way it is. I don't need faster games. I don't need rules in place to speed up the game. I like a good game of baseball, regardless of its length.

Well said! Paraphrasing Bob Cosas from the Baseball series... It's that slow pace that allows reflection, discussion of the game.

That's the beauty of it to me. SquEEze and I used to argue this all the time. Pitcher sets, throws to first. Sets again, batter steps out. I say HIGH drama. She said get in the damn box and throw the ball.

She was stupid like that tho... :rolleyestf:

[Nite]

Lets see... what would I do to fix MLB...

Rose is in

I'd let the A's move to San Jose and tell SF to get off their high horse

Move the Astros to the AL West and balance the schedule out more. Inter league would be fair with divisions playing each other, sort of like the NFL. This way every team in your division plays the same teams during the season. No more handing the Yanks 4-6 wins cuz they get the Mets when no one else in the east does.

Stiffen the soft cap penalties. Make it so you are paying $2 for ever $1 over the soft cap. Also I would have a soft floor in which if you are below you can be subject to an organizational review by MLB. Perhaps your money is going towards your minor league system which is ok. Lining pockets however isn't ok if you are under the soft floor. I think in today's baseball world, the floor would be 50 mil and the cap would be 160.

Look into the TB situation more in depth. Figure out if they need to move or not.

Adding another wild card slot. They play a best of 3. Hey it's short but you didn't win your division so you have to duke it out with the other WC to move on.

Look into adding 2 more teams (Then going with 4, 4 team divisions)

I'm sure I could think of more but it would be more looking into the future things. For the most part MLB is working fine. The teams that stink ran themselves into the ground for the most part. Others are just handicapped by politics like the A's.