Rule Changes to Make the Games More Exciting

[TheGreatAndino]

Hey, guys. Long-time fan, first-time poster. Hope everyone is beating the summer heat.

I was interested in hearing people's ideas (and offering some of my own) on rule changes that could make the game more exciting. Especially from the perspective of an Orioles (OOOOOOh say can you see...) fan.

Here are some of my ideas.

Add an extra out and strike to the bottom of the 9th.

Just imagine it: bases are juiced with two away in the bottom of the 9th. Orioles are down two. Ronnie Paulino is at the plate with a full count. Camden Yards is deafening... everyone is on their feet.

Srrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiike 3!

The crowd is deflated. People can't believe it. We were soooo close. But then... a collective realization... the counted WASN'T full. NOW the count is full: 3 balls and 3 strikes. The deafening noise returns. The anticipation builds anew.

Strrrrrrrrriiiiiiiike 4!

Once again, the fans are crushed. This could have been a day grown men and their children would remember forever, but -- wait! That's only 3 outs, not 4. We have one more shot.

The PA: "Third Baseman... Robert... An-dino!"

The crowd explodes.

"Work hard, play hard

Work hard, play hard

Work hard, play hard

Work hard, play hard

Work, work, work, work

Work, work, work, work..."

Andino steps up to the plate... takes Ball 1. Good eye.

Ball 2. 2 and 0 -- a hitter's count. The crowd rises to its feet, a collective sense of euphoria building. This is for all the marbles. This is BIRD LAND.

Here's the 2-0... some sort of breaking pitch -- a splitter maybe? ANDINO touches off a BOMB to left... track... wall... SEE. YOU. LATER!

Orioles magic, magic, magic, magic. Orioles maaaagic. Grand slam -- walk-off homer and the Orioles win.

Tell me THAT wouldn't be exciting.

Subtract one run from the offensive team if someone is thrown out at the plate.

5-5 tie. Bottom of the 9th. Orioles are trying to win one on the road against their hated rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Runner on second, three men out, 3-3 count... the Dodgers' faithful can FEEL the win.

BASE HIT LEFT FIELD. Jerry Hairston rounds third! He's flying down the line. Flaherty launches the throw; it whizzes by Hairston's ear, taking one hop before finding Paulino's glove like it has some sort of leather-seeking radar technology.

Play at the plate: HAIRSTON'S OUT!

Dodgers lose a run! 5-4 win for the Orioles!

Bud Selig and his suit monkeys smile brightly from their suite, as they watch the excitement unfold before them. "Let them tell me I'm ruining baseball NOW," Selig cackles to his contingent of sycophantic staffers.

The Orioles escape with a much-needed win.

Allow players to use aluminum bats.

Can someone say dingers?

Not only do we get infinitely more homers with aluminum bats, but it destroys the incentive for guys to cork their bats or to use steroids. Can you imagine how many homers Mark Reynolds would crush? Especially when he had an extra strike to work with in the bottom of the 9th.

---------------

So, there's my ideas. What are some of yours?

[BillD]

That has to rank pretty high up the list of all-time first posts.

[Flash- bd]

Obligate each hitter to bring his wife with him to the batter's box to hit. She stands in the opposite batter's box (stands in RH batter's box if hitter is LH and vice versa) without a bat, just lightly padded enough so to protect from injury but still maintain her figure. The game proceeds as normal, except any time the batter's wife is hit with a pitch it's the equivalent of a HR for the batter, provided that the batter (with impunity) charges the mound to defend his wife's honor. An uncharged (bringing new meaning to the baseball term "uncharged") BWHBP (Batter's Wife Hit By Pitch) is simply a ball, and a setback for the command of the pitcher on the mound.

More strategy, more intrigue, more runs, more fights, twice the drama! (Imagine the Mike Bordick's of the world, and the desperate conflict that would rage within them: I'm a good guy, I'm a good guy I need a HR, I'm OPS'ing .580 and the team is not gonna accept this lack of power forever I'm a good guy, I'm a good guy!

EDIT: All Major leaguers must be married. Could have tertiary benefits for the U.S. economy--and further down the line--divorce lawyers.

[SteveO]

1. If you strike out with a man on 3B and less than two outs you must wear a dunce cap in the field the following inning

2. If your team is more than 20 games out at the trade deadline the team in first place must participate in a game of Red Rover and if the player cant break through you get to keep them.... Red Rover Red Rove send Robinson Cano over lol

3. All SP with a ERA great than 5.00 get 1 mulligan every 3 innings

4. Errors shall henceforth be referred to as "A series of unfortunate events"

5. After every home run MLB players must now do a TD celebration like dance on homeplate

6. If a pitcher hits a batter with a pitch, said pitch and batter are required to have a cage match in the bullpen between innings.

7. C.C Sabathia will hearby be allowed to go to any concession stand in any stadium and cut to the front of the line between innings

8. Homeplate Umpire must wear a pimp hat and hold a pimp cane which he will smack any player arguing balls and strikes with

9. If a player has a negative WAR for more than 30 days the team who holds his contract is allowed to shoot said player like a horse with a broken leg

10. Ballgirls with Bikini's .....any explanation needed???

[DrungoHazewood]

I think it would be pretty darned exciting if they had a Great White Shark in a harness and swung him back and forth on a cable through the playing field while the game is going on. Oh, and the shark would be surgically modified to shoot lasers out of his eyes.

[Jagwar]

- Anytime a batter hits a HR off an outfielder's face, it's worth 5 runs.

- Kickball rules apply. Runners are out if a fielder hits them with the ball.

[DrungoHazewood]

Kickball rules apply. Runners are out if a fielder hits them with the ball.

True story, in the 1850s there were two versions of baseball competing to become dominant. The New York Game and the Massachusetts Game. The Massachusetts game allowed for "soaking" or "plugging" the runner to put him out, in other words hitting him with a thrown ball. By the end of the Civil War the NY Game eventually won out.

[crowmst3k!]

How many runs would a touchdown be worth?

[Hang10]

You have to find something better to do with your time.

[weams]

I think it would be pretty darned exciting if they had a Great White Shark in a harness and swung him back and forth on a cable through the playing field while the game is going on. Oh, and the shark would be surgically modified to shoot lasers out of his eyes.

Don't they already do that for one of the Florida teams?

[weams]

How many runs would a touchdown be worth?

If it is enough, we need to immediately get Felix Pie back.

[sangar]

Allow the catcher to use a bean bag shotgun to "gun down" runners.

[Orioles0615]

The most unrealistic part was when Robert Andino hit a home run.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Obligate each hitter to bring his wife with him to the batter's box to hit. She stands in the opposite batter's box (stands in RH batter's box if hitter is LH and vice versa) without a bat, just lightly padded enough so to protect from injury but still maintain her figure. The game proceeds as normal, except any time the batter's wife is hit with a pitch it's the equivalent of a HR for the batter, provided that the batter (with impunity) charges the mound to defend his wife's honor. An uncharged (bringing new meaning to the baseball term "uncharged") BWHBP (Batter's Wife Hit By Pitch) is simply a ball, and a setback for the command of the pitcher on the mound.

More strategy, more intrigue, more runs, more fights, twice the drama! (Imagine the Mike Bordick's of the world, and the desperate conflict that would rage within them: I'm a good guy, I'm a good guy I need a HR, I'm OPS'ing .580 and the team is not gonna accept this lack of power forever I'm a good guy, I'm a good guy!

EDIT: All Major leaguers must be married. Could have tertiary benefits for the U.S. economy--and further down the line--divorce lawyers.

Do you think this might also cause MLB players to marry the largest women they can find? That means more models for the rest of us!

[Brendan25]

My head hurts.