Stolen from Tango: Propose Two Rule Changes

[DrungoHazewood]

Inspired/stolen from Tango's blog. Pick two baseball rules to change:

Change one rule that is disruptive in-game. For example, mid-inning relief changes, managers getting on field of play, pickoffs-without-penalty, batters-stepping-out, pitchers-holding-ball, commercial-waiting, replays, etc, etc, etc. Anything that is noticeable, that takes away from the enjoyment of the game.​ Which rule would you change?

The other is part of the fabric, that wouldn?t even necessarily notice on any given play, that you might not even notice for the whole game, but you might notice it over a series of games. The DH for example. Allows each park to set the feet between bases to something non-standard. Boundaries of strike zone. Bat or ball composition. Four out innings, seven inning games, 3-balls, 3-strikes, etc, etc, etc. So, think of a rule that you?d like to see changed.

And don?t say anything negative about someone else?s idea until you propose your own first. We are not politicians.

When you go to the link make sure to read the comments for his readers' suggestions.

For the first one, I'm a fan of dis-incentivizing mid-inning relief changes. And I'm also a proponent of electronic aids for ball/strikes and a booth ump to run replay. If forced to pick one I'd probably go with electronic ball/strike aids.

And for the second one I'd probably go with home manager choice DH, with a common rule across the AL and NL. Basically, by some deadline (hour or two hours maybe) prior to the game the home manager declares whether this will be a DH game or a pitcher bats game.

If you limited mid-inning relief changes and you had home manager choice DH I think that would go a long way towards reversing the very long trend towards ever more pitchers on the roster, which drastically limits flexibility on both offense and on defensive/running subs.

[luismatos4prez]

In-game

- Only one call to the bullpen may be made per half inning

- No on-field warmup for inserted RPs

- Only one pickoff move can be made per pitch.

- Put a replay official in a booth and let him review any possible home run, safe/out, catch/no catch

Fabric:

- DH in both leagues

Random other change to MLB format:

Eliminate divisions; 4 teams from each league make playoffs. Make schedules for teams in a league as similar as possible

Division Series - 7 game series w/all games at 1/2 seed's stadium

Championship Series: 7 game series w/2-3-2 format

World Series: 7 game series w/2-3-2 format

[24fps]

It's time to seriously consider electronic ball and strike calling. There's simply too much difference between each umpire's zone and it's high time for an objective, publicly acknowledged and consistent strike zone. I hate screwing around with tradition, but the opportunity to never again see Jeter whine about a call is just too good to pass up.

IMO the DH has always been a travesty. Dump it.

If the limit is two, then those would be my choices. I would also like to see a return to a 154-game schedule to prevent the possibility of baseball being played in November. Also once a batter steps into the box, he's there until the pitch is thrown. Expand the definition of balk if pitchers start to take advantage of the situation.

[sangar]

I'll take the electronic strike zone and vote for it twice. So there are my two.

[getfoul]

In-game

- Only one call to the bullpen may be made per half inning

- No on-field warmup for inserted RPs

- Only one pickoff move can be made per pitch.

- Put a replay official in a booth and let him review any possible home run, safe/out, catch/no catch

Fabric:

- DH in both leagues

Random other change to MLB format:

Eliminate divisions; 4 teams from each league make playoffs. Make schedules for teams in a league as similar as possible

Division Series - 7 game series w/all games at 1/2 seed's stadium

Championship Series: 7 game series w/2-3-2 format

World Series: 7 game series w/2-3-2 format

I'd move the Astros back to the NL, and move the Rockies or D-Backs to the AL--both leagues equal by time zone. 7 east, 4 central, 4 pcf/mtn

Play your former division teams 11 games over 4 series

Play your 10 other league opponents 10 games over 3 series

Play 18 interleague games, including at least 2 of 3 road series in the same time zone.

Top 3 teams in each league make the postseason based on a close-to-balanced schedule.

The 4th and 5th best teams in each league play each other 1 game to get in. No field celebrations or merchandise until you win this game. So the top 1/3 of teams in each league have an opportunity to make it, but you're not really in until it's down to 4 in each league. Teams would celebrate when they clinch at least the 3-seed or when they win the Play-In Game.

[Tony-OH]

In game -

- Adjusted strike zone that actually conforms to way it's called now (waste band to the bottom of the knees).

- Five pitch warm up for new relief pitchers

- Replay ump in booth can signal change in everything but ball/strike called on obviously wrong calls.

Fabric:

- Add DH to both leagues or at the very least, in every interleague game, all-star game and World Series.

- Rotate teams in a Division every year by overall payrolll the year before. Top five payrolls in one division, middle five in another, bottom five in the other division.

- Balanced League schedule

- Three Division winners and two Wild Cards. The two wild card teams play a three game series in three consecutive days. On day four, the wild card winner starts a five-game series against the Division winner with the best record. The two other Division winners also start a five-game series. Winners meet for a seven-game League Championship Series.

[waroriole]

I like the idea of having the DH be home manager's choice. Gives a little something extra to home field advantage.

[Dipper9]

In game: Batter must remain in the batter's box at all times. No more adjusting gloves, spitting, scratching, etc. This would save an hour!

Fabric: Salary cap AND minimum. I'm sick of the Yankees playing on a different field.

Other: Bikini clad cheerleaders. Every other sport has them, why can't we have dancing cheerleaders on the dugouts between innings????

[skanar]

In game: Batter must remain in the batter's box at all times. No more adjusting gloves, spitting, scratching, etc. This would save an hour!

Fabric: Salary cap AND minimum. I'm sick of the Yankees playing on a different field.

Other: Bikini clad cheerleaders. Every other sport has them, why can't we have dancing cheerleaders on the dugouts between innings????

Ugh. While I am normally a huge fan of women in bikinis, it's not something I miss at baseball games. The Nationals have a pep-you-up style group of good-looking young women who run the between-innings entertainment, and I usually just find it annoying.

[DrungoHazewood]

Ugh. While I am normally a huge fan of women in bikinis, it's not something I miss at baseball games. The Nationals have a pep-you-up style group of good-looking young women who run the between-innings entertainment, and I usually just find it annoying.

How about if you just had good-looking young women wearing AAGPBL uniforms complete with mini skirts and pony tails sticking out of their ballcaps, ala A League Of Their Own*? They wouldn't really have to do anything, just kind of hang out, maybe walk into my field of vision during the mid-inning pitching changes I'm trying to dis-incentivize.

* I still have to think for a minute about the title of that movie, because my friends and I all referred (and still refer) to it as Field of Chicks. Which I know is mildly sexist, but we all have our faults.

[skanar]

How about if you just had good-looking young women wearing AAGPBL uniforms complete with mini skirts and pony tails sticking out of their ballcaps, ala A League Of Their Own*? They wouldn't really have to do anything, just kind of hang out, maybe walk into my field of vision during the mid-inning pitching changes I'm trying to dis-incentivize.

* I still have to think for a minute about the title of that movie, because my friends and I all referred (and still refer) to it as Field of Chicks. Which I know is mildly sexist, but we all have our faults.

Haha. That sounds excellent!

[paulcoates]

In-game

- Only one call to the bullpen may be made per half inning

- No on-field warmup for inserted RPs

- Only one pickoff move can be made per pitch. - Put a replay official in a booth and let him review any possible home run, safe/out, catch/no catch

Fabric:

- DH in both leagues

Random other change to MLB format:

Eliminate divisions; 4 teams from each league make playoffs. Make schedules for teams in a league as similar as possible

Division Series - 7 game series w/all games at 1/2 seed's stadium

Championship Series: 7 game series w/2-3-2 format

World Series: 7 game series w/2-3-2 format

This would just lead to pitchers stepping off all the time.

[DrungoHazewood]

This would just lead to pitchers stepping off all the time.

How about if every two (pickoff throws + stepping off rubber) counts as a ball on the batter? I think it's a blind spot in the rules that 125 years ago they realized they had to put a cap on balls thrown to the plate (three strikes, four balls), but you're allowed to throw to first 1,882 times if you want.

[oriole]

I like the idea of a only one pitching change per each teams respective half inning. Games can get so slow when managers want to over manage and set up lefty-lefty right-righty lefty-lefty match ups for an inning. I can only watch so many Geico commercials in a five minute span...

I think it'd be cool to have the managers have the challenge option like in football for close calls on the base paths or even balls and strikes, something like 3 a game. It might slow down the game a bit but it would give the umpires a little more accountability when they know that their call can be overturned by replay.

[24fps]

In game: Batter must remain in the batter's box at all times. No more adjusting gloves, spitting, scratching, etc. This would save an hour!

Fabric: Salary cap AND minimum. I'm sick of the Yankees playing on a different field.

Other: Bikini clad cheerleaders. Every other sport has them, why can't we have dancing cheerleaders on the dugouts between innings????

Because back in the mid-late 90's the Angels had them. Disney owned the team and Eisner ran Disney and his marketing expertise had run its course but not his authority. Not pretty. Projectile vomiting not pretty.