Letter to fans from Rob Manfred

[justD]

Recieved this email about an hour ago:

Office of the Commissioner

Dear Fans:

On the night of August 14, 2014, I left a Baltimore hotel after being elected Commissioner of Baseball. As I began to reply to the overwhelming number of congratulatory messages coming in, it hit me that I'd just been entrusted to protect the integrity of our National Pastime and to set a course that allows this great game to continue to flourish - now and in the years to come. Needless to say, I was deeply honored by the trust the owners placed in me.

Today is my first day as Commissioner, and I am incredibly excited to get to work. I am grateful to Commissioner Selig for his expertise and friendship. His leadership set a direction that led to historic success.

The mission before us is clear: To honor the game's history while welcoming new people to our great sport - people who will one day pass their love of baseball down through the generations. That is what our parents and grandparents did for us, and it is what we are doing for our own children. Baseball is a game firmly rooted in childhood experiences, and its vitality and growth rely heavily on giving young people from all backgrounds the opportunity to play and watch baseball.

This notion that baseball is the game of children is central to my core goals as Commissioner. Maybe that is because my own Little League experience in upstate Rome, New York was such an important part of my childhood. I will never forget my intense dedication to that club and to my teammates - each of whom I can still name to this day - and being part of a perfect game.

My top priority is to bring more people into our game - at all levels and from all communities. Specifically, I plan to make the game more accessible to those in underserved areas, especially in the urban areas where fields and infrastructure are harder to find. Giving more kids the opportunity to play will inspire a new generation to fall in love with baseball just as we did when we were kids. Expanding Little League, RBI and other youth baseball programs will also help sustain a steady and wide talent pool from which our clubs can draw great players and create lifelong fans.

As Commissioner, I will draw closer connections between youth baseball and MLB. I want to inspire children's interest in baseball and help parents and coaches foster that passion. In the coming years, MLB will work with college, high school, amateur and youth baseball programs to help grow our game and to ensure that the best players and talent have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. I call it "One Baseball" - a partnership between all professional and amateur groups involved in our game.

Our children can look at MLB today and find a wave of new stars worthy of emulating both on and off the field. Players like Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, Giancarlo Stanton and Mike Trout and aces Madison Bumgarner, Felix Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw have powerful stories to tell - and MLB will tell them across every platform. We will continue to internationalize our game and to celebrate the fact that we have the most diverse rosters in the world. Our mission is to build upon this recent success by creating opportunities for the next wave of baseball talent. We also must continue to nurture inclusive environments for all the contributors to our game and our loyal fans.

Another priority for me is to continue to modernize the game without interfering with its history and traditions. Last season's expanded instant replay improved the game's quality and addressed concerns shared by fans and players. We made a dramatic change without altering the game's fundamentals. I look forward to tapping into the power of technology to consider additional advancements that will continue to heighten the excitement of the game, improve the pace of play and attract more young people to the game.

The Major League Clubs have bestowed an extraordinary opportunity upon me. My pledge is to work every single day to honor their faith in me and your love of this game.

[mdbdotcom]

He left off the PS - I will never again stay in a hotel in Baltimore.

[ArtVanDelay]

He left off the PS - I will never again stay in a hotel in Baltimore.

PPS - Tropicana Field will get the All Star Game before Camden Yards

[weams]

PPS - Tropicana Field will get the All Star Game before Camden Yards

Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, Giancarlo Stanton and Mike Trout and aces Madison Bumgarner, Felix Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw

He did not mention an Oriole here. Coincidence?

[Dipper9]

PPPS: Baltimore fans, just because we are backtracking on the MASN deal and favor the Nats, and just because we took away your All Star Game next year, and just because we not only allowed tampering by the Blue Jays, but encouraged, does NOT mean we have anything at all against the good Orioles fans of Baltimore!

[nate22]

I'm surprised the email didn't end with "Forward this to 10 people and you will have good luck for the rest of your life."

[Tx Oriole]

He did not mention an Oriole here. Coincidence?

Coincidence I believe.

[justD]

Sorry to bump my own thread, but this is where I thought this belonged:

Manfred's focus on youth interest in what used to be 'America's Pastime' -- on RBI being expanded, on looking at whatever ideas they may find to reestablish interest that seems to have been lost to Basketball and Football among America's youth -- is something I support wholeheartedly.

Unfortunately, I believe the nation's culture of impatience, of getting what you want right now, combined with the long amateur/minor-league road inherent in baseball, is what is contributing most to Baseball's lack of appeal, as far as pursuing the sport as a profession.

And I'm not sure there's anything Manfred can do about that.

[srock]

Sorry to bump my own thread, but this is where I thought this belonged:

Manfred's focus on youth interest in what used to be 'America's Pastime' -- on RBI being expanded, on looking at whatever ideas they may find to reestablish interest that seems to have been lost to Basketball and Football among America's youth -- is something I support wholeheartedly.

Unfortunately, I believe the nation's culture of impatience, of getting what you want right now, combined with the long amateur/minor-league road inherent in baseball, is what is contributing most to Baseball's lack of appeal, as far as pursuing the sport as a profession.

And I'm not sure there's anything Manfred can do about that.

Yes there is. Improve youth coaching.

I'm sure we all remember the fun practices and the boring practices. If coaches don't know how to run a practice, keep things moving, keep everyone active, then it gets boring.

I don't care how great the equipment and facilities get, if half of practice is spent rotating around each position waiting for your 10 pitch batting practice, not many kids are going to keep playing.

Where I live the local high school has top notch coaching and they are engaged with the Little Leaguer's and the Little League coaching teaching them how to run a practice and how to properly teach and drill fundamentals. Support for this type of thing from MLB would be beneficial.