How to make baseball more interesting

[atomic]

Baseball is losing younger fans who don't like the slow pace of the game.  Even older fans like me are getting bored with all the strike outs and pitching changes.  Now we have openers nonsense.  No matter what the sport coaches try to destroy the game.  Other leagues like the NFL and NHL are constantly changing the rules to counter-act coaches  destroying the sport while baseball stands still.  What are your suggestions. Here are mine:

1) Limit a team to 10 pitchers on the 25 man roster.  

2) A pitcher has to pitch to at least 3 batters

3) No managers or coaches on the field when their team is pitching.  (Only first base and third base coaches on field when their team is batting).  A manager doesnt need to come on to the field to make a  pitching change

4) Make the ball less lively.  With less chance of a home run, guys trying to hit home runs on every at bat will change or they will leave the game.  Lead to less strike outs.  

5) Eliminate the need to go back the bag after a fly out.  That will reward putting the ball in play and faster players. 

[Redfoot32]

Force the batter to keep one foot in the box.

[ORIOLE33]

Please explain #5. Are you suggesting runners shouldn’t have to tag up? 

[Moose Milligan]

Leave it alone.  Stop messing with it.  Stop trying to make it gimmicky.  Stop trying to shave 30 seconds off here and there for fear of losing fans.  I'll agree that a batter should have one foot in the box at all times.  The pitch clock is ok but IIRC hasn't worked miracles for speeding up the pace of the game.  An NFL game, on average is about 3 hours long.  An MLB game length in 2017 was 3 hours, 5, minutes...roughly the same.  I am not sure what the giant deal is here.

 

37 minutes ago, atomic said:

1) Limit a team to 10 pitchers on the 25 man roster.  Why?

2) A pitcher has to pitch to at least 3 batters . Why?

3) No managers or coaches on the field when their team is pitching.  (Only first base and third base coaches on field when their team is batting).  A manager doesnt need to come on to the field to make a  pitching change Why? The manager can't get on the field and talk strategy with his team?  Then the NBA and NFL should eliminate timeouts, or not allow coaches to huddle with players

4) Make the ball less lively.  With less chance of a home run, guys trying to hit home runs on every at bat will change or they will leave the game.  Lead to less strike outs.  Why?  If the goal here is to attract young fans, young fans like home runs.

5) Eliminate the need to go back the bag after a fly out.  That will reward putting the ball in play and faster players.  I don't even know what this means.  Tagging up is an essential part of the game.

MLB will see a spike in talent with high schools and colleges shutting down football programs due to the (very real) CTE scare.  Kids are going to be pushed towards more sports like soccer, basketball and baseball.  

The pearl clutching over the years about MLB losing fan interest has been done to death.  All this stuff listed here might make the game go a hair faster but at the end of the day the game is what it is...a leisurely paced game with quick bursts of action.  Start messing with the pace of the game and people will want to start to infringe on how the game is played and the rules of the game.  

It's already started with the intentional walk.  One of the best things I've ever seen was Miguel Cabrera slapping a single up the middle against us because our dumb pitcher couldn't throw it enough outside.  Of course that's incredibly rare, but in that Cubs/Rockies game last night, what if something like that happened?  What if the Rockies pitcher couldn't get it far enough outside and the Cubs batter laced a single that started a rally?  Or what if the Rockies pitcher got nervous and threw it TOO far outside for a wild pitch?

Anyone who watched that game last night saw a thrilling classic, playoff baseball at its finest.  Sure it took awhile but would anyone want that game done differently?  If I had one nit to pick, the game started too late. The start time should have been 6pm or 7pm.  

What are we afraid of, a pitching change?  I'm not sure what's worse, a pitching change or a TV timeout at an NFL game.  What happens at an NFL game?  There's a commercial, the opening kickoff and then another commercial followed by a 3 and out and then another commercial.  Someone throws an interception?  Commercial.  Halftime, more commercials.  If the NFL is a competitor in the battle for pace of a game and commercial breaks, it's not a great alternative.

IMO, pro sports these days are losing out to the home experience.  I've written about this before, but sitting in traffic, paying for parking, sweating my balls off all day, 8 dollars for a hotdog, 10 dollars for a beer and then having to drive home is a losing proposition compared to sitting in an apartment with AC, not having go to anywhere, being able to flip channels and having food delivered or making my own and then still having the rest of my day.  I still love to go to OPACY once in awhile but honestly I view most of the process as a pain in the ass.   Same for the NFL, maybe even worse.

Here's the deal, say everything except point 5 was a rule in MLB today, you'd have:

1.  With 10 men on a rotation, you'd have more position players pitching, which is fun and weird when it's a novelty but I think the novelty wore off for everyone this year

2.  Imposed saving time over strategy of the game and having managers work with one hand tied behind their back.  All for saving a couple minutes here and there.

3.  Save the 30 seconds a manager takes to walk out to the mound.  There are about 8 pitchers used in an MLB game today, 4.25 per team, per game.  Subtract two (the starters who are on the mound to begin the game) and you're left with about 6 additional pitchers used per game.  That's 3 minutes a game a manager spends walking to the mound to make a pitching change and YOU'RE GOING TO CUT TO COMMERCIAL ANYWAY.  

Are 3 minutes per game is what is going to keep ADHD little Timmy from liking baseball or is it something else?

4.  Fine, make the ball less lively.  ADHD little Timmy wants to see homers, that's the one thing that excites him and makes him want to pay attention.  

The baseball is losing fans diatribe has been repeated ad nauseam for years.  Somehow, baseball has marked the times, as James Earl Jones said it Field of Dreams.

The game itself is fine.  Everything that happens in between the lines is fine.  Again, if MLB is worried about 5-10 minutes per game being the backbreaker for ADHD little Timmy wanting to go outside and play catch with his dad and learn more about baseball, they are focusing on the wrong things.

 

[spiritof66]

57 minutes ago, atomic said:

Baseball is losing younger fans who don't like the slow pace of the game.  Even older fans like me are getting bored with all the strike outs and pitching changes.  Now we have openers nonsense.  No matter what the sport coaches try to destroy the game.  Other leagues like the NFL and NHL are constantly changing the rules to counter-act coaches  destroying the sport while baseball stands still.  What are your suggestions. Here are mine:

1) Limit a team to 10 pitchers on the 25 man roster.  

2) A pitcher has to pitch to at least 3 batters

3) No managers or coaches on the field when their team is pitching.  (Only first base and third base coaches on field when their team is batting).  A manager doesnt need to come on to the field to make a  pitching change

4) Make the ball less lively.  With less chance of a home run, guys trying to hit home runs on every at bat will change or they will leave the game.  Lead to less strike outs.  

5) Eliminate the need to go back the bag after a fly out.  That will reward putting the ball in play and faster players. 

I would alter some details, and I disagree with #5. A few more thoughts:

• Test and develop equipment to determine electronically whether pitches enter the strike zone.
• For each batter, the pitcher gets up to three throws to first base. The fourth is treated as a balk.(The third would almost never be used.) 
• After two strikes, three foul balls are an out. Same rule for foul bunts.
• Impose a minimum thickness of bat handles (for more contact, more fair balls, fewer all-or-nothing swings).
• Where possible, increase the distance to the fences (fewer HRs, more extra base hits, more OF plays).
• During video reviews, umpires stay in place. Results are conveyed to an official in the press box (and crew chief, equipped with an earpiece), and when useful the press box official explains the ruling to fans, like NFL officials.
• Give the Orioles the first six picks in the 2019 draft. (They'll probably only get one real good player anyway.)

[Luke-OH]

1 hour ago, atomic said:

Baseball is losing younger fans who don't like the slow pace of the game.  Even older fans like me are getting bored with all the strike outs and pitching changes.  Now we have openers nonsense.  No matter what the sport coaches try to destroy the game.  Other leagues like the NFL and NHL are constantly changing the rules to counter-act coaches  destroying the sport while baseball stands still.  What are your suggestions. Here are mine:

1) Limit a team to 10 pitchers on the 25 man roster.  

2) A pitcher has to pitch to at least 3 batters

3) No managers or coaches on the field when their team is pitching.  (Only first base and third base coaches on field when their team is batting).  A manager doesnt need to come on to the field to make a  pitching change

4) Make the ball less lively.  With less chance of a home run, guys trying to hit home runs on every at bat will change or they will leave the game.  Lead to less strike outs.  

5) Eliminate the need to go back the bag after a fly out.  That will reward putting the ball in play and faster players. 

Other than the Orioles being terrible, I pretty much like baseball just the way it is. Maybe something to making pitching changes a little quicker would be worthwhile, maybe using computers to call balls and strikes, maybe a change player compensation so that service time games are no longer needed. 

[atomic]

6 minutes ago, ORIOLE33 said:

Please explain #5. Are you suggesting runners shouldn’t have to tag up? 

Yeah.  It would make a fly ball much more valuable than a strike out. 

[atomic]

4 minutes ago, spiritof66 said:

 I would alter some details, and I disagree with #5. A few more thoughts:

•  
• Where possible, increase the distance to the fences (fewer HRs, more extra base hits, more OF plays).
• 

Yeah that would be desirable and I thought about it but I thought it would be hard to do for a lot of ball park that is why I instead thought more of a dead ball as an easier implementation. 

[Redskins Rick]

4 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

Other than the Orioles being terrible, I pretty much like baseball just the way it is. Maybe something to making pitching changes a little quicker would be worthwhile, maybe using computers to call balls and strikes, maybe a change player compensation so that service time games are no longer needed. 

The pure baseball enthusiasts are a dying breed.

The game itself is losing some of its shine and fanbase, and the younger kids are not playing or watching the games.

[ExileAngelos]

7 minutes ago, atomic said:

Yeah.  It would make a fly ball much more valuable than a strike out. 

So you can score from second base on a pop up??

[jamalshw]

Everything done so far to help with pace of play has been completely useless. Do people really care if the game is 3:05 instead of 3:09? No.

Honestly, I like the game mostly as it is. I think the changes to appeal to the younger fan are less on the field and more with how the game is marketed. MLB should play a huge role in youth baseball. Getting people playing the game will help get them enjoying it and, thus, watching it. Using social media more in game on broadcasts and connecting that way would help more. Having players be more branded helps, too. The NBA and even NFL are better at this.

All that said, I do think there some things that can be done in game to help the pace some, but it has to be more than 10 seconds here and there every couple games. I think the biggest thing to pace of play is not-so-instant replay. The way baseball handles it is dumb. There should be a replay ump for every game in stadium reviewing every play with a radio directly in the ear of the crew chief on field. If the manager comes out to argue, they can confer with that ump (who can also call down on his own) and overturn a call when needed. No need for the pomp and circumstance of going to the head set or waiting for New York to review. That is one area the game really slows down now.

To encourage more hits and balls in play and moving away from the three-true outcomes, I think that's a bit tougher. You could do away with the shift. i think that helps some, but I don't like taking a strategy away from a team like that. I think as an industry baseball just needs to do a better job recognizing and promoting the players that do hit to all fields and limit Ks (Jose Ramirez for one) and pay them accordingly. This will help encourage others to change how they hit. If you get more money hitting to all fields and making contact, more players will do it.

[Can_of_corn]

More bat flips.

[ExileAngelos]

The shift is killing the game.  I hate to see a rule outlawing it but I have to admit it is probably necessary.

[Moose Milligan]

16 minutes ago, spiritof66 said:

I would alter some details, and I disagree with #5. A few more thoughts:

• Test and develop equipment to determine electronically whether pitches enter the strike zone.
• For each batter, the pitcher gets up to three throws to first base. The fourth is treated as a balk.(The third would almost never be used.) 
• After two strikes, three foul balls are an out. Same rule for foul bunts.
• Impose a minimum thickness of bat handles (for more contact, more fair balls, fewer all-or-nothing swings).
• Where possible, increase the distance to the fences (fewer HRs, more extra base hits, more OF plays).
• During video reviews, umpires stay in place. Results are conveyed to an official in the press box (and crew chief, equipped with an earpiece), and when useful the press box official explains the ruling to fans, like NFL officials.
• Give the Orioles the first six picks in the 2019 draft. (They'll probably only get one real good player anyway.)

Disagree with all except the last two.

The reason I like the one foot in the box rule is that it's scalable.  It applies to every at bat in every game.  Unlimited foul balls is part of what makes baseball great.  A 10 or 11 pitch at bat isn't something that should be frowned upon, it's exciting.  

Arguing balls and strikes is great.  The game within the game between the batter and pitcher and the pitcher, runner and 1st baseman is part of what makes the game great.

 

 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, ExileAngelos said:

The shift is killing the game.  I hate to see a rule outlawing it but I have to admit it is probably necessary.

How is it killing the game?

Do you think one dimensional hitters like Davis are an integral part of the fabric of the game?