How to make baseball more interesting

[Malike]

There should be 1 random gold colored ball each game. If the batter hits it out of the park, he gets a grand slam, even if the bases are empty!

[Can_of_corn]

6 minutes ago, Malike said:

There should be 1 random gold colored ball each game. If the batter hits it out of the park, he gets a grand slam, even if the bases are empty!

Even if it's foul!

[backwardsk]

Contract two teams.  Expand rosters to 27.  Nets six extra jobs.  Pitchers can't pitch in back to back games.

[PaulFolk]

8 hours 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:

It's also losing younger fans because they start postseason games at 8 PM ET and kids can't stay up to watch the whole thing. That Rockies/Cubs game last night was riveting -- too bad it ended after 1 AM.

It was the only game being played. They couldn't have started it at 7? Same with tonight's game.

So that would be one of my first fixes to get kids more interested.

[brooksfrankjim]

If you want to change the rules on pitching changes, tie it to pitch count and not number of batters.  Make every starter have 75 pitches.  Every reliever 20 or 25.  If a pitcher has to leave early because of injury make them stay on disabled list at least 15 days.  

[atomic]

7 hours ago, Redskins Rick said:

Putting on my deep, @DrungoHazewood voice.

Shifts have been around baseball since the early 20s.

They used it in the 1946 WS against the great Ted Williams.

  

 

Yeah I watched the 1970 World Series earlier in the year and the Orioles were shifting on Lee May.  

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

32 minutes ago, Malike said:

There should be 1 random gold colored ball each game. If the batter hits it out of the park, he gets a grand slam, even if the bases are empty!

 

[atomic]

6 hours ago, ORIOLE33 said:

IMO, when a hitter hit a clean line drive that lands in front of the right fielder, it should be a hit. Not a long ground out.

 

Why?  I don't get that. It is easy enough to hit it the other way. Just swing later. 

[foxfield]

54 minutes ago, backwardsk said:

Contract two teams.  Expand rosters to 27.  Nets six extra jobs.  Pitchers can't pitch in back to back games.

There are not too many teams.  There are too many Chris Davis'.  I think it's only fair that MLB contract one.  Of course we still get to keep the "other one"

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, foxfield said:

There are not too many teams.  There are too many Chris Davis'.  I think it's only fair that MLB contract one.  Of course we still get to keep the "other one"

Than Brady can sign him to a seven year deal.

[TonySoprano]

2 hours ago, PaulFolk said:

It's also losing younger fans because they start postseason games at 8 PM ET and kids can't stay up to watch the whole thing. That Rockies/Cubs game last night was riveting -- too bad it ended after 1 AM.

It was the only game being played. They couldn't have started it at 7? Same with tonight's game.

So that would be one of my first fixes to get kids more interested.

8 PM EST is considered prime time and also it was 7 pm in Chicago.  

[turtlebowl]

The one thing I would do to improve the game is allow only 1 pitching change in the middle of an inning.  There is nothing more boring in baseball when you have the person starting an inning to get 1 out, then a lefty specialist is brought in to get 1 batter out then the manager brings in a right hander to try to finish out the inning. This scenario happens a fair amount during close games.  I find myself channel surfing a lot when this happens which is sad.  I'm a huge baseball fan so if I'm getting bored I know the casual fan has to be bored out of their mind. 

[Redskins Rick]

13 hours ago, atomic said:

Yeah I watched the 1970 World Series earlier in the year and the Orioles were shifting on Lee May.  

To me, its just part of the game.

Players make adjustments and then the other side makes readjustments.

Like hitting or not hitting the curve.

The better hitters cause damage because of the shift, and the lesser ones suck because of it. But, that doesn't mean they need to legislate the game. IMO

[Redfoot32]

So I remember reading an article on ESPN earlier this year regarding shifting from the hitter's perspective.  What struck me was how ingrained the value of extra-base hits are.  The value of a single is so diminished that hitters do not even want the guaranteed single when the pitcher gives it to them.  They would rather take their chances, albeit very low, to hit a homerun or double. 

Daniel Murphy for example said if "I drop a bunt down, what am I gonna do? I'm stuck at first base, so what I've done is ask our ballclub to get two more singles, or I've asked someone else to hit a double."  

If the hitter won't exploit the weakness in the shift then why should baseball fix it for them?  Shifting is not the problem, the batter's approach is.

[OFFNY]

22 hours ago, atomic said:

 

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

 

 

 

22 hours ago, ExileAngelos said:

 

So you can score from 2nd base on a pop-up ???

 

o

 

And in some cases, you could score from 1st base on a pop-up.

In fact, if the bases were loaded with less than 2 outs, you could have a "bases-clearing pop-up" ........ the fictional Willie Mays Hayes might lead the league in RBI's instead of having to do 50 push-ups every time that he hit the ball in the air.

 

A pitcher could lead the league with a 7.12 ERA ........ maybe 6.88 if another of the suggestions (make the ball less lively) were also implemented.

 

o