If you could be the MLB commissioner for a season, what changes would you bring about?

Question

I would personally make the divisional playoffs a 7-game series. 5-game Series is a joke, a total crapshoot. You play a 162-game season and you get eliminated in a short series???

Also, there should be 2 wildcard teams per league with a 1-game playoff to determine who faces the division champs. That way, winning your division gives you some advantage over just getting in as a wildcard team. Any comments?

Answer 1

1. No more warmup pitches on the mound for relievers. You've warmed up in the bullpen, you're ready. With all the pitching changes in the last three innings, this will help speed the game up.
2. Playoff games will start no later than 8:05 ET on weeknights. The national anthem and the first pitch is all you need prior to the game. I am fine with the 5 game first round. (It's getting cold around these parts in late October)
3. I am fine with each league having the DH or not having it. I personally don't mind it like some, but each league has their supporters. Nothing wrong with that.
4. All-Star game is an exhibition game. It should not determine home field advantage in the World Series. It also will be called a tie after the 12th inning. Get over it.
5. Any player or coach leaving the dugout if a fight occurs gets a 10 game suspension. Leave the fight to the players involved. They will be punished accordingly. Baseball can learn from a sport that has it right, hockey.
6. Steroids/HGH etc. All players will be randomly tested throughout the season, perhaps even monthly. I think the punishments are good as they have them. Perhaps swifter.

I don't think I'd last too long, maybe two weeks on the job.

Answer 2

First, good bye to the DH. I don't care if Bowie Kuhn or Bud Selig think the game needs more offense. Baseball teams are nine players, not ten.

Second, play at least one or two world series games in the afternoon- maybe the opening game on Saturday afternoon. Why should baseball take a back seat to college football. If you don't want to put a game on Sunday afternoon, fine, or maybe baseball can make a deal with the NFL to not play 4pm games the first Sunday and schedule the west coast games that Sunday to 7pm eastern. NBC doesn't do a Sunday night game that weekend anyway.

Third, if you are concerned about wild cards winning playoff series, make it so that the wild card plays game on at home, and then plays the other four games of the series at the highest seed. I know home field means little in baseball, but there are also many circumstances where the wild card has a better record than one or two of the division winners. Do not add a second wildcard- one is already mediocre enough.

Fourth, just play the All-Star game for its own benefit, take away that stupid home field thing. If you want it so the team with the better record gets the home field for the World Series, that's fine, but don't make it dependable on a bunch of guys who won't be in the World Series.

Answer 3

1. Turn over drug testing to the either the International Olympic Committee, or the authority governing Track and Field. Sorry, but the roid era is over.

2. The DH would be history. If pitchers want to brush back a hitter, they should get a chance to be brushed back themselves...not just in the N.L.

3. Leave the playoffs as they are. Baseball season is already heading into November. Next we'll be playing game 7 with 3" of snow on the ground.

4. Make the parks larger again. Your average Pony Leaguer can hit one out of these small parks now.

Answer 4

I do not see the need for changes in the playoff system. I do favor the DH for both leagues. Most of all, I would want some kind of additional payroll controls, so that salaries are kept from spiraling any higher. Perhaps a maximum percentage increase from the previous year's salary. I love baseball, but these guys do not truly deserve the money they are getting.
I would also like to see the commissioner position have the power that it used to under Bowie Kuhn, Peter Uebberoth and their precedecessors, instead of being an owners' pawn. Maybe I could be convinced to let Pete Rose in the HOF, but I would make it clear that he may have no contact with the game again.

Answer 5

Throw out anybody using steroids for life. This is no better than gambling and you have tainted records. I would also like the regular season to be 154 games instead of 162 moving the World Series up a couple of weeks. It gets to cold late in October. I would also like to see World Series day games . The reason a lot of kids can't get into baseball is that it is time for bed by the time these games are on. This would increase fan excitement.

Answer 6

I'd start an investigative arm for the anti-steroid initiative. Right now, the program is a joke - they basically just wait for someone to test positive. Given how many chemicals aren't detectible, this isn't enough. There is overwhelming non-chemical evidence that Bonds was juicing, and there are a number of other players (such as Gary Matthews Jr.) who have been linked to performance enhancing drugs. The Commissioner's Office has basically said, "well, we haven't seen any proof - la la la la I can't hear you". They need a team that will investigate suspected use, rather than just waiting for it to come to them and bite the sport on the a**.

Answer 7

1) GET RID OF THE DH! FOREVER!
2) Limit inter-league to just 6 games a year (3 & 3), and only to cross town rivals (i.e., cubs& whiney sux, mets & yankees, A's & Giants, Dodgers & Angels, St Louis & KC)
3) Contract 2 teams. One of them would be the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Not sure who the other would be.
4) Put Milwaukee back in the AL.
5) Bring back sunday after-noon double headers
6) Tie up pete rose and gag him so he can never talk again.

Answer 8

i agree with the two wildcard teams and the divisional playoff. It would make september so much more interesting.
Get rid of the DH
Make interleague games only between cross town rivals. (mets-yanks, cubs-sox)
Make saturday doubleheaders once a month per team.

Answer 9

Get rid of designated batters, inter league play, artificial turf and playoffs. And throw in George Steinbrenner.

AND create a Hall Of Shame First inductee - Pete Rose, second - Barry Bonds.

Answer 10

Keep the playoffs as is.

Get rid of the DH

Get rid of Day Night double headers, its you pay for 1st game you get admission to the 2nd for free.

Scheduled double-headers 3 for each team.

Pete Rose, is reinstated only after he goes to rehab.

No more retractable roof stadiums.

AL and NL offices are re established.

No more teams threating to relocated if they don't get atx payed for new stadium.

Barry Bonds is banned from baseball and his stats erased. stats erased for Canseco, McGwire, Palmeiro.

Mandatory testing for steroids. One test every month of the season. 1st positive test -2 year Ban, 2 positive test- permanent life time ban.

Baseball league wide Salary cap $$. somewhere between 65 million and 75 million dollars.

take away the Umpire's power/authority to eject pitchers after a brush back pitch.

Make radio feed of games FREE and availble to anybody.

Ban black, orange or purple uniforms. Its Home white or Road grey.