[quote=“Procrustus, post:34, topic:793110”]
I’m well aware of what it would do. I just disagree that it would not be a change for the better.
Watch it or I will make this tournament the world series like I had originally intended!
Seriously, I think that a two-division per league setup with unbalanced schedules (18 x 5 plus 12 x 6 IIRC for the years the NL had 12 teams) is a good set-up. League championships weren’t a bad idea. Division series are where it all went bad. 
The batter gets a helmet, that’s it. Maybe an instep pad, I’ll think about it. You want to hang over the plate, take your chances. Leave the silly body armor home.
Button your jersey all the way up.
Tuck in your necklaces.
Home uniform and road uniforms only. All season long. No alternates. One style cap all year. All stars wear corresponding uniforms for the game. Wear whatever you want for BP.
Hike up the pants as much as you want, but only TO THE KNEE. They’re not shorts.
No oven mitts on the basepaths.
*1) eliminate inter league play during the regular season *
Fuck that. I like interleague play.
*2) set up separate rules commissions for the NL and AL and get them operating like individual leagues again. *
Nah. Just eliminate everything the AL has that is bad.
3) create fully balanced play schedules. Each team in the NL plays all the other team in the NL the exact same number of times. Same for AL. This may require additional teams or contracting teams. I’m open to suggestions.
Good luck with that. I’m open to taking teams away from Florida and Canada.
*4) shorten the season by several games in order to
- eliminate the playoffs as we know the and replace them with a knockout Cup Tournament that plays concurrently with the regular season. The World Series will have no playoff games. The team with the best record in the NL will play the best team in the AL. Winner take all. (I might be able to be talked into keeping 2 divisions per league and having a single series divisional playoff.)
5a) the games for this tournament would be played on the last week of every month April until October with the last game being the final. Seeding for the tournament is based off the previous year’s standings and all teams play. Each series is 3 games long for the first 3 series, 5 games for the next 3 and the final is a 7 game series. *
No and no and no.
6) introduce a skills competition to the Allstar game. (which will also be more interesting as a whole due to the lack of interleague play)
Eliminate the All-Star game completely. Have everybody vote for the players (for the honor), have the home-run derby and the three days off, just skip the stupid fucking game.
Agree on the “one step out per at bat rule.” I’d also add a maximum number of throws to first. A reasonable number, like 5 or so. More than that and the pitcher is just fucking around.
Ban the playing of America, America the Beautiful, Sweet Caroline, and all other music other than “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and “Nah Nah Nah Nah Hey Hey Goodbye.”
Find the grave of the man who invented the DH. Desecrate it.
Institute a salary cap.
Canonize Vin Scully.
I’ll refrain from abolishing the Yankees and the Giants. For the nonce. At most, two nonces.
No DH, of course. Neither any designated runners or designated fielders, in case anyone was considering it.
And a vote for no stepping out of the batter’s box at all, and a 20-second pitch clock.
Liven up the game. Put the pitcher and the batter on the same team, more home runs. Let the runner carry the bat as he moves around the bases. That should add excitement.
Survivor baseball.
Start with the standard 9 players per team. After each inning, one player on each team is voted off the field. Play continues without that player. By the ninth you’re down to one-on-one baseball, a pitcher and a hitter. (Ghost runners are allowed.) High ratings, here we come!
Who chases each pitch? Or do you wheel in the portable garage door?
As for interleague play, how about each team is assigned a ‘rival’ in the other league (Chicagos, New Yorks, LAs, Oakland/SF, Baltimore/Washington are easy). The rivals play a 6 game set (3 in each park). That’s it for interleague.
I do like the ‘play by the visitor’s rules’ rule.
I’m not suggesting they play in sand-lots. As UCBearcats noted, there are plenty of cities that have professional-level baseball stadiums.
Without substantial expansion, contraction, or altering the length of the season, this is harder than you think.
Currently both leagues have 15 teams, so each team has 14 opponents. 162 games does not divide by 14. You could play 11 games against each opponent, for 156 games, which would lop a week off the regular season and actually I’d like that, but 11 games is a very odd scheduling challenge.
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Electronic strike zone - We have the technology, and I’m tired of umpire inconsistency.
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Eliminate extra innings, except for the playoffs. In the regular season, 2 points for a win, 1 point to each team for a tie. I actually like this for all team sports. I know Americans hate ties, and I felt the same way until I started following soccer. But now I’m a big believer, and I think fans and players would appreciate this one in time.
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Institute a salary cap similar to the NBA’s - And yes, I am a Yankee fan.
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Go back to 4 divisions, with only the division winners making the playoffs. League Championship series stay at 7 games, but in a 3-4 format; i.e. Only 1 travel day. Team with better record selects if they want the first 3 or final 4 games at home. World Series moves to 9 games, in a 3-4-2 format; i.e. only 2 travel days.
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Allow DH for starting pitchers. These guys only pitch every 5th day, so can’t be expected to get any hitting rhythm. Relievers must hit, or get pinch-hit for and leave the game.
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Let the batter wear armor, but no free base if hit on armor (except for the helmet or shin guard).
I like the balanced schedule idea, but don’t think it’s practical in North America. The travel disparity for teams on the coasts (esp. the west coast) versus those in the central part of the continent would be ridiculous.
Here’s one that would really liven things up:
The batter gets to decide whether he wants to run the bases counterclockwise (as everyone does now) or clockwise, going to third, then second, etc. Two players can be on the same base if they are going in opposite directions.
Here’s what I would do.
- Expansion and Structure
First, I’d expand by ten teams. More baseball. Sure, there’d be a bit of a talent dilution, but so what? The talent would catch up quickly and there’s a lot of talent out there now. Lots of players in AAA don’t look a lot different from major leaguers - if you don’t believe me, go to an AAA game.
I don’t know where to put all the teams, though Montreal, Charlotte, Austin, Portland, and hell, why not San Juan, PR, all look like good ideas, and NYC and LA could support third teams.
Major league quality stadia shall be financed by the other teams/league where needed. Only natural grass shall be an acceptable playing surface; Toronto shall be required to upgrade its surface to grass, and Tampa Bay shall be given a grace period to move into a proper stadium. The location of teams and attending “media markets” shall be completely at the discretion of the King of Baseball, so, for instance, if it makes sense to move the A’s to San Jose, the Giants have no say in this.
Each league shall now have 20 teams, divided into four 5-team divisions. The divisions shall be geographically logical but instead of having names like “East” or “Central” will be named:
NATIONAL LEAGUE:
Robinson Division
Mays Division
Aaron Division
Wagner Division
AMERICAN LEAGUE:
Ruth Division
Williams Division
Paige Division
Suzuki Division
Each team shall play 16 games against divisional opponents and 6 games against other league opponents, a total of 154 games, which is what they played before 1961. This hacks a week off the schedule, which we’ll need.
The playoffs shall include 16 teams. Sorry, purists. All four division winners qualify plus four wild cards (remember, we’ve increased the size of the leagues by 33% so this isn’t as radical as it sounds.) The eight playoff teams are seeded division winners 1 through 4, then wild cards 1 through 4.
As is now the case, if two teams bound for the playoffs finish the season tied, their seeding shall be determined by head-to-head record, then divisional record, then a coin flip. If two teams are tied where the tiebreaker would put one team in the playoffs and eliminate the other, a playoff game shall be held.
The first round is best 3 of 5. Division champion 1 plays wild card 4, DC-2 plays WC-3, and so on, The wild card only hosts game 3, and there is only one day off in the series, either between games 2 and 3 or 3 and 4 (depending on TV and travel.)
The second round, the divisional series, is now best 4 of 7. The four survivors in each league are reseeded but a wild card can never be seeded above a division champion. There is only one day off in the series, between games 5 and 6, if necessary. There is never more than one day off between the final possible game of a series and the first game of the next.
A team’s playoff roster shall be:
Playoff Game If Necessary and Round 1: 24 players
Divisional Series: 25 players
LCS and World Series: 26 players
Teams may make roster changes between playoff series using any players on the 40-man roster.
The League Championship Series and World Series proceed as they do now; again, a wild card cannot have home field advantage above a division champion. World Series home field advantage is determined by the All Star Game because I liked that and I’m the king. There will be only one day off after the ASG.
- Financials
Substantial revenue sharing shall be implemented, based on a mix of market size and actual revenue. Obviously, the formula may change from year to year, and tweaks will be needed to ensure perverse incentives are eliminated. Smaller markets like Milwaukee, Pittsburgh or the new teams in Charlotte and San Juan should have a fighting chance. No hard salary cap but luxury taxes will continue.
Free agency will begin after three years of MLB service, instead of six. As this will disincentivize player development somewhat, we will go back to draft picks being coughed up for free agent signings. Teams may also trade draft picks.
Hard caps will be retained on draft signing bonuses. However, minor league player wages will be increased, subsidized by the parent club, based on years of service.
The current roster and DL rules will remain more or less the way they are, with only minor tweaks, if that; they’re pretty complicated and a major change to one rule could have really bad consequences.
- Rules
Each league shall have the right to determine the use of the DH. World Series games shall be played in accordance with the rules of the home team.
Intentional walks will be issued by throwing four pitches, as God intended.
The strike zone shall be slightly adjusted to shave an inch or two off the bottom.
Ball and strikes shall be determined though mechanical means, such as Pitchf/X or some other system approved by the King. The home plate umpire shall have the ball/strike signaled to him by some obvious mechanism (e.g. a big thing on the scoreboard.) The home plate umpire shall still call foul balls and other such things, though further research shall be done into automating such things.
Until an automated solution is found, check swings shall be judged by additional officials, positioned precisely in line with the front of home plate. The definition of a swing shall be clarified in the rulebook as follows: “A batter has taken a swing when, in an attempt to strike the ball, his bat is brought to an angle that crosses a line parallel to the front edge of home plate.”
“Appeal” plays for missed bases will be eliminated, and the following rules added in appropriate sections:
“Any runner who advances to a base or home plate while failing to touch a preceding base shall be immediately declared out. The ball is live and all other runners may advance at their peril.”
4. Pace of play
Batters shall be required to remain in the batter’s box unless they have a good reason to depart it. “I need to adjust my batting gloves” is not a good reason and will be subject to warnings. If a player continues to be inexplicably unable to bring batting gloves that fit his own hands, he shall be ejected, and replaced with a player with proper equipment.
The break between innings shall be reduced to two minutes. The first pitch of every inning will be delivered within no more than 125 seconds of the last; a clock counting down the last 15 seconds shall be placed visible to all players. If the pitch is not delivered, the umpire may assign penalties (such as an automatic strike or ball) depending on whose fault the delay is.
The current replay system shall be completely replaced; rather than managers challenging plays, all plays, without exception, will be reviewed on an ongoing basis by teams at the league offices, who will have qualified umpires watching all games at all times from multiple angles. If a play appears to be incorrectly called, the review team will immediately signal to the crew chief that a play is being reviewed. The play shall be reviewed in no more than 30 seconds (there is no reason whatsoever with HD feeds from multiple angles that it should take longer, and 30 seconds is actually quite generous; we’ll work on reducing it.) Only if, in the estimation of the reviewers, the call was unambiguously wrong, shall it be reversed.
No manager shall enter the field of play under any circumstances except:
a. To consult with his pitcher,
b. To attend to an injured player, or
c. To lodge a legitimate question or protest regarding the application of rules (not just argue with a call.)
If the manager enters the field of play to argue a call he shall be ejected and be suspended for ten games.
- Scoring
Players shall not be charged with making an out when reaching base on an error; this shall be classified as a separate category, like a walk. Reaching base on an error counts towards on base percentage.
A player reaching on an unsuccessful (but not an error) fielder’s choice shall be credited with a base hit.
Players thrown out attempting to take extra bases on hits shall be charged with a caught stealing.
The rule concerning awarding pitching wins shall be amended to award the win to a starting pitcher if the starter departed the game with the lead, and if a subsequent relief pitcher blows the lead and in so doing is awarded the win when his team retakes the lea while he is the pitcher of record.
- Equipment
Beginning in five years, face shields shall be required on all batting helmets for players entering professional baseball; players already playing professional baseball shall be exempted.
Research shall be made on equipping pitchers with protective headgear.
The handle of a major league bat shall have a minimum width, one perhaps a few millimeters wider than some bats now being used.
6. Public Relations
The Cleveland Indians may not use the Chief Wahoo logo and consultations shall be made with native Americans to determine if the name should be used at all. No team shall use a racially offensive name or logo. The determination of this is up to the King of Baseball.
More effort shall be put into funding youth baseball and making it genuinely fun and less competitive at lower levels.
International baseball outreach shall continue. The King of Baseball may at his discretion schedule games in overseas sites. Teams shall be reimbursed for lost revenue from the general fund, if need be.
All postseason awards will be determined by the King of Baseball, in consultation with such advisors as he sees fit. The MVP Award shall be renamed the Stan Musial Award.
- The Hall of Fame
The King of Baseball shall determine all Hall of Fame inductions, in consultation with such advisors as he sees fit. No one except baseball players will be awarded Hall of Fame plaques.
Honestly, the pitcher+batter on the same team would actually be an interesting variation.
Rules:
- One more infielder to make up for the pitcher
- Two strikes and you’re out.
- All balls are strikes. A hit by pitch is an out.
- You can strike out on foul balls.
- The big one: A home run is the same as a fly out. The batter needs to focus on good hits to get singles and doubles.
Any of those work for me.
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Reduce the number of games in the season to 154.
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Either eliminate the DH or make it available to both leagues. I honestly don’t care which way it goes, but just end the disparity.
Not to besmirch the reputation of the various kings in this thread, but there are a lot of truly awful suggestions here.
The DH is eliminated.
Pete Rose goes to the Hall of Fame.
Oh, yes, I missed that one. So, too, do Joe Jackson, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Mark McGwire.