Traditionalist or Radical

[Texsox]

I'll admit I'm a radical. My most radical wish for baseball is expanding the rosters to thirty and go full platoon. Submit your defense lineup and your offense lineup. DH for everyone. No more accepting crappy defense because a guy can hit. Football has it right. 

I'd like to see more seven inning double headers leading to more off days for the players.

Cut three weeks out of the regular season and add a round of playoffs. With 162 games the regular season is too diluted. 

But kids today yearn for what their grandparents had. 

[CentralChamps21]

My radical ideas:

Eliminate the AL/NL. Move to purely geographic divisions. Have 5x6 or 6x5, either can work.

Reduce the season to 51 3-day series over 26 weeks. Teams get a day off every week. Every team plays 6 scheduled Saturday doubleheaders per year, for a total of 150 games.

Batter may not step out of batter's box during a plate appearance. First violation is a warning and each successive violation is a strike.

Third foul ball after reaching two strikes is a strikeout. No more 5-minute plate appearances.

[Texsox]

1 hour ago, CentralChamps21 said:

My radical ideas:

Eliminate the AL/NL. Move to purely geographic divisions. Have 5x6 or 6x5, either can work.

Reduce the season to 51 3-day series over 26 weeks. Teams get a day off every week. Every team plays 6 scheduled Saturday doubleheaders per year, for a total of 150 games.

Batter may not step out of batter's box during a plate appearance. First violation is a warning and each successive violation is a strike.

Third foul ball after reaching two strikes is a strikeout. No more 5-minute plate appearances.

I like all of those. 

[JoeC]

My radical ideas:
1. Force umpires to announce certain calls over the PA (such as after replays).
2. Also encourage umpires to announce over the PA the exact reason (with direct quotes, if needed) why a player / manager / coach / staff member was ejected.

Also, in the "crazy marketing gimmick" category, make umpires wear body cams. Along with (2) above, have umpires release body cam footage of each ejection.

Edited February 24, 2022 by JoeC

[hogan873]

I would think I'm more radical, but I see some of the suggestions and I realize I'm not that radical.  However, I like most of the suggestions I've read.

What I'd like to see:
- Universal DH
- A more balanced schedule (I know I'm in the minority, but 76 games against their own division is too much)
- Limit pick off moves (maybe more than 3 in an at-bat equals a ball)
- More scheduled double headers
- Expanded playoffs
- Salary floor (tanking has got to be stopped - too much meaningless baseball down the stretch)

And more ways to speed up the game.  As someone else mentioned, keep the batters in the box during an at-bat.

[Texsox]

Would you limit leadoffs after the 3rd move? How do you avoid that basically becoming a free stolen base? 

[The Mighty Mite]

I'm 76 and as traditional as can be but I am open to some things like a going to conferences with geographical divisions, I'd like a shorter season while adding to teams in the playoffs. I'm for the universal DH. I'd like expansion with 2 more teams for a total of 32 with 2 conferences made up with 2 divisions of 8 in each conference. 

[Jack Parkman]

6 hours ago, CentralChamps21 said:

My radical idea

Eliminate the AL/NL. Move to purely geographic divisions. Have 5x6 or 6x5, either can work.

Reduce he season to 51 3-day series over 26 weeks. Teams get a day off every week. Every team plays 6 scheduled Saturday doubleheaders per year, for a total of 150 games.

Batter may not step out of batter's box during a plate appearance. First violation is a warning and each successive violation is a strike.

Third foul ball after reaching two strikes is a strikeout. No more 5-minute plate appearances.

My radical ideas: 

1. Eliminate leagues. Best 8 teams get in the playoffs. 

2. increase the regular season to 174 games. Each team plays all other teams on a home and home, 3 game series (math=29x2x3) 

3. Unlimited roster size. If an owner wants to put all offense, all defense, and change pitchers every batter in the whole game, be my guest. They must pay the league minimum though for all players on the roster. 

4. Salary floor. All teams have to spend a certain amount on players

5. Eliminate the domestic draft, make it like International free agency. You get a certain amount of money to spend on talent each year. Choose wisely. There could be a formula based solely on records over 3, 5 and 10 years. Small market teams get no favors. 

6. Eliminate the competitive balance tax. Anyone can spend as much on MLB talent as they want. Instead, institute a tax on teams that win fewer than 75 games for 5 years straight, and a tax on teams that lose 100 games in a given season. 

7. Players are eligible for salary arbitration following their first full season in MLB.

8. The commissioner needs to force owners that are non-competitive for a certain period of time to sell their teams. No more 22 year playoff droughts. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 24, 2022 by Jack Parkman

[JoeC]

Draft order is determined by the number of wins after each team is mathematically eliminated from the postseason.

So if your team is eliminated on September 1, you have all of the games from September 2 onward to accumulate wins toward your draft ranking.

If the next team is eliminated on September 5, they have games from 4 fewer days (compared to you) to accumulate draft ranking wins.

[Jack Parkman]

BTW I think data is going to kill the starting pitcher. It supports pulling your SP after the 1st time through the order. All pitchers aren't going to like this as it will devalue them like it did running backs in the NFL. 

 

The data supports the double opener theory, where you have 2 guys pitch 2-3 innings each, and then go to the high leverage, one inning relievers after that. 

Edited February 24, 2022 by Jack Parkman

[wegner]

MLB needs to penalize any team whose announcers sing the Nationwide Jingle.....The Madness needs to end before it begins again.....and Yes I will die on that hill.

[Bob Sacamano]

13 minutes ago, wegner said:

MLB needs to penalize any team whose announcers sing the Nationwide Jingle.....The Madness needs to end before it begins again.....and Yes I will die on that hill.

Goodbye sponsor.

[wegner]

1 minute ago, Bob Sacamano said:

Goodbye sponsor.

And good riddance!!!!

[southsider2k5]

48 minutes ago, wegner said:

MLB needs to penalize any team whose announcers sing the Nationwide Jingle.....The Madness needs to end before it begins again.....and Yes I will die on that hill.

I can deal with anything but Kars for Kids.

[wegner]

7 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

I can deal with anything but Kars for Kids.

You know they are now accepting gifts of real estate if you are so inclined, southsider.   You'd probably get a nice vacation voucher for your effort.

[MackowiakYakYak]

4 hours ago, Jack Parkman said:

My radical ideas: 

5. Eliminate the domestic draft, make it like International free agency. You get a certain amount of money to spend on talent each year. Choose wisely. There could be a formula based solely on records over 3, 5 and 10 years. Small market teams get no favors. 

I don't know how it could ever happen in the American sports landscape, but I completely agree with getting rid of the draft. With how much an individual player's livelihood could be ruined by going to Pirates or being drafted by Baltimore as a pitcher in years past, it would be huge for these kids' lives to be able to choose their destination. Baseball pays prospects once before they spend half a decade or more in the minors making terrible wages. In order to pursue their career, they are forced to ride buses, sleep in hotels, and change their address for each level of the minor leagues. It's not some egregious crime, but to have to go through all of that and also have to be in the Pirates organization? That very well could be criminal.

Here's my quick attempt at comparing MLB drafting with the other major sports:

NFL is relatively straightforward. Franchises are drafting for need, most players picked matter to the team's success, and differences in quality of coaching during development can mostly be overcome. The drafting franchise doesn't matter nearly as much unless you're a QB getting drafted by the Bears where you're screwed.

NBA is great for players that are able to get drafted. Two rounds of draft means your team actually wants you. You only have one developmental league. You're far less likely to have your entire career ruined because of the team that drafted you. 

MLS has a draft for Americans but they are able to sign with clubs all over the world. Worldwide soccer is its own beast but at least American players have options that aren't considered second-tier and will try to develop them.

NHL might be the closest to the potential garbage that is MLB drafting but its still not even close. NHL draftees might play in the minors for half a decade but they are able to reach free agency much more easily. Teams don't seem to have nearly the same amount in variance in their ability to develop prospects.

Each one of these leagues places a greater importance on each individual drafted prospect. MLB has a much greater bust potential. MLB has the greatest number of developmental league teams where at any of these a player could have their career ruined by an awful coach. In my opinion, no other league has as much variance in a team's ability to develop prospects and therefore the most potential to improve or ruin a player's life. Tampa and Cleveland are the obvious examples of great development and I think these clubs should be rewarded for their role in making better baseball players.

[SpringfieldFan]

I'm tradio-radical:

8 man batting lineup. No DH's and no pitchers hitting.

Limit the active roster to 10 pitchers to get away from the hyper-specialization the bullpen roles have evolved into.

No regularly scheduled split doubleheaders. Give the fans both games back to back again for the one ticket and don't coddle the players with the extended break. Old school.

[Harold's Leg Lift]

I've been messing around with some radical realignment.  I think most teams would love it but the teams that hate it would really hate it (shut it Pittsburgh!).  I would LOVE to see something like this happen. They can name the leagues and divisions whatever they want.

AL East 

NYY NYM Bos Philly Pitt

NL SE

Wash Balt Atl TB Mia

AL Cent

WS Cubs Mil Minn  Det

NL Cent 

Tor Clev Cincy St Lou KC

AL SW

Tex Hou Colo AZ SD

NL West

Sea SF Oak LAD LAA

 

[CentralChamps21]

28 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

I've been messing around with some radical realignment.  I think most teams would love it but the teams that hate it would really hate it (shut it Pittsburgh!).  I would LOVE to see something like this happen. They can name the leagues and divisions whatever they want.

AL East 

NYY NYM Bos Philly Pitt

NL SE

Wash Balt Atl TB Mia

AL Cent

WS Cubs Mil Minn  Det

NL Cent 

Tor Clev Cincy St Lou KC

AL SW

Tex Hou Colo AZ SD

NL West

Sea SF Oak LAD LAA

 

Never in a million years would the Cubs and Cards agree to be in different divisions.

[Texsox]

7 hours ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

I've been messing around with some radical realignment.  I think most teams would love it but the teams that hate it would really hate it (shut it Pittsburgh!).  I would LOVE to see something like this happen. They can name the leagues and divisions whatever they want.

AL East 

NYY NYM Bos Philly Pitt

NL SE

Wash Balt Atl TB Mia

AL Cent

WS Cubs Mil Minn  Det

NL Cent 

Tor Clev Cincy St Lou KC

AL SW

Tex Hou Colo AZ SD

NL West

Sea SF Oak LAD LAA

 

I like it. Cuts down on travel. Fans would be in the same time zone for most games. 

[Spicy gar]

A pitcher who comes out of the bullpen is ready. No warmups, no break.

Cut the season by at least 40 games.

Play continues for 2 full innings before a commercial break.

Chose 1 hitter per game where the infield can shift. Adjustable if subbed.

 

 

[Two-Gun Pete]

8 hours ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

AL Cent

WS Cubs Mil Minn  Det

NL Cent 

Tor Clev Cincy St Lou KC

Weird to not put Det with Tor/Cleve/Cincy, if basing this entirely on geography, no? Aren't Tor/Cleve/Cincy/Det in the eastern time zone?

KC seems a bit far west compared to the others you grouped together.

[Harold's Leg Lift]

8 minutes ago, Two-Gun Pete said:

Weird to not put Det with Tor/Cleve/Cincy, if basing this entirely on geography, no? Aren't Tor/Cleve/Cincy/Det in the eastern time zone?

KC seems a bit far west compared to the others you grouped together.

I tried to keep the natural rivals together.  Get it.

[Spicy gar]

9 hours ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

I've been messing around with some radical realignment.  I think most teams would love it but the teams that hate it would really hate it (shut it Pittsburgh!).  I would LOVE to see something like this happen. They can name the leagues and divisions whatever they want.

AL East 

NYY NYM Bos Philly Pitt

NL SE

Wash Balt Atl TB Mia

AL Cent

WS Cubs Mil Minn  Det

NL Cent 

Tor Clev Cincy St Lou KC

AL SW

Tex Hou Colo AZ SD

NL West

Sea SF Oak LAD LAA

 

That's three time zones in the Al SW. Brutal.

Edited March 2, 2022 by Spicy gar

[Two-Gun Pete]

2 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

I tried to keep the natural rivals together.  Get it.

But, if its a "radical" realignment, why would there be "natural " rivals?

But cool concept, tho.

Edited March 2, 2022 by Two-Gun Pete