Baseball has to change

[FrankieA]

As you guys may know I am not a fan of MLB. I am not here to insult the game, rather offer some ideas to make it a much more fun event to watch.

1)Revenue Sharing and Salary Cap (sorry big town baseball fans). I know some (mostly Yankee fans) will argue no one is willing to spend money like the NYY's. While they are right about teams like the Cubs and White Sox, I ask what about small market clubs who would spend the $$$ if they had it? What about the KC's, Pitt's., Min's who would spend the dough if they could. As you may have noticed the NFL's large market clubs have not died under these policies.

2)Speed up the game! I can't stand it when the batter have to adjust his gloves, helmet and god knows what else multiple times an at bat. Or when the pitcher has to step off the mound every other pitch. Even when they check the running 10 straight times. How about a pitching clock. From the moment the pitcher receives the ball there is a 20 second clock limit to pitch the ball or it is consider a ball. The same for the batter, 10 seconds when standing out of the box or its an automatic strike.

3)My favorite idea is to go out this summer and enjoy a game. At your local A-AAA teams that is. The tickets are cheaper, the players have more heart, traffic is lighter and chances are you are closer to home. If you can't make it, go to the local weekend Little League games and root on the kids who are out there for the fun of the game.

GO BISONS!!!

[MiamiMasterpiece]

The games run just as long as football games. I enjoy watching baseball. Your right though there need to be a few changes in the game.

[thegame]

I would like to see a salary cap, but that won't happen anytime soon.

[reeves84]

Go to the minor leagues! And if you ever want to read a good book about Minor League baseball, try "A stolen Season" by David lamb.

[WyomingBills]

i agree with # 1 im a royals fan so it would be nice to see them able to somewhat compete with the yankees

i disagree with #2 i like to have time in between pitches to flip to another game and see whats goin on it makes it pretty easy to watch two games at once and not miss anything

#3 who doesn't like to go to A-AAA games that's pretty much the only thing around here and i dont want to go to canada with that SARs goin on up there

[Blue_Bandana]

Originally posted by WyomingBills
who doesn't like to go to A-AAA games that's pretty much the only thing around here and i dont want to go to canada with that SARs goin on up there

The SARS issue is starting to become more of a non event. You probably stand a better chance of being shot in your own home than contracting SARS in Toronto. Funny enough the latest Health Canada warning is;

Health Canada is warning that a number of stainless steel flasks sold in gift sets over the last four years may pose a lead exposure risk.

The seams and spouts of the flasks, sold between 1999 and 2003 in provincial or territorial retail liquor outlets across Canada, were fastened together with solder than contains a high proportion of lead.

The flasks hold six ounces (170.46 millilitres) of liquid and may be wrapped in leather.


http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2003/04/10/62004-cp.html

So don't miss out on some Blue Jays games this summer, because they are looking good enough to give the Red Sox a run for the Wild Card.

[Henry4MVP]

Frankie, I agree with you, man. I used to love baseball, but after the strike, I lost a lot of interest in the sport.

1) There should definitely be a salary cap. Sorry, Yanks.
2) In order to cut down on the prep time for batters, Nomar Garciaparra must be banned, I guess. :)
3) Minor League baseball rocks!

[Snarf]

I don't know if I want a salary cap, but maybe more revenue sharing should be done. I like the idea that the Yankees are aways there to beat. I hate them but what fun would it be beating them if they were not a great team. Maybe MLB needs more owners that have the money to spend it. There is no excuse for the Detroit Tigers or any other large markets to have bad teams, or at least as bad as the Tigers are.

No way on speeding up the games. If I go and spend 20 some bucks on a ticket, I want to be there for a while. Sports can never be too long. The NHL should slow the games back down.

Minor league baseball is great, espacially in Buffalo where we got one of the top organizations and one of the best teams on the field. Going to a Friday night bash in July with 17,000 people in the stands is great, and watching the fireworks after the game.

[Player6600]

I would like a salary cap, less teams, and 80 games so teams only go with 2 or 3 starting pitchers.

[FrankieA]

I forgot to mention less teams. Good point Player6600. The talent of teams in MLB is extremely watered down.

[thegame]

^My idea for that...

Drop the Marlins and Devil Rays, move the Expos to D.C. Simple, effective.

D.C. joins the NL East. The Tigers move back to the AL East, the Brewers back to the AL Central.

This gives both leagues 14 teams, the AL West and NL East have four teams, the other four divisions have five teams.

[MiamiMasterpiece]

Originally posted by Player6600
I would like a salary cap, less teams, and 80 games so teams only go with 2 or 3 starting pitchers.

I don't want to see that because i like seeing pitchers go deep into games and if they had to pitch every 3 or 4 days, they wouldn't be able to go far at all.

[thegame]

^Agreed. And with all of the arm injuries being seen these days with pitchers throwing more balls and using more violent arm motions, lessening the number of pitchers on a team is a move in the wrong direction.

[Blue_Bandana]

Originally posted by Blue_Bandana
So don't miss out on some Blue Jays games this summer, because they are looking good enough to give the Red Sox a run for the Wild Card.


The Blue Jays' charge -- they have won eight straight against the Yankees and Red Sox -- is not an illusion, warned Little and his wide-eyed players.

"They're swinging the bats better than any team I've ever seen in my nine years in the big leagues," said Boston center fielder Johnny Damon.

"We're pretty deep into the season," Little said. "The way they're playing right now, they can play with anybody."

The Blue Jays definitely toyed with Boston pitching for three days, rendering futile the Red Sox's own relentless attack.