Episode 2: How to Fix the...MLB

[MorseMoose]

Originally Posted by mlyons

You can barely even get the majority of baseball writers and commentators to acknowledge the existence of stats beyond average/HR/RBI for hitters and wins/ERA/K for pitchers. How could you possibly think they could even agree on formulae for those awards, let alone ones that are any good?

Take the awards away from writers and commentators. Why do writers have the power to give out MLB awards? The MLB should manage them.

[mlyons]

Originally Posted by MorseMoose

Take the awards away from writers and commentators. Why do writers have the power to give out MLB awards? The MLB should manage them.

The same point applies, though. What kind of formula do you think Bud Selig or one of his flunkies is going to come up with to determine who the best fielding catcher was?

[Jason Moyer]

- Financial: Have every team keep 50% of their revenue and dump the other 50% into a pot that's split equally between all teams. Also, set a soft minimum payroll limit to go along with a maximum payroll limit, with a tax applied to teams that fall outside a certain range. I'd start with the average expected payroll for the season, and set the low limit to 0.5*average and the upper limit to 1.5*average.
- Equipment: Adding any sort of regulations would be a good start. I'd be for bringing bats/armor/gloves/etc back in line with "classic" baseball by setting strong limitations on equipment materials and dimensions.
- The Game: Shorten the games up, whether that means shortening commercial breaks or adding rules that prohibit strategies that are detrimental to the game as an entertainment medium.
- Steroids: Be open about the entire history of PED usage in baseball, rather than talking about its contemporary usage which makes it look like the sport is dealing with that specific era because it's been caught with its hand in the cookie jar.

[Cryomaniac]

As has been mentioned, some way of limiting pitching changes would be useful.

[MorseMoose]

Originally Posted by mlyons

The same point applies, though. What kind of formula do you think Bud Selig or one of his flunkies is going to come up with to determine who the best fielding catcher was?

OK...then prior to the start of the season; name the people that will be voting for the award. Require them to submit their criteria for the awards.

[actionjackson]

1) Balance the schedule and 1a) Scrap interleague. Outside of the obvious rivalries, it is dull as dish water. Balancing the schedule ensures that all teams face the same challenge in terms of schedule when it comes to the Wild Card. Balancing the schedule balances out the unbalanced talent distribution in the divisions. The system in place right now is grossly unfair to three teams in particular: Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and Toronto.

2) Fix the draft. Overpaying for proven talent is A-OK by me. Overpaying for talent that hasn't thrown a pitch or swung a bat in Rookie ball is ridiculous. Implement a slotting system in the next CBA.

3) Do not under any circumstances implement a salary cap of any kind. Instead, increase the percentage of revenue that each team kicks into the pot. I'd rather the owners take a hit than the players. I do not pay to watch the owners. It would be kind of like paying to watch paint dry.

That's all I got for now.

[MorseMoose]

Get rid of No-trade clauses. If a player doesn't want to be traded to a specific team, they can sit out the rest of their contract (or a set amount of time).

[norva13x]

Originally Posted by actionjackson

1) Balance the schedule and 1a) Scrap interleague. Outside of the obvious rivalries, it is dull as dish water. Balancing the schedule ensures that all teams face the same challenge in terms of schedule when it comes to the Wild Card. Balancing the schedule balances out the unbalanced talent distribution in the divisions. The system in place right now is grossly unfair to three teams in particular: Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and Toronto.

2) Fix the draft. Overpaying for proven talent is A-OK by me. Overpaying for talent that hasn't thrown a pitch or swung a bat in Rookie ball is ridiculous. Implement a slotting system in the next CBA.

3) Do not under any circumstances implement a salary cap of any kind. Instead, increase the percentage of revenue that each team kicks into the pot. I'd rather the owners take a hit than the players. I do not pay to watch the owners. It would be kind of like paying to watch paint dry.

That's all I got for now.

I like that for the most part, however my only issue is that a balanced schedule pretty much makes divisions useless. I like number 3, I think that would be a great alternative to any type of salary cap to increase parity. Great suggestion!

[canadiancreed]

Originally Posted by MorseMoose

Get rid of No-trade clauses. If a player doesn't want to be traded to a specific team, they can sit out the rest of their contract (or a set amount of time).

Those should go for all sports, although thats' more how to raise the intelligence levels of Sport GM's.

[mgom27]

Allow Trades in Draft and Draft Picks in Trades.
Unsigned Prospects can go overseas.
Theirs no reason for me to start 3 or even 4 because just for NBA Minnesota in Central,New Orleans in South and Washington In Altantic & Expand and for NHL just Expand and Midwest Division with Dallas,St. Louis and Colorado in it,Minnesota in the Central,Washington in the Altantic and all Canada Teams in a Canada Division

[canadiancreed]

well with that post this thread is over, no better ideas can be submitted.

[jbergey22]

That one hurt my head.

I know it wont happen but I want the DH gone. Baseball is so much better without it.

I am glad we are heading that direction again but just in case everyone doesnt play follow the leader Id like to see a min dimensions on new ball parks. This alone would help speed up the games.

I suppose exceptions can be made if the Red Sox want to build a new Fenway or the Cubs want to build a new Wrigley.

[MorseMoose]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

That one hurt my head.

I know it wont happen but I want the DH gone. Baseball is so much better without it.

I am glad we are heading that direction again but just in case everyone doesnt play follow the leader Id like to see a min dimensions on new ball parks. This alone would help speed up the games.

I suppose exceptions can be made if the Red Sox want to build a new Fenway or the Cubs want to build a new Wrigley.

I'd prefer DH in both leagues...but I'd take no-DH if it meant that it was the same in both leagues. I'd prefer to see careers extended, more offense, and no pitchers hitting (worthless, imo).

[mlyons]

Originally Posted by MorseMoose

Get rid of No-trade clauses. If a player doesn't want to be traded to a specific team, they can sit out the rest of their contract (or a set amount of time).

Ick. I hate that. Personally, I don't think any player should be forced to play for a team they don't want to play for. At that point you've crossed the line from having a job to being in indentured servitude.

[MorseMoose]

Originally Posted by mlyons

Ick. I hate that. Personally, I don't think any player should be forced to play for a team they don't want to play for. At that point you've crossed the line from having a job to being in indentured servitude.

Right...cause being paid MILLIONS of dollars is servitude.

If I'm working in any business, I'm subject to be forced to move stores/schools/locations. If I don't want to, I can find a different job.

I think the biggest problem that I have with the MLB is that I see the MLB as the business and the (capital T) Team as stores. The team as the product.

I think the MLB sees it as (capital T) Team as an individual business that competes against other business.

[stevebydac]

Originally Posted by Ktulu

Speed up the damn game somehow, screw tradition. Put a clock on the pitchers, if they don't throw the ball within 20 seconds it's an automatic ball. If the batter steps out of the box (one foot out should be sufficient) it's a strike.

I would love something like this. I can't remember the last time I watched a non-important regular season game from start to finish. Though they average 2:47 (about the same as NFL) they seem to take longer with all of the long pitcher/batter pauses. About 15 minutes could be clipped from this, I'd guess.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by MorseMoose

Why are there playoff games on at 3pm (or earlier)?

Because during the first few days of the Division Series round you have three games taking place on the same day. Staggering the start times means each game is directly not competing with another in terms of ratings.

In 1995 MLB regionalized the television broadcasting DS and LCS games, with all games taking place on the same days and starting at nearly the same time, and it was a disaster. (They would have done the same for the 1994 playoffs had the season not been cancelled.)

[mlyons]

Originally Posted by MorseMoose

Right...cause being paid MILLIONS of dollars is servitude.

The amount of money someone is being paid has nothing to do with it. If it's indentured servitude at $20,000 a year, it's indentured servitude at $2,000,000 a year.

If I'm working in any business, I'm subject to be forced to move stores/schools/locations. If I don't want to, I can find a different job.

You can't be traded to a school system in another state in return for a janitor and 500 textbooks, can you?

I think the biggest problem that I have with the MLB is that I see the MLB as the business and the (capital T) Team as stores. The team as the product.

I think the MLB sees it as (capital T) Team as an individual business that competes against other business.

That is absolutely not the case, though. That's why things like revenue sharing are so hard to push through, for example -- the Yankees and Red Sox do not have to submit to the authority of MLB because they are independent organizations, so MLB can not arbitrarily impose regulations on them without their permission. This is actually the fundamental basis of baseball's famed antitrust exemption -- MLB can't be a monopoly because it's thirty different businesses in competition with each other.

To use your business analogy, MLB isn't like GE, a large corporation with a bunch of different divisions that can have resources and personnel allocated as the central main offices see fit. It's more like the MPAA, which sets guidelines and performs public advocacy for the film industry, but doesn't have control over the different studios (which are competing against each other directly, but still benefit by having an umbrella organization trying to improve the health of the industry as a whole).

[norva13x]

Bring back the distinction between the leagues. For instance, have league specific umpires like in the old days. Also restrict trades between the leagues, maybe no trades after a certain date? Maybe in May or early June? Or even only allow a certain amount. Free agency will cause movement but restricting trades between the leagues will help keep some distinction. this also means scrapping interleague play. Also, move Colorado to the AL West, and Milwaukee to the AL Central, Milwaukee belongs in the American League.
I was going to move Arizona as they are the youngest NL team but I feel they fit there better then they would in the AL.

[MorseMoose]

Originally Posted by mlyons

You can't be traded to a school system in another state in return for a janitor and 500 textbooks, can you?

If I was working for Best Buy, I sure as hell could be moved states.

This is actually the fundamental basis of baseball's famed antitrust exemption -- MLB can't be a monopoly because it's thirty different businesses in competition with each other.

I don't agree with that though. Sure, I know next to nothing about the details, just my cursory thoughts.