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The games can and should be quicker. There are rules about taking too long to pitch that the umps simply don't enforce.
One change that needs to happen is a complete overhaul of MLB's deal with the umpires. Instant replay is a nice start for fair/foul HR/not-HR calls but something has to be done about home plate ump ego calls. At least a wrong call about a deep shot that goes just over the foul pole is an honest mistake. What happens to a batter after he mistakenly thinks he's just drawn a walk is more criminal than anything Pete Rose ever did. Imagine if NFL refs made payback calls immediately following a player begging for a completion/first down/pass interference. They would be destroyed right there on the field.
Because of the Wild Card 17 teams were withing three games of a playoff spot last year. If it didn't exist, there would only have been four or five teams with a realistic shot at making the postseason. Are you sure not having Wild Cards would be good for baseball?
17? Where did you get that number?
I counted 2 teams that were within 3 games of a playoff spot.
I dislike the Interleague play.
I dislike the wild card system. It contributes to the lingering boredom of the October playoff system. For me, football take precedence. The season would begin Early April, end officially in Mid September, with the world series starting on October 1st. No more of these near November world Series games.
Let me remind Rhinoceros and others that Minor league baseball banned tobacco years ago. I enjoy MiLB because for the most part, the players seem to be enjoying the game and putting forth an effort long gone in MLB. They also lack the pseudo-superior attitude that many MLB players have. And besides being affordable, for someone as frugal as myself, they finish up their seasons by September.
Most pro sports have changed over the recent years. Yes, it is all about business and marketing. Sports purists like some of us do not approve, but we must remember, in the end, it is good old American capitalism at work, and all about making money. And it is hard for me to find fault in the American way, even when it means offering a product which I choose not to purchase.
I dislike the Interleague play.
I dislike the wild card system. It contributes to the lingering boredom of the October playoff system. For me, football take precedence. The season would begin Early April, end officially in Mid September, with the world series starting on October 1st. No more of these near November world Series games.
Let me remind Rhinoceros and others that Minor league baseball banned tobacco years ago. I enjoy MiLB because for the most part, the players seem to be enjoying the game and putting forth an effort long gone in MLB. They also lack the pseudo-superior attitude that many MLB players have. And besides being affordable, for someone as frugal as myself, they finish up their seasons by September.
Most pro sports have changed over the recent years. Yes, it is all about business and marketing. Sports purists like some of us do not approve, but we must remember, in the end, it is good old American capitalism at work, and all about making money. And it is hard for me to find fault in the American way, even when it means offering a product which I choose not to purchase.
most American sports leagues are anything but capitalism. The NFL is a socialist enterprise with all teams sharing revenue and teams denied autonomy to negotiate their own TV contracts and sponsors.
MLB is pretty much the only American sports league that has club autonomy. MLB teams can negotiate their own TV deals and get to keep the money rather than having to share it with the rest of the league.
Things are only going to get worse in all major sports, except maybe hockey. Blame technology. We've raised a new generation that is more focused on texting and Instagram from their seats than watching the sport, coupled with fantasy leagues. There's no attention span, nor appreciation for strategies, subtlety or nuance. It's all about the Tweetable moments, the highlights and trashtalk. At some point the dunk contest and HR derby will become more important that the NBA championship or World Series.
I dislike how these wussy starting pitchers nowdays can't go more than 90-110 pitches before they're yanked out. Leave them in there and give us more CGs!! These relief pitchers, or "specialists" or whatever are so erratic and unreliable. They have but one little job to do: get 3 outs, or sometimes even only 1 batter, and yet they can't consistently do that. I wish the starters could just be men and go the distance and spare us of that BS. It seems its really hard to find consistent quality starting or relief pitchers in today's game. Even many of the best starters are only good for a handful of seasons before they have an injury (Webb, Mulder, Santana, etc) or flame out (Lincecum, Zito, etc).
Last edited by fightforlove; 04-30-2013 at 10:14 AM..
There's an article in this months ESPN Magazine that argues that Bud Selig saved baseball. I think the opposite is true. I think Bud Selig has pretty much ruined baseball.
what's he done that is so bad?
1. inter-league play has ruined the baseball season. No more balanced schedules, NL teams unprepared for DH role, and most importantly it has cheapened the allure of the World Series where NL and AL teams would otherwise rarely face each other in meaningful competition.
2. all-star game winner WS home field advantage. This needs no added commentary. It's a joke.
3. Wild card- I HATED the wild card system when it was put in during the 90's and I hate it even more now. When i was a kid baseball was special. Four teams made the playoffs and all four of these teams were great teams. Now 10 teams make the playoffs. Might as well just go the NBA route and make the regular season pointless and just let half the league in.
Baseball has always been about tradition and linking the past to the present. To me too much has changed for this to be possible. The whole narrative of baseball has changed.
Will i watch baseball this year? Now and then. But they lost me as a die-hard fan awhile ago.
I could not agree more with your points. This is baseball for the ADD generation. It used to be special when these two teams would meet in the world series now?? They ve probably already seen each other 6 times in the regular season who cares? And why did the Astros and Brewers switch leagues? NOTHING has been worse for baseball then Selig.
I dislike how these wussy starting pitchers nowdays can't go more than 90-110 pitches before they're yanked out. Leave them in there and give us more CGs!! These relief pitchers, or "specialists" or whatever are so erratic and unreliable. They have but one little job to do: get 3 outs, or sometimes even only 1 batter, and yet they can't consistently do that. I wish the starters could just be men and go the distance and spare us of that BS. It seems its really hard to find consistent quality starting or relief pitchers in today's game. Even many of the best starters are only good for a handful of seasons before they have an injury (Webb, Mulder, Santana, etc) or flame out (Lincecum, Zito, etc).
They are not wussy pitchers, LOL. Today's starting pitchers throw harder then in any other time period and have more pitches to their arsenals, which of course means more strain on the arm. That is why they are held to a pitch count.
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