Fixing Baseball

Baseball has long been one of my favorite sports, but it's fallen on hard times lately. Not money-wise, mind you, because MLB is awash in cash from regional sports networks. No, it's lost social currency. It's really only relevant in October, and maybe in April when the excitement of opening day captures the nation.

There are a lot of theories why, but the most commonly held belief is that the games are too long. So MLB has been experimenting with a lot of different tweaks, such as pitch clocks and no pitch intentional walks. These have shaved some time off of games (pitch clocks are only in minor league games), but not significantly.

I don't believe the length of games is what's hurting the game of baseball. I think it's lack of action. People have shorter attention spans than ever, and if something isn't happening, if there's no urgency, they'll tune out. So my fixes for baseball don't involve changing the length of the games. They make sure things are happening on the field. Here they are:

Shorten the season. Not by much. Just go back to 154 games. Start the season a little later, after the NCAA basketball tournament is over. MLB would own the sports headlines for a week. It gives the season a little more urgency, and the players a few more days off. More time off means healthier players, which means we get to see the stars we want to watch play more.

Continue juicing the baseballs. Sure, MLB denies they're doing this. But the evidence would suggest otherwise. And that's fine. I want to see more home runs. Home runs are fun. They're one of the most exciting plays in sports. There's nothing like the sound of the ball coming off the bat, the crowd beginning to roar, the ball disappearing into a crowd of jumping fans. It's a blast. And home runs can change games instantly. That's what you want. That's what the people want. Give the people what they want.

Shrink the strike zone. Calling the zone tighter will result in more base runners, which results in more action on the base paths, which means more entertainment. More base runners makes the game more watchable. I once went to a Rangers-White Sox game and Chris Sale was pitching. There were about six total base runners the whole game. It was the most boring three hours I've ever spent. If hadn't gorged myself with hot dogs the entire time it would have been miserable.

Create a safe zone for lead offs. This one sounds crazy, but hear me out. Create a zone within three to four feet from the bases. If a base runner stays in this zone, the pitcher cannot attempt a pick off throw. If the runner takes a lead outside that zone, pick off throws are allowed.

This would encourage more attempted steals, which are always exciting. Again, this gets action happening on the field. This is kind of crazy, but I think it's worth experimenting with in the minor leagues.

Design more weird fields. I think I'm in the minority, but I was disappointed when the Astros got rid of the hill in their center field. I understand it was sort of dangerous, but man, that was fun. We're going to look back on that in a few years and remember it with nostalgic glee. Have you ever seen a photo of Polo Grounds? That looks amazing, and I'd kill to see a game at a park like it. Unique playing fields are something you will only find in baseball. Football and basketball are confined to the exact same dimensions every time. Take that advantage to the extreme, MLB, and design some funky fields.

These are my suggestions. Comment below if you have any.