Fixing Major League Baseball

America's pastime Major League Baseball (MLB) is in trouble- how you say? They are losing younger fans and alienating their current fans. The World Series begins routinely at 8 pm and often goes beyond midnight, and the fastest game this year was 3 hours and 25 minutes, and that was considered a GOOD pace?!?!?! There has not been a meaningful positive story in the media with staying power since quite possibily Jon Lester's return and fight with cancer. No seriously- the most positive stories since then have been Bhurele's perfect game, the world champions, both don't have staying power. Umpires have been called out for terrible calls that could be fixed by replay, this happened twice in the postseason, and then had a third news story about having good umpires only. Frankly it is embarrassing, as an umpire and as a fan. Here is my solution to fix baseball and make it more fun for the fans:

1. Bring in Replay:

not full replay, but replay for everything except strikes and balls. Here is how it would work, each coach would get one challenge for every pitcher they bring into the game. To avoid abuse, once a pitch is thrown that pitcher is one with the challenge. Example would be, if I had Roy Halladay on the mound, and had used my challenge, when Halladay makes a pitch, the resulting play is a close play at first with two outs and allows a run to score on the safe call, I cannot challenge the play, even if I take Roy out of the game before the next pitch.

2. Allow a 2nd Wildcard team into the playoffs

As a Braves fan, I have seen the Wildcard screw a division champ, here is how: In 2004 I think, Houston won the wildcard, and Atlanta had wrapped up it's division in mid September and got set their rotation. Houston won the wildcard on the last day of the year, and had to use their aces to get their, so instead of starting with their #3 pitcher, as they would have had too with a Tuesday start, the series started on Wednesday and Houston brought in their ace on short rest and won. There was no advantage for the division winning Braves.

So I would employ either of these two systems: Rank all teams 1-5, have 4 vs. 5 in a best of 3 play in series, then the winner plays #1 while #2 vs. #3 in a best of 7, winners advance as normal. The other system, rank the division champions 1-3, then have the wildcards face each other in a best of 3 play in series, with the winner playing division champ #1, while the other two champs play each other in a best of 7, winners advance as normal.

3. Speed up the game

Enforce time rules for pitches, or put an actual pitch clock starting at 10 seconds and if the pitcher causes a delay, call a ball, if the batter causes a delay, call a strike. The clock can start when the pitcher comes in contact with the pitchers plate.

Take off one minute for every inning break, that still allows 90 seconds between each inning and takes off 18 minutes from the game.

Force Andy Pettite to retire............no seriously

4. Fix the National TV Broadcasts

ESPN and FOX currently hold the MLB Broadcasting rights, ESPN does a great job during the week, but Sunday Night Baseball could use a bump up to 7:30 pm starts, and FOX has afternoon games on Saturdays which just seem to drag on. FOX could use some new broadcasters, goodbye Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, and they could use some new teams to break into their schedule. TBS has a Sunday Afternoon package, which is not available in Canada...no comment.

How would I fix it? Get some good broadcasters bring back Bob Costas on a National scene and bring in all 30 teams to the mix and allow networks to flex their schedule to get meaningful games in the late season.

5. Shoten the Season and Balance the Schedule

If we remove interleague from the schedule, the MLB season will be 144 games, and could finish by Labour Day, and the playoffs could be wrapped up before November. Balance the schedule, when you have the wildcards, the division means a lot, if you are in a tough division it is harder to get wins and it affects the playoff race.

6. Bring back Doubleheaders

Saturdays should be doubleheader day and that would shorten the schedule as well, and bring back value to the fans.

7. Bring back World Series Day Games

Odd concept but on Saturday, have an afternoon start, maybe even sunday, or at least a 4:30 pm start. Could be tough with FOX as the broadcaster and the NFL, but it would be a great feast for the fans of both the NFL and MLB.

8. Pay players less

One of the big problems is an image problem because of the multi million dollar salaries, which are HUGE, I mean A-Rod makes $25 million a year, it is too much and sheds a bad light on baseball. At the very least, don't disclose it.

9. Treat all teams like winners

The tv schedule promotes about 10 teams, show all the teams, make the fans happy.

10. Treat the All Star like an exhibition

It is an exhibition, treat it as such, no more of this World Series homefield nonsense, save that for the team with the BEST record.

There is more, but I will save that for another day, have a great day.