3 Changes That Will Upset Some Fans During the 2020 Season

Either go universal DH or no DH at all. I am totally against expanded playoffs and neutral site World Series in principle. However, I will take what I can get this season. Anything to make MLB more like the NFL is a loss for MLB so I would hope the neutral site World Series would be a one-time deal.

Dump the DH.

I consider myself a baseball traditionalist, yet I think the DH should be implemented throughout MLB. There are simply too many terrible hitting pitchers and unnecessary pitching changes in the NL. As for other rule changes, I'll accept any for this season so we can have one.

I know it’s not exciting to watch pitchers hit early in a game, but it is interesting to watch the moves made by managers after the 6th inning. It also makes the manager, the bench players and middle relievers more important. It’s just simply a different game. One which personally I prefer. While the DH rule probably improves the offense, the NFL could do the same by making one cornerback position be manned by an offensive tackle. . Just because you can mandate rule changes, doesn’t mean they improve the game. 

I am ok with DH or no DH.   I like the 3 batter minimum for relievers.   This is a good time to trot out the automated strike zone.    

Universal DH, yes.  No to the others in the future, however, this year needs to be an exception.

I would really like to see MLB expand to 32 teams so there isn't the need to have all the inter league play.  Maybe keep it at 6 games so teams can play their cross town rivals.  That gets two series a year for the Mets vs. Yankees, Cubs and Sox, Reds and Indians, Dodgers and Angels, etc.  Twins would play the Brewers, which is always a good time for lots of fans.  Yes, there are some rivalries that really aren't, but for the most part this is fun for the fans.

IMO the game should determined by the fans not by those who want to push their agenda. Some change is good, I`m open for a electronic ump. I`m open for 3 leagues but how are they equitably determine the ones to be in the WS?

I am one of those people who would not have DHs in the HOF so I do not care if the rule survives or goes.  

That's interesting. It kind of supports my dislike of the DH rule. I wonder if other people feel that a player who is considered a DH is somehow not really HOF worthy? Seems rather contrary that you would create a "new" position for players to play, and by playing that position said player isn't really a "Baseball Player" and not to be considered for enshrinement, even if he is the best at it. At best it was a contrived rule to keep some slow, aging "greats" in the game longer, thus maintaining/increasing fan interest/revenue. But they just created a weaker variety of baseball in my opinion. Sure ,watching a pitcher hit is sometimes futile and painful, but it's also entertaining too. A good hitting pitcher has an advantage, and the variety of strategic options makes the game more interesting.

Years ago I created the "Free Hitter" concept as a way to eliminate the DH but keep the idea somewhat. I tried, but it seems to not have gotten any further than a Baseball Weekly article. Pitchers hit, and a team has one opportunity per game to us a "Free Hitter", a pinch hitter who can bat and the player he hits for can stay in the game. We use it some when playing table top baseball games and its' pretty cool. You can have a bat-first bench player who effectively can bat twice in a game, once as a Free Hitter and once as a pinch hitter, both strategically placed. If he did this all year, thats 324 plate appearances and probably mostly at opportune moments. How many DH's get more?

Let’s make some other positions defense-only while we’re at it too. Catchers as a whole are pretty bad at hitting, plus imagine the pace of play improvements when they never have to take off their gear!

Or maybe Manfred can get us wholly separate offensive and defensive lineups for each team.

Futile hitting pitcher in Twins history: Dean Chance. Batted .066 and struck out over half the time. It's funny because he pitched at the same time as Jim Kaat (.185, 16 career HRs) and Jim Perry (.199), both really good hitters, for pitchers that is. And they could bunt.

I want a complete player or the HOF should be the hitters memorial.  

OK, no DH's. This also rules out good hitters from the pre-DH era who were poor fielders. And good hitters who were good fielders but poor baserunners. And good hitters who were good fielders and good baserunners but poor pitchers. That leaves only players who were good pitchers, good hitters, good fielders, and good baserunners. In other words, only Babe Ruth.

Years ago Dusty Baker was asked if he favored the DH. He said he liked it the way it is, pitchers hitting in 1 league, but the DH in the other.

Me, too.

I wish the Twins had had a shot at Bumgarner this off-season. But he likes hitting, which I believe factored into his staying in the NL. 

Football is a cookie cutter sport. They have rules for how high you wear your socks. Everything made uniform. In baseball, the outfield walls vary. There's more variety. The individual is emphasized. A guy stand alone in the batters box.

Fine for the universal DH in this coronavirus year, but I wish they'd go back to how it was from '73 to 2019 next year.

If we're going to change anything, bring on the automated strike zone.

Remember how teams that wanted to slow Maury Wills down would drench the basepath at first base?

How teams with older, veteran infielders might let the infield grass grow a bit longer to slow down ground balls, or would leave the dirt hard at home plate to improve the bounce if they had hitters who can bunt?

Those are great *baseball* stories. Baseball doesn't need to be uniform. Don't even get me started on Bill Veeck putting a minor league outfield wall on wheels and moving it in when his team came up to hit ...

I can see why they would want to make these changes for a drastically shortened season.This year should be the outlier, and no new rule changes kept for later years.

Just get on the field and play. 

You could use a whiffle ball for all I care. (kidding.... sorta...)

I had no idea that I would miss baseball this much.

The DH is not a real position.  While I admit it is painful to watch some pitchers hit, it is part of the game and strategy.  It also speeds up the game.  More chance for the out!

Expanded playoffs.  This is a tough one.  Too expanded and the regular season means nothing.  The NBA is ridiculous with the amount of teams.  Unless you are the Timberwolves it is hard to understand how you CAN'T make the playoffs.  They need to figure out how to make the season NOT go into November though.  Watching baseball with a parka on is just not right.  Especially when it is the players wearing them!

Neutral site World Series.   NO WAY!  This is part of the magic of baseball.  Parks are vastly different.  You build your team for your park.  As with football it is an unfair advantage when a random team just "happens" to play close to home.  The Rose Bowl in college football was a good example.  Pac-12 was basically the home team sine the Big10 had to travel so far.  Unfair advantage.

I've never understood people who oppose the DH because they think it's ridiculous that a pitcher not be required to hit, but don't think it's ridiculous that hitters aren't required to pitch.

In fact, if the concept behind baseball is that there are three separate aspects to the game (hitting, pitching, and fielding), shouldn't each spot in the lineup be required to do all 3?

Dump the DH.

I agree, I'm not a huge fan of DH, but I have loved watching Chili Davis, Thome, Cruz, Molitor.

I would dump DH for all interleague competition and WS because I think it's a competitive advantage - DH for those NL teams is their 9th best hitter.

 

In fact, if the concept behind baseball is that there are three separate aspects to the game (hitting, pitching, and fielding), shouldn't each spot in the lineup be required to do all 3?

Actually, there are four aspects to baseball. Baserunning is the fourth.

My biggest fear is that Manfred will decide he likes some of these changes and they will end up permanent.

I do not want realignment.

I do not want expanded playoffs.

I don't even want interleague play, multiple divisions, or the last two rounds of expansion.

Basically, I just want everything to go back to how it was when I was 10.

Green Bay in January is magical and glorious! There are few experiences like it, and even Viking fans should experience it.

That being said, I think a neutral site WS is the only way to keep the players safe. Air travel is so dangerous, it must be mitigated every step of a season and post season.

Well, this makes the first time I have ever saw Green Bay, magical, and glorious in one place, let alone one sentence! I have been in Green Bay, in January, in March, in July, and in November. Magical and glorious did not come to mind......  but Bloomington and Waite Park did.