Possible MLB Rule Changes: Universal DH? Roster size? Anti-tanking?

Universal DH? No. (Baseball has an incredible distinction in that the disparate leagues play by different rules).

 

20-second clock? Yes. (Sorry neurotic weirdos that needs to lick the bottom of their cleat before throwing to home).

 

Roster size? Why the heck not? (More is better. This would mean ASTUDILLO).

 

Anti-tanking? Um, how? (Baseball is one of the few sports that the fanbase can sustain engagement by interest in what's coming next. I know, as I've huffed fumes on Sano/Buxton for the better part of decade).

Edited February 6, 2019 by PseudoSABR

a one-time-per-at-bat limit for adjusting batting gloves. do it a second time and you're outta the game.

 

Universal DH yes

Three batter minimum? Ridiculous

Pitch clock? No brainer

 

Agreed! (The three batter minimum would affect the game in very annoying ways...)

The anti tanking rule would be really a pain to enforce. Some teams aren't really tanking, they are simply incompetent over lenghtly periods of time. (no names will be mentioned to protect the incompetent). A note to remember. MLB is a franchise, not dissimilar to McDonald's. All the teams (Restuarants) want to win more games (sell more burgers) than the others, but are also required to follow the rule of the franchise. This doesn't increase competition, it impedes it. In a truly competitive environment, parity would be a dirty word. Most major league sports are operated for the franchises benefit, not the benefit of a particular franchisee.

Hate the three batter minimum idea, it takes much away from the strategy of the game.

Universal DH - No l like the differences in the leagues, if they want to do this put it in after the next CBA.

Pitch clock - Sorry it has come to this, but yes it is needed.

Roster size - 26 maybe even 27.  Would put more strategy in the game - put you would probably have to limit the number of pitchers on the club, otherwise I can see teams just using the extra roster spot for another pitching specialist.

anti - tanking  almost impossible to enforce.  Something needs to be addressed in the next CBA - probably for balance will have to be a hard cap with a hard minimum spend - even if only a percentage of total revenue.  Owners should not be allowed just to pocket the money and let the team lose.  

I think that everyone can agree on moving the roster from 25 to 26.  If MLB is proposing it I don't see how the MLBPA would oppose more players making major league money.  Moving the September roster from 40 to 28, no thank you, I love September call-ups.

 

Universal DH, although I am against the DH in a purist sort of way, its gonna happen at some point, so why not sooner than later, just rip the band-aid off.  But 2019 can not happen as NL teams will need to be able to plan for it, so 2020 would work.

 

Three batter minimum, while great in theory, I would worry about it in actual practice.

 

20 second pitch clock to me is a no brainer, as others have stated, just do it.

 

Mound visits, going less than 5 to me isn't good, lets not get too into making changes.

 

Again, although in theory, anti-tanking rules would be a good thing, in actual practice I'm not sure how it would actually work out, so I'd stay away from this one, but you could set a minimum amount that each club would need to spend on player payroll, this could help out and the MLBPA should be on board for that.

Why not do what the other leagues do with roster size? Set an arbitrary roster size (let's say it's 28) and then each game there's a list of inactive players, healthy scratches, whatever you want to call them.

 

DH, I can go either way on this one. But if they don't go universal, mix it up with interleague play and play NL rules in AL parks and vice versa.

 

Pitch clock, definitely. 

 

Anti-tanking, good in theory, but would be really difficult to prove and enforce. Some teams, despite their best efforts, are just really bad.

Completely against universal DH. I don't like the idea of the game becoming that homogenized.

 

That's why baseball has "ground rules."

 

Baseball is a very subtle game and incredibly difficult to play, from what I can tell. (never played, just somewhat of a student of the game) 

 

I honestly don't know how one draws in more fans. It used to be a day at the ballpark was a way for people to decompress, sit back, enjoy the game, and forget about the outside world.

 

These days, I suspect people are just too busy to want to take time out of their lives to watch baseball.

 

I don't know if it's due to a dynamic that's changed in the American psyche or what. Of course, if I could answer that question I would probably be working in baseball promotions somewhere.

 

I think changing baseball to draw in new fans risks alienating existing fans.

 

Glad I'm not the one making those decisions.

• Yes to a clock.

Yes to the 26 man roster. Limit pitchers to 13 spots. With the dominance of RP in the modern game, teams need a bat first hitter on the bench. These are the types of hitters that aren't getting contracts or are getting paid very little. For rebuilding teams, the extra spot means room for another prospect.

Meh to the universal DH. I'll love the game either way.

Yes to Cody's proposal on mound visits.

Yes to changes to the payroll system. Higher minimum wages for first three years, FA at 28 or 29 years old or six years in MLB, whichever comes first. Spending floor of some sort? Maybe reduce tax rate on multiple years of high payroll? I have no idea what is the best solution but there needs to be change.

Universal DH has been a long-time coming, particularly with the move to three five-team divisions within each league, necessitating in at least one inter-league series at all times. I'm not sure how often this scenario has played itself out, but imagine a contending team - say, the Twins - is in the hunt for another Wild Card slot, and their last series of the year is an away series against an NL team. That would mean they'd either have to bat without their DH in the line-up (for argument's sake, let's say it's still Nelson Cruz, and that he's had an amazing, MVP-caliber year) or they'd have to pull Max Kepler (again, argument's sake: he's played Gold Glove defense all year) to get Cruz's bat in the line-up, leaving a huge hole in the outfield. Not even mentioning that then the AL team is relying on getting some offense from pitchers who swing the bat 5-10 times a year at most. 

 

Some will argue that's where a manager's strengths in strategy come into play; I argue that it's handcuffing a team by taking away potentially the most important pieces that got them to this point in the season. You don't have that in any other sport. Peyton Manning doesn't get to the post-season only to be told "Over here quarterbacks have to kick their own extra points." Lebron James never has to adjust his approach because 1/5 of the season free throws must be made from half-court. And, because I believe in the comedy Rule of Threes, Zach Parise has never had to make the switch from hockey stick to cricket bat during a crucial late-season run.

 

(For the record, this scenario won't happen to the Twins this year, as their last road-series again an NL team is vs. Milwaukee August 13-14.)

Big Problem with No DH - When the good pitcher must bat early in a game to continue pitching, but buzzkills that inning with runners on base.

Biggest problems with the DH - reduces strategy, especially in later innings.   And extends many innings when no runners are on base  (causing games to be longer).  

 

Solution?  The Strategic DH Rule-

1. Each team, prior to the game, DESIGNATES one bench player to be its DH.

2.  The DH can be  used in the ninth batter spot once during in the first 6 innings.    The batter in that spot (presumably the pitcher) will be allowed to remain in the game.

3.  Nine at-bats after the DH has been used in those first 6 innings, or if the DH has not taken that at-bat within the first six innings - then the DH may be used in the 8th inning and beyond like any other bench player (in the field, as a pinch hitter/runner, etc.)

 

(Why no use in the 7th inning?   In order to encourage managers to delay use of the DH until the optimal time offensively in the first 6 innings - it would be boring if analytics somehow encouraged managers to use the Strategic DH always at the first opportunity) -

 

This rule adds strategy to the game regarding when and how to use the DH.   It reduces the number of rally-killing at-bats by pitchers   It provides a place for the late  in career Jim Thome types that fans would love to see bat once or twice in a game. Before you hate on this, think of how to tweak it.    It's all about reducing boring pitcher at-bats in early innings, while increasing  managerial strategy (hopefully in an way that is analytics-proof).. 

I don't like any of them.  DH and expanding roster size to 26 are the most tolerable. 

 

Sacrificing strategy for pace of play doesn't do it for me.  If the coach or catcher want to spend 15-30 seconds to plan the best course with the pitcher, let them.  If the game is on the line and you think one pitcher against this one batter is the best chance to win then let them pitch to just the one batter.  A lot of people get mad about a batter adjusting his gloves or walking around in between pitches but they are thinking about a lot more than their gloves, same goes for the pitcher.  I don't like the idea of a mindless game where they are focused on beating the pitch clock instead of the batter.  I doubt the minimal impact on pace these changes have would impact anyone's decision to watch the game or not anyway.

 

Limiting roster size to 28 in Sept is dumb too.  Teams out of contention should be allowed to play prospects. 

Maybe the sides can come up with a plan to make salary work for all teams.  I just dislike the Miami main owner, who has done this in other sports, buy the team, make good money for 5 - 10 years and then sell at a huge profit (usually be threatening to sell to a buyer who would move the club to drive up the local price). This same thing is going to happen here in Tampa (where I winter), if they cannot resolve the stadium issue.  Making owners spend money to a minimum floor will at least fix some of the issues as far as player salaries go, but the playing field must be close to level.

As other people have said if they expand the roster size to 26 then they have to limit the number of pitchers allowed. 13 pitcher and 13 hitters otherwise there will be more specialists, more pitching changes, less offense and longer games.