Commissioner to Look at Ways to Improve Game

[emkayseven]

I think you should get 1 intentional walk per game per team. Not many go over that, so it shouldn't impact it that much. Huge impact on strategy though.

Definitely no to the DH in both leagues. I think the AL should get rid of it if anything.

Only two mound conferences of any kind per inning. If the catcher goes out, then the pitching coach goes out, the third time has to be the manager going out to pull him. If the catcher goes out twice, same deal. Or the pitching coach can go out twice, whatever.

[nc42dad]

The problem with banning intentional walks is that pitchers will just do "unintentional" walks. How can you stop that? We all know when a pitcher is "pitching around" a hitter and not giving him anything to hit. The result is still the same, the guy doesn't get to swing the bat either way.

As for the DH thing...how many #8 hitters get "pitched around" when guys are in scoring position so they can face a pitcher with an .067 BA? Boring. If you get rid of the DH, than do something similar to high school - a "re-entry" rule. (at least for the starting pitcher) You get to pinch hit for the starting pitcher ONCE during a game and still bring him back in. Adds some strategy and would avoid some of that pitching around number 8 hitters to watch a pitcher hit.

[CrimsonCane]

The problem with banning intentional walks is that pitchers will just do "unintentional" walks. How can you stop that? We all know when a pitcher is "pitching around" a hitter and not giving him anything to hit. The result is still the same, the guy doesn't get to swing the bat either way.

I agree. It is mainly the image of the intentional walk that is so troublesome to me. However, I think forcing them to pitch around isn't the worst thing in the world. There is a greater risk when a pitcher has to throw around the batter. (Past balls, leaving it in the strike zone, etc)

The only way around this would be to say that anytime a batter is walked on four consecutive pitches, he is entitled to two bases. I think that may work because it forces a pitcher to go after the hitter at least once in the at-bat. It would also make 3-0 counts a lot more exciting.

[nc42dad]

I hate the intentional walk too. I remember when my kid was in Little League and they used to walk him (11 years old). That really used to piss me off.

To minimize them would be very hard to do IMO. Sometimes these pitchers can't throw a strike period. Your idea is interesting. I've seen scrimmages where if you walk the hitter, they send a guy in from the bench to take his place at first base and leave the hitter in the batter's box for another at bat. Not if they did that, eventually the guy HAS to hit. You wouldn't walk him 5 times!!!!

[BigGameFish]

Limiting throw overs is a horrible idea. Pitchers need to keep runners honest and there is strategy involved with the runner as well, drawing throw overs disrupts the pitcher's flow and changes the AB for the hitter. A big NO for this idea.

-Salary cap
-Get rid of the All-Star game HFA thing
-Expand the first round to 7 games.
-Move the season back so WS games wont be played in freezing weather.
-Less time between playoff games.
-Expanding replay

Never realized how little there is to complain about with the MLB.
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The runner would score. An intentional walk would be akin to a ground rule double.

The purpose of the 2 base rule is more to eliminate intentional walks altogether. (I'd support an all-out ban too) The new rule would increase the level of risk inherent in pitching around the league's best hitters. To me, the intentional walk is just such a cop out strategy. It also deflates the crowd when it's happening because it's probably the least suspenseful thing in baseball, with the exception of warm up throws. Lastly, it's not what the fans want to see. For example, people paid to see Barry Bonds hit home runs, not to see Jeff Kent hit after Barry Bonds got a free pass to first base.

But then you have to define what is an intentional ball. And that is WAY to subjective. If this rule was implemented pitchers will still find ways around the best hitters. Bean balls, or balls way out of the strike zone.

[CrimsonCane]

Limiting throw overs is a horrible idea. Pitchers need to keep runners honest and there is strategy involved with the runner as well, drawing throw overs disrupts the pitcher's flow and changes the AB for the hitter. A big NO for this idea.

The idea wasn't to limit throw overs altogether. It's to assign a cost to throw overs to encourage a more entertaining brand of baseball. Unsuccessful throw overs (after a certain amount) would be chalked up as a ball to the current batter. A pitcher is more than welcome to do it, but it'll come at a cost. If anything this will invite even more strategy from the base runner's perspective. Also, "keeping runners honest" is very boring and slows down the pace of the game especially now where pitchers are doing it with little intention of actually picking off the runner.

But then you have to define what is an intentional ball. And that is WAY to subjective. If this rule was implemented pitchers will still find ways around the best hitters. Bean balls, or balls way out of the strike zone.

Hence the adjustment I made where you get 2 bases anytime the at-bat results in 4 consecutive balls. This forces the pitcher to at least go after the batter once, and creates a greater incentive for pitchers to throw strikes (which leads to better quality at-bats from the spectator's perspective).

[Omar]

To limit intentional walks, you could force the catcher to throw the ball to a base any time he receives a ball standing up (which almost exclusively happens on intentional balls/pitchouts).

[Party]

Limiting throw overs is a horrible idea. Pitchers need to keep runners honest and there is strategy involved with the runner as well, drawing throw overs disrupts the pitcher's flow and changes the AB for the hitter. A big NO for this idea.

-Salary cap
-Get rid of the All-Star game HFA thing
-Expand the first round to 7 games.
-Move the season back so WS games wont be played in freezing weather.
-Less time between playoff games.
-Expanding replay

Never realized how little there is to complain about with the MLB.

It is going to be difficult to move the season back and expand the first round.

I think the DS is fine at 5 games.

What I would do to shorten the season so the World Series doesn't go into late October:

-Eliminate most off days during the LCS and DS. (Down time during the World Series is good for media coverage) -4ish days off the calendar
-Shorten the season to 154 games -8 games off the calendar (unlikely because of the lost revenue)
-Doubleheaders on Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day -3 days off calendar (unlikely unless the MLBPA modifies the current CBA and lost revenue)
-Take two of days that would have been played under the 162 game schedule and make them off days to offset the doubleheaders +2 days to calendar

Total: Schedule shortened by 13 days

World Series would end in mid October

You could play around with eliminating more off days during the play-offs and take the doubleheaders off the schedule.

[Mainge]

I hate the intentional walk too. I remember when my kid was in Little League and they used to walk him (11 years old). That really used to piss me off.

To minimize them would be very hard to do IMO. Sometimes these pitchers can't throw a strike period. Your idea is interesting. I've seen scrimmages where if you walk the hitter, they send a guy in from the bench to take his place at first base and leave the hitter in the batter's box for another at bat. Not if they did that, eventually the guy HAS to hit. You wouldn't walk him 5 times!!!!

This. My own brother was intentionally walked for the first time at 9 years old and has gotten at least one every tournament ever since. He would absolutely love to see the IBB done away with and I would too honestly.

[nc42dad]

9 years old!! Ridiculous. I'm telling you, send a runner out to first and re-start the AB. Probably the only way to stop it. However, baseball fans would probably not buy into it since we are so stat conscience.

[CrimsonCane]

I think that confuses things too much. But, 4 straight balls = 2 bases will end all intentional walks very quickly. It is not rational to essentially gift wrap a ground rule double to any batter in the league regardless of the in-game situation (even for a HGH-fueled Barry Bonds circa 2001). Also, you're not going to intentionally walk someone once you've got him with 1-2 strikes already.

[Swifty]

Am I the only one that doesn't think there need to be any changes, other than maybe allowing for "reviewable" plays that come from the booth rather than from the challenge?

Maybe I'm on board for limited the number of visits a catcher can make in an inning, but it'd have to be a reasonably high number because there is the "professional courtesy" that comes into play when an umpire gets hit and the catcher takes a walk, plus what counts as a visit, the catcher relays the 1st and 3rd signs a decent amount so that is a competitive disadvantage if it's taken away.

I think the game on the field between the chalk is great and needs almost no tweaking, it's what goes on in the ownership suites that needs a massive overhaul, and that just won't happen under Selig.

[Omar]

Reviewable plays are fine imo. We don't need review for plays that are right in front of umpires - human error is going to happen from them just like pitchers are going to throw a flat curve ball and batters will swing through a pitch down the middle of the plate. Boundary calls are only the place where review is ok. It just needs to be timed - if you can't decide in 90 seconds, there isn't irrefutable evidence and it stands.

The strike zone does need to be expanded, though. Hitters stand on the plate and pitchers are barred from throwing inside if one player looks at another in a manner the home plate ump doesn't approve of. Enforcing the strike zone that's actually in the rule book will solve the game time issue, will improve quality of play because it will bring hitting statistics down a bit, and (in my opinion) will make baseball all around more enjoyable.

[Bobbob1313]

The last thing baseball needs is more strikeouts.

[Omar]

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