Commissioner for a Year

[Raleigh504]

I feel most people can agree that Manfred hasn't been the best commissioner for MLB from the fans perspective. There are things that he could do to make the game better for the fans. Granted the pitch clock has been successful with the pace of play vs having guys take 1-2 mins between each pitch to adjust themselves.

If you were commissioner for a year, what are some of the things that you would implement, improve, and/or change to help the game grow?

[Raleigh504]

A few things:

- Get rid of the TV blackout so MLBTV can be viewed by everyone and every game
- Have a tiered salary floor based on record, attendance, city demographics. If not met then no revenue sharing for the team (or at least penalized)
- Expansion to 32 teams, and then do 4 divisions of 4 teams within the AL/NL with 2 wildcard teams. Top 2 division records get a bye like it is now
- Change when drafted players are able to hit free agency so teams can't manipulate their clock. High school kid get 10 years before being a FA and a college player is 6-8 years depending on age/year they are drafted (Sr/Jr/So).

[JMStang]

Robo umpires or the ball strike challenges like what the minor leagues have.


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[Triple B]

An anti-tanking draft lottery system where the bottom 10 teams are tracked in a draft division where their performance determines draft standings. The team with the best record at the end of the season gets the 1st Overall Pick, second best team gets second overall and so on. Not teams resting stars or tanking to get better odds.

[bub838]

Lifting blackouts is the first thing I’d do.

[jplarson]

1. End TV blackouts
2. Another robot umpire trial
3. Remove service time shenanigans
4. Reinstate Pete Rose
5. Allow in field shifts to a lesser degree (define zones that fielders are allowed to be in)
6. Raise the salary floor
7. Guaranteed contracts only last 5 years, years beyond that they are non-guaranteed. Extensions/renegotiations to extend guarantees ok but always capped at 5 years out from date of the newest deal.
8. Remove all asterisks

[hxcmilkshake]

Make that idiot in Oakland fix his rathole of a stadium, make them stay in Oakland and move forward with the Howard Terminal project.

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[fulltritty]

1) Get rid of TV blackouts.
2) Implement the ABS system for balls and strikes 100%. No challenge system, just use it for every pitch.
3) Get rid of the ghost runner on 2nd in extra innings.
4) Get rid of the throw over limit to hold runners on.
5) Ban advertisements on uniforms/helmets.
6) Go back to no interleague play during the regular season; World Series only.

[Twalk1975]

Cut ties with Fanatics on the apparel thing for sure, and I suppose their trading card exclusivity as well

[itsbaytime]

1A, B and C would be a proper salary cap like the NBA and NFL.

[Handsome Wes]

I know that baseball can benefit from a lot of small changes, no question about that. And honestly, I think that Manfred would be in favor of so many of those changes.

Manfred's problem, really, is that he just doesn't seem to love the game. It doesn't seem as if he's interested in growing the game, either. He's making lucrative deals, for sure - but that usually has the trickle-down effect of making things more expensive for fans (see exclusive deals with Fanatics, etc., putting more games on streaming services).

But back to the "love of the game" aspect - there's nothing about what Manfred does that seems exclusive to baseball. He could be the commissioner of the NBA, or NHL, or even the CEO of a regional office supply company, and not one thing about his management would change.

So what would I do as a commissioner? I would try to exude love for the game. I would market the players. I wouldn't slash 1/4th of minor league franchises. I would want to crackdown on cheapskate owners who are alienating fans by refusing to field competitive teams.

I mean, honestly, what's really a greater threat to the long-term success of the game: the lack of a limit on pick-off moves --- or John Fisher telling Oakland fans to buzz off? Jerry Reinsdorf in Chicago nuking the White Sox? The owner in Cincinnati saying he doesn't care about fan opinions? John Henry in Boston ordering the trade of a generational superstar to save a few bucks?

Of course, that stance is exactly why I'll never be commissioner.

[Handsome Wes]

Originally Posted by itsbaytime

1A, B and C would be a proper salary cap like the NBA and NFL.

Nah. The issue isn't the lack of a cap, it's the lack of a payroll floor.

[StlBen]

I feel like some of you think the comissioner of baseball has some crazy powers that he doesn't.
He can only make changes that are approved by the owners. These owners aren't going to vote to make wage changes if they don't have to.
He can't just cancel tv contracts that are already in place.
MLB Teams & Players own 10% of Fanatics, they are not going to cut ties with a company they put the money into growing.

But sure he could reinstate Pete....but Pete doesn't even really want that.

[Bob Ross]

I'd force Mark Cuban to buy the Pirates.

[JRX]

Originally Posted by StlBen

I feel like some of you think the comissioner of baseball has some crazy powers that he doesn't.
He can only make changes that are approved by the owners. These owners aren't going to vote to make wage changes if they don't have to.
He can't just cancel tv contracts that are already in place.
MLB Teams & Players own 10% of Fanatics, they are not going to cut ties with a company they put the money into growing.

But sure he could reinstate Pete....but Pete doesn't even really want that.

His job is to make the owners money, that's it.

[theshowandme]

Remove the strike zone outline box from
tv broadcasts

[StlBen]

Originally Posted by JRX

His job is to make the owners money, that's it.

Exactly and all these things proposed either cost them money or he has no control over....

But sure if I was the comissioner for year I would abolish war worldwide. Because he is an all powerful genie.

[mfw13]

Depends....are we operating under the assumption that the players union will automatically agree with everything I propose?

1) Contract the A's & Rays and go back to 28 teams.

2) Since there is no longer any meaningful difference between the AL & NL, have one 28-team league, with each team playing every other team six times (27 x 6 = 162)

3) Top seven teams (i.e. 25%) makes the playoffs....#1 overall seed gets 1st round bye....2/7, 3/6, 4/5 play three-game series at home of higher seed. Championship Series and World Series become best-of-nine.

4) Mandate that starters must complete five innings, throw 100 pitches, or give up four earned runs before they can be removed from the game.

5) Limit teams to using four pitchers per game, and allow teams to keep no more than 12 pitchers on their roster.

[THE(NEXT)LEVEL]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

I'd force Mark Cuban to buy the Pirates.

^^^^THIS!!!!!! or Anyone!!!!!

[Gatorsmld]

1. no more time clock
2. no more ghost runners

[JoshMN]

I'd juice the balls.

If you want to grow the game, just juice the balls. It's worked a couple times before. Maybe someone worth respecting will get to 74.

[Trueblue]

Get rid of gambling ads. Incredibly inappropriate.

[mrmojorisin71]

I would eliminate the mound disengaging rule. It’s changed the meaning of the stolen base and the narrative of the media hasn’t acknowledged it, rather guzzle down Shohei, Elly and Acuna.

[Gatorsmld]

Originally Posted by Trueblue

Get rid of gambling ads. Incredibly inappropriate.

Agreed! I saw on some poker show where they offer gamblers "help" with their issues. Ummmm.......

[STLtoMN]

Originally Posted by jplarson

4. Reinstate Pete Rose