Biggest issue facing new MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred?

[HammerDown]

What say you?

 

[StarsFan]

I'll go with instant replay, but really it is fixing the stupid "blocking the plate" rule

 

[HammerDown]

I'll go with instant replay, but really it is fixing the stupid "Buster Poser" rule

FIFY

 

[TigerBait1971]

Edit:

my bad...didn't know what board this was....

Hammer should not have told me about the "new posts" feature....

 

[StanMarsh51]

Marketing the game, particularly when it comes to its biggest stars (Trout, Kershaw, McCutchen, Stanton etc).

20 years ago, it seemed that even if someone didn't like baseball, they still knew the big stars (Griffey, Maddux, Bonds, Thomas, etc)....doesn't seem that way today, where many who aren't baseball fans probably know Jeter and not much else.

 

[steveringo]

Better TV ratings...

Shortening the game could help, but as StanMarsh said, better marketing...


I also think they need to bring the game back to black children. I just read an article that said there are fewer black players and they have steadily declined for about 20 years....

I hate to assume there are more blacks in cities, but I think an inner-city ballpark clean-up effort sponsored by MLB would help. Maybe some MLB mini-tournaments for kids, too?

 

[Sportsguy9695]

in my opinion it is the length of game. as big of a fan I am of the game I admit the games take wayy too long. possibly limit the amount of times a batter can step out of the batters box. like they do after every pitch

 

[StanMarsh51]

in my opinion it is the length of game. as big of a fan I am of the game I admit the games take wayy too long. possibly limit the amount of times a batter can step out of the batters box. like they do after every pitch

I read an article not long ago where they proposed two solutions to shorten the game a bit, and they seem reasonable:

1) No warmup pitches when a reliever comes into a game (unless they came in due to an injury to the prior pitcher and didn't have a chance to warmup in the bullpen)

2) There's an actual rule in the rulebook that states that when no one's on base, pitchers must throw the ball within 12 seconds of receiving it, otherwise the ump shall call a ball...this is never enforced, so if they did enforce it, that'll speed pitchers up.

 

[fordman84]

I read an article not long ago where they proposed two solutions to shorten the game a bit, and they seem reasonable:

1) No warmup pitches when a reliever comes into a game (unless they came in due to an injury to the prior pitcher and didn't have a chance to warmup in the bullpen)

2) There's an actual rule in the rulebook that states that when no one's on base, pitchers must throw the ball within 12 seconds of receiving it, otherwise the ump shall call a ball...this is never enforced, so if they did enforce it, that'll speed pitchers up.

or the rule that I think the minors have, or maybe an independent league. If you don't swing the bat, you can't step out of the batters box. No need to step out and readjust your gloves or reset your stance if you didn't move. Step out without swinging, and you get a strike.

 

[obxyankeefan]

Better TV ratings...

Shortening the game could help, but as StanMarsh said, better marketing...


I also think they need to bring the game back to black children. I just read an article that said there are fewer black players and they have steadily declined for about 20 years....

I hate to assume there are more blacks in cities, but I think an inner-city ballpark clean-up effort sponsored by MLB would help. Maybe some MLB mini-tournaments for kids, too?

The RBI program has been doing this for about ten years. The problem is if you are coming out of a poor area are you going to take the instant money of the NBA or NFL, or the three years of riding the bus in the Minors?

 

[navamind]

Better TV ratings...

Shortening the game could help, but as StanMarsh said, better marketing...


I also think they need to bring the game back to black children. I just read an article that said there are fewer black players and they have steadily declined for about 20 years....

I hate to assume there are more blacks in cities, but I think an inner-city ballpark clean-up effort sponsored by MLB would help. Maybe some MLB mini-tournaments for kids, too?

There's plenty of work to be done in terms of national ratings, but MLB's been doing very well as far as regional ratings go.