Allan Huber “Bud” Selig has just completed his twentieth season as Commissioner of Major League Baseball. I am here to tell him that the league itself needs a face lift! No longer do I want to sit and watch the game I love “commished” by the likes of a PUPPET! Mr. Selig, you are a former owner, so it’s fitting that your interest only favors the other 30 owners. The game has passed you by and there have been numerous times when baseball fans across the country were in dismay with some of the decisions made in your long tenure as commissioner. I believe it is time that I take the initiative in helping “Bud”pack up his rubbish and exit stage left! Major League Baseball needs to make a change, to find their own Roger Goodell, and his name is LeRoy McConnell III. If I were Commissioner for only a day, here are my top ten changes that would benefit Major League Baseball.
10. Baseball Salary Cap
First off, there will be no CONTRACTING TEAMS. Everyone gets to keep their jobs! Baseball isn’t watered down, we just have frugal owners who have no business owning a professional team (not referring to the Oakland A’s). The New York Yankees led the Major Leagues in team payroll with a little under $200 million in salaries. The Oakland A’s payroll was around $55 million and they both made the playoffs. The myth of spending money does not guarantee you a World Series championship; but it is important that each franchise put a competitive team on the field. So I am implementing a cap that each team must spend a minimum of $100 million dollars. Guys, we are in the 21st century. A $100 million dollar payroll should guarantee that each team has a franchise player or two that a team can build around. If an organization does not meet the minimum $100 million requirement, then they will be fined and pay the difference to make up the $100 million. Example… If they spend $60 million, then they owe the league $40 million to make up the difference. No more fattening of the owners pockets while fans have to watch Double A baseball for 81 nights a year.
9. All Star Game – This Time It Counts! Really?
The home-field advantage for the World Series each year goes to the league that wins the all-star game. Sorry “BUD”, this is BULL$#@T! I do have to give you credit on one aspect. If you want fans talking about your sport, you have done an excellent job of getting ESPN, newspapers, and sports talk radio conversing about your product. Fans have complained about this issue as much as getting a playoff series in college football. Thank Melky Cabrera, the MVP of the 2012 All-Star game and P.E.D user, for getting the home field advantage to the National League. NO MORE HOME FIELD advantage for the World Series! It is an exhibition game and that’s all. The winner of the All-Star Games gets an “ATTA BOY!”
As the new Commissioner, I suggest we stop worrying about tradition. It will be fun to see an All-Star Game that showcases American-born players versus All-World-born players. Another suggestion would be to let the player in each league that LEADS in popularity votes pick their own team. This would allow ball players to play with the opposite league. It sounds wacky but remember it is an exhibition.
8. Move The Season Back To 154 Games
1961 was the first year Major League Baseball adopted a 162 game season. The reason for adding the eight games was expansion. Really, we have expanded four additional times since the ’90’s and there were no additions there. Don’t believe the hype, it is all about money. Omitting eight games from an already long season will never happen, especially when there is money involved, but it will make the remaining 154 games that more important. If you are so worried about tradition, then consider the 154 games. It didn’t hurt the stats of a Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, or a Willie Mays.
7. Wild Card Playoff
“BUD”, you almost got this one right. Smart move on the Wild Card playoffs. I believe it brought excitement to the sport but a one game “winner take all” in baseball does not work for me. This is not March Madness. As the new Commissioner, I’d implement Wild Card series that involves the best of 3.
6. Home run derby
Lets go back to the 2008 All-Star Home Run Derby in Yankee Stadium, when Josh Hamilton hits an unbelievable 28 home runs in the first round, only to finish second to Justin Morneau’s 22 home runs in two rounds. Josh lost because he only hit 4 homers to Morneau’s 9 in round two. America, you do the math. The winner of the home run derby goes to the player who hits the most home runs. That should settle all the confusion there.
5. Inter-league squad games
“BUD”, I appreciate you giving the fans inter-league baseball. It was an ingenius idea on your part and it gives us fans a chance to see teams we normally don’t see on a regular basis. I do believe a change or two will make inter-league play a little more interesting. I will implement visitor rules during inter-league games during the regular and post-season. DH’s in National League parks and no DH’s in American League parks. I am represented by an American League team, and I think it would be more enjoyable to see the game played by National League rules. It would be fun to see the American League pitchers bat in front of their home crowds and it would also be a treat to see a designated hitter in the National League stadiums.
4. Instant Replay
Human Element my a$$! Stop it! Stop flirting with the idea of instant replay and implement it already. The game deserves the call to be right. There are times when the naked eye needs a second look, and I don’t see any shame in that. We all remember June 2010, when Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers, was stripped of a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning by first base umpire Jim Joyce. With instant replay, Jim Joyce would have avoided humiliation; while Armando Galarraga would have gotten his well
deserved perfect game and forever have his name in the record book.
As the new Commissioner, I’d implement instant replay. It is important for our gamblers out there and we don’t want a missed call affecting the outcome of the game.
3. League wide double headers
Twice a year Major League Baseball will implement a day/night doubleheader. The first doubleheader will be on Memorial Day and the second one will be an inter-league game on July 4th. This game will be for the fans as they will be charged for the price of a single admission.
2. P.E.D.s
Sorry Bud, you don’t get a pass on STEROIDS. You sat there with a blind eye, knowing that your product was tainted. You and the rest of the Major League owners benefited just as much as the players did, financially. For years, fans enjoyed watching ball players swinging for the fences, putting up video game stats, breaking what used to be sacred records, while you heard the rumblings of cheating in your sport. What did you do about it? NOTHING! Since you allowed this to happen, each professional game played will officially stand in the record books without an asterisk. I don’t want P.E.D.’s in the game, so as commissioner, I am implementing from here on out that if any players get caught using P.E.D.’s, there will be an automatic termination from Major League Baseball for two years. I have also decided that the accused contract will be null and voided. After a two-year ban, the suspended ballplayer can file for reinstatement. Enough with the three strikes and you’re out!
1. Baseball Diamond Dimensions
I have never understood why all of the Major League stadiums have different field dimensions. When you walk into an NBA arena, each court is 94 ft long, the 3-point line is 23 ft and the rim sits at an even 10 ft. When you walk into a NFL stadium, the field is 120 yards long (end zone included) and 53.5 yards wide. How come each baseball stadium dimensions are different? I believe each stadium’s dimensions need to be the same. Why should some ball players get an advantage of hitting a home run out because of a short right or left field and not everyone else? My last implementation as Commissioner of Major League Baseball will be to demand all left fields be measured at 330 ft, centerfields will be 400 ft, and right fields will be 330 ft, across the league.
As Commissioner for a day, I know some of my changes aren’t popular to some, but they are my suggestions. Tell me what YOU would do different?
LeRoy McConnell III of “A Fan’s Point of View”, for War Room Sports
