Nobody gives a fuck about baseball. The sport is currently in a lockout, and nobody has noticed or cared. It’s remarkable how little media attention this potentially momentous situation for baseball has gotten. I recognize that an out-of-season lockout isn’t likely to draw many headlines, but this was once America’s headline sport. (Not that anyone even pretends that’s true anymore.) Even the potential for a delayed start to spring training would once have been national news. And this indifference reflects a broader collapse in regard for MLB.

I'm telling ya, and people scoff, but dropping the schedule to 120 and truly making it a summer game would be the bestest medicine they could come up with.

I'm telling ya, and people scoff, but dropping the schedule to 120 and truly making it a summer game would be the bestest medicine they could come up with.

dropping that many games will really screw with the records and such.

I agree in principle but I think 120 games is a little short. Maybe 148.

you want a healthy game or not? Quit living in the past, MAN!

Not looking good. According to Freddie.

https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/ye ... d-baseball

I’m not sure what happened in 2016 but the trend sure ain’t good. It’s a known problem for the league.

MLB Season 2003 2006 2010 2012 2016 2019 2020
WS Ratings 12.8 10.1 8.4 7.6 12.9 8.1 5.1
WS viewers 25.5 15.8 14.2 12.7 23.4 13.9 9.8
(millions)

No, you gotta get rid of April entirely and you can't watch the WS wearing mittens

I agree in principle but I think 120 games is a little short. Maybe 148.

i agree with this. and i think the same will happen to the NFL at some point.

bloating the sport will end up making it sink under its own weight.

I don't think the 40 and older crowd really has a problem with the game. If the game doesn't find a way to appeal to the youth, it will be dead in about 30 years.

You can easily play 148 games if you start in late April. Bring back real scheduled doubleheaders.

The sport is currently in a lockout, and nobody has noticed or cared.

Baseball as presently constituted, is a grind. All the joy has been sucked out of it for several reasons. Just making games more important means less grind.

1) Eliminate all replay reviews. This is a fucking game. Entertainment. It's not life and death. Sometimes the calls will be wrong. That's life.

I disagree the over 40 crowd doesn't have a problem with the game. It fucking sucks as is. I didn't watch the WS.

Again, I agree but that must be balanced against the heart of the game which is TIME and REPETITION.

Everyone complains about the length of the games but every change made just lengthens the games more.

Here are some suggestions:

1) Eliminate all replay reviews. This is a fucking game. Entertainment. It's not life and death. Sometimes the calls will be wrong. That's life.
2) Make whatever changes are necessary to reward batters who are attempting to put balls in play rather than trying to coax walks. i would start with using the rulebook strikezone- letters to knees. That may seem counterintuitive and as if it would result in even more strikeouts, but I don't believe that would practically be the case. I think the bigger strikezone would result in players looking to hit earlier in counts rather than constantly taking strike one. I would try that first and if it didn't work move on to more radical changes like a 5 ball walk.
3) They have already fucked around with the ball and lied about it. But I think a deader ball is good for the overall health of the game. The most elite sluggers should be struggling to hit 50 in a season.

I really think MLB should limit each team to 4/5 pitchers per game. This would force pitchers to focus less on K’s and more on efficiency.

I think that's a good idea too.

Relax. Don’t try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring. Besides that, they’re fascist. Throw some ground balls. It’s more democratic.