Jay Jaffe: 20 ways to improve baseball

[texasdave]

http://mlb.si.com/2013/03/28/20-ways...3_a7&eref=sihp

I like number one.

[Vottomatic]

I like #1.
Agree with #3, but not Costas.
#4 - I've always been a purist, but I think I'm ready to give in to having the DH in both leagues.
#8 is a no-brainer.
I agree with many of the writers ideas. I'll give him credit for being creative.

My idea, not on the list, is to expand rosters to 27. Adds one more pinch hitter and one more pitcher. Eliminates some transactions to the minor leagues and the up and down rollercoaster for some players. Also might preserve some of the bullpen arms. And allow a good hitter/bad fielder to make it on a team as a key pinch hitter. And if the DH is added, it solves that problem too.

[CySeymour]

My idea, not on the list, is to expand rosters to 27. Adds one more pinch hitter and one more pitcher. Eliminates some transactions to the minor leagues and the up and down rollercoaster for some players. Also might preserve some of the bullpen arms. And allow a good hitter/bad fielder to make it on a team as a key pinch hitter. And if the DH is added, it solves that problem too.

I think it should at least go to 26. With teams using more pitchers then they did 30 years ago, the extra spot is sorely needed for a bench player.

Didn't the owners try to scale back to 24 players one year back in the '80's?

[Chip R]

Didn't the owners try to scale back to 24 players one year back in the '80's?

They actually did it. And I think it was for more than a year. Might have been 2 or 3. The roster was at 25, IIRC but there was a gentlemen's agreement to only carry 24 guys.

[REDREAD]

Good read. Every idea was reasonable, even though I don't agree with them all.

Current blackout policy is stupid. Universal DH makes sense
The Umps definitely need culling/disciplined/accountablitiy.
More instant replay would be good too, as long as the manager has a limited number of appeals per game.

I'd like to see the books opened too, but that will never happen.

The other items, not sure I feel strongly enough about to have an opinion.

[dougdirt]

18. Enhance the stats on every scoreboard and broadcast. Though our collective understanding of statistics has increased, many ballparks and broadcasts display only the simplest statistical information — the Triple Crown stats of batting average, home runs and RBIs — when a player comes to the plate. In our perfect world, we’d love to see on-base and slugging percentages, and even Wins Above Replacement included. Strikeout and walk percentages, and batting average on balls in play for pitchers, too, please.


19. Stop the war on advanced statistics. In the decade since Michael Lewis wrote Moneyball, virtually every major league front office has incorporated advanced statistics into its decision-making processes. Alongside that, a growing faction of fans and media has come around to the idea that metrics such as Wins Above Replacement, Fielding Independent Pitching and Defensive Runs Saved — not to mention the flood of data produced by PITCHf/x — can free us from hoary, incorrect assumptions, increasing our knowledge and appreciation of the game. Yet a false dichotomy exists, whether framed as old media versus new, insiders versus outsiders, or scouts versus statheads. Particularly in the media, the dialogue is shrill, the narratives tortured beyond recognition. We all love baseball, and there’s more than enough room for everyone to coexist peacefully.

[Mutaman]

None of these deal with baseball's biggest problems: the lack of consistency in calling balls and strikes and the ridiculous amount of time it takes to play a game. And the two are related: make hitters swing at pitches and we will speed up the process.

[dougdirt]

None of these deal with baseball's biggest problems: the lack of consistency in calling balls and strikes and the ridiculous amount of time it takes to play a game. And the two are related: make hitters swing at pitches and we will speed up the process.

He kind of addresses it when he talks about holding the umpires more accountable and calling a better strikezone. Call the strikezone better and it will speed up the game.

Baseball games are about three hours. Football games are three hours. One is "ridiculously long". The other is "full of excitement". Huh?

[CySeymour]

Baseball games are about three hours. Football games are three hours. One is "ridiculously long". The other is "full of excitement". Huh?

The difference being football games are played once a week. If football could be played everyday, then people would probably start complaining about 3 hour NFL games, too.

[MikeThierry]

I can on board with his idea of expanding to Montreal and Puerto Rico. PR wouldn't be too bad of a travel time and it would be huge down there. With Montreal, it seemed to run into bad stadium circumstances when a team was there. If there is a legit stadium and not the joke it had, baseball could work in Montreal again. There are a lot of baseball fans up there.

[BluegrassRedleg]

None of these deal with baseball's biggest problems: the lack of consistency in calling balls and strikes and the ridiculous amount of time it takes to play a game. And the two are related: make hitters swing at pitches and we will speed up the process.

Agree. I got excited on Opening Day when the first pitch was called a strike letter-high, then the guy proceeded to squeeze all the pitchers the rest of the day/night.

Call strikes (and borderline strikes). Get people swinging the bats.

[bucksfan2]

18. Enhance the stats on every scoreboard and broadcast. Though our collective understanding of statistics has increased, many ballparks and broadcasts display only the simplest statistical information — the Triple Crown stats of batting average, home runs and RBIs — when a player comes to the plate. In our perfect world, we’d love to see on-base and slugging percentages, and even Wins Above Replacement included. Strikeout and walk percentages, and batting average on balls in play for pitchers, too, please.

I disagree with this. I think they should put OBP and even OPS on a scoreboard, but the more information you put on a scoreboard the less interested people become. For people at a game its more about the graphics on the scoreboard than anything else. I can't imagine going to the game with my wife trying to explain what Babip is or what the heck is war?

[dougdirt]

I disagree with this. I think they should put OBP and even OPS on a scoreboard, but the more information you put on a scoreboard the less interested people become. For people at a game its more about the graphics on the scoreboard than anything else. I can't imagine going to the game with my wife trying to explain what Babip is or what the heck is war?

What about on TV?

I am not so sure I want WAR up there, because I have my own little issues with WAR.

But let's just say we are limiting it to TV. I get why you used to only put 3 things on the screen.... it was a 24 inch screen. While there are still people out there who have small televisions, most people these days have at least a 30+ inch television that is HD. You can afford to fit more information on it. So what information would you put on there when a hitter comes to the plate? What about when a pitcher takes the mound? Starters and relievers will have different info.

[bucksfan2]

What about on TV?

I am not so sure I want WAR up there, because I have my own little issues with WAR.

But let's just say we are limiting it to TV. I get why you used to only put 3 things on the screen.... it was a 24 inch screen. While there are still people out there who have small televisions, most people these days have at least a 30+ inch television that is HD. You can afford to fit more information on it. So what information would you put on there when a hitter comes to the plate? What about when a pitcher takes the mound? Starters and relievers will have different info.

I am for expanding advanced stats on the TV broadcast. I think the issue to push that forward is with each individual broadcaster or an edict from the owners. I think Chris Welch does a pretty good job of diving into stuff like babip during a broadcast and determining whether or not someone is lucky. I would imagine the vast majority of viewing audience could care less about advanced stats and just want to watch the game.

[osuceltic]

No. 1: Cut down the time between pitches. No more stepping out after every pitch, or circling the mound. It's ridiculous we have reached this point.