What one thing would you do to improve MLB?

[savafan]

If you had the power to do one thing to make the game better, what would you choose?

[Hoosier Red]

Contract the Cardinals.

In all seriousness, I'd make a change to the cut down visits to the mound. Mayber pitching coach/manager can only go out to take out pitcher. Or maybe count the catcher visits to the mound. Maybe say there's only one free visit per inning, no matter who.

[corkedbat]

Either abolish the DH or make it universal, just standardize the game. It actually is fine by me either way, just play by the same rules.

[RollyInRaleigh]

Enforce the strike zone as defined.

[MikeThierry]

This is probably sacrilege to the kind of ball we all like in the NL but I would probably institute the DH in both leagues. I do not like the imbalance of teams with 14 in the AL and 16 in the NL. I also think that it will help NL teams be able to keep their high priced players for a good chunk of their career. If there was a DH in the NL, keeping guys like Votto and Pujols on their respective teams would be so much easier because they can slide into that DH position later on in their career when they can no longer play every day in the field. I used to hate the DH but I just feel that it is coming and it is something that we are going to have to embrace.

[RollyInRaleigh]

This is probably sacrilege to the kind of ball we all like in the NL but I would probably institute the DH in both leagues. I do not like the imbalance of teams with 14 in the AL and 16 in the NL. I also think that it will help NL teams be able to keep their high priced players for a good chunk of their career. If there was a DH in the NL, keeping guys like Votto and Pujols on their respective teams would be so much easier because they can slide into that DH position later on in their career when they can no longer play every day in the field. I used to hate the DH but I just feel that it is coming and it is something that we are going to have to embrace.

And you have a great hitting pitcher and athlete as your avatar.

[MikeThierry]

And you have a great hitting pitcher and athlete as your avatar.

[savafan]

I'd like to see a more balanced schedule. I'm tired of nearly 50% of the Reds' games being against teams in their own division, and I'd rather see teams like the Giants, Dodgers, Braves, etc. come to GABP more than once a year. Of course, a balanced schedule probably isn't possible without realignment.

[marcshoe]

Balance the schedule. What we have now is NFL-lite. We have the intrinsic unfairness of odd divisions and forced interleague rivalries, and yet MLB acts as if these don't exist. Even up the divisions, lay off interleague play until someone can figure out how to do it fairly (yeah, this is a two for one) and see what happens.

Oh, and end the stupid ASG/WS home field chimera while we're at it. It all seems related.

[George Anderson]

How bout reinstate Pete Rose....................................Im kidding

My vote is end the home field advantage All Star Game thing.

That is just beyond stupid.

[cinreds21]

I think I'm one of the few who likes baseball how it is. I like how the DH system currently is. The one thing I may change is what Anderson said about the home field advantage. That is kinda silly.

[jojo]

Eliminate the wild card.

[_Sir_Charles_]

I can't really pick just one. I'd abolish the DH and interleague play. I'd balance the schedules and put in a salary cap. Those 4 things will even the playing field amongst all teams. Until they make all teams play with the same rules, it'll never be a fair sport. Once you get a fair and balanced playing field...THEN you can tweek things to improve the actual game. But first things first.

[VR]

Speed up the games

[RedsManRick]

Speed of the games. Between commercials, pitching changes, stepping out, umps not enforcing rules about time between pitches, etc. the game can be very, very hard to watch at times. The season is 6 months long, 3 hours a night gets boring. I love baseball, but even I have a hard time watching some games.

Things I'd do:
- Tell the umps to stop granting time out unless there's an obvious need. Hitter, it's your job to be ready.
- Pitcher, throw the dang ball. You get one throw to a base between pitches, after that, it costs you a ball.
- No disrectionary visits to the mound. If anybody comes out to the mound, the pitcher comes out of the game.
- TV timeouts between innings only -- make it work guys.
- And I put this here, though I could see it going elsewhere -- umps will be assisted by pitch f/x and instructed to call the full zone and nothing but the zone.
- Replays -- ump in the booth makes the call. Managers who argue will get run just like players. Come out and make your replay request if you want, but then get your butt back in the dugout.

I think that's a good start.