If you could change any rules in baseball.......

[Grinch]

what would you do?
For me there are two changes I would make, one controversial, one minor that is there as an umpires judgement but never used.
1) Batters cannot wear any protective gear (except helmet) above the waist.
Guys dig in with no fear of getting hit and take the inner part of the plate away from the pitchers. When a pitcher comes inside he risks a warning. ( I also have no problem if you want to add a rule to protect batters from high heat where a pitcher is automatically ejected if a batter gets hit in the head.)
2) With two out and a runner on first, if the batter hits a ground rule double, the runner on first scores.
C'mon, I don't care how slow you are, as soon as the ball is struck you are running off first and would score on a double, maybe once in a while the ones that bounce into the stands on the side (right by the foul line) not over the outfield fence might have to stop at third. The way it is now, a speedster could be on first and they stop him on one to dead center.


Any others??

[DMT]

Nl dh

[The Dane]

Ko al dh

[cavebird]

1. No DH.
2. No artificial turf, unless and until Tug McGraw comes back, smokes it, and approves.
3. No silly blackout issues on Extra Innings.
4. None of my fantasy players sucking.

[onejayhawk]

I would use a machine for the balls and strikes. Same ump for everyone.

Enforce the batter's box.

Catcher blocking the plate is interference.

J

[bryanbutler]

agree with OJH on automatic balls and strikes. this whole "the ump can have his strike zone" is BS.

agree with others that no AL DH. get rid of it. changes the game too much.

[Pogues]

I'd stop calling it a foul pole, and call it a fair pole.

I'd also get rid of the DH...with more interleague play happening, and all season long, it's time to go one way or the other. I think the pitchers should hit. Or try.

I'd also like to see the strike zone, as it is written, enforced...and make it universal. If it takes a machine to do so, excellent.

[Todd Zola]

Make all 4 ball, no strike walks and HBP two bases.

I don't love the HBP part, but it's the only way to prevent pitchers from plunking a guy instead of IBB.

It bugs the crap out of me that a team can gain an advantage by purposely putting a man on base.

[bryanbutler]

interesting, todd. i like the idea of HBP costing 2 bases, but not so sure about the IBB. that one seems to me to have a place in the strategy. and i don't know how, in practice, you'd separate those from a pitcher just being a bit wild, and happening to throw 4 balls in a row, which seems to me not to warrant 2 bases.

[rhd]

Here are some:

- Do away w the "cant assume a DP" rule so that scorer can charge errors on DP balls where only 1 out is recorded - just like any other play.
- Do away w the the req'mt that starters must go 5 innings to get a win. Whoever pitched last when the winning team took the lead for good gets the win.
- Same rules in both leagues, so that either the DH is used in both leagues or neither.
- Scale back the balk rules. Something like balk only if you fake a throw towards a base (any base), or take a clear step towards a base w/o throwing to that base. And it shouldnt make a difference whether the pitcher is on the rubber or not.
- All games that are started but suspended before completion are resumed at the point at which they were suspended, regardless of how many innings were played before the suspension.
- Require all MLB ballparks to have the lines delineating HRs clearly marked by broad yellow stripes.
- Expand replay/review of plays, so that most plays are challengeable/reviewable, but limit the number of challenges, similar to the way it's done in tennis.

[onejayhawk]

Make all 4 ball, no strike walks and HBP two bases.

I don't love the HBP part, but it's the only way to prevent pitchers from plunking a guy instead of IBB.

It bugs the crap out of me that a team can gain an advantage by purposely putting a man on base.

Remember Ron Hunt, who once had more HBP than K. Do you really want to give Carlos Q an extra base for getting hit by Grienke?

I would rather allow a free pass, without four pitchouts.

J

[TranaGreg]

no DH in AL
at first glance I like the IBB/HBP is a 2B rule
either scale back the balk rule or eliminate it altogether

[Todd Zola]

interesting, todd. i like the idea of HBP costing 2 bases, but not so sure about the IBB. that one seems to me to have a place in the strategy. and i don't know how, in practice, you'd separate those from a pitcher just being a bit wild, and happening to throw 4 balls in a row, which seems to me not to warrant 2 bases.

Remember Ron Hunt, who once had more HBP than K. Do you really want to give Carlos Q an extra base for getting hit by Grienke?

I would rather allow a free pass, without four pitchouts.

J

As I mentioned, I don't love the HBP part but I can't stand the intentional walk. I don't like how your team can be in a competitive advantage by walking someone (even if that means they assume the risk of putting someone extra on base).

First off, this ain't never gonna happen so it's moot. But, if it did, pitchers would then take to plunking guys they want to walk.

As for a guy throwing a four pitch no-intentional walk, this is just a nice side benefit - THROW STRIKES.

And, you can still intentionally walk a better, you just have to throw him a strike and then throw them wide.

Perhaps the better rule would be with an intentional walk, everyone moves up a base even if they aren't forced.

[onejayhawk]

I never had a problem with the IBB. It often bites the team that does it. Like most tactical decisions, there is a risk to go with the potential reward. I wish that the inning would not have to go through the motions of 4 pitches. Just have the catcher tell the ump and send him to 1B.

It is not the same as, for example, taking a stance with your arm is in the strike zone.

J

[Roto Rooter]

The Mets qualifying as a major league team.