Radical Reset: Proposed Changes If I Ran Major League Baseball
NEW YORK – A sweeping overhaul of Major League Baseball’s economic system, competitive balance, and fan experience is needed, and a series of bold, if unconventional, penalties and standardized practices would be implemented under a new leadership regime, according to a proposal outlined by one industry observer. the plan aims to address concerns over spending disparities, constant rule changes, fractured broadcasting, and inconsistent equipment.
The core of the proposed changes centers around incentivizing financial responsibility. Rather than relying on luxury tax penalties that appear to have little deterrent effect, teams exceeding a generous soft cap - similar to MLB’s current system - would begin the season with a predetermined number of losses. “For every 20 million dollar increment of spending above the cap, you start the season with a loss,” the proposal states. conversely,teams falling below a set spending floor would forfeit home games,with the rationale that attendance is already low for certain franchises. “it should be a pretty easy thing to teams at the bottom to give up home games since nobody’s going to home games of the Marlins, Pirates, or Rays anyway.”
Beyond economics, a moratorium on non-safety related rule changes would be enacted. While prioritizing player safety - citing examples like a potential “double first base” and protective headgear for pitchers - the proposal argues against stylistic alterations to the game. Recent rule additions over the last decade would cease, with exceptions made only for rule integrity issues, such as the implementation of PitchCom.
Fan accessibility is also a key focus. The proposal calls for a single price point for all game broadcasts, eliminating the current fragmented system requiring subscriptions to multiple streaming services. “Give customers a single price for all the games,” it asserts. “If you’re going to carve out games for Apple or Amazon or NBC or whoever, issue credits to view the affected games or broadcast them through the outlet they paid for.Seriously, don’t make Grandpa have to figure out an Apple+ login to watch the game.”
the proposal demands standardization of the baseball itself. A single specification would be mandated for all teams, ending the ongoing debate and accusations of manipulation surrounding the ball’s composition. The blunt directive: “stop screwing with the baseballs, Manfred.”
