On the playoff front, can't really have any more series or longer series because the season is too long. Already stupid that a game that's entirely built around summer decides their playoff winner in 40 degree weather. Can't push it further and decide it in the snow. Could do neutral ground championships, but that sucks for baseball and the fans, especially if you have to draw for a 7 game series instead of a one-time event like the Superbowl.
Might be nice to do more balanced schedules and get rid of the divisions, though. Everyone would see more similar schedules instead of the Yankees playing the Red Sox a million times while two AL Central teams go at it a bunch. And then can just seed the AL and NL 1-5, have 4 and 5 do the Wild Card for the last spot or something, and move out. This year may be a random chance with severe haves and have-nots, but avoids a 100+ game winner fighting for a wild card spot while a 90 game winner gets in because they won the division, etc. But I could be sensitive because I'm in a division with two top-level teams, so someone is always looking at that one-game elimination game now that can wreck an otherwise good season if you have a bad day. I dunno, there's room to improve here...
Would also like to scrap the distinction between AL DH and NL pitcher batting. With the interleague games every day, feels like it's time to decide on a set of rules and knock it off. Seeing a pitcher go deep is funny and all, but not exactly common. It's usually just walking the #8 man so that the pitcher can strike out looking to end the inning, or a weak bunt if he's a 'good' batter. Anyone really more excite to see Jon Lester bat over David Ortiz? Yes, could go the other way and kill the DH, just don't see the union biting on that, more spots for bad contracts and aging players/rest days, and the pitchers have been getting more and more Ks, so good to see some offense to balance it out. And always annoying in the World Series when you build your roster one way for the entire season, and the rules change on you for the Championships (well, randomly 3 or 4 games of it). if I'm paying for J.D. Martinez to hit, I want to see him hit and not just as a pinch hitter. And prefer not to lose an outfielder that I'm also counting on to do it. (From Boston's perspective, wish he played 1B, because he'd slot in there nicely and we don't have a strong other option like we used to). On the NL side, it's a nice bonus to be able to play an extra hitter instead of the pitcher, but it wasn't a roster spot you had all season, so you're tossing your backup 1B or OF out there, not like you carried Ortiz all season waiting for a WS game to play him in.
one way or the other, would be nice to pick a set of rules and use them throughout. Feels as silly as if in the NFL the QB had to play on defense too, so I've gotta toss Brady out there as a safety or something if I want to use him to throw the ball. NFC has faster QBs that can run but not throw as well, AFC has big guys with cannons that can't run, and then in the Superbowl we mix it up a bit just for funsies...
Might be nice to do more balanced schedules and get rid of the divisions, though. Everyone would see more similar schedules instead of the Yankees playing the Red Sox a million times while two AL Central teams go at it a bunch. And then can just seed the AL and NL 1-5, have 4 and 5 do the Wild Card for the last spot or something, and move out. This year may be a random chance with severe haves and have-nots, but avoids a 100+ game winner fighting for a wild card spot while a 90 game winner gets in because they won the division, etc. But I could be sensitive because I'm in a division with two top-level teams, so someone is always looking at that one-game elimination game now that can wreck an otherwise good season if you have a bad day. I dunno, there's room to improve here...
Would also like to scrap the distinction between AL DH and NL pitcher batting. With the interleague games every day, feels like it's time to decide on a set of rules and knock it off. Seeing a pitcher go deep is funny and all, but not exactly common. It's usually just walking the #8 man so that the pitcher can strike out looking to end the inning, or a weak bunt if he's a 'good' batter. Anyone really more excite to see Jon Lester bat over David Ortiz? Yes, could go the other way and kill the DH, just don't see the union biting on that, more spots for bad contracts and aging players/rest days, and the pitchers have been getting more and more Ks, so good to see some offense to balance it out. And always annoying in the World Series when you build your roster one way for the entire season, and the rules change on you for the Championships (well, randomly 3 or 4 games of it). if I'm paying for J.D. Martinez to hit, I want to see him hit and not just as a pinch hitter. And prefer not to lose an outfielder that I'm also counting on to do it. (From Boston's perspective, wish he played 1B, because he'd slot in there nicely and we don't have a strong other option like we used to). On the NL side, it's a nice bonus to be able to play an extra hitter instead of the pitcher, but it wasn't a roster spot you had all season, so you're tossing your backup 1B or OF out there, not like you carried Ortiz all season waiting for a WS game to play him in.
one way or the other, would be nice to pick a set of rules and use them throughout. Feels as silly as if in the NFL the QB had to play on defense too, so I've gotta toss Brady out there as a safety or something if I want to use him to throw the ball. NFC has faster QBs that can run but not throw as well, AFC has big guys with cannons that can't run, and then in the Superbowl we mix it up a bit just for funsies...
Guessing it's a low number, and batting average overall was sub-.200.
