What’s Good For Baseball

By William Robinson:

I like to talk about what’s good for baseball all the time. The funny thing about that is that there are so many different opinions about this that I’m sure that mine isn’t the only one and honestly may not be in the majority but I’m going to do a blog here today discussing things that I think need to change in the game to make it more popular for the masses.

1. People do not come to the park to watch umpires. I’m sorry guys but Leslie Nielson isn’t walking through that door as a home plate umpire and nobody and I mean nobody is here to watch an umpire. What people are there for is to watch good hitters hit and good pitchers pitch. So when I hear stories about home plate umpires picking fights with players (I’m looking at you Joe West) it makes me want to do away with home plate umpires in general. And why not? We don’t need them.

The day and age of the computer is upon us and it would be very easy to have a computer call balls and strikes going forward. The computer would always keep the same strike zone and would never make mistakes and there would never be any more arguing about balls and strikes. A strike in Cincinnati would be a strike in Seattle and so on and so forth. This would allow batters to get used to a uniform strike zone and would lead to an increase in run scoring across the league. This would also take away from useless bickering between players and umpires and would get rid of ejections for the most part keeping players in the game and on the field where the fan has paid to watch them. Now I know that this is a new thing and is going to be met with heavy resistance but all good changes are. Take integration for example, that was met with heavy resistance and it lead to a golden age of baseball.

1. Speaking of integration, I’m thrilled that we have a Jackie Robinson day in baseball but we also need to have a day set aside to celebrate the man that made it all happen. MLB needs to have a day each year set aside to celebrate Branch Rickey and also another day set aside to celebrate Roberto Clemente. Branch Rickey saved MLB by creating the minor league system and by integrating baseball to not only black players but to Latino players as well. This lead to the golden age of the 50’s and 60’s and led to MLB being more popular than ever. It also in a way lead to the end of segregation in this country by giving our nation a great example to look to. It’s only right that we celebrate these other heroes as well.

2. Speaking of segregation we need to think about women’s rights a little bit too. The All American Professional Girls Baseball League ended in 1954 partly because of a law passed by congress that made all other professional baseball leagues illegal. This must be overturned and we must be promoting baseball for young girls. There is no reason why girls should be playing softball! That is pure sexism and is completely ridiculous! I’m not saying that the girls have to play against the boys but dang it they can play in a girls baseball league on their own and eventually I’d love to see a professional women’s baseball league as well. My young daughters need to see women playing baseball and not relegated to a side role playing softball.

3. We need to get rid of the “code”. Yeah we’ve heard all about this unspoken code of baseball players. Don’t’ flip your bat, don’t show anyone else up, don’t look at the pitcher as you run around the bases after a home run, take care of your batters by hitting players with pitchers on the other teams. Good god baseball players grow up and grow some tougher skin. I’m sorry but players showing emotion is a good thing, it makes them more human and a lot more likeable in the first place. I want to see my players getting as excited as I am when they hit a home run. I want to see them celebrate and have fun. I want baseball to be fun and not boring and guess what so do my kids.

There’s a reason why Bryce Harper is the most popular player in the game. It’s because he shows his emotions and has fun playing baseball. I mean Mike Trout is better than him, but he’s a boring as a stone and is on the West Coast so he’ll never be as popular. So let’s get rid of this stupid code and let’s start having fun!

Well I think that’s a good place to start. Let’s get that conversation going!