You're Baseball Commissioner with dictatorial powers. What 3 changes would you make?

1. Declare that "permanently Ineligible" means just that - it does not mean "lifetime ban", or "banned until enough people think he should be forgiven", or "banned until he apologizes enough" or "banned until something 'worse' comes along", or banned until enough bozos think that betting on baseball is "not a big deal". Permanent means FOREVER.

2. Get rid of the utter nonsense of having an exhibition game determine home field for the World Series. And no, I would not put in that inter-league records would be used, or that the team with most wins in the regular season would get it. I would simply go back to what worked for decades - alternate it between the AL an NL on a yearly basis - AL has it in odd numbered years, the NL in even numbered years. Funny how I don't remember anyone ever arguing that it wasn't fair back then. That should then allow the All Star game to be a game for which the sole intention is to allow the fans to celebrate the game itself with the players they want to see playing doing just that.

3. Allow inter-league to continue on a more limited basis. Since all 6 divisions now have the same number of teams, I would think a rotating schedule could be implemented. For instance, the teams in the NL East could play inter-league against all of the teams in the A East one season, then follow with all of the teams in the Al Central, and finish with the AL West. Make them play both home and away . I also would get rid of the "rivalry" games - I find them to be completely unfair - for instance, the Cardinals play the Royals as their "rival" while the Cubs play the White Sox. Not fair if the White Sox are a playoff quality team and the Royals are fighting for the number one draft pick in next year's draft (or vice versa). Schedule would still be unbalanced, but at least it would fair within each division. BTW - I would add that the DH would be eliminated as part of having inter league play. I would do so by first eliminating it at the college level and below - then eliminating it from Rookie and A ball the next season, from AA the following year, then AAA, and finally getting rid of it from MLB in the fifth season. Plenty of time for pitchers to perhaps reacquaint themselves with that odd looking piece of equipment known as a "bat", for players who have made a living without having to own a glove or mitt to buy one and learn how to use it, and for teams to reevaluate their rosters to adjust accordingly. Note, I would NO take away a roster spot, so the argument that it would be "taking away jobs" would be illegitimate. Perhaps the jobs might be taken by different people, but the same number would exist.

I've seen the word 'Socialism' thrown around in here. The MLB currently has a revenue sharing system. THAT is socialism.

At any rate, here are the three changes I would make.

1. Implement a salary floor, forcing the cheap owners to spend a certain amount of money on the team. It's beyond me how billionaire owners can spend less than $30 million on their product. How is that fair to the fans? It sends the message that the front-office isn't committed to winning. If, as an owner, you're not committed to winning, you have no business owning a professional sports team.

2.Get rid of inter-league play. If it means that the Astros have to move back to the NL, so be it. If it means that we have to add two new teams -- one in each league -- so be it.

3. Test ALL players for PEDs. According to Victor Conte, less than 20% of the League's players are randomly tested every year for PEDs. The reason for that is that the MLB Players Union doesn't want its players to be inconvenienced. That's another reason why I hate unions.

1. get rid of the DH, for once and for all, not just in the majors, but in the minors as well.

2. Use technology to its fullest extent. I can get when everyone says the umpires are a human element and leave them alone, but when they feel they're bigger than the rest of the game, something needs to change. With RFID and laser technology, you can use RF and lightwave sources to determine balls and strikes, thus getting all the calls correct, not just when someone feels like making the right call. You have plenty of video cameras already installed in the stadiums to do a replay of all plays on the bases and catches in the outfield, use them to their fullest extent and get the calls RIGHT!

3. Since the weather can impact an earlier start to the season or the WS going into mid-November, theres not allot you can do other than to shorten the regular season, which they won't do. When the WS has multiple postponements due to an early season blizzard, or a late season hurricane and there is a loss of big $$$ in revenues for MLB and the networks, then they will make a change, and that will happen someday.

4. Put the family back in the stadiums. How many families can go to a game together because of the increased costs, when I was a kid, my Dad used to take us to about 8 or 10 games a year, nowadays, you're lucky if you can do one game.

1. Eliminate automatic reviews on scoring plays and turnovers. It slows down the flow of the game and leads to ridiculous calls like the one against Detroit yesterday. The game is played and officiated by human beings, so there's nothing wrong with the human factor occasionally determining the outcome of a game. This isn't Madden Football, fercryinoutloud. 2. Ban players convicted of any felony or misdemeanor crime against persons or property from playing in the league. Playing in the NFL is a privilege, not a right, and there are too many degenerates and scum bags in the league today. 3. Abolish the Rooney Rule. It is outdated and simply allows candidates who otherwise wouldn't be considered a chance to interview for head coaching positions. BTW- Both teams DO get at least one possession on OT, effective this season.

1) Implement a policy that never allow any sort of salary cap in baseball. Only lame whiner scomplain about the lack of salary cap. And only delusional folks think a team can "buy" a champion.

2) Get rid of home field determination at the All Star game and give the team with the best record in the WS match up home field. If the two team's record is the same, have some tiebreaker system.

3) Lmao at the owners for giving me dictatorial power.

At Maurice: "A hard salary cap/fixed salaries/NO FREE AGENCY. Not being able to root for a team, but rather a uniform is deadly for the game. Pay the players well, but yes, make them property of a team for their entire career unless traded. There needs to be an equal playing field in all markets"

Yeah, lets implement a system of socialism in America's past-time! Not the salary cap part, but "no free agency," "fixed salaries," "equal playing field in all markets" and forcing players to stick with a team--or be a "property of a team"--for their entire career unless traded.

At Kevin: Players still get to choose what team they want to be on when their contract is up and after franchise tag. There's still free agency. And even if every team has to share its profits with the league, it's still not necessarily an equal playing field in all markets since a team like the New York Giants is still making a bigger profit than a team like the Kansas City Chiefs.

I don't know why you got so many thumbs downs.

I don't understand why inter-league games are such a huge problem with people.

1. Get rid of the Homefield advantage for World Series from the All -Star Game

2. WildCard Playoffs are best out of 3 games with a A H H set up.

3. Expand Instant replay that makes sense and doesn't affect the game's flow.

Extra:

1. Expand All Star Activities

2. KEEP inter-league play all year since answers here disagree with this

3. Find ways to Lower ticket prices

4. Increase entertainment values at ballparks

5. End tv blackout restrictions for baseball games

6. Keep the NL vs AL different baseball rules

7. Keep Houston Astros in the AL

@Chaos

The NFL is an example of socialism and communism in American Sports.

"Yeah, lets implement a system of socialism in America's past-time! Not the salary cap part, but "no free agency," "fixed salaries," "equal playing field in all markets" and forcing players to stick with a team--or be a "property of a team"--for their entire career unless traded."

Every team in the NFL has to share their profits with the whole league.

Okay, mostly everybody has dislikes. anyways, i hope you choose the "best" answer of your liking. If anyone, i recommend Chaos for best-answer.

Ok, all I hear about is having a salary cap but that would only affect certain teams. The first thing I would do is implement a salary floor. I am sick of hearing about some owners b*tch about how they can never compete with some of other teams out there but then never reinvest in the team. Seriously, if they just make an attempt to after players, than they may compete with other teams.

Next thing I would do is play around with the all star game. If it really were for the fans, I would not have it count for something. I would also get rid of the fact that at least one member of every team has to be represented. I would also make it a week long, I would also implement more fan and player involvement where fans can hang with the players for a little bit. This would include but not limited too getting tips on fielding and batting and possibly having dinner with said player.

I would expand instant replay. There have been way to many wrong judgement calls.

The only drastic change I would make is get rid of the DH. Pitchers are ball players too and part of being a ball player is hitting the ball. Plus it makes the game more interesting for real baseball fans because the teams have try and stigmatize around the pitcher in the lineup.

1. Schedule "natural" double headers on special weeks throughout - as a thank you to the fans and to bring additional managerial strategies to the season / 2. Limit inter-league to one geographical opponent in a home-n-home played during a specific week in the season - keep it simple and special / 3. Have one regular season game per season played at Cooperstown as part of the enshrinement ceremony - an old school salute to the birth of the game.

1) Get rid of Inter-League play

2) Get rid of the DH

3) Bring back scheduled double-headers (2 games for the price of 1...remember those?).