Five Ways to Improve Major League Baseball

It's the greatest game ever invented, but those who run Major League Baseball have shown little concern for its image. Here are five ways to improve the game.

Contraction

There are too damn many teams in the major leagues and a few of the cities they represent should never have been given teams in the first place. Eliminating some of the teams would strengthen the talent pool and improve the quality of play. Simply doing away with four teams would remove the 100 worst players in the league.

Here are some teams that should go away:

Florida Marlins - Not only does this team have trouble drawing fans at home, they also had the lowest road attendance in the National League last year.

Tampa Bay Rays - Since coming into the American League in 1998, they have never had a season with a winning record. And they have a dismal attendance record as well.

Washington Nationals - Our nation's capital has failed twice before in supporting a major league team. Sparse crowds should make it three strikes and you're out!

Toronto Blue Jays - This team is playing our national pastime in Canada! That's a good enough reason to get rid of them.

Attendance totals show that teams like the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates would not be missed. However, because they have been around a long time, these teams would only be put on probation.

Force Teams to Spend a Minimum

Unlike other sports, baseball has no salary cap and many believe that it is because of this that there is such a big gap between the haves and the have-nots. It is true that major-market teams like the Yankees and Red Sox spend more than triple the amount small-market teams do; but a better way to lessen the gap between the top and bottom teams is to enforce a salary minimum.

It is sad to think of fans of teams that refuse to spend having to look forward to each season knowing their teams will never contend for a pennant. Requiring each team to spend no less than a designated minimum would give fans of small-market teams some hope. If an owner feels he or she cannot afford to put a competitive team on the field, the team should be sold to someone who can. By the way, contraction would remove a number of these small-market teams.

One Rule: DH or No DH

It is absurd to think that in 35 years, the two leagues have not been able to agree on one set of rules. Since 1973 the National and American leagues have been playing under different rules. In the NL, the pitcher bats for himself while the AL allows the use of a designated hitter for the pitcher. Imagine just one of the two conferences in the NBA having a 3-point line or only one conference in the NFL allowing a 2-point conversion. A real commissioner would end this silliness.

Get a Real Commissioner

Major League Baseball has been without a forceful commissioner who hasn't been a shill for the owners ever since Bud Selig took over the job in 1992. At the time, Selig was owner of the Milwaukee Brewers and continued in that capacity until being made full-time commissioner in 1998.

During his tenure, Selig looked the other way as some of baseball's biggest stars grew to gargantuan proportions. As steroids were being mentioned under hushed tones, Selig was busy enjoying burgeoning attendance numbers due to the amazing home run totals being amassed by baseball's biggest sluggers.

It is time for a real commissioner; one without ties to the owners; one who will make hard decisions; one who cares about upholding the integrity of the game.

An Effective Drug Testing Policy

Urine, blood, whatever it takes to limit the use of performance enhancing drugs and restore trust and integrity in the game of baseball.