From boston.com (Boston Globe)
Mr. Selig, our readers have some advice
by Peter Abraham, Globe Staff July 20, 2010 02:00 PM
Monday we asked the readers of Extra Bases what change they would implement were they named commissioner of baseball for one day.
There was a terrific response and I encourage you to read through the comments on that post. Many folks want a salary cap, balanced schedules, quicker games and the DH in the National League. Oh, and more days games in the postseason.
I was surprised at how many people are down on interleague play.
Here are the best of the dozens of answers we received:
1) Change the wild card to two teams. These teams play one game the day after the season ends. The winner advances to play the team with the best record two days later. This would put the wild card team at a severe disadvantage, which they should be.
2) Let the managers have one or two instant reply challenges per game, much like head coaches in the NFL have. It could not be used for balls and strikes but close plays at a base.
3) Allow Pete Rose to be voted into the Hall of Fame. I wouldn't reinstate him, but rather allow him to appear on the ballot for the HoF. If he is voted in, allow him to be enshrined. If he isn't voted in well, no dice.
4) I would restore full power to the commissioner. The current position as appointed by the owners simple has too much influence from the big market ownerships. Let the role truly be what it was intended to be, with the best interests of the game at heart. True change starts there.
5) Fix the draft with respects to "overslotting" and foreign players. The one way low-money teams are supposed to be competitive is through the draft. However, with high prospects demanding more and more money, low-money teams don't always take the best player available, instead going for a cheaper prospect. Rich teams also benefit through signing foreign players that don't have to go in the draft.
6) The very first thing I would do is threaten to drop ESPN as a broadcast partner unless they fire Joe Morgan. The man is absolutely insufferable to listen to.
7) The Commission should penalize the markets that do not use the luxury tax subsidies to invest in their ball clubs by withholding the next year's subsidy.
8) Improve the quality of on-field officiating and predicate salary and job security via ongoing grading by supervisors, peers, players, and coaching staffs, weighted accordingly.
9) Why not just create a hand-signal for intentional walks? It seems like a waste of time to throw four way outside pitches when everyone knows the intent is to walk the batter. It may not shorten games substantially, but it would help a little.
10) The compensation rule for free agents should be eliminated or vastly altered to actually reward teams losing the best players, and to not punish those players. I'd suggest supplemental picks with the order based on the average annual value of contract, and with a minimum contract value for compensation, either tied to previous salary, or to an average recent-salary threshold
11) Have the MLB champion play the Japanese champion in a best-of-seven true World Series.
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