- Replay - I remember seeing Paul Lo Duca go bonkers because he saw that what was called a double was actually a home run according to the Shea Stadium scoreboard replay in 2007. He refused to go to the batter's box until the umpires conferenced. They called it a home run. The opposing manager went bananas. Since then, there has been a lot of grandstanding and suddenly an explosion in missed home run calls. Now there's replay. It's fine as long as we leave it there. No safe/out at first base, no ball/strike calls. Leave the calls to the umpires when they're standing right there.
- Single-admission Double-headers - Greed has removed the let's-play-two double-header from baseball. If there's going to be forced to schedule two games for the same day, owners now shoo out everybody who paid for the first game so that they can charge again for the second. They did one at Shea Stadium (again with the Mets?) late this year due to scheduling conflicts that didn't give them enough time between games. I say let 'em slide every once in a while. Maybe every team could do one a year. Give a treat to the fans who pay for more games than any other professional sport.
- The Mound - Baseball got "boring" in the late 60's because Bob Gibson (and some other guys, I guess) was so good. So, they lowered the mound to give hitters the advantage. We still didn't see somebody hit 50 home runs until 1991. After that, also in part thanks to drugs and smaller ballparks, guys started smashing the ball at Ruthian rates. They had to change the way they used pitchers. Now everyone's a specialist. Put the mound back up there and watch Ryan Howard's home run totals fall as his strikeouts get him benched.
- Closers - This year, Frankie Rodriguez set the "record" for most "saves" in a season. He's so specialized that he only comes in for the 9th inning if his team is leading by 3 runs or less so he can help win the game and also get a stat. It's about time for the Fireman to come back, a reliever like Goose Gossage or Bruce Sutter who came in whenever the going got tough and slammed the door. Didn't matter what inning if the team needed him. Didn't matter if he needed to throw 3 innings. Teams should use their best relievers in the toughest spots, not just for the last three outs of the game.
- Interleague Play - I've now seen a fair number of interleague and non-interleague games live. People like it, it doesn't hurt much unless you count the fact that the AL proves its supremacy and the Mets (yes, the Mets AGAIN!) are in the lead in the NL East instead of trailing by 4.5 games thanks to their bouts with the fellas from the junior circuit. I like the interleague play. Just don't expand it beyond the current 15 games.
- All-Star Homefield - Whichever league wins the All-Star game, gets homefield advantage for the World Series. People piss and moan because this exhibition shouldn't count toward anything real. Well, the MLB All-Star game is the only game of its kind that actually plays like a real game, maybe even a little better. This is because there are players who make the game for their defensive abilities and their pitching, which means that unlike the NBA, NHL, or NFL, people are actually trying to play defense. Nate McLouth to Russel Martin to gun down the AL catcher trying to score from second in extra innings because there's no one left on the bench to run for him is pretty awesome. People also pooh-poohed about what an embarrassment it would be if the game went past the 15th and we saw outfielder JD Drew and third baseman David Wright pitching, but I have to disagree on that point. Both guys were ready to go all out to try to win the game for their league. I don't see how that's a mockery.
- Ballparks - Somebody figured out that you're not going to get 70,000 fans a game, used a little supply and demand, and created Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, which seats just enough people in an intimate setting so that everybody gets a pretty good seat. This also meant bringing the outfield fences in, which also encourages more home runs, which sells more tickets, etc. I don't really like short home runs, but I think the new parks are okay. Maybe a raised mound and a lack of steroids will help to curb the number of cheap home runs. I swear, seeing Cristian Guzman go yard as much as he has lately is like watching Charles Barkley hoist so many 3 pointers when the NBA experimented with moving the line closer.
I'm sure there are many more controversies I'm forgetting, but that's fine. It's part of what makes baseball so great. The debate over National vs. American League, is it better for a DH or a Pitcher to hit? Has Bud Selig been a good or a bad commissioner? Why are Red Sox fans such assholes? The list goes on and on. Why did you read this post?
