Ways to Fix Baseball

Baseball is losing popularity only because it is long, but also because it is boring (compared to other sports). Here is how to make it better.

  • Pitch count timer (20 seconds to pitch, or whatever seems reasonable). Pitchers can call 2 20-second timeouts each inning.
  • Batters cannot call time for any reason. 
  • Batters (playing at home) are encouraged to celebrate homeruns as creatively as possible, as long as they don't taught the other team. There is a time limit to get around the bases, but they can do backflips from base to base as long at it doesn't take too long. 
    • Batters are not allowed to celebrate if they are still down by 4+ runs after the home run, or leading by 4+ runs. 
  • Batters (playing away) can celebrate wildly only when hitting a home run to tie or take the lead, and after the 7th inning. 
  • Anyone who intentional hits a batters with a pitch is suspended by 60 games. This includes any coaches or other players that call for a batter to get hit. It is assault and ridiculous.
  • Relief pitchers have 60 seconds to get from the bullpen to the mound and get ready to pitch. In no other sport, does the game stop so players can practice. 
  • There are no catchers, coachers, or managers allowed to stop the game to talk to the pitcher. 
  • With a runner on base, the pitcher only had one free throw over to try and pick them off. After that any pick-off attempt with be considered a ball (if it is a 3-2 count, and the runner is picked off, he is still out, but the batter still gets the walk afterwards. Stolen bases are great. 
  • No infield shift. Although I would hope batters would adjust, the shift is just bad for the entertainment of baseball and doesn't give any team an advantage (since they all do it)
  • Encourage some teams to have an outfield wall extremely deep, which would completely change how the team is constructed and give advantages to quicker players who hit in the gaps (it would get to have a field with no outfield walls.
  • DH for the national league. Pitchers just can't hit and don't try.
  • Teams can forfeit if they want, such as if they are down by a lot and don't want to use anymore pitchers. In the past, they would use a position player to pitch, but is an atrocity.
  • Robo umps make ball and strikes decisions (human ump behind home plate communicated the robo call to the world)
  • Managers are only allowed to ask for clarification from an ump. If they argue or complain about a call, they are suspended for a month. If the ump argues back, he is suspended for a year.
  • If a Manager's challenge is correct, he can challenge again. There should be no penalty for being right. 
  • Any person who tries to steal signs, or communicate stolen signs will be suspended for 80 games. Any person who uses technology to steal signs is banned forever.
That's all for now. These are all very easy to implement and will make the game better without taking away from the essence of baseball. I wouldn't mind going to a 4-hour game if it has more exciting mixed into a relaxing evening at the ball park.  

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