MLB 2020: Make it a Test Season
Posted: March 22 20, 11:20 pm
As everyone knows; the 2020 MLB season has been postponed until an as yet undetermined time due to the coronavirus outbreak. There is no definite answer yet on when baseball operations might resume; whether in spectator-less venues or otherwise; but it goes without saying that the idea of a conventional season being played is getting more and more unlikely. So the question becomes; how does MLB move forward once baseball is allowed to reconvene? If you can't play a full season; how many games are too few to actually call it a real season? How many times has a team started off a year hot and then gone away at the All Star Break? Would a season of less than 100 games deserve to have a post season and a championship trophy?
If baseball activity resumes June 1; and all teams get let's say a two week Spring refresher; then you start official in season games around June 15. That is a month before the All Star Game was supposed to be played this season; but for argument's sake you do away with the All Star Game and Break to maximize the amount of games you can play. Teams will still need days off; and there will still be rain outs. Even with double headers I would say that if you finish the season October 1 you have at best around 95 games. You can push the season into October sure; but then you face the possibility of more weather issues and putting any post season play back into November. The Marlins Stadium neutral site not withstanding; it is going to be a messy scheduling situation.
What if instead of trying to get in x number of games; MLB decides this is going to be a test season in which all these different rule changes they want to enact; could get a trial run. Maybe certain rules for a month; then switch it up? Try the DH out in all parks or let the home park decide if they use a DH or not; add a pitcher's clock and put a runner on second base to lead off an inning if a game goes into extras. Give the robot umpire a shot at calling balls and strikes for the month of July and see what happens? Add replay umpires to every stadium to be ready to make a ruling on every play instead of the delay in calling some New York umpire between pizza slices. Allow starters to re-enter games if they have gone fifteen innings and they were taken out before the ninth. Add courtesy runners for catchers or pitchers. All these and more rules could be done in a major league setting with major league competition; all with the knowledge that the rules are not binding on any team's playoff chances. We'll have the playoffs next season. MLB and the Players Association can talk about what they liked and what they hated about the different rule changes with actual on field data to support their stances. Fans can let their opinions be known through online surverys and voting. The whole thing could be a fascinating experiment.
What other rule changes can you think of that would be fun to experiment with?
Or we could play a 100 game season and have an asterisk World Series Champion.
If baseball activity resumes June 1; and all teams get let's say a two week Spring refresher; then you start official in season games around June 15. That is a month before the All Star Game was supposed to be played this season; but for argument's sake you do away with the All Star Game and Break to maximize the amount of games you can play. Teams will still need days off; and there will still be rain outs. Even with double headers I would say that if you finish the season October 1 you have at best around 95 games. You can push the season into October sure; but then you face the possibility of more weather issues and putting any post season play back into November. The Marlins Stadium neutral site not withstanding; it is going to be a messy scheduling situation.
What if instead of trying to get in x number of games; MLB decides this is going to be a test season in which all these different rule changes they want to enact; could get a trial run. Maybe certain rules for a month; then switch it up? Try the DH out in all parks or let the home park decide if they use a DH or not; add a pitcher's clock and put a runner on second base to lead off an inning if a game goes into extras. Give the robot umpire a shot at calling balls and strikes for the month of July and see what happens? Add replay umpires to every stadium to be ready to make a ruling on every play instead of the delay in calling some New York umpire between pizza slices. Allow starters to re-enter games if they have gone fifteen innings and they were taken out before the ninth. Add courtesy runners for catchers or pitchers. All these and more rules could be done in a major league setting with major league competition; all with the knowledge that the rules are not binding on any team's playoff chances. We'll have the playoffs next season. MLB and the Players Association can talk about what they liked and what they hated about the different rule changes with actual on field data to support their stances. Fans can let their opinions be known through online surverys and voting. The whole thing could be a fascinating experiment.
What other rule changes can you think of that would be fun to experiment with?
Or we could play a 100 game season and have an asterisk World Series Champion.
