How to Make MLB More Interesting

Ever since the 1990s, Major League Baseball has been confronted with a question that it has yet to answer: "How does the league make baseball more interesting?" Often critics of baseball exclaim that the sport is too slow and the games are too long. Yet, this isn't baseball's problem at all. The structure of games is what separates baseball from other sports. There is no clock, no time outs, and all teams are guaranteed at least 27 plate appearances in a game (less but still equal in the case of weather shortened games). So, if games are not to blame, then what is? The answer is simple: the size of the league and the length of the season.

Currently there are 30 MLB teams, 14 in the American League and 16 in the National League. Yet, very few of them have the buying power of the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs, Phillies, and Angels. As a result, the league ends up with teams like Kansas City: a place where young prospects get developed, start to succeed, and then pursue larger paychecks in larger markets. This system has made some MLB clubs the equivalent of a AAA team. However, the reason that this happens in not because of the buying power of teams such as "the evil Yankees." It is the result of a league that is too large with not enough big league talent.

One way to ensure that more teams have more talent is not through a salary cap approach. Instead, the league must eliminate six teams (one from each division) and move an NL Central team into the AL West (this would achieve a balance among leagues). Through contraction, more talent would be available to middle and small market baseball teams. Even if these teams don't have the Yankee buying power, the talent pool of prospects would be at such a higher level that these teams could still compete. At the same time, fans would have a higher level of motivation to watch baseball if they know that players such as Kyle Hochevar (7-13, 6.55 ERA in 2009) are not pitching. With this being said, one still can't ignore the fact that teams will have bad seasons.

Baseball's largest flaw is the length of its season. If my favorite NFL team is poor, I only have to endure that fact for 16 games. If my favorite baseball team is dreadful, I have to try and ignore it for 162 games. Six months of .400 or worse baseball may increase antidepressant sales, but it sure doesn't increase ticket sales. This is why baseball needs to decrease their schedule from 162 to 140 games. Not only will this prevent 22 more meaningless games from being played, but it should also prevent the World Series from being played in November. The league can't remain viable if their fall classic continues to inch closer to Christmas. The longer the season goes, the less interested fans become.

-B.W. Mumford

Welcome to Dusty Stirrups

Dusty Stirrups has been created in response to the lack of attention given to mid and small market MLB teams by the national media. All of the writers for this web log are intelligent baseball fans that come from a variety of perspectives. Dusty Stirrups will take an analytical approach to baseball and will refrain from bandwagon writing. While most of the contributors for this web log currently reside in the Upper Midwest, we will work hard to expand the locations of our writers.

Thanks for your interest in our web log and please be patient as we develop our blogging structure.

-B.W. Mumford