Commissioner Manfred,
Welcome to your worst nightmare sir, you are officially taking over one of the most powerful businesses in all of sports next to the National Football League. But you know, as commissioner, it's time for you to make business in the MLB a bit more streamlined and make it more fair.
Let's begin for example with teams spending outrageous amounts of money and also teams that are just not spending ENOUGH.
The Astros will walk into Spring Training this year with a payroll just under $13 million. Ok, several players make more than the Astros as a team. Don't you think it's time to think about putting in a floor of $30 million and have teams MEET that floor? The NHL, NFL, MLS, and NBA have league-wide floors, but you know what, it's time for baseball to get with the program.
The Dodgers will walk into Spring Training this year with a payroll over $250 million and that to me IS ALARMING. That is double the salary cap of the NFL! Don't you think it's time to think about putting in a cap of about $125 million? Contracts are out of control. Giancarlo Stanton just signed for $325 million! That's incredibly excessive. There needs to be maximum contract rules in baseball because the way it's going, we are going to see a financial crash of the system of this keeps up. Get a cap so that we ensure fairness in the sport.
How about the trading of draft picks. The MLB has the hardest in terms of drafting talent because any one of them could be a bust. Let me remind you that in 2016, we will have our FIRST NUMBER ONE PICK in the MLB hall of fame in Ken Griffey Junior. I think it's also time to end high school picks and make these kids go to college to have something to fall back on if they get injured.
It's also time to SPEED UP THE GAME. Now we do pay good money to watch the game, but the pitchers need to TOSS the ball and stop using these exotic wind-ups. Batters need to stop taking all this time to adjust themselves, they should have to keep one foot in the box at all times. Last year, the average baseball game lasted 3 hours, that's a near 20 minute increase from last year! Once again, the Yankees and Red Sox were painfully slow. They take too long to get out of a 9-inning game. Pitch clocks? I recommend it! I think if we were to speed up the game, give them 14 seconds to throw the ball. As soon as they get the ball from the catcher, the clock starts, no questions asked.
Also, it's time to start fining players larger amounts of money for crap they do. Come on, $5,000 is the limit? Peter Ueberroth was able to fine players up to $250,000!!!!
Take a tougher stand on steroid usage. Make it one time and you are out.
Take a stand on domestic violence. Let me remind you of the Ray Rice case.
I'm a baseball fan, Mr. Commissioner. You want to keep me that way.. Make some changes to the game and you'll make myself and the fans happier campers!
~ Joshua
