Baseball Game Changers <!-- [Final Score White Sox 38 Cubs 36] -->

The much-needed Baseball Game Changers

What a game - the Chicago White Sox scored 22 runs in the bottom of the ninth to overcome the Chicago Cubs huge lead. Bravo! You thought Moneyball changed baseball, look out below! Ok, it's my day to be a little silly (crazy?) as I try to help major league baseball with their pace of play and the inadequate amount of action in the modern game. The following baseball game changers would revolutionize the game, for sure. Sorry, traditionalists, the age of the three point shot in basketball and the pass first mentality in football are here, it's baseball's turn. Throw out the record books, the younger generation wants scoring and action. The days of the eight run home run is coming. I am not in the boat where I feel like the games are too long, although I have a hard time devoting three hours to watching the whole thing. Baseball is baseball so I can live with it. But let's spice it up with more action. These baseball game changers will bring the excitement and maybe the kids back to the games.

Baseball Game Changers

I certainly like the idea of a pitch clock. If the ball isn't delivered on time, it's an automatic ball, and if the batter is not ready, it's an automatic strike. Also, having been a contact hitter with no power whatsoever when I played major league baseball, it does bother me to see the number of swings and misses and subsequent strikeouts which lead to a lot of inaction. With that in mind, I have some possible changes to the modern game of baseball that will help spice it up and hopefully get the ball in play more. Of course, I do not expect MLB to make all of these changes at once, but in time, we may not recognize the games as we know them now. Here comes the action.

Now, before you think I am nuts, I want to remind you that I predicted the following before they occurred:

1. Red flag baseball, where managers could challenge umpire calls.
2. The Chicago Cubs winning the World Series in 7 games last year.
3. Allowing even the known steroid players in the Hall of Fame because we can't determine the clean athlete's from the unclean. Pretty sure some of the users are in already, and the known ones are on the rise in the voting.
4. That Bryce Harper needed to make some swing changes, which he did.
5. That the MLB needed to do more to protect the fans with better netting, which most teams have, I believe. "Yea for Me!" OK, here we go, hold on.

Baseball Game Changers to revolutionize the game

So pitchers quit nibbling

1 For all walks, the batter goes to second base and not first. Pitchers will either challenge the hitters or pay dearly for not doing it. The days of the pitcher that tries to nibble the corners will be limited. If runners are on second and third the walked batter gets a RBI and with the bases loaded, the batter gets two RBI. No more intentional walks, people are there to see the best hitters bat and the pitchers to accept all challenges, not to see the managers manage and scared teams.

Putting speed back in the games

2 Only two outfielders. For the odd innings, the defense chooses how to position the two, and for the even innings, the offense picks a field to leave open. How fun would it be to see the defensive players scrambling all over the place when balls get to the outfield and runners getting more doubles and triples and inside the park home runs. Craziness! The two player outfield puts a premium on contact, as opposed to all the strikeouts in today's game.

Fantasy pick of the day

3 Before each inning, the offensive team manager gives the umpire a card on which they pick one batter that inning. If the declared batter hits a home run, they double the number of runs that score on the home run. Of course, the umpire rules that after such home run. Theoretically, a home run could be worth up to 8 runs with a grand slam. No lead would be insurmountable. Fun, fun. Hey, a little gambling will spice things up for sure.

Bonus payoff

4 Batters get an added strike after the seventh inning, if they had no previous strikeouts in the game, with a minimum of three plate appearances. So, when the flamethrowers from the bullpen come into games, batters may have earned four strikes instead of the standard three, which would help the late inning action in games and fewer strikeouts. Remember, it only takes three walks in an inning to score a run, so pitchers, beware. Pinch hitters will get that extra strike if they bat for a batter who did not have a previous strikeout.

Doubling down

5 Before the game and only to the umpire, managers pick an inning in which they will double their runs for that inning. It would be fun, and we would find out which managers are best with predicting the inning of most production. Once again, score swings would be fun, possible and leads would never be safe. Yes, an inning of ten runs would be doubled to twenty if the manager chose that inning prior to the game.

No more easy outs

6 - Because speedy outfielders will be needed, each team can have up to three DH"s. Sorry national league, pitchers hitting has to go. We want the best hitters alive to be in the games, even those who cannot catch a cold.

More contact, please

7. Because we penalize pitchers for the walks and rewarded batters with an extra strike for no previous strike outs, batters who have two strikeouts in a game only get two strikes for any subsequent bats. That will teach players to make contact maybe?

Of course, some of this may need some tweeking, but the time has come for some more action and crazy scoring. It's a new generation, and thrilling action is what sports are all about now. Because MLB baseball is slow to change, I propose one of these baseball game changers each year until all are in effect. At the least, let's incorporate these changes into youth baseball and let them have the fun.

Another Game Changer - get it now

  I could use your help with this, so any other suggestions are welcome. Fire away!

#mlbbaseball #baseballgamechanger Please share article, if so inclined Jack Perconte has dedicated his post-major league baseball career to helping youth. He has taught baseball and softball for the past 27 years.His playing, coaching and parenting storiescreate betterexperiences forathletes andparents.Jack has writtenover a thousand articles on coaching baseball and youth sports.Jack is the author of "The Making of a Hitter" and "Raising an Athlete." His third book "Creating a Season to Remember" is now available. Jack is a featured writer for Baseball the Magazine. You can also findJack Perconte on YouTube withover 120 fun and innovative baseball instructional videos.