So, if you've been following the sports news for anything other than Dodgers news, you know that baseball, the sport we all love, is currently dealing with scandal after scandal involving Performance Enhancing Drugs, or PED's.
I'm against their use, and I believe baseball isn't doing nearly enough to stop it. If you really want to make a profound difference in the fight, here's how you do it:
First failed test: One year suspension, no appeal. Your contract is immediately voided, with the money your team would have paid to you going to help pay the pensions of those who came before you. At the end of your suspension, you are eligible to be re-signed, but only by the team you previously played for, and at a maximum salary of no more than 25% of your original contract, or the major league minimum, whichever is more. If that team chooses to pass on you, then you're eligible to be signed under a system similar to the current waiver system, which means the crappiest teams get first shot at you. After two seasons, assuming no further infractions occur, you are a free agent, and free to sign with whoever would have you, and at whatever salary they're willing to pay you.
Second failed test: Lifetime suspension. No appeals, no second chances. You're out of professional baseball in America. Maybe Japan or another league somewhere else will sign you, but since most of those leagues have agreements with MLB, I kind of doubt it will happen.
It's a harsh system, but most pros believe that the only way to put an end to the problem is to make the cost too high to pay. If a player knows the financial costs of using is limited to the pay lost during a suspension, there's no real penalty, especially for a player under a long-term, high-dollar deal. He can simply serve the time, get his body back to 100%, and then pick up his contract right where he left off...which is why so many big names continue to do it.
Now, on to the problem of fighting in baseball...
This is an even easier fix. Recently, Ryan Dempster of the Red Sox took several shots at Alex Rodriguez in what many believe was a statement against cheaters. While no punches were thrown, and only Joe Girardi, manager of the Yankees, was thrown out, the benches cleared, and the players from the bullpens came running in to add to the problem. How does baseball prevent these time-wasting clusters of stupidity?
First, stop trying to tell the pitchers how to pitch. Allow the players to police themselves. In the old days, if a batter showed up a pitcher by taking too long to round the bases after a home run, or stood at the plate too long admiring his shot, his next at-bat, that hitter knew he was going to see a pitch come for him. The pitcher in question took his shot, and if it hit the batter, fine. If it didn't, the message was still sent, and everyone was happy. By taking that weapon out of the pitcher's arsenal, you're giving the batter an unfair advantage.
Everyone knows pitchers like to establish their dominance of the inside part of the plate. If the ball slips and gets too far in, the pitcher gets a warning. If it happens again, he gets tossed. Pitchers have as much right to the inside of the plate as the batter does. That's the beauty of baseball. At its core, it's a battle between a pitcher and a hitter. If the umpire takes a weapon from the pitcher, the batter has the advantage...
So, let's say that our pitcher hits your batter. If your batter charges the mound, the only players that should be allowed to back him up are the players in the starting lineup. If you're the utility infielder, keep your ass in the dugout, or you're tossed and fined. Same with the defensive team. The only players that get to participate are the ones on the field. Now, you've got a 9-on-9 brawl. That's much easier for the umpires to control. Oh, bench coaches and base coaches are not players. They're not allowed to participate either. If they do, they're gone.
Few teams are going to risk injury to a star player, or more importantly, losing their best late-inning defensive guy because he jumped off the bench and got his dumb ass tossed for fighting.
Once the smoke clears, and the players handle business, the umpires can dole out ejections as warranted...but neither team loses key players, because they've taught them to think before they react. A small thing, really...but it makes a huge difference.
Finally, instant replay. Everyone agrees the technology is there, and ready to be used. I agree. Here's how:
If a play obviously needs review, the team set up at the central offices can signal within a certain time, and the play is reviewed automatically. I personally think each stadium should have an office set up to monitor the game, and reviews should be managed from those offices, and not New York, as the current plan calls for. The reviewers are hired, trained and paid for by MLB, and answer only to MLB.
Each manager gets one challenge for every three innings. Challenges do not carry over into later innings, so if a manager does not use a challenge, he loses it.
A failed challenge is exactly that. There is no argument, no debate. If a challenge fails, the game goes on. Argument results in ejection.
A successful challenge allows the manager to retain the right to challenge again during that 3 inning span. However, this only happens once. If a manager challenges, wins, then challenges again, win or lose, the challenge is lost.
These rules apply during the first six innings.
At the start of the seventh, a challenge is available once per inning. If it's not used, it does not carry over. If a challenge is successful, that's it. No more challenges that inning.
All plays other than balls and strikes are reviewable. ALL PLAYS. Arguing balls and strikes is still an immediate ejection.
The review office has the right to review all plays, and will have the ability to communicate with the home plate umpire to relay its decisions, or request an on-field review.
If a challenge is not initiated within 45 seconds of an umpire calling time out and stopping play, the right to challenge is forfeited, and no challenge will be allowed. Any attempts to stall or delay the challenge will result in the batter at the plate being assessed an automatic strike to his count. If this will result in an out, then it results in an out.
Are these ideas perfect? Hardly. Will they work? Absolutely. Anything is better than what we currently have...
MINI-RANT #09 - OVER
