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A22 sports
Thursday 19 april 2018

Column: Some changes to help make baseball great again

By TIM DAHLBERG fice. It may not bring back
AP Sports Columnist the sacrifice bunt entirely,
Attendance is down in but it should ensure it still
baseball, though the sam- has a place in the game.
ple size is small because the STRIKE ZONE — The official
season is still young. strike zone is basically the
What caused the drop de- letters to the knees. Enforce
pends on who you listen to. it, and pitchers will throw
Unusually cold weather is more strikes. Enforce it, and
surely one culprit, and es- batters will swing at more
calating ticket prices are pitches. Both are good
likely another. Teams tank- things.
ing before the season even FEWER RELIEVERS — Limit
began might also be an the number of relievers
issue, with fans unwilling a team can carry at any
to spend money to watch given time. The Dodgers
bad baseball. currently have 13 pitch-
Then again, maybe the ers on their roster, eight of
game itself is to blame. them relievers. That means
Baseball has changed, and there are only 12 position
not for the better. Games players, which eliminates
last forever, pitchers don’t a lot of strategy over the
last at all and everything use of pinch hitters late in
is run from spreadsheets. the game and encourages
Meanwhile, the sacrifice managers to microman-
bunt is almost extinct, the Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani, right, of Japan, and Andrelton Simmons, left, age pitching staffs.
shift ruins the basic con- listen to catcher Martin Maldonado during the second inning of a baseball game against the Bos- TEAM CHEFS — Get rid of
ton Red Sox, Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif.
cept of outs and com- Associated Press them. If hot dogs were
plete games are rarer than good enough for Babe
scheduled doubleheaders. should at least be by the the game but force man- to embarrass themselves Ruth, they’re good enough
To many, the game has right fielder. agers to think a little more by riding to the rescue and for today’s players.
become little more than a INSTANT REPLAY — Get rid instead of relying entirely the carts serve as nothing DOUBLEHEADERS — Bring
glorified home run derby, of instant replay. Yes, just on analytics and fixating on more than an advertising them back, and don’t
where pitches throw as dump it. It ruins the flow of single matchups. ploy. A better use for the charge fans separate-
hard as they can, batters the game and eliminates OHTANI EFFECT — Make carts would be to parade ly for each game. Each
swing as hard as they can way too many fun scenes each team have a two- the starting pitcher around team should be required
and the team that hits the of managers kicking dirt way player like Shohei the field in a ride of shame to schedule at least four
most balls over the fence and arguing with umpires. Ohtani. The player must when taken out after being doubleheaders a year. Use
usually wins. FEWER COMMERCIALS — pitch at least once a week shelled. the days saved to begin
With that in mind, here are This is almost mandatory, and be in the starting line- FIX THE BASEBALL — Home the season in April instead
some changes designed if baseball is ever to get up on at least two other runs are at a record level, of March and maybe there
to make baseball great a handle on the length of days to hit. It adds a nice which isn’t a bad thing won’t be so many post-
again: games. One fewer com- twist, and what fan can’t by itself. But when Bryce ponements because of
GO SHIFTLESS — Baseball is mercial in between innings remember Little League, Harper shatters his bat and weather.
meant to be played with would shave nearly 10 min- when the best pitchers still hits a ball 406 feet over There’s more, but that’s
two infielders on one side utes off the average game, were also almost always the right-centerfield fence, a good start. Baseball
of second base, two on the a lifetime in today’s atten- the best hitters? something is wrong with the doesn’t need to reinvent
other. Simple as that. Make tion-challenged world. BULLPEN CARTS — These ball. ‘Fess up, MLB: Admit itself, but it does need to
it a rule, and make them THREE’S THE CHARM — Ev- were fun for a while in the the ball has changed and change.
have at least one foot on ery pitcher should have to ‘70s, but so were pullover do something about it. The reward will be bet-
the infield dirt. If you’re go- pitch to at least three bat- polyester uniforms and mul- SACRIFICE BUNT — Give ter games, and more fans
ing to be thrown out on a ters, no exceptions. This tipurpose stadiums. Let’s players credit for a hit every in the stands to watch
ground ball to right field it would not only speed up face it, relievers don’t want time they successfully sacri- them.q

Slugger Jose Bautista, Braves agree to minor league deal

By CHARLES ODUM would receive a $1 million, be aware of because he’s
AP Sports Writer one-year deal if added to that kind of player.”
ATLANTA (AP) — Even with the 40-man major league Flaherty took a NL-leading
their Ryan Flaherty lead- roster. He will report to the .354 batting average into
ing the NL in hitting, the At- Braves extended spring Wednesday night’s game
lanta Braves couldn’t resist training complex in Kissim- against the Philadelphia
the low-risk opportunity to mee, Florida, to work him- Phillies, but his career aver-
add Jose Bautista. The six- self into game condition age is .221. The team add-
time All-Star agreed to a while playing third base. ed another option at third
minor league contract with “He’s a good player who base on Wednesday when
the Braves on Wednesday if and when he gets here Johan Camargo was acti-
In this June 20, 2017, file photo, Toronto Blue Jays’ Jose Bautis- after impressing team offi- can lengthen our lineup,” vated from the disabled list.
ta follows through on a fly out to center in the fourth inning of
a baseball game as Texas Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, cials at a workout, and he Braves manager Brian Snit- Camargo was expected to
right, watches, in Arlington, Texas. will try to earn playing time ker saud. “He’s somebody be the starter before suffer-
Associated Press at third base. Bautista, 37, the opposition has got to ing a right oblique injury. q