New Rules: Cheap beer, bringing back the IBB & pickin' on pickoffs
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We're growing.
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| Rule to vote on: First pitch of the season takes place in Cincy. (Getty Images) |
But another Wednesday means another chance for a New Rule to bite the dust. This week the intentional walk is up for more debate. We read your posts, saw your conversations and decided its fate still must be determined. So that's the rule up for revocation this week.
Including reversing the point-to-intentional-walk rule (No. 25), there are eight rules selected from the message board to be added.
There is also a separate vote at the bottom that needs your attention. It's a tweak, or rather, solution to balancing the divisions, which we did last week.
As for general themes, a few stand out, and we'll try to incorporate them as best as possible without being too redundant.
Common rulebook changes tend to include:
- Shortening the game
- Eliminating some of the stoppages of play
- Curbing unruly fan behavior
- Fixing alignment
- Scheduling issues
- Adding some silliness to the diamond
- Beer
Remember, there's nothing sacred or off limits and just because your rule didn't make the cut this time, doesn't mean it won't next, so re-post those good ones that slipped by us.
Voting for rules runs through Sunday, 10 p.m. ET. If you experience any trouble with the poll, click here
Let's start with the silly:
The groin rule (aka "Boy-yoy-yoing")
Superstar afro-man27: "Any ball that happens to hit a player in the groin, via foul ball, hit by pitch, etc., should have sound effects implemented to emphasize the comedic value of the event."
One dollar beer rule
All-Star ShawneManning: "Every team that trades its best players 'for the future' and is out of contention can't sell beer for more than a dollar."
How about a rule revoking one of last week's entries:
Bring back the intentional walk
All-Star krakoose: "The intentional base on balls needs to stay as it is. The batting team would never want a pitcher to point to first for an intentional base on balls because then it would help the pitching team by:
1. The pitcher won't be as tired if all he has to do is point. But throwing four balls, even though they may be tossed instead of thrown, help to tire out and weaken the pitcher to the batting team's benefit.
2. If the batting team has a man on base, there is always the chance that one of the four intentional balls could get by the catcher and allow the runner to advance. There's no reason for the batting team to let the pitching team avoid this risk.
3. Throwing four intentional balls can actually throw a pitcher a bit off his rhythm and help the batting team's next batter."
Let's stick with the pitching part of the game:
Penalties for pick-off attempts
All-Star Fred Coste: "Any pitcher throwing over to first base more than twice without throwing a pitch to the plate will be penalized one ball per offense. Any pitcher violating this statute more than once in an inning or twice in a game may be charged by the bullpen catcher from the opposing team. (Give those guys some TV time and a nice long jog once in a while. They'll become fan favorites in no time and there's no risk of injury to an active player, other than the pitcher)"
Regarding salaries:
The salary cap rule
Superstar harryND: "Let's see baseball put in a salary cap. I am tired of only seeing big-market teams buying up any player they want. These small-market teams have great farm systems and when they call these guys up, they keep them until they can't afford them. Then come the Yankees or Angels or any other big-market team to throw a ridiculous amount of money at them. I would love to see teams like the Royals, Reds, Brewers, Pirates, or Rays compete every year. Sure they come on for a season or two but they can't maintain like the Red Sox or Yankees."
Regarding the World Series:
Regular season wins determine W.S. homefield
Superstar ChiBearsFan: "Let's forget about this whole All-Star Game determining homefield advantage and instead make the regular season count for something. If you had more wins during the regular season than your opponent in the World Series, you get homefield advantage."
| New Rules Rewind |
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Regarding attending games:
Wave goodbye to the wave
Superstar bdeleeuw2323: "Any fan, 12 years of age or older, who waves (or does any other sort of antics in order to draw attention to themselves) while sitting in view of the camera will promptly be removed from the stadium."
Regarding Opening Day:
First Pitch: Cincinnati Style
All-Star cag1970: "I'd like to propose that the first pitch of each season be thrown out in Cincinnati, on the first Monday of April, in broad daylight, somewhere around lunchtime."
Paper clip to Rule 26 (moving a team from the NL Central to the AL West to create balanced divisions)
Tweaking the schedule to make realignment work
Top 100 pittbaster: "Since the 'move a team from the NL Central to the AL West' rule requires a bit of schedule juggling (odd number of teams in both leagues means the current format would require two teams to sit every day) I propose the following rule: Spread interleague play throughout the season, and have everyone play everyone. Break the schedule down as follows: One three-game set against each team from the opposite league, alternating home and away each year (45 games). Two three-game sets (home and away series) against non-divisional opponents in the same league (60 games).
"This leaves 57 games for divisional matchups, which works out to just over 14 games per division opponent. Rotate which division opponent gets the 15th game on a 4-year cycle, every other time alternating the ballpark in which the 'extra game' is played."
