I have been a baseball fan since the 1983 season. Although I really like basketball, hockey, football, and the olympics, baseball has always been my favorite sport. So, the rumored rules changes got my attention.
Universal Designated Hitter
I’m a National League guy. I like the strategy and additional base running of the National League game. But I’m a realist. The designated hitter is rightly coming to the National League. My guess is there will be A DH in the National League at the start of the 2020 season.
The DH must come to the National League because the leagues have to play under the same rules. With interleave play being permanent, the days of different rules in different parks must come to an end. Also, bringing the DH to National League will create more good jobs for players.
Roster Changes
The idea of expanding roster size from 25 to 26 makes a lot of sense. Even better is the idea of limiting rosters to 28 players in September. The 26th player for most of the season will give managers more flexibility. The smaller roster sizes in September will result in incredibly important games not looking much different than games earlier in the season.
The Three Batter Minimum
I’m torn on the idea of forcing each pitcher to face three batters. The multiple pitching changes in a single inning have gotten out of control; however, a three-batter limit does take strategy from the game. I would like to see a rule that forced each pitcher to face at least three batters–with one exception per team each game. That change would force managers to really think about when they were going to use a pitcher for less than three batters. If that change was adopted, the rule should stipulate the starting pitcher had to face at least three batters.
Putting a Runner on Second to Start Extra Innings
This is simply the dumbest rule change I have ever heard of a sports league considering. That would change the game by way too much.