Yesterday, I pointed out how much I miss hearing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at the 7th inning stretch. SJS pointed out that there is another tradition that needs to come back-the pitcher needs to bat.
And then today, I thought about it-the idea of playing game five of the World Series on Nov 1 is an abomination. The Series was meant to be played in early October.
And today Slate reminded us of the man we have to thank for that:
Baseball commissioner determined to finish ruining the game before he finally quits.
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig—who presided over the 1994 baseball strike, the steroid-inflated home-run chase of the late ’90s, the pointlessness of interleague play, the extortion of billions of dollars in public funds to build stupidly quirky phony old-fashioned ballparks, the intentional destruction and theft of the Montreal Expos, and the dismantling of the pennant-race system in favor of the crapshoot of expanded playoffs—wants to secure his legacy by adding yet another layer of playoffs before he retires in 2012.
At least, he says he’s going to retire in 2012. People have their doubts about that, given Selig’s record of deception and bad faith.
Read the rest here. For those of us who grew up in the 1960’s and 70’s and saw baseball in its prime-its crime. Especially since he destroyed all that Giamatti strove to build.
Want to fix baseball?
-Do away with the DH.
-Shorten the season to 148 games. ( Unless you do away with the Wild Card system).
-Institute revenue sharing and salary caps like they have in the NFL.
-Make George Bush commissioner of baseball. ( Would that he had that job in 1992-think of the grief it would have saved Texas.)
Go Giants!