MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's first day in the office at MLB's N.Y. HQ was "four months in the making," and in that time, he "came up with an agenda for his first 100 days," according to Richard Justice of MLB.com. Manfred's agenda includes youth initiatives to get kids on playing fields and in ballparks; using technology to "make the game better" in the ballpark and on TV; examining ways to "modernize the game," especially pace of play; internationalization of baseball; and "promoting baseball's players, especially its biggest stars." Manfred: "Big pieces of my 100-day plan we've already rolled out. For example, we've completed the study of what the current youth market looks like. We've already developed a strategy on how we're going to try to engage in that space. We've already done some public things." He added the league must "continue to work with our players to make them accessible to our fans, because I think they're such a great asset in terms of growing the game." Justice noted Manfred "made headlines over the weekend when he said he might be open to banning defensive shifts," but yesterday he "emphasized that ... may never happen." Manfred does believe this comments "sent a message he believes is important during his tenure as Commissioner." Manfred: "I don't mind the idea that this office is viewed as a place where people are thinking about the game every day. We have not only the one or two things like pace-of-game changes we're focused on, but also a laundry list of things about which we are having conversations. Doesn't mean it's going to become part of the agenda. It means we're thinking about it." Justice reported that another priority will be to "meet with baseball's broadcast partners over the next couple of weeks." Manfred: "I want the broadcasters to understand that we are interested in making our broadcast product on television as good as we can make it. I also want them to understand that I don't see ratings as the be-all and end-all in terms of the popularity of the game or the demographic that's interested in the game" (MLB.com, 1/26).
NEW RULES? FOXSPORTS.com's Ken Rosenthal wrote under the header, "Open To Change, Manfred The Breath Of Fresh Air MLB Needs." While Rosenthal believes the "sample size for judging the effectiveness" of defensive shifts currently is too small, the issue is "certainly worthy of exploration -- and it’s not the only one that warrants deeper investigation as far as offense is concerned." A source said that a data packet of Manfred's proposed rule changes that MLB sent to the union included the following ideas: Lowering the mound; bringing in the fences in every park; wrapping the ball tighter to "make it fly farther;" adjusting the strike zone; and adopting the DH in the NL. Rosenthal: "It’s too early to get into a point-by-point debate over each possible wrinkle; the point is, Manfred seems open to new ideas" (FOXSPORTS.com, 1/27). In Detroit, Anthony Fenech notes one of the proposed rule changes "could be a pitch clock." While changes of that kind "could take many years to take foot -- baseball is notoriously adverse to change -- it appears that Manfred is at least posing the possibility of making big changes in little time" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/27).
SHIFTING FOCUS: In Tampa, Tom Jones writes Manfred "has a lot on his plate" as he takes over for Bud Selig and it is up to Manfred to look for "non-traditional ways to pump life into the game." He wants to make the game "more exciting, which is admirable." But banning shifts is "no way to do that." Jones: "You cannot penalize teams for doing something well, while aiding players who cannot do something well. By eliminating shifts, you're taking away a valuable weapon of some while throwing a lifeline to hitters who are aren't good enough to, as the old saying goes, hit 'em where they ain't" (
TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/27). SI.com's Cliff Corcoran notes scoring has "continued to trend downward, but given that historical context, we’re nowhere near the point at which MLB has to consider a drastic rule change to correct that trend." Shifts "add entertainment value as an extra level of strategy" (
SI.com, 1/26). ESPN.com's Buster Olney wrote under the header, "Banning Defensive Shifts Is An Absurd Idea." It is "startling" that Manfred "might embrace the idea of banning defensive shifts." Olney: "This is a really, really bad idea that should be dismissed quickly, as it was by general managers who discussed it in a meeting last fall." Pushing for rules to restrict defensive positioning "would be as absurd and antithetical to the game as informing pitchers they can throw only pitches that are straight, or telling hitters they aren't allowed to swing at a hanging curveball" (
ESPN.com, 1/26). CSNBAYAREA.com's Ray Ratto sarcastically wrote, "Credit to him ... for attacking a problem that doesn’t exist that doesn’t bother anyone, because there are no other problems with baseball at all" (
CSNBAYAREA.com, 1/26).
A GAME EVOLVING: SPORTS ON EARTH's Will Leitch wrote, "Trying to solve baseball, a game that is unsolvable, is one of its central pleasures. But baseball has me. I might grouse about any changes the game might make, and complain about how things aren't like they used to be, but I'm not going anywhere." But it has to "grab us first." Leitch: "I have considerable doubts whether banning defensive shifts will help make any new fans ... and I sort of bet nothing actually ends up happening with it … but I like that Manfred, on his very first day, is asking the big questions." He is already "taking huge swings." Manfred is the "same age Bud Selig was when he became MLB commissioner, so he's going to be here a long time." There is "little reason to think the game won't change as much in the next 23 years as it did in the last 23." Manfred is already "settling in for the long haul" (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 1/26).
