MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred "isn’t afraid to buck tradition in the name of trying to produce 'the best entertainment product'" for baseball fans, according to John Harper of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. The commissioner even "got a bit agitated" while being interviewed when asked if he "worried he might be messing with the fundamental nature of the sport by potentially implementing ideas such as a pitch clock, restrictions on the use of relievers, and curtailing the use of defensive shifts." Manfred said, "We need to manage the way the game is changing a little more aggressively.’" Harper writes Manfred "clearly wants to keep his sport relevant in a world that offers people more entertainment choices than ever -- especially so for younger generations." His job to "look and think ahead" and his actions and comments show "just how willing he is to embrace that responsibility." While MLB’s new CBA "addresses none" of Manfred’s concerns about improving the on-field product, "major changes are coming." On pace-of-play changes that were not addressed in the CBA, Manfred said, "There is a specific provision in the basic agreement, always has been, that allows us to deal with playing-rule changes mid-term. I expect that after we get a basic agreement drafted and printed, we will return to those playing-rule issues, and we’ll have ongoing dialogue with the MLBPA about our desire to get some change in that area during the course of this agreement. I think our players either understand or will come to understand the need to deal with the pace-of-play issues." Asked about a pitch clock, Manfred said he is "not looking to force somebody to do something, but ... it is a constant reminder of the need to move things along" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/27).
