An Open Letter to Major League Baseball

Dear Robert Manfred and Bud Selig,
     Baseball has long been hailed as America's game. From Ruth to Mays to Aaron to Jeter, our country's pastime has had a long and storied history: a romantic journey from roughly the Civil War as an inspiration, a celebration, and a cultural mainstay. No one can deny that baseball has a past to be praised, but unfortunately for the game today, living in the past is both hurting baseball now, and if not fixed, could taint and ultimately destroy it.
     I understand that one of the components that gives baseball its identity is its steadfast support of tradition. While upholding tradition is certainly important, rejecting change is dangerous. Change is pursued because people see it as an improvement of what already exists: simply rejecting change is missing an opportunity for enhancement. While baseball's traditions often make it charming (the 7th inning stretch, old stadiums, its similarity to the baseball of yore), they also limit the game from reaching its true potential. By reprimanding and shaming players like Yasiel Puig, who bring excitement to the game by taking more risks in base running and fielding, the game is limiting its potential for excitement and flat-out denying Latin baseball culture to affect American baseball, despite the Latin game's flair and the increasing influx of Latin-Americans in the game. Mr. Manfred and Mr. Selig, it's time to embrace change. Constantly living in the past and denying new movements has repercussions, such as turning young people away from the game. Sticking to the comfortable demographic of old white men is no longer acceptable. A sport that doesn't strive for diversity in its viewers and attendees doesn't allow itself the chance to learn and grow from new perspectives as well as spread the game to a wider demographic. With the increasing non-interest from young people, each new generation of old people will be less and less intrigued. If baseball doesn't fix itself, and fast, it could be on the verge of obsoletism.
     So why doesn't baseball appeal to my generation? Here's the single reason: it's so goddamn slow. Take a single at-bat: the amount of time it takes for pitchers to play with the ball, step on and off the mound, stare at the batter, and throw to first base, combined with the amount of time it takes batters to step out of the box, swing their bat around, etc. overweighs the amount of actual action by such an exponentially huge proportion that it's ridiculous.  The fact is, we get bored even without the long stoppages of play for conferences at the mound and counts with tons of foul tips. Games are slowing down. Runs scored per game are also lowering, so you can't blame more runs being scored: the game is becoming simultaneously less exciting (with less runs) and more lengthy. Mr. Manfred and Mr. Selig, you and your friends can continue to blame it on our impatience, our inability to appreciate the game, our need for instant gratification intensified by the Internet, and constant access to distractions. Maybe those are all fair reasons. But the fact of the matter is that until baseball makes changes, neither will we. If nothing is done to speed up the game, nothing suggests that the under 18 age demographic, and even the under 40 age demographic, will sit down and not so much watch as endure 4-hour games on TV. Here's the thing: we have better things to do than watch Norichika Aoki foul off dozens of pitches, watch Stephen Strasburg try to unsuccessfully pick off the guy at first four times in a row, or watch every single pitcher take 30+ seconds in between pitches. Maybe that better thing to do is Instagram a selfie at the game, Tweet about how long this game is taking, or, like most not watch at all, and you can grumble about the Internet and the amount of constant distractions we have all you want, but the fact is unless you speed baseball up, we won't watch.
     Personally, I suggest instituting time limits between pitches and number of pick-off attempts per at-bat. Fun fact to those who say that forcibly speeding up baseball is against the essence of the game: a rule stating that pitchers must throw the ball within 12 seconds of receiving it from the umpire or the batter automatically gets a ball exists. Enforce it, Mr. Selig. And when your impending retirement comes, enforce it Mr. Manfred. The two sports young Americans watch most (and arguably the two most popular), are NFL and NBA. Both operate under large clocks, but under a smaller one as well, the play clock and the shot clock, respectively. You don't have to institute a larger time constraint, because that would be truly changing baseball's foundation, but adding a small time constraint would speed up the game significantly. Adding the shot clock saved the NBA from many of the problems baseball faces today. Learn from history. Maybe you'll lose some old white men who complain about stripping the game of its identity. Not only will the influx of young fans make up for it, but old white men is just about the only demographic you can afford to lose some fans in.
     Age is also prevalent in the front office. Just about every important position in Major League Baseball is occupied by someone old, white, and male. Hire young people. Hire women. Hire diversity. Mr. Selig, choosing Mr. Manfred as your successor is just about one of the worst things you could do. By instating your right-hand man, you're just bringing in more of the same issues. Introducing racial, age, and gender diversity in the front office of the league can help bring new perspectives and new solutions.
     Another issue is scoring. Part of the reason that both the NFL and the NBA are popular is because scoring is higher than ever in both leagues. While pitchers duels can be exciting, casual sports fans and even casual baseball fans don't really enjoy watching a 2-1 pitchers duel, unless maybe their team is playing. Socially, it's probably not acceptable to make every player take steroids, so other options must be pursued. First of all, adding a DH in the National League would promote scoring, and also limit the time needed for a pitching change, as a call to the bullpen because a reliever is up in the batting order would no longer be necessary. Secondly, an electronically-mandated strike zone would put a stop to giving pitchers strikes that are actually outside the strike zone, taking away some of their advantage.
     The NFL is so popular in part because it is so widely accessible: there are so many platforms and medias to watch games on. Mr. Manfred, Mr. Selig, instead of complaining about the Internet, use it to allow the casual fan to have better access to games and to spread baseball. Baseball can't really compete during the early months, as NBA playoffs are going in, and in the later months, as the NFL is going on. So during summer, really take advantage of the fact that baseball is the only major sport on. Change the culture! Promote, promote, promote! You know there's something wrong when more people tune into the Scouting Combine-Long Snapper and Punter Day than a mid-summer baseball game (OK, so that might not actually happen). The point is, take advantage of the time when sports fans don't have anything to watch but your sport!
     My final point is that Mr. Selig and Mr. Manfred, you have to do something. Sitting around and depending on your old white men simply won't hold you through in the 21st century. The last major change, adding the designated hitter to the American League, was 41 years ago. 41 years ago! Baseball, not only do I challenge you, but I implore you to make a change. I love baseball, I really do.  Something I love is deeply flawed. For the sake of the sport I love, I beg of you to not only turn baseball into something much easier for me to love, but for people my age to appreciate it the way I do.  Mr. Manfred, Mr. Selig, if you really love this sport, fix it. If you don't, then I fear the game won't be around for others to love. Will it be challenging? Of course. Will there be opposition? Most certainly. If it's for the greater good of something you love, should you face that adversity anyway? Mr. Manfred, Mr. Selig, if the answer is no, then I'll be forced to doubt the commitment baseball's leaders have to the game they're counted on to preserve and advance, for the sake of those that depend on it and love it.