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GM’s Have Much To Discuss At Baseball’s Winter Meetings In Nashville 0

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Rick Swanson

Besides Hot Stove banter there is much that can be discussed at next week’s GM Meetings in Nashville, TN

With the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville rapidly approaching, here a few meetings that Bud and his crew should schedule.

The first meeting should be with Bud and every team in the American League. In 2013 there will be 15 teams in the AL, and we need to take a new vote on the DH. Lets say that Houston will vote to eliminate the DH since they never had one. Do you think there are seven other teams that would vote the same way?

The next meeting should be regarding the new schedule.

It might be too late to scrap the model adopted by baseball and change to a more balanced schedule in 2013, but it certainly is early enough to start on the 2014 schedule.

In 2013 each team will play 19 divisional games and 20 interleague games with six teams.

In 2014 a balanced schedule would have each team play 18 divisional games and 20 interleague games with five teams. Eliminating rivalry games every year, will allow baseball to rotate a complete division with all teams playing in every park every three years.

Balanced schedule:

72 Interdivisional – four teams 18 games each
70 same league- ten teams seven games each
20 interleague- one complete five team division four games each

The next meeting will be called Wild Card improvements.

The first thing should be to change the Wild Card Game into a series, WCS. Changing it into a three game series will make it more exciting for fans, and each team will have at least one home game.

Rules for tie breakers also needs modifying. If both teams qualify for post season, then they should never play a game in which the losing team advances, like what would have happened this past season if the Yankees and Baltimore tied.

The next meeting will be called instant replay.

Here is the proposal.

Each team will be allowed three wrong challenges per game.

Each team will have a red ball that would signify a challenge. When a team throws the challenge ball across the foul line, a challenge will start.

The challenge must be made within five seconds of the original call by any umpire. Any umpire call, except balls and strikes could be challenged

After the red ball crosses the line, the four umpires will have 30 seconds to watch replays while staying on the field, using the giant screen in every park.

After 30 seconds each umpire will signal their call. If the result is 2-2 then the original call stands.

All replays will be shown in every park, including balls and strikes.

Umpire Strikezone Scores will be included in every boxscore.

The next meeting will be for rule changes.

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The Top 5 MLB 2013 Free Agents Teams Will Clamor To Sign 0

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Ally Silva

 

While the 2012 MLB season has come to a close, general managers across baseball are busy planning for next season, and the 2013 class of free agents presents some names of intrigue for sure.

Here are five names that GMs would love to add this off-season.

 1. Josh Hamilton: Texas Rangers

While there is no question that Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton will demand attention this offseason as a free agent, opinions have varied widely as to his value.

A former AL batting champion and MVP Award winner, Hamilton leads the majors as of Aug. 30 with 112 RBI, but after a torrid start to the season has cooled considerably. Injuries are always a concern, and teams may be wary of committing $100 million or more to a player with a sordid past.

 2. Michael Bourn: Atlanta Braves

Center fielder Michael Bourn has been everything the Braves wanted thus far in 2012—a .283 average, nine HR and 55 RBI (both career highs) and an NL-leading 37 stolen bases.

Bourn’s agent is Scott Boras, who almost always encourages his clients to test the free agent waters. The Braves would love to keep Bourn long-term, but the Washington Nationals are known to have a huge interest in his services. It very well could come down to a bidding war.

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Ways To KEEP CALM & SURVIVE The NHL Lockout (INFOGRAPHIC) 9

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Joe Gill

***Click To Enlarge***

The NHL Lockout is TWO MONTHS old already and the fans are trying to SURVIVE.

And find things to do until the NHL & NHLPA get their heads out of their……

You can fill in the blank!

Until then here are some ideas how to spend your time outside of wishing BODILY HARM on Gary Bettman.

Went To A NASCAR Race & A WWE Match Broke Out: Gordon Vs. Bowyer (VIDEO) 4

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Joe Gill

Who said all the action of NASCAR was on the track?

After some jousting during the AdvoCare 500, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, and their crews partook in a WWE Battle Royale.

Fists were flying and tires were being pushing over in the donnybrook.

Vince McMahon Would Be Proud

Vince McMahon could not have scripted it any better as Bowyer left his car and raced through the infield to get involved in the fracas.

Maybe Gordon & Bowyer could square off at Wrestlemania?

Thoughts About Baseball: The Balanced Schedule & 2012 World Series Ratings 1

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Rick Swanson

Crosstown rivalries like the White Sox and the Cubs won’t be the only imbalanced part of the 2013 MLB schedule.

The Balanced Schedule

The 2013 MLB season will be like none other in history. For the first time there will not be an even number of teams in each league. At least one inter-league series will take place all season long. All divisions will have teams playing inter-divisional rivals 19 games each.

There will be twenty inter-league games that will be divided rather unevenly by playing six teams; four teams three games each, and two teams four games each.

The sixty-six games remaining will be divided up with some teams six games (four teams) and others seven (six teams).

This 2013 schedule is not balanced at all.

If baseball is going to have twenty inter-league games, why don’t they divide up the games by playing one complete division four games each?

The first year the American League East would play the National League East, and the next NL Central, followed by NL West.

Every three years every team would play in every park.

The proper way to divide up twenty games is to play four games with five teams.

The 142 games that remain should be divided up with 72 divisional games, or 18 games each and 70 same league games would then be divided up seven games each.

Here is the complete balanced schedule for 2014.

72 Interdivisional – four teams 18 games each
70 same league- ten teams seven games each
20 interleague- one complete five team division four games each

Here is the unbalanced one MLB will use in 2013

76 Interdivisional – four teams 19 games each
66 same league- ten teams six teams seven games, four teams six games
20 interleague- six teams, four teams three games, two teams four games

If you compare the 2013 schedule to this 2014 model which one would you prefer to play?

Now if we could change the Wild Card one game playoff to a three game Wild Card Series, use instant replay, and get rid of the DH, baseball would be the perfect sport.

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Top 100 Things NFL Fans Would NEVER Say….In PUBLIC Anyways (VIDEO) 0

Posted on November 07, 2012 by Joe Gill

It’s NO SURPRISE why the NFL is the MOST POPULAR SPORT on the planet Earth…..

The fans of course.

NO ONE is more PASSIONATE about their sport and team than the lovers of the PIGSKIN.

But there are some things that the MOST DIE HARD NFL fans just WON’T SAY.

Ok, ADMIT it how many have you said?

  • Vintage Athlete of the Month

    • Rusty Staub: A Man For All Ages
      April 8, 2024 | 1:26 pm
      Rusty Staub

      The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month is a former major league baseball player who came into the game as a teenager and stayed until he was in his 40s. In between, Rusty Staub put up a solid career that was primarily spent on expansion or rebuilding teams.

      Originally signed by the Colt .45s at age 17, he made his major league debut as a 19-year old rookie and became only the second player in the modern era to play in more than 150 games as a teenager.

      Though he hit only .224 splitting time between first base and rightfield, Staub did start building a foundation that would turn him into an All-Star by 1967 when he finished fifth in the league with a .333 batting average.

      Read more »

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