Since taking over as MLB commissioner at the end of January, Rob Manfred has essentially taken on the role of Dr. Frasier Crane for baseball owners, executives and fans. Frasier always began a phone call with a listener on his radio show by saying, “I’m listening.” And that’s what the new commish has been doing during his first month in the big chair.
Manfred has seemingly been listening to any and every idea pitched to him, watching each of them go into the catcher’s mitt before taking a definitive swing. Ban defensive shifts? He’ll look at the possibility. Institute a pitch clock? Tell him more. Talk to Pete Rose? He’ll consider it. “No” hasn’t been a part of Manfred’s vocabulary thus far as he settles into his new role as the head of MLB. He’s listening.
The latest example of this is the commissioner opening his ears to the possibility of shortening the MLB season from 162 games to 154, telling ESPN’s Darren Rovell that he doesn’t believe “length of season is a topic that can’t ever be discussed,” nor does he feel “it would be impossible to go back to 154.”
Personally, I like Manfred’s willingness to discuss and contemplate any of the pertinent matters currently concerning baseball. Baseball writers and fans have probably been a bit overreactionary to some of this. “Oh my GOD, he wants to ban defensive shifts!” But really, all that he’s said on these subjects is that he’s willing to listen to the arguments for and against any changes to the game on and off the field. That’s what a commissioner should do.
However, a leader also needs to make decisions, sometimes swiftly and definitively. Is the length of a baseball season a matter in which Manfred should have quickly dropped a “no”?
KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 29: Kansas City Royals fans react to their team’s defeat in the Power and Light District during Game Seven of the World Series on October 29, 2014 in Kansas City, Missouri. Thousands of fans gathered to watch the Kansas City Royals take on the San Francisco Giants. (Photo by Julie Denesha/Getty Images)
Fans probably wouldn’t object to pruning eight games from the regular season. If you happen to talk with a casual sports fan — perhaps very casual — and mention how many games are in a MLB season, he or she will probably be shocked, especially when that number is compared to the 82-game seasons of the NBA and NHL, and the 16 games NFL teams play. But the casual fan isn’t watching every baseball game anyway.
The players would almost certainly enjoy playing eight fewer games in a season. At the very least, that probably amounts to one less road trip per year. Maybe that means a few more days off on the schedule. The long grind of the 162-game marathon would be just a bit less grinding.
Of course, eight fewer games in the regular season would also affect players’ stats, which is one significant reason why such a change probably won’t happen. No one is likely to surpass Barry Bonds’ single-season record of 73 home runs with the reduced offense (and PED use) in baseball. But the chances would be extremely slim with a shorter schedule. More importantly, would we see any more 40-homer or 20-win seasons? Those are rare enough as it is nowadays. In 154 games, those numbers would seem nearly impossible to reach and no sport is more serious about its milestones than baseball.
Players’ agents might also point out that fewer games means less opportunity to accumulate MLB service time and start the clock ticking toward free agency, along with the bountiful payday that brings. How has Scott Boras not already spoken out against this and presented every reporter, analyst, columnist and media outlet covering MLB with a thick binder making his case?
CHICAGO, IL -MAY 25: A young baseball fan tries to keep warm on a chilly evening during a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Miami Marlins on May 25, 2013 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
Fans, players and networks probably would also prefer that baseball season doesn’t extend into the last week of October or first week of November. This year, the World Series is scheduled to begin Oct. 28. If the series goes to seven games, the decisive contest would be played on Nov. 5. Cold weather — which could also include snow and rain — doesn’t typically result in the best baseball being played. That’s not what MLB wants during its signature event.
However, the biggest reasons that baseball ultimately won’t shorten its season are off-the-field, financial considerations, which presumably matter little to the fans. Owners would make less money with eight fewer games on the schedule. That presumably means at least four fewer home games, which takes away four revenue-making opportunities at the gate.
Yet the repercussions on the television broadcast schedule would likely be of greater priority to MLB owners. As we’ve been seeing on a regular basis, regional cable networks are paying enormous money for team broadcast rights. With the everyday schedule that MLB follows, that means live programming that isn’t going to be DVR’ed and watched later in the week is available every night. That amount of telecast content is how clubs like the Diamondbacks can reach agreements with Fox Sports Arizona worth more than $1 billion. Eight fewer games means eight fewer broadcasts through which to sell advertising and draw ratings. That adds up to a lot of lost programming for a network.
But Manfred is listening, which is defining the very early part of his tenure as baseball’s 10th commissioner. His willingness to hear any and all proposals for improving the game might end up being his legacy. Eventually, however, he’ll have to make some definitive decisions. Cutting some discussions off before they can build any momentum might be a part of that. Shortening the season might be the right place to begin taking a stand.
