2 days ago
Why is Rob Manfred trying so hard to ruin MLB?
It's been close to 48 hours since MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's announcement about the inevitable expansion to 32 teams. The shockwaves are still reverberating. A revolution is coming, he said. Love it or leave it.
I'll gladly take Door No. 2.
Before you ask why I'm opposed to a bigger sport, I'd like to hit Manfred with my own point-blank question:
Who at MLB convinced you that baseball's evolution has to come at the expense of the traditional fan base?
I'm talking about the 55-64 male demographic, aka Boomerville. They're the saps who've had a lifetime bond with baseball but are now being thrown overboard in favor of younger fans who don't watch games.
Many folks I've spoken to already hate the idea of adding two franchises, creating eight four-team divisions (which I bet will be called conferences). It will turn MLB into a sprawling, faceless corporate mess.
I figured my friends would push back on Manfred's idea. They already think the commissioner is a gimmick-happy lightweight.
But one MLB person I talked to recently believes otherwise.
'Trust me, Rob knows what he's doing,' is what the higher-up said.
Sure. I'm going to put my faith in the man who's brought us the third wild card, an extra round of playoffs, the pitch clock and, the ultimate insult, the 10th-inning ghost runner.
And let's not forget those Friday night Apple broadcasts, or Sunday morning games on Roku.
Manfred's term doesn't expire until 2029, so there's plenty of time to complete his mission – making baseball as unrecognizable as possible to those who grew up in the 1960s and 70s.
Expansion – and with it, realignment - will be the greatest disruption of all. Manfred said the geographically-based divisions will reduce air travel. Ball players will be less fatigued. Better baseball, right?
Funny how the commissioner has forgotten who forced teams to crisscross the country at 30,000 feet in the first place – him!
The balanced schedule that requires everyone to play everyone not only erased the lines between the American and National Leagues, but it's made for shorter homestands and longer flights.
If Manfred really cared about the quality of play, he'd reduce the schedule from 162 games to 154. And if the goal is to 'grow the game' – the unbearable cliché that floats through the hallways of MLB headquarters – local market blackouts would be eliminated.
Doesn't Manfred realize baseball is currently the hardest sport to follow? In many areas of the country, it's impossible to watch a team that's hundreds of miles away. One example: MLB TV subscribers in parts of North Carolina can't watch the Orioles or Nationals playing the Yankees in the Bronx.
That's because the O's and Nats are considered 'home teams' in select parts of the Tar Heel state. That's absurd.
It's also an outdated business plan. Blackouts were originally intended to boost attendance. Those fans would theoretically buy tickets in person. But TV has become an integral part of how the sport is consumed now.
We are, after all, in the age of marketing. Games are no longer games. They are now an experience. Many teams blast their fans with music and between-pitch sound effects that are so loud, they can cause hearing damage.
The noise level at Yankee Stadium, for instance, often exceeds 90 decibels, which is like sitting next to a roaring motorcycle. Ticket buyers complain they have a hard time holding conversations with each other.
MLB believes marketing is necessary to juice the public's interest. But the gap between the haves and have-nots remains as wide as ever. Last year, MLB saw the White Sox lose 121 games, an all-time record. The Rockies are on pace to lose 115 this year.
There's barely enough talent to fill the current rosters. Two more clubs, almost certain to be bottom-feeders, would only further erode the quality of play.
The Twins, one of at least 11 teams with no chance at the playoffs, traded away 10 players at the July 31 deadline. The Athletics have no home, the Marlins are going nowhere as usual and the Pirates are broke.
But sure, let's continue to feed the beast.
Although it's too soon to know how the four-team conferences will stack up, it's likely the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox and Phillies will be grouped together.
It'd be a summer-long steel cage match, at least on paper. But ask yourself if it's necessary for the Yankees and Mets to play each other 19 times a season. It doesn't seem right to break up the iconic AL East or NL Central divisions.
I suggest Manfred rethink the obsession with turning MLB into the NFL or the NBA. He should remember baseball was built on a slower, more predictable pace that stretches over six months.
Old-time rivalries matter. So does tradition. Manfred is instead hunting for one new trick after another, ignoring the coming storm in his path.
Baseball is likely to undergo a monster labor dispute in 2027. The owners and players are already hunkering down for a long war over a salary cap. It could jeopardize the entire season.
Now isn't the time to think about expansion. Baseball has more important problems than deciding which city gets the next non-competitive team.
If Manfred wants to do something about his legacy, he can start by making the sport better, not bigger.
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Bob Klapisch may be reached at bklapisch@
