Baseball 2023: The future ain’t what it used to be

Last season, when I took to the mound before a West Michigan Whitecaps game, rest assured, I was not thinking about the future of baseball. Potential changes such as new rules for MLB never crossed my mind. Automated strike zones, defensive shift limits, bigger bases? No, I was focused entirely on the one base I needed to reach then and there, 60 long feet away and a scant 17 inches from side to side. C’mon, the home plate taunted me, whatcha got?

Well, my heater got there soon enough. The Whitecaps played well and finished last season 72-59. In the majors, a team not named the L.A. Dodgers won the World Series, and here we are today with new rules on the books as a new season begins.

I am ALL IN on baseball any time of the year, especially right now as spring training is underway. Every team is tied for first! Winter is on its way out (even in Michigan), days are getting longer and hope soars higher than a Ruthian blast to the upper deck. I’m ready to break out my favorite t-shirt, the one that reads “Baseball is Life … the Rest Just Details.” Among my family and friends, we joke that, for me, baseball season starts at halftime of the Super Bowl. This year, as soon as Rihanna started singing, one of my boys said, “Daddy, it’s baseball season!”

So, you might be wondering, given my enthusiasm and anticipation, how do I see the 2023 season playing out? With the new rule changes, what are the long-term prospects for a game so well loved by so many. Perhaps more pressing, how do we counterbalance a growing indifference many Americans feel for the sport?

For answers, we turn to the Yogi Berra for his wisdom. He once said, “The future ain’t what it used to be.” Got that? I think what he meant is clarified by another of his quotes, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”

In my view, no other sport imitates life better than baseball, and this grand summation includes prediction-making. Baseball and life are both long dramas punctuated by small things that can change everything in an instant. The future is indeed fuzzy and subject to change. So what’s my call? Where do we stand, and where are we headed?

First, the present and how this magnificent game often mirrors the ups and downs of life:

• There’s no easy path to the World Series. In fact, many of the greatest players in history never won it all simply because one player can’t do it all.
• The game happens every day … just like we all get out of bed to play our game every day.
• The best pitchers are credited with a “win” in about half of their starts.
• The best hitters are unsuccessful in getting on base 65% of the time.
• If a player gets 20 at-bats per week, five hits means the player gets axed from the team but six hits puts the rising star on the way to the Hall of Fame.
• The best teams win three out of five games; the worst teams still enjoy victories in two out of five.

Next, the future—where the game would go if I were Supreme Ruler of Baseball:

1. The Commissioner must actually know something about baseball. So very obvious. But definitely not happening now. IMHO, the current commish should take his skills and earn a living in a different field. ‘Nuff said. But if you want to read more, cheating does matter.
2. Let’s end the debate on umpires. There is no romantic advantage in missed calls. We have the technology—with near 100% accuracy—to make the right call. Maybe all we have to do is put a buzzer in the pocket of the umpire so he can accurately announce the call if we find the thought of losing a human in blue too painful. But accurate technology works for me.
3. Celebrity umps! Now that cameras are making the decisions, that means we could have guest umps announcing the results. Talk about a high-energy game-changer. At next Tuesday’s Marlin’s game, Pit Bull could be the featured celeb behind the plate! Taylor Swift at the Pirates? Pat Mahomes for K.C.? Angela Bassett in L.A.? So many possibilities.
4. Homerun theatrics. Here, we need a rule to put an end to unspoken expectations. Forthwith, any player hitting a home run has the choice of (a) doing an monster bat flip or (b) gently tossing the bat and receiving a handshake from the pitcher upon crossing home plate. Failure to shake hands will cost the pitcher a ball on the next batter.

One of the great things about the pastime of baseball is that it’s not, well, hockey. Or basketball. Or football. In baseball, you live a lot of life while a game is being played and as the season unfolds. When you’re watching the local nine write the next page in the team’s story, you can talk, eat peanuts and enjoy the game at the pace of life. You can even brainstorm on new rules you’d like to see and ponder the implications of the actual ones taking effect.

There are many folks who would like to see the game sped up, and I tend to agree. But in reality, there are many moments in life meant to be savored. Time tells the tale, and my hope is that baseball stays true to itself so we can continue embracing the melodic rhythm of our national pastime.