MLB Owners Want to Shorten Season

The Major League Baseball owners have informed new Commissioner Rob Manfred that they would like to shorten the MLB season from its current 162 game schedule. The owners want to shorten the season from 162 games down eight games, four home and four away, to a 154 game schedule. Would the MLB owners see a drop in revenue from just four games? Probably not but would we see a decline in steroid, drug and amphetamine use? Maybe?

The MLB season is a grind. One night you’re on the East Coast and the next afternoon you’re on the West Coast playing a day game after a night game. On Sunday you’re on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball playing until midnight and the next night you’re playing in a totally different town.

Manfred is also pushing for realignment, which I agree with, and the elimination of Interleague Play. It makes no sense for some teams, take for instance the Pittsburgh Pirates, playing in the Central Division when they are located on the East Coast.

If Manfred wants to shorten the season honestly I think I would have a problem with that. I like the 162 game season but I am not putting my body on the line night in and night out, I understand that and respect that. I am definitely for realignment while I am indifferent on Interleague play. As a transplanted Yankees fan I love it when New York comes down to Atlanta to play. I wouldn’t necessarily cry if Interleague was taken away but I wouldn’t be ecstatic either, you know?

Either way it sounds like Manfred at least has ideas for radical changes to our game and sometimes change is good. It remains to be seen whether he will act on any of these changes or not. Stay tuned.