MLB Attendance: Some solutions for another year’s decline

MLB Attendance: Further Suggestions

However, before adopting a pitch clock, banning the shift, or mandating a minimum three batters per pitcher, I’d make other, simpler changes to aid MLB attendance.

First, make batters stay in the batter’s box between pitches unless they literally fall down swinging or are “knocked down” avoiding a pitch. If a player walks out of the box after spitting on an outside slider, assess a strike. Believe me, people would learn to stay put.

Second, limit “re-velcroing” the wristbands on batter’s gloves to once per plate appearance. Once upon a time, one guy refastened his gloves at his wrists too often, Nomar Garciaparra. He did it after every pitch; now everybody does it all the time. It’s horrible.

Third, limit the warm-up pitches for relievers on the field to one (unless the pitcher literally falls down on that warm-up on the “unfamiliar” mound; then, he’d get two). What the hell was he doing in the bullpen? Eating ice cream? He was warming up. He probably threw 12 to 15 pitches, minimum.

Fourth, further limit visits to the mound by management staff, and time them strictly, with a ball to the next faced hitter if the time limit is overrun by x seconds.