Commissioner Rowdy

This is my four-point plan for improving the game.

1. Add two more expansion teams. I'm not worried about the quality of starting pitching that would result because . . .

2. I'd abolish the DH. Get the geriatic and slothlike sluggers off the field. No DH would be good for the starting pitching for two reasons. One, fewer old sluggers making young starters look silly. Two, the loss of the DH would pressure teams to employ more versatile players for the bench. That's right, more utility men is what the league needs. Barry Bonds is out of work if he can't play the outfield. Jose Hernandez keeps his job. Young starters everywhere benefit.

3. Create eight four-team divisions defined roughly by geographical proximity. Here are my divisions:

A. Seattle, Oakland, San Fran, Las Vegas.
B. Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego, Arizona.
C. Colorado, San Antonio, Texas, Houston.
D. Minnesota, Milwaukee, Kansas City, St. Louis.
E. Chicago, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto.
F. Cincinnati, Atlanta, Tampa, Miami.
G. Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington.
H. Philadelphia, New York, New York, Boston.

4. No wild-card playoff berths. If the interleague play in the two-team cities is great, the division play--when only one of the two teams can advance to the playoffs--could only be better. Such a divisional arrangement may also end the need for a salary cap and revenue sharing. Finally, this playoff structure with these divisions guarantees that the playoffs and World Series have a multi-region appeal. It would be more like a World Cup of baseball. All eight regions would be represented in the opening round. I'd retain the "American League" and "National League" divisions with diverse geography for each (say, groups A, C, E, and G for the NL and groups B, D, F, and H for the AL.) Then four diverse regions would participate in the championship series, better drawing the entire country into the playoff excitement.