Written by Bob Nightengale at USAToday.com
OK, maybe it’s a little dramatic for Major League Baseball.
Baseball has trouble enough deciding whether the DH should be employed in both leagues, and re-defining the slide rule into second base, without overhauling Abner Doubleday’s original rules.
Still, at a time when Major League Baseball is desperately trying to bridge a generation gap with their fans – 56 was the median age of fans watching nationally televised games last year – the industry is reaching out to the youth of America.
That number is alarming, particularly considering the average age was 34 for those using the MLB At-bat application on their cell phones, tablets and TVs.
As Commissioner Rob Manfred prepares to fan out through spring training, beginning Friday in Florida, he’s intent on spreading a message integral to the sport’s prosperity: If you don’t play baseball, you probably won’t watch baseball.
“The biggest and strongest indicator of fan affinity as an adult,” Manfred told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday, “is if you played as a kid. The relationship was really strong.”
So how do you get kids to start playing baseball again, instead of playing video games or other sports?
Introduce a few radical rule changes to pique their interest.
“Let’s forget the traditional mindset,” said Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., who was hired in December as a special advisor to Manfred on youth programs and outreach. “We’re not ruining the game. We’re teaching the game. We’re showcasing the game.
We want to test this out in tournament games, in consolation games, to see how it works.”
You ready?
How about starting every inning with a runner on first base? How about starting each inning with a different count? Instead of three outs an inning, how about five batters? What if players are required to steal?
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