• Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred favors considering some out-of-the-box ideas to help pump some life into his game.

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FILE – This June 18, 2002 file photo shows Cal Ripken Jr., right, owner of the Aberdeen IronBirds, and his brother, Bill, walking off the field with their mother, Vi, after she threw out the ceremomial first pitch prior to the team’s season-opening debut at the new Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Md. Police say Cal Ripken Jr.’s mother is safe after an armed man abducted her from her home northeast of Baltimore. Aberdeen police say 74-year-old Vi Ripken was kidnapped between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 24, 2012, by a man who forced her into her car. less


Photo: AP


Cal Ripken Jr.’s group has built complexes along the East Coast.

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Cal Ripken Jr.’s group has built complexes along the East Coast.


Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS



Baseball has been played with virtually the same rules since Abner Doubleday invented the game in 1869.

Some are thinking that some drastic measures might be necessary to make the game more palatable to the attention span of modern fans.   

USA Today reports that Major League Baseball is considering some dramatic rules changes as a generation gap of its fans appears very real. With the average age of viewers for  its national television games at 56 last season, the game desperately needs to attempt to reach out to younger fans. 


The best way to do that? How about some new rules that baseball icon Cal Ripken Jr, who was hired last year as a special advisor to Commissioner Rob Manfred on youth programs and outreach, wants to be considered.  

“Let’s forget the traditional mindset,” Ripken told USA Today. “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.”

Among the rules that could be considered include starting every inning with a runner on first base. Or starting each inning with a different count. There could be a five-batter limit for an inning rather than three outs. Or maybe even a required steal if a player reaches first base. 

“We want to put out some ideas, and try some things,” Ripken said. “Look, if someone doesn’t know how to coach baseball, it can be the most boring sport in the world, sharing one ball with eight players and a pitcher. Let’s try different elements.

“These rules have stood for so long, let’s see how we can create action plays in baseball, let a catcher block balls and throw out runners, let infielders have the potential for double plays, showcase an outfielder’s arm strength.

It appears to be a drastic step. But considering that youth participation in baseball has skidded 40 percent since 2000, bold moves need to be taken to keep “America’s National Pastime” lively with changing generational tastes.

Tgriffin@express-news.net

Twitter: @TimGriffinBig12