Too Much MLB

By now, you hopefully all know that I love Major League Baseball as much as anyone.  I can watch any game at any time and be completely satisfied - I truly believe that each contest brings an opportunity to see something you've never seen before, and I consider magical what other people view as routine.  In light of all this, the title and subject of this post likely doesn't make sense to you - yet.  But hear me out here: The MLB season is a bit too long.

Now, at first blush you might stop me here, and accuse me of some blatant homerism.  After all, my Atlanta Braves are in danger of squandering what was just a handful of days ago seen as an insurmountable NL Wild Card lead, and admittedly a shorter regular season would help their playoff push.  But the Braves struggles aren't my motivation for this appeal for a shorter season.  Keep in mind, for starters, that a 162-game regular season is a relatively recent phenomenon by baseball's standards; not too long ago, in the early 1960s, the season lasted just 154 games.

Like it or not, modern professional sports are driven by star power.  The NBA has grown tremendously over the last two decades (the recent work stoppage not withstanding) because the league and its teams did a great job of elevating key players to stardom.  Baseball has the same potential, but the added injuries, physical exhuastion and mental breakdowns that naturally accompany six straight months of baseball limit the sport's quest to create more stars.  It's not good for the game when some of the sport's top talents are injured for much of the season, especially during the later months.  A shorter season would lighten the load on everyday players and keep them on the field more often.

To be fair, the MLB has a mechanism for helping teams get through the rigorous, 162-game season: On September 1st, rosters expand to give teams more depth.  But while the larger rosters provide teams with enough healthy players to make it through September, they also force unknown former minor leaguers into key roles during a time when MLB should be showcasing its biggest names.  Whether the Braves make the playoffs or not, the fact that starting pitchers Randall Delgado and Mike Minor will decide the team's fate while injured and overworked stars Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson sit on the DL is unfortunate.

The MLB likely sees the situation as an example of "you can't have too much of a good thing," with that good thing being baseball.  While a shorter season might equate to slightly less gate, sponsorship and TV revenue, the league needs to focus on the full ramifications of a longer season.  Though rewarding health and organizational depth is admirable, the average fan doesn't tune in to see which clubs have the deepest bullpens or best utility infielders.  During key, nationally televised matchups (and especially during the playoffs), fans want to see the game's brightest stars playing (the All Star Game voting process, if nothing else, has taught us that).  By reducing the number of regular season games back to 154, but keeping the season the same length date-wise, MLB can add additional off days throughout the year and protect the health of its everyday players that fans pay to see.