What’s to like about Major League Baseball in the season of the pandemic?

Look what they’ve done to my game.

 

After being shut down by the coronavirus pandemic, Major League Baseball is up and running, with the St. Louis Cardinals being the exception.

 

And the game has changed this season because of the pandemic sweeping the country.

 

And that can be a good thing – or bad – if you have watched a game on television. Baseball, a sport that once boasted to be the National Pastime, prided itself on change – or lack of it.

 

But change has forced its way into the picture with a shorter schedule, no fans, and a few new rules.

 

What’s to like? And what’s not to like?

 

First, let’s look at what’s not to like.

 

That’s easy. Baseball built its tradition on being at the park, eating a hot dog and, perhaps, savoring a beer or two. Fathers and sons bond at baseball games, old-timers reflect on today’s stars vs. stars of yesteryear.

 

The cutouts of fans littered in stadiums were amusing for a few games, and the piped-in music was a nice try. But when you don’t have fans in the stands, there’s no seventh-inning stretch, no emotional cheer to change the momentum of the game when your favorite player blasts a 450-foot homer, and no memories to talk about on the way home.

 

But other than that, I like most of the changes to a sport that used to be No. 1 in the USA, but probably is a precarious No. 3 in the pro sports pecking order. Let’s face it, the NFL is No. 1, the NBA is No. 2, while MLB is No. 3 with soccer breathing down its back.

 

The one change I hated, but now accept 100 percent, is the runner-on-second to begin extra innings. Let’s face it, MLB is either homer or strikeout, and scoring a run off an elite closer is very tough in extra innings. This change can cut down on the time it takes to play a game, an issue MLB must confront. Back in the 1970s, it seemed like baseball lasted two hours. Today? Three days.

 

I also like that some teams are starting their games before 7 p.m. I like the idea of a 6 p.m. start during weekdays, especially when school is in session. If a game starts at 6 o’clock, a family can be home by 10 p.m., a more realistic time when that alarm rings the next day.

 

I also like doubleheaders. I love the idea of two-seven inning games on the menu. Again, it’s a matter of saving time.

 

Finally, shorten the season. Face it, the NFL owns April thanks to its draft, and endless hype leading up to the event. And another foe, winter, is still showing bite in cities like Pittsburgh, Boston and Cleveland.

 

Move the start of the season to May, and conclude the regular season on the last day of August. Again, baseball has no relevance in September because of the start of the college and NFL seasons. Baseball needs to play the World Series in September.