The Purity of Baseball

Let me say at the outset that I am a Cardinals fan and have been for years.  Baseball once occupied more time and interest in my life than it does now but I still follow the sport.  I am excited the Cards are in the playoffs and I am rooting for them to win the World Championship.

That said, though, I want to be honest about the game today:  it has lost the purity it once held.  Among major sports, baseball was unique.  It has never been governed by the clock but by outs and innings.  It is a team sport yet highlights both offensive and defensive skills of individuals.  Every player in the game must pick up the bat as well as put on the glove.  It is a game where the winners must prove themselves over a LONG season (not 16 or 18 games, not 80 games, but over 150 games).  It is a sport where the teams playing for the championship do not meet during the season until the championship series.  Well, that's the way it used to be.

In all honesty, the Cardinals do not deserve to be playing for the title this year any more than they did last year.  The Baltimore Orioles should be home watching games on television rather than trying to upset the Yankees.  These teams are "wild card" teams, which you might find in other major sports but would never have found in baseball in years gone by.

When I was young, pitchers always batted.  But, baseball decided years ago to implement the "designated hitter" rule which takes the bat out of pitchers' hands (praise the National League for not caving on this issue!).

When I was young, players did not use performance enhancing drugs as best we know.  If betting for or against teams in baseball is enough to get you banned for life, so should using drugs which enhance your abilities. 

When I was young, doubleheaders were somewhat common.  Often Sundays featured 2 games.  Sometimes there would be "twi-night" games where teams would play an afternoon game and then play again in the evening.  The only doubleheaders scheduled these days are for making up rain outs.

When I was young, teams played a 154 game (then a 162 game) season among the teams IN ITS LEAGUE.  There were no games between opposing league teams except an occasional exhibition game.  Teams played a consistent schedule with their rivals (154 game season:  play each league opponent 22 times, 11 in each park; 162 game season:  play each league opponent 18 times, 9 in each park).  Check out the schedules today. 

When I was young, the only way your team played for the championship was to WIN the long season and the league championship.  But no longer.  Now, if you have the first or second best record of any team NOT winning the division title, you get to play for the championship?!  This is like giving a trophy to ever kid who plays on a team even if your team did not win a game and the kid really wasn't very good.

Next season will feature at least one game a DAY between opposing league teams.  The 16 team National League is surrendering the lowly Houston Astros to the 14 team American League giving each league 15 teams.  That forces inter-league play on a daily basis.  Schedule inconsistency gets even worse.

I really wish the major leagues went back to the purity it had when I was young.  Ditch the designated hitter and make that pitcher play both sides "of the ball."  Award only the winning teams in the game and not the runners-up.  Separate the leagues as they were originally designed.  Of course, none of this will happen primarily because of financial reasons.

IF I WERE THE DICTATOR OF BASEBALL, I would:

1.  End the designated hitter.
2.  Divide major league baseball into 4, 8 team leagues (that requires adding 2 teams).  Each league plays only the teams within its league in a 154 game schedule, 22 against their opponents, 11 at each park.  You can always watch the other teams on television.
3.  To play for the championship, a team MUST win its league.  No wild cards are permitted.
4.  Allow the 4 winning teams to play either a playoff system like we have today (4 out of 7 to get to the Series, then 4 out of 7 to win the Series).  Or, perhaps some sort of round robin system could be employed.
5.  Ban from the game for life any user of performance enhancing drugs.  NO WARNINGS.  And there are none who are "too big to fail."

I suspect there are many out there who are glad I am not the dictator of baseball!  :)

Go Cards!

What Future America Do I Want?

I saw a post this morning which noted the different worldviews being expressed by the two political parties.  This election will decide the future direction of our nation since these two parties how completely opposite worldviews.  The question was asked what type of America do you want in the future? 

I decided to answer the question briefly.  Opening a new text file, I jotted down the following thoughts as they came to my mind.  I haven't edited anything so don't expect anything profound.  The order in which they are listed are the order in which they popped into my head.  I'm sure there are many others and, perhaps, some would like to add them via comments.  Anyway, here we go.

What Future America Do I Want?

I want the America of the future to be:

• An America which fears God, not ignores Him.
• An America which cherishes the unborn, not silences them.
• An America which thrives on capitalism, not fails with socialism.
• An America which supports Israel, not ignores her.
• An America which guards our freedoms, not removes them.
• An America which stands with our allies, not bows before our enemies.
• An America which lives within its means, not spends whenever and whatever it pleases.
• An Americh which protects a citizen's right to arm themself, not attempts to take that right away.
• An America which has a small and limited Federal government, not a large and unlimited one.
• An America which provides for the common defense and promotes the general welfare rather than promoting the common defense and providing the general welfare.
• An America which honors the Biblical and traditional view of marriage, not the man-made definitions.
• An America which lets us keep the money we earn, not take more and more of what we earn.
• An America which utilizes its own natural resources, not restrict their use.
• An America which depends more on itself, not more on foreign nations.
• An America which leads the world, not follows.

Another letter from my Congressman

I received the following letter, dated April 10, 2012, from my representative in the United States House and wanted to share it with those who might follow this blog.  Rep. Akin is a good man and running for the Republican nomination to replace Claire McCaskill in the United States Senate.  We certainly need her replaced!

Dear Bruce:

This year's budget battle outlines a stark difference in ideologies that are fighting to win the hearts and minds of the American public.  My colleagues and I on the House Budget Committee have produced a sound budget that will direct our nation toward a sustainable path that effectively sustains our mission as a country and is efficient in maintaining its obligations.

As you may be aware, the President's budget results in the fourth consecutive annual deficit exceeding $1 trillion.  In contrast, the House Republican budget saves $5 trillion relative to the Administration's proposal and charts a sustainable path in an effort to save our children and grandchildren from paying for our generation's reckless spending.  Under the plan, we will reduce our deficits to below 3 percent of GDP and reduce the burgeoning size of the federal government to 20 percent of the economy by 2015.

Our responsible budget makes the hard choices that some politicians have chosen to ignore.  The Republican budget prevents the President's $1.9 trillion in tax increases while reforming the tax code to make it more fair and competitive and eliminates special interest tax loopholes.  Our budget simplifies the current Tax Code by creating two tax rates of 10 and 25 percent, repeals the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), and broadens the tax base.  Furthermore, it reduces the corporate tax rate to 25 percent, allowing our companies to remain competitive in a growing global marketplace.

The House-passed 2013 budget also repeals the President's health care law, advances bipartisan solutions that take power away from government bureaucrats and put patients in control.  Furthermore, it ensures that there are no disruptions under Medicare for those in or near retirement while ensuring a strengthened Medicare program for future generations.

While the Senate has not passed a budget in over 1,000 days, the House has made good on its obligations to the American people, and on Thursday, March 29, 2012, passed our second consecutive budget (H.Con.Res 112), by a vote of 228-191.  I was proud to vote for this legislation and look forward to the months ahead as we begin this new phase in getting our country back on a sound fiscal path.

Please visit www.roadmap.republicans.budget.house.gov to see our budget plan in complete detail.  I hope that you will not hesitate to contact me regarding any matter where I might be of assistance.  You may visit http://www.house.gov/akin to find more information in issues or to subscribe to my e-newsletter.

Sincerely,

W. Todd Akin