Major League Baseball's world famous All-Star Game was held last week in Houston, Texas. The American League beat the National League again, for the 13th time in 17 years. It was suppose to have been Roger "THE ROCKET" Clemens Day former Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jay, New York Yankee and now current pitcher for the Houston Astros day in the sun. The day turned into a nightmare in (Enron Field) Minute Maid Park. The two time Cy Young award winner and future Hall of Famer, gave up six runs in the first inning and happen to be the losing pitcher of record on this night.

Baseball is now trying to woo fans back into the ballpark. It's only the start of a long journey that should have been done years ago. Baseball, the owners, players, and league presidents are finally beginning to see the light.

Many of us recall that two years ago there was a threat of a baseball strike. The strike never happened and baseball is still being played today but with a keen eye on the fan. Yes, in New York City, in Chicago, and even in our beautiful Bay Area, baseball diamonds are still open. But there is still a total lack of commitment from the Lords of Baseball. Baseball's troubles will not disappear until we get to the root of the problem.

Here are a few suggestions to improve American attitudes toward baseball.
1) Remove the current baseball commissioner because of his conflict of interest. Bug Selig should not be commission because he was the former owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. (Selig will resign after 2006)

He is the commissioner of baseball not the commissioner of owners. This office should be for the fans, players, and owners. If baseball really wants to change then they should have a real commissioner. Former baseball players Frank Robinson, Bill White, and Don Baylor, along with sport announcers Bill Costas, Peter Gammons, and George Will are all fine candidates for this job.

Major League Baseball can also add my name to that long list of eligible commissioner.
2) Major League Baseball has to resist the establishment of new teams for the next twenty years. Establish a balance system in both leagues.

In the 1990's baseball created four new teams who had to pay an entrance fee. This fee was created to subsidize the existing teams. This did not work because there already were two or three existing teams not receiving enough income to keep its franchise in the black.
3) Resist the removal and do not contract any existing club unless it becomes financially necessary. The two Florida teams. (Marlins and Devil Rays), the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Minn. Twins, Houston Astros, and the new international team, Montreal Expos, this Expos currently play half of their games in the American Territory of Puerto Rico are all now candidates of this commissar's contraction plan.
4) Major League Baseball should have an outside accountant agency to take a yearly innovatory of the teams that are alleged having trouble honoring existing payrolls.
5) Removal baseball's reserve clause. When that is accomplished you then have true and honest trading between clubs. The New York Yankees, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Dodgers could not buy all of the great players of the game each year. Each team would have to trade players of equal compensation.

Congress should have done this many years ago to make the playing field level and make baseball accountable to the fair trade practice laws in the United States.

6) Have a hard salary cap. This would prevent super power teams from being formed.

The Yankees and Braves could no longer hoard players year after year. Creating a chance for every team to be in the wonderful fall classic. It would be wonderful to see The San Diego Padres play against The Tampa Bay Devil Rays for the World Series Championship. It is obvious that current system this will never happen.
7) Create a four team, four-division race in each league, win your division or go home like the old days of baseball.

The current wild card system is just for teams that do not have enough wins to take a divisional crown. The wild card just increases playoff revenue for the owners.
8) Either have the (DH) designated hitter rule for both leagues or none at all. Major league basketball, football, and hockey have unified league rules while baseball has diverse rules between the leagues. Baseball needs to follow the National Football League standard. When they merged in 1969-1970. The NFL combined the young American Football League and the old National Football League into one set of rules.
9) Reduce intra league play into a 14 game two-week format. These games tarnish what the World Series is meant to be.

Presently the only intra-league games of interest to most fans right now are the inter-city rivalries for example teams like the New York Mets-New York Yankees series, Chicago Cubs-Chicago White Sox series, San Fran. Giants -Oakland A's series, Los Ang. Dodgers -Anaheim Angels series. And the intra state rivalries, the St. Louis Cardinals-Kansas City Royals series, Cinn. Reds-Clev. Indians series, The Texas Rangers-Houston Astros series and ending with The Tampa Bay Devil Ray- Florida Marlin series. The question is what do you do with the other teams? Seattle, Boston, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Denver, and Arizona. There has to be a fair and equitable system for intra league play. If Major League Baseball wants to keep this system then let them stay in the same divisions like National East Teams play American East Teams. National West Teams play American West Teams etc.
10) Have a comprehensive and complete drug-testing program.
11) Bring the game back to the average American baseball fan. Teams should lower ticket prices, have family fun days, and more weekday games. The Oakland Athletics are doing this in the 2004 season.

Schedule Playoff and World Series games at an earlier time so children can watch their favorite team on television or at the ballpark. Let us all remember that they will be the fans of the future.

These are the eleven steps MLB should take if they want to get back into the hearts and minds of Americans, it has to seriously get it's own house in order.

THAT IS THE GRAYLINE!