If I were commissioner...

As the 2015 baseball season comes to a close, there are a myriad of storylines that one would look forward to as the postseason approaches (not for me though, as I'll be spending October watching the DVD of the Atlanta Braves' 20th Anniversary of their only championship). The Amazin' Mets return to the playoffs, albeit at the expense of the vastly underachieving Washington Fightin' Nationals, our neighbors to the north finally get to experience the thrill of a postseason series for the first time since "In Living Color" graced our television screens, and the Chicago Cubs will yet again try to get rid of the Steve Bartman curse.

As the chase for October is one of the great thrills a fan can watch, there is this overwhelming feeling that baseball has lost the majority of the American viewing audience. Granted, the advent of the second wild card has given fan bases of average teams another reason to turn away from football for at least yet another Sunday, but the dwindling numbers are threatening to make baseball as well known as "World Series of Poker" re-runs on ESPN2. Credit to new commissioner Rob Manfred who is working hard to make the sport more fan-friendly, not to mention quicker, but in this "gotta-have-it-now" society, I felt the need to help him make his job a bit easier.

So, without further ado, here is what I believe needs to happen on my first day as commissioner of MLB (drumroll please...)

1. Drop the season to 150 games. Face it, the season drags on way too long, and who really needs to see Red Sox-Yankees for 19 games a year (more on that in a bit)? The expanded playoffs pushes the postseason too close to "The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" episode. Get back the month of September and push up the season finale the week after Labor Day. Statistics don't carry the same weight they once did, except for historians who have nothing better to do with their time.

2. Add a pitch clock. This was proposed in the minor leagues earlier this year, but it needs to finally make its way towards the big stage. A 15-second pitch clock would help move the game along, and eliminate those unnecessary time outs. A little added anticipation goes a long way.

3. (and this one should be fun) Two words: Radical Realignment. This sport is on the path towards becoming more regionalized, so why not go all the way with the process? One thing this sport has going for it is it's ability to have rivalries dominate during interleague play, yet take it one step further. Since the American and National Leagues no longer have the same meaning (no more league presidents, Milwaukee and Houston switching leagues), you could put the following into a new series of division to add more intrigue.

So I present the following:

American League
EAST: Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Phillies, Pirates
ATLANTIC: Orioles, Nationals, Braves, Rays, Marlins
NORTH: Blue Jays, Tigers, Indians, Reds, Brewers

National League
CENTRAL: Cubs, White Sox, Cardinals, Royals, Twins
MIDWEST: Rockies, Astros, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Padres
PACIFIC: Dodgers, Angels, Giants, Athletics, Mariners

Imagine a Mets-Yankees series in late September with a playoff berth on the line, or Dodgers-Angels...

4. Which brings me to the last change...everyone gets the DH
5. Oh, and reinstate Pete Rose, enough is enough.

Friday Night Fights

Friday nights across America are filled with the sounds of cheers from fans all over as their favorite high school teams meet on the gridiron in spirited competition. Young athletes compete against their arch rivals to conclude their week, with some dreaming of the day they can play on the collegiate level, or in the case of 1.2%, in the pros.  While high school football can bring a level of passion and excitement among adolescents, when emotions run high it can also lead to everlasting pain, which is what took place a few weeks ago in San Antonio.

The photo above highlights referee Robert Watts, who was blindsided in an attack by two players from John Jay High School. Michael Moreno and Victor Rojas were given instructions by an assistant coach to hit the referee after he missed some calls and, according to the players, used racial slurs directly towards them. The assistant coach, Mack Breed, has been placed on administrative leave. The players are now suspended from the football team, with possible assault charges pending.

This goes beyond whether or not Breed ordered the "Code Red" (go watch "A Few Good Men" for that reference), and it's not about whether or not the referee actually used any epithets. This is about accountability, plain and simple. As a former athlete, I understand that you must follow the direction of the coaches, but only when it's in the best interests of the team. How is any of what these young men have done justified? It is not, and ultimately, the decision to carry out the attack rests on them.

Whether it's government, our occupations, or even with coaches, our first and foremost obligation is to do what is right and just. We are to obey the precepts of God above those of man, and in this instance, there is an accountability that must be upheld, and it is something that the athletes have to comes to understand.

When it comes to making the tough choices in times of high emotion, it is the foundation on what we believe in that will force us to make the right decision, or else.