Mensa Member, Nick Elam, suggests several ways to make the game more exciting for fans as well as players. Mensa Man Project

The words Umpire and Empire don’t seem to have anything in common. In fact, the former rules over its subjects while the later arbitrates between two subjects. But is the first letter of these words slowly becoming the only difference? Are umpires making sure the game is under control or are they trying to take control of the game?

This episode takes a dive into some issues, 5 specifically, that I have observed this year concerning umpires and their presence during the game. Do they need to have that chip knocked off their shoulder? Let's talk about it.

Who's in control of operations at the MLB? ESPN seems to think they can determine the schedule. Where's Manfred?

1. In this episode I interview Malcolm MacMillan. Malcolm has visited 67 minor and major league ball parks. He is the creator of TheBallparkguide.com in which he details ways to enhance your ball park experience. He also blogs about his visits in a more casual fashion accompanied with pictures and commentary.

Was Rizzo's slide at home dirty? I pop-up and chat about it!

Baseball and its statistics are changing. Especially with the growing popularity of Sabermetrics. Does this mean that traditional pieces of data, such as hits, ERA, OBS, will slowly disappear?

In this episode I discuss Brian Kenny's notion that the error is an antiquated metric that needs to go away. I explain why I disagree with his reasoning by addressing six of his quotes as well as present my own solution.

For the past 90 years there has been a troop of men armed with gloves and determination. Patiently listening for that one sound that calls them into action: the crack of the bat. They call themselves, ballhawks. These men congregate on Waveland Avenue, sipping on Gatorade, and pining for the coveted homerun ball. Spectators line the street in lawn chairs enjoying the show. It was fun. They weren't in the way. They weren't a nuisance. They were just baseball fans. But things have changed. Today, "fans" go to obnoxious lengths to cheat the system of ballhawking. They love baseballs in lieu of the game. In this episode I chat about the history of the baseball and compare the two eras of the ballhawk. Am I being ridiculous or am I spot on? Let's talk about it!

The MLB has instituted new Pace of Play Rules for the 2018 season. This is an attempt to not only shorten the length of the average baseball game, but also to help the action within the game move at a quicker pace. Basically, less dead time and more action. These rule changes, although seemingly minor, may have a major league (see what I did there) effect on the DNA of the game itself. This is the MLB's blueprint for making America's pastime more appealing to the casual fan. In this episode, we look at each change that has been implemented and weigh the positive or negative influence it has on not only the fans perception but on the players ability to perform.

Enjoy this brief introduction to my voice as well as what you can expect from each show. Launching soon! Spread the hype!