Which slugger would your favorite team’s manager least like to face with the game on the line? Which ace would they most want to have on their side? And which manager do other managers respect the most?
With all 30 MLB skippers on hand at last week’s winter meetings in Orlando, Florida, we took the opportunity to find out the answers to those questions, plus get their thoughts on the state of the game, next year’s biggest rule change and more.
Here are our favorite responses.
If you were commissioner for a day, what is the one change you would make to MLB?
Craig Albernaz, Baltimore Orioles: That’s a great question. I wouldn’t make any change. I love the game the way it is.
Warren Schaeffer, Colorado Rockies: Every Monday off. Just like the minor leagues — every Monday off. In Coors, you can go six-man rotation. You have a whole day of prep for the next opponent. Every week, you get that rest, and maybe filter in off-days in between them.
Pat Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers: Shadows? Eliminate shadows. Can’t have shadows — dangerous for players. Or devices to communicate for outfielders, so they don’t run into each other.
How do you feel about MLB’s new ball/strike challenge system coming next season?
Albernaz: Just like anything where a new rule change comes in, you just have to see and adapt to it. Strategy coming in, yeah, we’ve talked about it. We have some strategies how it’s going to work in real time. Luckily last year in Cleveland, our stadium was one of those challenge system hubs, so we kind of got a firsthand look at it.
Craig Stammen, San Diego Padres: I think it’ll be exciting. It will be exciting for the fans. It will be another piece of strategy that you involve into baseball that we’ll have to dive into and think about how we’re going to use those two challenges, and when, where and who, so I think it’ll be exciting.
Clayton McCullough, Miami Marlins: In spring training, they rolled it out a little bit … I think it brought a different level of engagement at different points of the game. Giving the players an opportunity to have some say, impactful moments in the game, I’m excited to see how it plays out.
And I’ll also say that the umpires who are back there, it’s a very difficult thing, 300 pitches a night with the type of stuff they’re seeing. They do an exceptional job. Now Major League Baseball has done a good job recently enacting some things that have enhanced our fan experience. And this is another one that has a chance to go over well.
Blake Butera, Washington Nationals: I’m really excited about it. I’ve obviously seen it in Triple-A for a while. One thing it does is you always hear the chatter from the dugout getting on the umpires. It’s like,