Jon Weisman on SI.com has a good article on baseball traditions worth keeping (and some not worth keeping). I say “good article”, of course, because I agree with most of what he says.

The ones he says should not change:

  1. No designated hitter in the National League
    I could not agree more! And while we’re at it, get rid of it in the AL too. Why do we need to keep seeing overage and overweight used-to-be-good players who can no longer really play baseball stick around and make millions just to walk up to the plate 4 or 5 times a game? The DH is and always has been an abomination.
  2. All-Star Game representation for every team
    I agree on this one, too, and like his reasoning:

    And substituting another Yankee for a Royal and another Met for a Pirate isn’t likely to make the game substantially more competitive, anyway.It’s an exhibition, after all. It should be fun for everyone. If there’s a solution to making the All-Star game more appealing, narrowing the playing field isn’t it.

  3. Expanded rosters in September
    I’m neutral on this one. I’m not crazy about changing the rules right at the critical part of the pennant races, but I see the reasons for it. And besides, it has always been part of the game so it’s not as if people aren’t used to it. Plus it can be really fun to see a previously unheralded rookie may a big impact on a pennant race.
  4. The wild card
    Again, this is one I am not too fond of in concept, but as Weisman says, “if you’re going to rule out a second-place team from one division, even if that team has a better record than a first-place team from another division, then what’s the logic of allowing the inferior division winners into the postseason mix?”
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