Make Me Commissioner: I Know What’s Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It

Sports reporter Leavy (The Big Fella) provides a fervent critique of the current state of baseball, arguing the sport’s obsession with analytics has removed the spontaneity and unpredictability that gave the game its appeal. Today, Major League Baseball teams gather and use data to scout players, make in-game decisions, and optimize player performance; as a result, she says, “the zeal for finding fractional advantages has compromised originality, precluding the forever plays that run on a loop in baseball’s collective memory.” To find solutions, she observes innovations happening around the country, including an exhibition team in Georgia called the Savannah Bananas whose funny and fast-paced games have shaken up a sport often criticized for being slow and boring. Her educational odyssey yields many recommendations for improving the game, like implementing a salary floor for players and discouraging pitches thrown over 95 mph to prevent arm injuries. The narrative is laced with Leavy’s humor and lifelong passion for the sport (she wrote her first baseball story at 10 years old) and informed by conversations with star players and managers, such as Jim Palmer and Dave Roberts. This is a must-read for anyone who loves the game and hopes for better days. (Sept.)