Now that the end of the MLB regular season is in sight, I thought to take a look at how I think MLB can be improved. I have come up with some solutions. I encourage thoughtful, spirited debate, as some solutions may be controversial.

SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVING MLB

• A bye week. This bye week would be between the end of the regular season and the playoffs, and it would encompass the last week of September into the first part of October. It would be used: 1) to make up games that have a direct impact on the pennant races. 2) to ensure every team has a completed season.
• A true Opening Day to start the season. Begin the season on the first Monday of April, in Cincinnati, at 12 noon Eastern time. All other games follow.  
• Reduce the number of games. Currently there is 162 games in a season. How about a 154-game season, or even a 144-game season? That would make the pennant races much more meaningful. Along with that, we could:
• Eliminate interleague play. This would eliminate the perceived "unfairness" of the schedule. For example, say the NL West has to play the AL East, NL Central play the AL West, and NL East plays the AL Central. Say the AL West is weak and the AL East is very tough. By eliminating interleague play, you have the NL and AL teams playing in their own leagues, with a balanced schedule that tilts slightly towards interdivisional games. 
• Schedule doubleheaders. Each team would have 2-3 regularly scheduled doubleheaders. Not the day-night doubleheaders (unless there is a rainout the previous night and there is a regularly scheduled game the next day and the two teams and MLB agree), but the TRUE doubleheaders, in which the second game starts 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
• Return the World Series to day games. All World Series games start at 3 PM Eastern. If the Dodgers or Angels are in the series and are at home, the games start at noon local time. This allows for more kids to be exposed to baseball. The kids on the East Coast could run home from school to watch the games, and the West Coast kids could watch at school (I used to when the Dodgers were in the Series!)
• Tweak the playoffs. All divisional series and league championship series are best of 5. World Series stays best of 7.
• Eliminate the DH. I cannot express this strongly enough! By eliminating the DH, it allows for strategy to return to the game. Some of the game's great managers were pre-DH: Walter Alston, Connie Mack, Casey Stengel, etc. It also allows for better self-policing. What pitcher would want to throw at a hitter, knowing he's going to get drilled by his counterpart when he steps to the plate? It also allows pitchers to release their inner slugger, such as CC Sabathia when he was with the Indians. Some of the best-hitting pitchers were pre-DH: Rick Wise (who was often used as a pinch hitter; he was that good a hitter), Bob Gibson, etc. Replace the DH with an extra player or pitcher, whatever the team needs at that time. 

Those are my solutions for MLB as I see it. Again, feel free to come in and join the debate!     

Looking around the world of sports, there are many sports personalities and teams that have p****d you, the typical Joe Six-Pack Fan, off. I have some teams and personalities that have so ticked me off I could just scream. Here is the forum for you to sound off and call out those dumb@$$E$, idiots, and general all-around malcontents by throwing them Under The Bus. I have some nominees this week. Who do you want to throw under said Bus?

NFL

Marshawn ####, RB, Buffalo Bills: this genius stayed silent rather than cooperate with Buffalo police on a misdemeanor hit and run charge against him. Who the hell does he think he is? If he had come correct right away, all this would be behind him now. Instead, he subjected several Bills players, employees, and management to be subpoenaed. Now he's subject to being thrown Under The Bus.

Jevon Kearse, DE, Tennessee Titans: you're a 10 year veteran, with your second stint with the Titans. You're supposedly looked up to as one of the team's veteran leaders. And you get popped for DUI? What were you THINKING? Apparently you WEREN'T thinking. Mix in a cab or a limo to take you home. For knowing better and still being a dumb@SS, The Freak gets thrown Under The Bus.

NASCAR

Kevin Harvick: Happy, what on God's green earth were you THINKING late in the race? Why did you drive it into the corner WAY TOO HARD? You had a Top 5 LOCKED and LOADED into the standings, and you were poised to move up a couple of spots. You took out THREE good cars (Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray, and Ron Fellows) with that boneheaded move. Because of that idiotic move, you ended up finishing 30th. THIRTIETH!!! Now you're out of the Chase by two measly points. You finished 30th on a course where you finish in the top 5 IN YOUR SLEEP. For Happy, this continues a season-long slump. Now because of his bonehead move, Happy gets thrown Under The Bus this week.

MLB

New York Mets: they couldn't have handled Willie Randolph's firing any worse than that. You should have clipped him off during one of your long losing streaks. Instead, you allowed him to travel with the team to Anaheim to face the Angels. THEN you clipped him IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. After the first game of the series. I've got no problem with Randolph being clipped; what should have happened is that he should have got fired BEFORE the Mets went on the road. For their egregious mishandling of the Randolph firing, the Mets get thrown Under The Bus.

NBA

Los Angeles Lakers: losing by 40 to the Boston Celtics was inexcusable. It's okay to lose to the Celtics; they are the better team. But losing by 40 means you QUIT. I am very disappointed and disgusted by the Lakers' lack of effort. I hope the Lakers use this as motivation to win an NBA title next season. But until then, the Lakers get thrown Under The Bus.

Those are my nominees for the week. Feel free to come in with yours!

There are NO shortage of players, teams, coaches, fans, owners, and GM's that are worthy of being thrown under the Bus (Jerome Bettis Limited Edition with 800 hp) this week. Here are my nominees:

NFL

Minnesota Vikings: for 1) docking Troy Williamson a game's check for leaving the team to attend his maternal grandmother's funeral. While the Vikings reversed themselves, there's not enough towels to wipe the collective eggs off their faces; 2) being shut out against the Packers. There is no shame in losing to the Packers in Lambeau--but give them a better game next time will ya?

Carolina Panthers: what kind of effort was that in losing to the LOWLY Falcons? PATHETIC. It's on the coaching staff, from John Fox on down. They need to find out what worked in 2003 and go with that. On a plus note, Dwayne Jarrett is beginning to emerge as a #2 receiver. Give the kid some reps--at least he's busting his #### out there.

NASCAR

DEI aka TEI: for giving Dale Jr. crappy engines all season long. Put Jimmie Johnson in the same car with the same engine department and you'd probably get the same results. I give Dale Jr. credit for persevering through the #### storm that has become his final season at TEI.

ESPN/ABC: for their horrendous coverage the second half of the season. Mercifully, the season will end next week at Homestead. I pretty much stopped watching because the coverage is so bad.

MLB

Yankees fans: for being so delusional that they think the Yankees can land Miguel Cabrera by giving up garbage prospects. I only throw the delusional Yankees fans under the bus; there are many Yankees fans that are reasonable and knowledgeable and that don't think they can get Cabrera.

Anaheim Angels: for thinking they're in Los Angeles, but are actually in ORANGE COUNTY. I also throw Arte Moreno, their owner, under the bus for fostering this gigantic lie. Angels fans also get thrown under the bus. You guys can have A-Rod and spend your #2 in SoCal franchise into oblivion; we'll take Miguel Cabrera, tyvm. Just had to get that off my chest.

Come in with your nominees! Remember, it can be any sport!    

This is not intended to elicit sympathy. Instead, it is the rantings of a passionate sports fan that is SICK AND TIRED of his teams tanking and/or sucking. It's one thing to suck; if you're giving it all and the other team still has more talent, I'll not like it, but will be more accepting of my team's sucky situation AS LONG AS THEY GIVE IT 100%. IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK??

It has been a very nightmarish year for me and my teams sportswise. I DID have one GREAT reason to cheer in mid-February when Kevin Harvick won the Daytona 500. WOOHOO! Here is a brief synopsis of my teams' sucking and/or tanking:

• Los Angeles Dodgers. This team was off to a decent start and had good pitching for much of the year but when the chips were down, they circled the drain. When the calendar hit September 16, this team decided to lay down and tank. They won a grand total of THREE games since September 16th. THREE GAMES!! THREE FREAKING GAMES!! I look at the Dodgers' schedule for October and it's CLEAR!! CLEAR!!!!! They should be playing the divisional playoffs against either the Cubs or the Phillies. Meantime, the L.A.-wannabe Angels ARE playing in the postseason. I'd rather the Dodgers suck and give it 100% than they be mediocre and tank badly.
• Carolina Panthers. I LOVED it when Kris Jenkins called out the team for its lack of heart. GOOD FOR HIM!! I see a 6-10 team written all over themselves unless they get some heart and guts. I don't see that happening, at least not this season.
• Philadelphia Flyers. I actually admired the 2006-07 version, even though they sucked badly. This team gave 100% every game; their lack of talent and injuries were the reason why they sucked. I am more optimistic this season because they went out and got some talent. Martin Biron will be in goal for the full season. What is holding the Flyers back is that they are in a very strong Atlantic Division.
• Los Angeles Lakers. I got fed up with As The Kobe Turns. ENOUGH WITH THE FREAKING DRAMA ALREADY!! Mitch Kupchak, get another freaking point guard to COMPLEMENT Kobe and that can distribute the ball! D-Fish is an improvement over the disaster of a PG the Lakes had last season. I don't see this team being a playoff team this season.

There, I feel better already!! Now I'm ready to emerge from the Rubber Room ready to go and give my insights on the world of sports and the issues surrounding sports.

The unofficial Second Half of the season will start on Thursday. A highly anticipated conclusion to the regular season and the crowning of a World Series Champion awaits in late October. At this point in the season, fans can generally separate the contenders from the pretenders. What are we going to see? Here are a few things that I think we'll see:

• The Boston Red Sox will run and hide from the AL East.
• It's going to be a dogfight in the AL Central between Detroit, Cleveland, and Minnesota. Minnesota wins the division, with Detroit getting the wild card.
• Seattle is not going away. Having said that, they will make a run at the Angels, but come up short.
• Atlanta will find a way to win the NL East (again!) Earlier I did say that the Mets would win, but as the grind of the season wears on, their pitching will come up short while the Braves' pitching will prevail. Philadelphia will make a run but come up short. The future is bright in Philly, though.
• The NL Central is the most putrid division in baseball. When all is said and done, the winner will barely be above .500.
• If either the Padres or the Dodgers get a big bat by the trade deadline, the team that does will run and hide. If the Dodgers get another starter without having to give up too much, they will hold off the Padres. Either way, runner up in the NL West wins the wild card.
• Ken Griffey, Jr. will not be traded by the Reds and hit his 600th HR in a Reds' uniform. He's a lock for Cooperstown. If not for injuries, he'd be chasing 700 HR's.
• There will be more managerial changes, including Tony La Russa leaving St. Louis. The Cardinals are (or should be) in a major rebuilding mode. My prediction: he'll end up where he started his managerial career: with the Chicago White Sox.
• The NL West will end up tied and a one-game playoff will determine the division winner.

Like many fans, I'm looking forward to the second half of the season. I'm especially looking forward to the NL West race. GO DODGERS!!!!

We are at the unofficial halfway point of the MLB season. For fans of some teams, it's another season of "let's play our young players and see how they do in the second half" which is code for OUR TEAM SUCKS. Fans of other teams are taking a "wait and see" approach to the second half of the season. That's code for "Our team had a nice run the first half, but they'll fade like they always do in the second half." And for fans of a select few teams, they are amped up for their team to make the postseason and perhaps a World Series appearance.

Let's get the bad out of the way first:

• The Pittsburgh Pirates are on their way to a 15th consecutive losing season. That won't change anytime soon, unless the current ownership has a sudden dose of clarity or has an epiphany and sells the team to someone like Mark Cuban. No wonder Barry Bonds wanted to leave Pittsburgh. He probably saw that far ahead and decided to bail early. That or the fact he'll forever be remembered for throwing a 15-hopper to the plate that Sid "Wheels" Bream beat out in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS to win the pennant for the Atlanta Braves.
• As I write this , the Pirates are actually in FOURTH place. The Cincinnati Reds are dwelling in the NL Central cellar with the worst record in the bigs at 30-50. It's a mess in the Natti. Trade Ken Griffey Jr. back to Seattle and get some prospects.
• Speaking of Bonds, the San Francisco Giants need to cut ties with him after this season, regardless of whether or not he breaks Hank Aaron's record. (As an aside, Hank Aaron used to be the very first name listed in the Baseball Encyclopedia. Do you know who is the first player listed now?)
• The Texas Rangers are in a mess. While I like Ron Washington, and he's a good baseball man, he's not a good fit there. He's bringing an Oakland A's style of baseball to the Rangers. The Rangers have free swingers. Not a good fit for a manager that demands his hitters be patient.

Now for the good:

• I'll start with the most competitive division in baseball: the NL West. The lead changes hands amongst the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Arizona Diamondbacks about every three days or so. The Rockies are fading fast. It's going to be a three team race until the very end of the season. Runner up in the division will get the wild card. I'm calling my shot: Dodgers win the division, with the Padres getting the wild card. Dodgers beat the Padres in a one game playoff at the end of the regular season.
• While the NL East is fairly close (the Mets hold a four game lead currently) I think the Mets will have enough to hold off both the Phillies and Braves.
• The Chicago Cubs could make a run in the second half. Maybe they overtake the Brewers. IF the Cubs are within three games of the Brew Crew by Labor Day, they will overtake the Brewers.
• Boston is running away with the AL East. The NY Yankees are finished. Done. Kaput. Over. All the Red Sox have to do is play .500 ball the rest of the way and they still win 91 games. I can see them win around 102 games.
• Before it's all said and done, the AL Central will be almost as competitive as the NL West. The Tigers and Indians, along with the Twins, will slug it out. I'm calling my shot: Minnesota wins the division, with the Tigers getting the wild card.
• In the AL West, it's all about the Angels. Seattle will hang in there until the last week of the season, when the Angels clinch the division. I'd put Mariners fan under the "wait and see" label.

Here are my predictions for postseason:

ALDS: Detroit over Boston, Anaheim (they're NOT the Los Angeles Angels, and I REFUSE to acknowledge them as such) over Minnesota.

NLDS: Los Angeles over Milwaukee, San Diego over New York.

ALCS: Detroit over Anaheim, 4 games to 2. (a little sweet revenge from the Ducks' series win over the Red Wings)

NLCS: Los Angeles over San Diego, 4 games to 3.

World Series: Detroit over Los Angeles, 4 games to 2.