The Reds Have a Product Problem and So Does Major League Baseball

Fourth of July and Major League Baseball should be synonymous with each other, or at least, I shouldn't have to question how synonymous they are with each other. The two entities should especially be synonymous in Cincinnati.

I went to the Reds game Saturday night, Fourth of July, and I came away with two big takeaways. Let's start with the positive. It was America's 250th Birthday. It was so cool to see thousands of fans waving their American Flags and wearing the American Flag-themed hats that served as the promotional item at Great American Ball Park Saturday night. The Reds had a World War II Veteran throw out the first pitch, and they honored a husband-and-wife First Responders of the Game and honored their Hometown Hero of the Game. Those moments were incredible, with the fans showing elite patriotism. It was that patriotism that said to me, "You know what, we finally may be becoming united as a country again."

There was tremendous American pride in the ballpark Saturday night. It felt like all of us came together to celebrate our country, to be with one another. In an era where there are continuous technological advancements, I have a sense that we're starting to long for actual human connection again. We're looking for ways to be together. Being at the Reds game Saturday night was a way to be together with the community of Cincinnati. The fireworks and drone shows after the game, sitting in the lower bowl down the right field line to get a great view of the shows, that's what the Fourth of July is all about: sports, people, community, hot dogs, and fireworks.

So, that leads me to this, and this is something I have been thinking about for quite a while. After watching the Reds lose to the Baltimore Orioles 8-5 on Saturday night, to drop to 40-48 on the season, I am finally ready to say what I'm about to say: the Reds... AND Major League Baseball need major overhauls.

Let's start with the Reds. It's no secret they need a lot more talent. They also need a major organizational change in every team-building position. There's enough evidence to suggest that. Just look at the way they play baseball. There's no adherence to the fundamentals of the game, and there's nothing you can point to and say this is what the Reds do well or say that this is their identity.

Well, their identity is that they are a losing, struggling franchise. They're still stuck in the 1990s. Okay, maybe not literally. But then again, they haven't won a postseason series since 1995... or a postseason HOME GAME since 1995. The Reds just don't operate like a modern MLB franchise. They try to build a contender, or even just a competitor, by acquiring lesser-known players and hope that a past-his-prime manager, Terry Francona, can get the most out of them. It hasn't worked. In fact, it's failed miserably. Since letting that 2-0 lead in the NLDS slip away in 2012, the Reds haven't moved forward as an organization. They've only been to the playoffs three times in the last 13+ years... with zero playoff wins to show for them.

Baseball is a fun game. It's every day, the heart of the season is in the summer, and there are so many elements to the game that are worth having discussions about with your family and friends. It should be fun to watch your city's team play every day during the summer, talking about the games, checking the standings daily, and going to the ballpark for an entertaining baseball product. The Reds do a great job with the fan experience at Great American Ball Park. They always have. Personally, the "Scoreboard Stumper" is my favorite part of the game. The "Skyline Chili Shuffle" and the "Reds Race" are also great segments. All of the fan-friendly elements are things the Reds do well enough to just manage to keep fans coming back to the ballpark. But from an on-field standpoint, it's hard to justify a reason to come to the ballpark. Sure, there's Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, Chase Burns, and Hunter Greene. The problem is that two of those guys aren't everyday players. Again, the fan experience is great. That's what makes going to the ballpark for a game fun. But when, as a Reds fan, you watch other fanbases like those in Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Milwaukee, and even Cleveland enjoy deep runs in the postseason, it makes you think as a Reds fan, "Wait, there's actually a way to celebrate postseason baseball beyond the games we go to during the summer." Because it's been so long since the Reds have advanced in the postseason, there's a new, younger generation of Reds fans who may think that way.

The Reds have a unique place in Major League Baseball as the first professional baseball franchise. Opening Day in Cincinnati is a city-wide holiday. But after the excitement of Opening Day subsides, it's often a six-month grind of being a Reds fan. That shouldn't be. Major League Baseball is better when the Reds are good and the city of Cincinnati is rocking and rolling in the summer. I remember the summer of 2012 vividly. When the Reds won 10 straight games and were rolling towards a second NL Central title in three seasons, every summer day and night was awesome as a Reds fan. I miss that feeling.

I also miss the feeling of watching the Major League Baseball I grew up with through 2012. What made Bud Selig a great commissioner was his ability to move the game forward without changing much. Yes, we may live in an ever-changing society. But that doesn't mean Major League Baseball has had to change in all of the ways it has, and not for the better, since 2012. Unfortunately, the last 14 years have not been the Major League Baseball I grew up watching and loved. Sometimes, to move forward, you have to stay true to your roots. Major League Baseball has not done that nearly enough.

Rob Manfred deserves credit for trying to move the game forward. It just hasn't worked. The magic runner rule in extra innings? Give me a break. Relievers have to face a minimum of three batters? What happened to the strategy that made baseball unique, like the lefty-lefty matchups? Interleague play the entire season? Again, having Interleague play only in May and June made it special, fun, meaning more. Getting rid of home-field advantage in the MLB All-Star Game? That was a great thing the MLB All-Star Game had. Now, it makes it a glorified Exhibition. It shouldn't be. I mean, come on, a swing-off to decide the game? Give me a break.

There are two sports in this country that are woven into the fabric of United States history: Baseball and College Football. The values that have long been associated with those sports are tradition and purity. It's been said that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Major League Baseball wasn't broken. Neither was College Football. Now, though? They're both not what they were.

Again, we live in an ever-changing society. Evolving. The NFL, NBA, NHL, and College Basketball have done a good job evolving with society. It works for those sports with the changes they've gone through. But with Major League Baseball and College Football, especially Major League Baseball, perhaps the best course of action was to not change much, if anything at all.

The one constant we've had throughout our country's history has been baseball. The basics of the game haven't changed, but the nuances have. Only 52 division games a season? Why? Those games are the best games. The Yankees vs. Red Sox should be played 19 times a year. Not just 13.

Respectfully, I don't need to see an interleague series in September. That's the month for epic pennant races, meaning we need division and intra-league matchups. Oh, and that's another thing: Twelve teams in the Postseason? Too many. I miss the pennant races that we got in 2011, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003, 1999, and 1993. In 1993, that was the final season of two divisions per league in Major League Baseball. That pennant race between the Braves and Giants was epic. My point: maybe Major League Baseball should set a precedent and reduce the number of teams that make the postseason. Sound crazy? I don't think so. In fact, I think it would get front offices to be more aggressive, knowing they don't have a safety net of so many teams making the Playoffs. Clearly, expanding the playoffs hasn't worked from that standpoint. Look at how many teams are hovering around .500 or are below .500 in Major League Baseball this year.

There may not even be a Major League Baseball season next year. If there's not, everyone at MLB and within the front offices of all 30 teams should take a hard look in the mirror and realize this isn't the sport it was 30 years ago... and not for the better. My solution: go back to two divisions per league, add two teams in each league to get to 32. Of the four divisions of eight, two teams per division make the Playoffs. The division winners and the four second-place teams.

Major League Baseball needs an overhaul. We all know the Reds need one. This Fourth of July weekend, I genuinely wonder what happened to the sport I used to love.

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