As Samoans Rage Over a Change in Their Driving Patterns, TACH's Exec. VP Comes Up with an Idea to Revitalize Baseball

By Marc J. Rauch
Exec. Vice President/Co-Publisher

As I sit in front of my computers waiting to render the video of our latest RoadTrip episode, I took a break to see what's happening in the rest of the world. There's the Michael Jackson soap opera; a story that researchers now think that the appendix might actually be a useful organ - oh wonderful, since I gave mine up three decades ago; and a story that seaside spectators at a Maine beach were given plenty of warning about the potential danger of the huge rogue waves caused by Hurricane Bill.

But the number one story to me, number one because it's related to The Auto Channel, is the story that after dozens of years in which the inhabitants of the tiny island nation of Samoa have driven on the right side of the road, American style, a new law has made the left side the "right" side, so to speak. In other words, they will be driving on the road like the British and their neighbors, the Aussies and Kiwis, do.

Well, this got me to thinking about my rather recent history of playing hardball baseball in an "old man's" league known as NABA. I love baseball, I loved playing it as a kid, and I loved my "old man" experience. But during down time in the game I used to think of ways to liven up the sport, to give it a bit of mystery, if you will.

So, after reading about the Samoans, and having to kill a few more minutes while my computer does its crunching thing, I started thinking about my favorite idea and thought I would throw it out there to all of our visitors to TheAutoChannel.com.

Okay, here it is: In the first inning, and in all odd numbered innings through nine, play would be as it always has been with the batters rounding the bases counter-clockwise: first base then second base then third base then home, assuming that they make it that far. But in all even numbered innings, two through eight, base runners would run clock-wise, third base becoming first, etc., etc. Not only would this require new strategies to be developed, but we would get the chance to see how good the atheletes really are.

And rest assured that some of the results would be hilarious, especially during the World Series

For extra inning games, each team in their half-inning at the plate could decide which way they want to run, and not tell the opposing team until the first base runner of that inning makes his move. It would definitely add a fun aspect to a game that some have called boring (not me, I like it).

Now, some of you may think it's a crazy idea, and I may even get some death threats for it, but come on, it's no more stupid than most of the ideas being advanced by the Administration and Congress to end the depression. And you can't tell me that putting an Exxon board member in charge of General Motors is any stroke of genius. At least with my idea no one will lose any more money.

Oh yeah, and if you really want to read some lame brain ideas, you should read some of the crap that Edmunds.com's CEO writes.

PLAY BALL!