Last week, Ken Rosenthal reported on the latest set of proposed changes focused on pace of play, roster construction, strategies for increasing action in games, and suggestions to discourage teams from tanking. Rosenthal’s article got a lot of attention because these proposals provide a basis for the kinds of debates baseball fans love, especially during a slow hot-stove season. (You can read Adam Peterson’s take here.)
Perhaps before getting too caught up in the question of adding the designated hitter to the National League, MLB should consider some basic access issues fans face, whether those barriers be physical, financial, or cultural.