Taking the game back to the future

Baseball has changed, and not for the better. Games last forever, pitchers don’t last at all and everything is run from spreadsheets. To many, the game has become little more than a glorified home run derby. With that in mind, here are 10 changes to make baseball great again:

■ Go shiftless: Baseball is meant to be played with two infielders on one side of second base, two on the other. Make it a rule, and make them have at least one foot on the infield dirt. ■ Ban instant replay: It ruins the

flow of the game and eliminates scenes of managers kicking dirt and arguing with umpires.

■ Run fewer commercials: One fewer ad between innings would shave nearly 10 minutes off the game, a lifetime in today’s attention-challenged world.

■ Three-hitter minimum: Every pitcher should have to pitch to at least three batters, no exceptions. This would not only speed up the game but force managers to think a little more instead of relying entirely on analytics.

■ Go two ways: Make each team have a two-way player like Shohei Ohtani. The player must pitch at least once a week and be a hitter at least two other days.

■ Fix the ball: Homers are at a record level. Admit the ball has changed; do something about it.

■ Love the bunt: Give players credit for a hit every time they successfully sacrifice.

■ Enforce the zone: Call strikes from letters to knees. Pitchers will throw more strikes, and batters will swing more often.

■ Fewer relievers: Limit the number of relievers a team can carry so managers don’t micromanage pitching staffs.

■ More doubleheaders: Each team should have at least four a year. Use the days saved to begin the season in April, not March.