Once again, Major League Baseball has endeavored to make the Rule 4 draft a spectator-worthy affair. What was once a niche event, technically televised although with little fanfare, hosted in Secaucus, New Jersey, in June has become… well, still a niche event crammed somewhat awkwardly into its own day amid the unrelated All-Star festivities.
Termarr Johnson, left, poses with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred after Johnson was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the fourth pick of the 2022 MLB baseball draft, Sunday, July 17, 2022, in Los Angeles. endeavored to make the Rule 4 draft a spectator-worthy affair
Starting last year, the draft has become an open-to-the-public amalgamation of pomp and circumstance, mascots and media, influencers and activations, all pointed at a stage upon which MLB commissioner Rob Manfred makes periodic appearances — to a chorus offrom the fans who bothered to show up — to put a team on the clock.
Oh, they would hate it. As it stands, teams gather in well-staffed war rooms around the country to make the most informed possible last-minute decisions and real-time reactions, entirely unaffected by the televised product. Forcing them to participate in the spectacle would be an annoyance in exchange for making the spectacle more substantive. So allow me to try to justify this radical reimagining — from a powerless position, which can serve to only antagonize the people more directly involved.
It would make the media show up. That sounds self-serving, but the whole point is to drum up attention. As it stands, the league is trying to grow the on-site footprint of the draft, while it remains best covered from home or a hotel room since the only opportunity to talk to someone affiliated with the team will happen over Zoom.
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