New Books Network How to Fix Baseball with author Jane Leavy
Dec 27, 2025
Veteran baseball writer Jane Leavy, known for her biographies of legends like Babe Ruth, dives into her new book, proposing bold reforms for the game. She suggests wrapping major league outfields in uniform 18-foot plexiglass walls to promote exciting plays rather than predictable home runs. Leavy critiques analytics for stifling creativity and urges a return to speed and defensive prowess. She also calls for free tickets for kids to nurture future fans, reflecting her deep love for baseball and its vibrant community.
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Idea Born At The Cape With Dan Okrent
- Jane Leavy and Dan Okrent conceived the plexiglass wall idea during Cape Cod League conversations.
- Leavy credits Okrent with proposing '18 foot' as the magic height in their debate.
Raise Outfield Walls To Reduce Cheap Homers
- Wrap plexiglass to make all outfield walls 18 feet high to discourage cheap home runs.
- This will encourage doubles, triples, and teams to draft faster, more exciting players.
End The Ghost Runner Rule
- Remove the ghost runner (extra-innings automatic runner) except for emergency use because it short-circuits earning bases.
- Limit extra-inning rule use or revert to playing full innings to preserve baseball's core premise.