New MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred Wants to Make Baseball 'More Accessible'

MLB has a new commissioner, and his name is Robert Manfred. Taking over for longtime commish Bud Selig Sunday, Jan. 25, the 56-year-old Manfred sent a "letter" via email to fans in one of his first acts in the big boy chair. The new Major League Baseball head was to make the sport "more accessible."

Manfred said he wants to "modernize" the game, and pointed to the expanded use of instant replay in 2014 as a success.

"We made a dramatic change without altering the game's fundamentals," he wrote. "I look forward to tapping into the power of technology to consider additional advancements that will continue to heighten the excitement of the game, improve the pace of play and attract more young people to the game."

MLB has long been a forerunner among American sports when it comes to using international talent. It is one of the game's strongest aspects, according to mlb.com, and Manfred will undoubtedly capitalize on that moving forward.

"We will continue to internationalize our game and to celebrate the fact that we have the most diverse rosters in the world," he wrote. "Our mission is to build upon this recent success by creating opportunities for the next wave of baseball talent. We also must continue to nurture inclusive environments for all the contributors to our game and our loyal fans."

That "diverse" comment is true, but there has long been a lack of African-American role models in the game as more young black kids turn to football and basketball.

But Manfred also put an emphasis on the league's RBI initiative, which helps bring the game to urban areas in the United States.

"I plan to make the game more accessible to those in underserved areas, especially in the urban areas where fields and infrastructure are harder to find," he wrote. "Giving more kids the opportunity to play will inspire a new generation to fall in love with baseball just as we did when we were kids."

With a little more than two months until Opening Day, Manfred has his work cut out for him: TV ratings are still astronomically behind football, and the league is now in competition with the NBA and NHL for viewers on a yearly basis.

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