It’s time to play baseball commissioner.

While the first two games of this year’s Subway Series have shown that baseball can be the exciting sport that generations of Americans have fallen in love with for over a century, it’s obvious baseball is suffering from a number of issues that threaten its future popularity.

Major League Baseball has come under fire this post season for the ever-increasing length of baseball games. It has also been criticized that not one of this year’s World Series games will start before 8:00pm ET. Which might explain why New York City’s workforce – and schoolchildren - went into work (and school) this morning with bags under their eyes AND arms.

So answer this question: Is baseball still America’s National Pastime? What changes would you make if you were appointed Major League Baseball commissioner? It’s time to Sound Off…

Here are some points to consider:

• Despite all the buzz surrounding this Subway Series, the games essentially only involve one region of the country. Do you think this makes for a more exciting World Series, or does it alienate fans from the rest of the country? 

• A Subway Series is not the only opportunity for teams from the same region to face each other in the Fall Classic. How do you think a “Subway Series” compares to similar series, like the 1985 “I-70 Series”, which featured the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals, or the 1989 World Series, which saw two teams from California’s Bay Area, the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s, face each other? 

• Some people see New York sports fans as loud and obnoxious. Others see them as colorful and passionate. In your opinion, which description is more accurate? How do you feel about New York sports fans? 

• Baseball has changed a great deal in the 44 years since the last Subway Series. How do you feel about some of the more significant changes like Free Agency and League expansion? 

• How do you feel about the Designated Hitter? Do you think it adds to the excitement of the game or lessens the amount of strategy involved? 

• Do you think the Wild Card playoff system, first implemented in 1995, has added to the drama of the postseason, or has it diluted the importance of the regular season? 

• In keeping with recent tradition, no day games have been scheduled for this year’s World Series. Critics have argued that this is unfair to younger fans who can’t stay up late to watch an entire game. Others argue that it’s good for the game because it ensures higher ratings and more advertising revenue. Where do you stand on the issue of day games vs. night games in the World Series? 

• Finally, do you think baseball is still our country’s National Pastime? If not, what is?