If he could have scaled Mount Rainier to spread the message from on high, Rob Manfred surely would have. Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, had reason to celebrate his sport on Tuesday: attendance is up eight percent over last season, with a brisker pace of play, more daring on the bases, improving television ratings and surprise contenders.
“What do they call it — a virtuous cycle, right?” Manfred said Tuesday afternoon, before the 93rd edition of the All-Star Game. “The rule changes are good, the players stay positive, it makes the fans even more positive about them because the players are positive about them.