PHOENIX — All of baseball's biggest names are in downtown Phoenix for Games 3, 4 and 5 of the World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers and that includes Major League Baseball's commissioner, Rob Manfred.
12News spoke with the commissioner before Game Four at Chase Field.
"I think it's one of the great things about our postseason," Manfred said when asked about the World Series matchup. "You know, our teams play hard all year to get into the postseason, but it's kind of a fresh count. And, you know, these two teams played great in the early rounds."
Manfred said he has enjoyed watching the Diamondbacks play this year with one major reason being how they have embraced this year's rule changes, including the pitch clock, larger bases and changes meant to encourage more base stealing.
"I think they got overlooked a little bit," Manfred said. "They're a really exciting team. And you know, hats off to (General Manager) Mike Hazen and (Diamondbacks owner) Ken Kendrick, they've done a heck of a job."
Manfred also said he hopes that a team like Arizona making the World Series can be good for baseball in the long haul and that the rule changes have been great for the game this season.
"We're thrilled with the way the rule changes worked out," Manfred said. "You know, we played 8,000 games with these rules in the minor leagues. It was a predictable outcome in our view, but we think the game's faster, more athletic and most important, we think the fans liked the changes."
Manfred also addressed the apparent bad call during Gabriel Moreno's 9th-inning at-bat of Game 3, which left D-backs manager Torey Lovullo steaming hours later.
"We've experimented with an automated strike zone system in the minor leagues, where the players on the field, it's not the managers, actually have challenges," Manfred said. "I think it's something that at some point, you'll see in the big leagues, you know, I have to defend our umpires, you know, the umpire behind home plate last night has had a great year, does a great job, but you know, calling balls and strikes is hard."
And as we approach the end of the 2023 season, Manfred feels the state of baseball is strong.
"We had a great year in 2023," Manfred said. "Our live attendance was up just shy of 10%. It's the largest increase in 30 years. I think the key is, you know, some of the things we did with the rule changes faster, more athletic, I think using technology really important. And then I think what the clubs have done in the facilities is really important giving particularly younger fans the way to go to the game and watch the game in a setting that they find appealing.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training.
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