Rays' Hill addresses MLB's rule experiments: 'The game is perfect' right now

Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Rich Hill doesn't support the changes MLB is contemplating, and he believes the game needs to be left alone.

"Look, the game is perfect the way it is," the 41-year-old told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "Could we make it better? Of course, there's probably some things that can be improved.

"But when you really look at it as a whole, who are we trying to appease in this situation? Is it a two-to-five percent market, as opposed to saying, 'OK, we're not going to be concerned about the other 75% that are actually invested as far as the fan base.' You really have to look at it as are we going in the wrong direction and not looking at trying to make a better fan experience for the ones (coming to the games)."

Hill mentioned moving the pitching mound, a pitch clock, and other measures intended to improve the pace or action as being "Mickey Mouse ways to make baseball more appealing" when there are other issues that need to be addressed, such as minor-league teams being cut. MLB reduced the number of minor-league clubs ahead of the 2021 season last December.

"With the draft getting cut, with teams getting cut, that's where a lot of your coaches come from (after they are done playing)," he said, adding that in smaller cities and towns, kids can go watch an "A-ball game where they're going to see the next Mookie Betts come through."

"... That's kind of the health of the game, the health of where baseball is going," he continued. "We talk about it being diminished. We talk about it being on the downturn. Well, if we want to promote the game, and we want to do that, cutting the game in half - to me it doesn't make sense."

Last week, Hill voiced his concerns about MLB considering a plan to move the pitcher's mound back a foot. The idea is being experimented within the Atlantic League, along with a new designated-hitter rule referred to as the "double hook."

Hill believes moving the mound could lead to a rise in pitcher injuries, especially among those in the Atlantic League who are part of the experiment.

The southpaw pitched for the Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks in 2015 before returning to the bigs as a 36-year-old one season later.