9 ways to make baseball fun again

On Monday, Bryce Harper further cemented himself as the ambassador of fun.

After the Nationals' 4-3 win over the Braves, Harper was interviewed while wearing a Donald Trump-inspired "Make Baseball Fun Again" hat. Of course, Harper isn't shying away from taking on the game's unwritten rules. After saying baseball is a "tired sport," his comments ignited Hall of Famer Goose Gossage to go on a tirade about the culture of baseball.

In honor of Harper's latest statement, here's a list of nine things we think would make baseball fun again:

Get rid of the facial hair policy: In February, Don Mattingly brought back the no facial hair policy to Marlins camp. Ironic, considering he sported quite the 'stache in his Yankee days. Forget this policy because, frankly, it's just facial hair. Let the players groom themselves however they want.

Let players express themselves: Zack Greinke is just a quiet guy. Yasiel Puig isn't, and for some inside and outside the game that's a problem. Every player has his own way of showing emotion, and no one is entitled to say how his teammates or opponent should react to something.

Let hitters bat flip: Jose Bautista's bat flip in October ignited emotion and divide between baseball's old and new, and the discussion's been intensifying ever since. If a player wants to launch his bat 30 feet after turning on a belt-high fastball, let him. If pitchers don't like it, don't throw belt-high fastballs.

Come down hard on bean balls: After a pitcher gives up a homer, some say flipping a bat is rubbing salt in the wound. The old school way of handling it is to throw at the next batter. If we want to make the game fun again, come down hard on pitchers who intentionally throw at hitters by suspending them per start, not per game. If the game is going to protect catchers and middle infielders, it needs to make sure hitters aren't on the receiving end of a statement pitch, too.

Don't scrutinize creative handshakes: In recent seasons, the Blue Jays were criticized for having too many handshakes, and that was before they started winning games. Now, cool handshakes and dances are the new thing, which is also better than choking your teammate in the dugout.

Don't take yourself too seriously: In other words, don't assume players are trying to change the game. So instead of criticizing Harper's choice of head gear, let's laugh at it, and maybe even make one at the mall ourselves.

DH in the National League: This is a double-edged sword. If the designated hitter is implemented in the National League, "pitchers that rake" won't be a thing anymore. By the same token, it'll make Bartolo Colon at-bats rare, must-see moments when they happen. Scoring more runs is more fun, and creating a DH rule in the NL will increase run production instead of having an automatic bunt spot in the order.

Let pitchers fist pump: Similar to hitters, pitchers have the right to get excited on the mound. If Jose Fernandez gets out of a bases-loaded jam with nobody out in the eighth inning with his team up by one, he won't walk back to the dugout quietly. Nor should he.

Scrap the other unwritten rules: Let players pick signs from second base, steal, and bunt when their team is up by 10. Unwritten rules are about taming players, while forcing them to know their place in the game. As it stands, less than one percent of baseball players make it to the majors, so when they do, let them celebrate the achievement instead of scrutinizing them for being something the rest of the league doesn't want them to be. The game's played differently than it was 30 years ago, so why not change the culture, too?