t has been tried before. In 1997 the baseball lords decreed that umpires would call high strikes. And they did. For about two weeks. Amid a chorus of complaints from players, coaches and managers, the strike zone quickly resumed its familiar shape, short and wide.

But this time might be different. Sandy Alderson has proven himself a student of history as much as a student of baseball. He knows that there are two keys to making this monumental change - and make no mistake about it, this change is monumental - stick: The will of baseball to stay with the change, and the ability of the umpires to implement the change.

The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak

In 1997 the change failed to stick because baseball, as a whole, had not invested in the change, and the umpires were stuck out on a limb as the only participants in an unpopular game. This time, Alderson put together a most unlikely coalition that eventually included the fans, media owners, managers, players, and umpires.

Continued...