MLB Clearly Should've Mic'd up Players in Effort to Grow the Game in 2020

Arguably the greatest feature of Spring Training that concludes before the start of the MLB regular season is players being mic'd up in the batter's box and in the field.

Considering how many fans it pushed away throughout the nauseating, multi-month negotiating process, the league really should've given more thought to implementing this element full-time in 2020.

Baseball should be doing everything in its power to separate itself from the other major sports leagues in the country. Not only does it have the oldest fan base, but it's also well behind the NFL and NBA in terms of popularity. We wouldn't be surprised if the NHL closed the gap after how close MLB came to cancelling its campaign out of monetary squabbling this year.

Having players mic'd up would help revolutionize the game. Some baseball purists might be turned off to the idea, but there's no doubting that this feature would entice younger and new fans. At one point in time, New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso almost helped make this a reality, and MLB should be ashamed for not following through.

Such a luxury would see fans experience conversations that come naturally between competing opponents. From the hostility between a pitcher and umpire, to the banter shared between first basemen and base runners, the entertainment would be unrelenting, and most importantly, unique.

As it's done countless times throughout the last few months, MLB and commissioner Rob Manfred dropped the ball by not choosing to mic up players this season.