Five things MLB should steal from the Little League World Series

It's time again for the Little League World Series — another opportunity for us middle-aged, former 12-year-old All-Stars to live vicariously through today's youth.

Hope Major League Baseball is watching, too.

Why? Because it might learn something from the little league game to perhaps spice things up a bit and even keep fans in the stands.

Sure, the major league arms are stronger and uniforms fancier, but there is still something pure about this little league showcase. There remain elements of fun and common sense that continue to be lacking at the ultimate level of America's Pastime.

While we don't see Bryce Harper trading pins with Shohei Otani, there are some aspects of little league baseball that Rob Manfred and MLB might think about adopting — even if only for a moment.

Here are five things the Little League World Series does that would be interesting to see on the major league level.

Metal bats
When beginning my little league career at age 6, wood bats were the preferred option. That lasted about a year as the lure of aluminum was too great to pass up.

It felt lighter, the ball seemed to travel farther, and, really, who doesn't love that "ping" sound when contact is made. Plus they hardly ever broke, unless an impromptu sword fight broke out in the dugout.

Though metal bats can be insanely pricey, they rule the LLWS and college baseball. Just imagine Giancarlo Stanton or Aaron Judge swinging a metal stick. Home run totals would almost certainly increase, but the shiny, relatively new jumbotrons at Wrigley wouldn't be safe from a Roy Hobbs moment.

Of course, the protective netting that's already been extended to protect more of the lower-level setting at major league ballparks would need to be reinforced. But shattered pieces of wood wouldn't be flying into the seats.

Think about Barry, Sammy or Big Mac swinging an aluminum bat back in the day. No need for PEDs, right?

Re-entry rule
The little league substitution rule in which a starter can re-enter at his/her same spot in the batting order would have been great in the majors 10-15 years ago. The overweight big boppers, especially in the NL, could catch a breather, give someone else a chance to play, then come back refreshed.

Think about Prince Fielder taking a couple of innings off during a Brewers game to rest and maybe grab a bite, then come back and club a walk-off homer in the ninth to set Bernie Brewer down his slide.

Rosters might be smaller, but extra-inning games may not be as long. The days of the double switch? Perhaps those days, as Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson would say, could be "Ovah."

Mercy rule
This is one that can be either good or bad.

It's probably good for the players, who wouldn't mind hitting the postgame clubhouse spread early if their team is down or ahead by 10 runs after 4 1/2 innings. Should a team be winning by at least 10 when the game becomes official, let's shake hands, pull the tarp on the field and head for the parking lots.

Then again, fans are dropping ridiculous amounts of money to watch major league baseball. So fans, regardless if their team is ahead or behind, would be more inclined to stick around, enjoy the day or evening and make that $10 Bud last a little longer.

Should the mercy rule rear its head, the least the home team could do for ticket holders is give away vouchers for a free hot dog or Lemon Chill on their next visit.

One thing is for sure: We would no longer have to witness position players take the mound. Yes, it can be entertaining, but completely unnecessary and often embarrassing for said player.

Pitch count
Pitching rules in little league are designed to protect the arms of our young friends. Pitches, not necessarily innings, are the focus.

In one instance, a pitcher can throw 30 or fewer pitches one day and come back the next day and do the same. So Max Scherzer could start back-to-back games and maybe go three innings each depending on how good his stuff is and the availability of the rest of the staff.

Of course, the flip side of this rule filtering into the majors would likely increase mound visits — you're welcome Don Mattingly. Rosters might need to be increased, especially if there's a blowout and the mercy rule has not been implemented.

Outfield wall dimensions
In high school, some friends and I went over to the old little league diamond and decided to stage our own home run derby. The dimensions were 200 feet to all fields — quite the fun afternoon.

The fields at the Little League World Series play to 225 feet in all fields, bringing up the idea of uniform dimensions in major league ballparks.

How about the Green Monster wrapping around the Fenway outfield? Even better, the recently removed Tal's Hill stretching from left to right field in Houston as the entire outfield played at over 400 feet.

Every pitcher would love to throw there — as long as the pitch count rule didn't come along with it.

Those metal bats might come in handy in some parks, while the mercy rule would never see the light of day in others.

Ahh, it's fun to dream — or at least feel like you're 12 again.