Baseball on the decline in US?

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

Maybe we'll see a whole generation of hipster offspring rebuilding the youth baseball ranks?

If that's what it will take, I want no part of it.

[55]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

Maybe we'll see a whole generation of hipster offspring rebuilding the youth baseball ranks?

I totally can't wait for the ballparks to be overran by horn-rim wearing, MacBook typing, PBR swilling douchebags.

Spoiler

[Dirty Turtles]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

I'm involved in our local Little League and our numbers this year are down almost 25% from last year. The league was forced to restructure the entire league and cut 3 teams from last year. The tough economy has made parents think twice about shelling out 40-50$ to let their children play baseball.

[Anaxamander]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

I agree with those who pointed out the 162 game regular season, which makes it hard for the casual fan to wrap his head around what's going on in the league. Each 4+ hour game is 1/162 of a team's season, which is a small percentage. Watching a game here and there tells you basically nothing about the team.

Now take football on the other hand. Far fewer games means the stakes are much higher. Watching one game tells you a lot--it advances the "narrative" of the season significantly.

Please note that I am a lifelong fan of both football and baseball, but it's no question that football is a better TV show. I use the term TV show because the meteoric rise of the NFL has largely been on the small screen. Some teams still have trouble getting people to physically show up to games, but the ratings for those same teams are astounding.

Even though some of you guys complain about the stoppage between plays, that's actually perfect for viewing audiences. That 30-45 seconds gives you enough time for a replay, some analysis, and for you to high five your buddies. What's more, it creates anticipation for the next play in a way that baseball just can't equal on a pitch-by-pitch basis.

[Money99]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

Even though some of you guys complain about the stoppage between plays, that's actually perfect for viewing audiences. That 30-45 seconds gives you enough time for a replay, some analysis, and for you to high five your buddies. What's more, it creates anticipation for the next play in a way that baseball just can't equal on a pitch-by-pitch basis.

Don't forget a chance to grab another beer and more nacho's.
Football's schedule is also a perfect excuse for most guys and husbands to get out of doing anything one day a week. "Sorry honey, games on!".

The between-snap action really feeds our ADD as well. Flashy graphics showing statistics while talking-heads scream into their microphones like it's a war they're witnessing help those with attention deficit issues.

I think baseball has simply become too slow for our ADD nation.

[yankeesgiants]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

Don't forget a chance to grab another beer and more nacho's.
Football's schedule is also a perfect excuse for most guys and husbands to get out of doing anything one day a week. "Sorry honey, games on!".

The between-snap action really feeds our ADD as well. Flashy graphics showing statistics while talking-heads scream into their microphones like it's a war they're witnessing help those with attention deficit issues.

I think baseball has simply become too slow for our ADD nation.

Footballs rise in popularity over the past 30 years is gambling. Weather it's hardcore (Bookies & casinos) or casual (fantasy sports). Football has embrased gambling while Baseball has run from it.

[BlueSkies7776]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

I only read the first couple of pages of this thread, but I just wanted to say that it does bother me a little bit how the majority of people just do not respect Baseball. It's as if the sport is completely lost on todays generation. You get the groups of people that make fun of it, and they think it is easy because there is a lot of standing around not doing anything. And the groups of people that think it is boring and too slow.

I go to a sports bar regularly and when Baseball season is in full swing I sometimes feel like I am the only person in the whole bar that is watching the Baseball games. People go crazy for Football and the NBA, but Baseball is pretty much not cared for anymore by more and more people.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

I dont buy the "the season is too long" as reasoning. The season has been 162 games for a long, long time.

[Money99]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

I dont buy the "the season is too long" as reasoning. The season has been 162 games for a long, long time.

Don't underestimate the power of ADD for people in today's generation.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

Yeah, I know. That's not the "length of the season" though, thats just people being stupid since it wasn't a problem before.

I think football got larger than life, people saw 16 games and wonder why MLB is 162.

[nomo17k]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

Another factor I want to throw in here is the "dominance" (and hence excitement) factor.

I take baseball to be a game of longevity, and a sport where you need to play for a long time to really decide who's better or not. So it's only fitting that the game is 9 innings, and a season consists of 162+ games.

Now we know that part of the enjoyment of baseball is that we really don't know what happens pretty much till the last out, unless it's a blow out. And year-by-year standings kinda prove this point. The best MLB teams often only wins 60% of the games over a long season. A team that wins 100 games bares goes above 60% winning percentage... In our mind, a team that could win 100 games every year (the Yanks, BoSox...) is by all means a dynasty.

But that's still 6 out 10 games that those great teams win... not so dominant really. On the other hand, other sports like NFL, NBA, NHL... it's quite common that the best teams win more than 70% of their games.

Baseball might provide people with less chance to feel triumphant in that sense.

[Sportsforever]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

I agree with those who pointed out the 162 game regular season, which makes it hard for the casual fan to wrap his head around what's going on in the league. Each 4+ hour game is 1/162 of a team's season, which is a small percentage. Watching a game here and there tells you basically nothing about the team.

Now take football on the other hand. Far fewer games means the stakes are much higher. Watching one game tells you a lot--it advances the "narrative" of the season significantly.

Please note that I am a lifelong fan of both football and baseball, but it's no question that football is a better TV show. I use the term TV show because the meteoric rise of the NFL has largely been on the small screen. Some teams still have trouble getting people to physically show up to games, but the ratings for those same teams are astounding.

Even though some of you guys complain about the stoppage between plays, that's actually perfect for viewing audiences. That 30-45 seconds gives you enough time for a replay, some analysis, and for you to high five your buddies. What's more, it creates anticipation for the next play in a way that baseball just can't equal on a pitch-by-pitch basis.

Outside of Yanks/Red Sox games, baseball games generally don't run 4 hours (I think the average is just a tad under 3 hours). I have a friend I work with who is a big football guy (he played NFL for 4-5 years so I don't blame him) and he's also a Red Sox 'fan'. Every year we have this debate...he won't even start watching baseball until end of July because he says the season is too long and it's too much to follow. Why don't I just start watching the NFL after week 12?

It's the same argument and it doesn't hold water. You either like/appreciate baseball or you don't...shortening the season would not make people like/appreciate the game anymore than fans you jump into March Madness every year are all the sudden basketball fans. Now, we can discuss why people do/do not like baseball, but personally I am fine with baseball being what it is. I don't want them to say "Oh, we used to be the #1 sport and now we're not...let's imitate the NFL and try and become #1 again."

[sydrogerdavid]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

It's the same argument and it doesn't hold water. You either like/appreciate baseball or you don't...shortening the season would not make people like/appreciate the game anymore than fans you jump into March Madness every year are all the sudden basketball fans. Now, we can discuss why people do/do not like baseball, but personally I am fine with baseball being what it is. I don't want them to say "Oh, we used to be the #1 sport and now we're not...let's imitate the NFL and try and become #1 again."

Or people are too ignorant to give it a chance. They write it off as too long or boring because their friends or parents think so too.

[CMH]

I do think there are people that genuinely dislike baseball. But I agree there are people who aren't even giving it a chance.

Oddly (perhaps not?) enough, I have found that most foreigners find baseball interesting than Americans of the people I know trying to learn the sport. I've met many people from other countries studying and working in film and it never fails how many ask me questions about the game (because they find out I still play the sport) and want to learn.

My American friends still battle grasping that I'm not playing softball.


Sent from my mobile device.

[Money99]

Re: Baseball on the decline in US?

I do think there are people that genuinely dislike baseball. But I agree there are people who aren't even giving it a chance.

Oddly (perhaps not?) enough, I have found that most foreigners find baseball interesting than Americans of the people I know trying to learn the sport. I've met many people from other countries studying and working in film and it never fails how many ask me questions about the game (because they find out I still play the sport) and want to learn.

My American friends still battle grasping that I'm not playing softball.


Sent from my mobile device.

LOL! I played softball for years and then grew tired of it. I joined a 35+ hardball league last year and loved every minute of it.
I hadn't swung at a 'real' pitch since I was 13, (and it showed ) but I had an absolute blast.

What made me lose interest in softball was the attitude. I wish I had a dime for every 'THAT GUY' I saw during tournaments.
You know, the guy with the barbed-wire tatto, chin whiskers, long hair out the back of the hat, overweight, illegal bat and a pick-up truck with a sticker on the back that reads "powered by deez nutz".

These guys think they're awesome because they can hit 400' bombs with a juiced bat but then can't run to a 70' bag without needing oxygen.
And then they go back to their jobs to brag about how great they are...at softball.

I have nothing against the sport of softball. It can be very fun. But it's not real baseball. It's a step above bowling.

Anyway, I just spoke with a woman who chose not to sign her son up for baseball for another year. She said 'it was boring' and so her kid will play soccer full time.
It didn't help that her coach last year was really bad. Nice enough guy, but all his practices were the same - pitch to one kid while the rest field and then rotate.