OT: Is the world series, and baseball, done as a major sport?

[mjd1001]

With the end of the world series approaching, just looking to see what others think.

 

As a kid growing up, I watched over 100 baseball games a year once they were on cable, and watched EVERY playoff game I could regardless of who was in them.

 

Starting a decade ago, I still watched some games, but maybe 15-20 a year, but still watched the World Series.

 

This year, I haven't watched a playoff game yet. Just don't have the interest anymore.

 

Some things to consider:

-So far, this is on pace to be the lowest rated World Series EVER.

 

-According to the ratings details, only 1 out of every 25 viewers of the World series is under 18.

 

-The average age of a World Series viewer is now 55 years old.

 

-The U.S. vs Portugal soccer match this past summer earned DOUBLE the ratings that game one of the world series did this year.

 

On the other hand, 2 million kids play little league baseball, the number has stayed steady year to year, while the number of kids playing pop-warner football has declined, and about 10 TIMES as many kids play organized baseball as football (under the age of 12).

 

 

 

So, what does everyone think, do you still watch baseball? Is the game doomed to be a 'fringe' sport within the next 5-10 years?

Edited October 28, 2014 by mjd1001

[ubkev]

I think it's the teams that are hurting the ratings. Have you ever met a Royals fan? San Francisco is hipster heaven. Do hipsters even have TV's?

 

I've watched every game, but that's only because I need to have something to do at work.

[inkman]

I think it's the teams that are hurting the ratings. Have you ever met a Royals fan? San Francisco is hipster heaven. Do hipsters even have TV's?

 

I've watched every game, but that's only because I need to have something to do at work.

This. They couldn't have picked two worse teams.

[Johnny DangerFace]

Isn't baseball's ratings higher than ever and more profitable than ever? I could be totally wrong on both of those points. But it seems to be doing great and people have been saying it's dying for as long as I can remember

[mjd1001]

Isn't baseball's ratings higher than ever and more profitable than ever? I could be totally wrong on both of those points. But it seems to be doing great and people have been saying it's dying for as long as I can remember

 

I think you are 50% right. More profitable than ever? Yes. Highest ratings ever? No.

[JJFIVEOH]

I used to watch the Jays religiously growing up, during their World Series days. Between the insane contracts and free agency I think the sort has gone to hell. I can probably name more Jays from the '93 team than I can players in all of MLB now.

[Eleven]

I think it has little to do with what teams are in the WS. For myself, I'm MORE likely to watch if those two AL East teams aren't in.

 

But that's not a pass.

 

Until the league(s) figure it out and go to some sort of parity model, until they decide to get games in three hours, until they learn to market players that aren't in NY, LA, or that ######, dirty town in Mass, well, the majors are going to suffer a little bit.

 

I hope they get it. But I do think it will be the first of the majors to become extinct (not in my lifetime).

[darksabre]

I used to watch the Jays religiously growing up, during their World Series days. Between the insane contracts and free agency I think the sort has gone to hell. I can probably name more Jays from the '93 team than I can players in all of MLB now.

 

I was a Jays fan for most of my childhood. Joe Carter was a beast in World Series '94 for Sega Game Gear.

[TheMatrix31]

I used to watch the Jays religiously growing up, during their World Series days. Between the insane contracts and free agency I think the sort has gone to hell. I can probably name more Jays from the '93 team than I can players in all of MLB now.

 

Sucks for you, considering the game today is full of absolutely incredible, potentially all-time level talent. Like, loaded.

 

As time goes on, baseball remains my favorite sport and quite frankly, it isn't even close.

Edited October 29, 2014 by TheMatrix31

[shrader]

I have no interest in watching any game on TV. At the same time though, I can't wait until my nephews and any future kids play the game.

[TheMatrix31]

These playoffs have been arguably the best ever. I feel bad for people who haven't been watching. Game after game after game after game with incredible happenings. If these playoffs can't get you interested in the game, nothing ever will.

Edited October 29, 2014 by TheMatrix31

[LastPommerFan]

I think you are 50% right. More profitable than ever? Yes. Highest ratings ever? No.

 

Exactly. Bud is cashing in on primetime games at the expense of younger viewers. It's unsustainable, but it's making a boatload of money right now. At least 2 of the WS games MUST have starts no later than 5:30 ET. Little league alone isn't gonna teach kids to watch pro baseball.

 

I have no interest in watching any game on TV. At the same time though, I can't wait until my nephews and any future kids play the game.

 

I had fallen out of love with baseball from Ripken's retirement until 2012, when my son started playing little league and I coached. It changes you.

[TheMatrix31]

But at the same time, allowing kids to stay up until 11:30 ET, 12 ET for the games isn't going to kill them. I don't understand this. If anything, they'll learn to love and appreciate how cool the playoffs/World Series are and think, "hey, Dad's letting me stay up to watch this.....this must be pretty special."

 

So they go to school groggy for a couple days. It builds character. Who DOESN'T have stories of sneaking a radio to bed, staying up late or even at the ballpark until late, etc? Not to mention staying up with your kids and watching with them, sharing that moment and sharing your memories with them. THAT'S what builds lasting love for the game.

 

Baseball is magical. It used to be treated as such.

Edited October 29, 2014 by TheMatrix31

[LastPommerFan]

But at the same time, allowing kids to stay up until 11:30 ET for the games isn't going to kill them. I don't understand this. If anything, they'll learn to love and appreciate how cool the playoffs/World Series are and think, "hey, Dad's letting me stay up to watch this.....this must be pretty special."

 

So they go to school groggy for a couple days. It builds character. Who DOESN'T have stories of sneaking a radio to bed, staying up late or even at the ballpark until late, etc?

 

Baseball is magical. It used to be treated as such.

 

It used to be on in the afternoon.

 

You're absolutely right, it's not gonna hurt him. I would have no problem letting him stay up, he just falls asleep.

 

I'm not suggesting all the games be on in the afternoon, but at least the weekend games. So the kids have some energy for it.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Glass Case Of Emotion

[TheMatrix31]

It used to be on in the afternoon.

 

You're absolutely right, it's not gonna hurt him. I would have no problem letting him stay up, he just falls asleep.

 

I'm not suggesting all the games be on in the afternoon, but at least the weekend games. So the kids have some energy for it.

 

Yeah. And I'm okay with that. Especially a day game on a Saturday. Sunday wouldn't be such a good idea, what with the NFL and all. But yeah. Sure.

 

I just think it sucks that people are being deprived. They want something to be drawn to with the game and they act like there isn't anything but the sport is in a really, really special place right now. Madison Bumgarner is doing ###### that basically nobody has ever done in the history of the World Series and the freakin' ROYALS are in the World Series! That's worthy of watching and getting really, really excited about.

Edited October 29, 2014 by TheMatrix31

[skaught]

I don't think I've watched a baseball game on TV since the last time the Padres went to the World Series...

 

I sort of stopped caring when I stopped playing Little League.

[LastPommerFan]

I just think it sucks that people are being deprived. They want something to be drawn to with the game and they act like there isn't anything but the sport is in a really, really special place right now. Madison Bumgarner is doing ###### that basically nobody has ever done in the history of the World Series and the freakin' ROYALS are in the World Series! That's worthy of watching and getting really, really excited about.

 

Yes. All of this.

 

I love that the teams are all built differently. As opposed to the NFL where you have 31 teams trying to be, essentially the same thing. (And you also have Chip Kelly)

[JJFIVEOH]

I was a Jays fan for most of my childhood. Joe Carter was a beast in World Series '94 for Sega Game Gear.

 

I miss the days of Kelly Gruber, Juan Guzman, Jack Morris and Devon White.

 

I always liked David Wells and Duane Ward.

 

Sucks for you, considering the game today is full of absolutely incredible, potentially all-time level talent. Like, loaded.

 

As time goes on, baseball remains my favorite sport and quite frankly, it isn't even close.

 

It's not the talent that keeps me away. It's the greed and lack of loyalty. Yes it exists in all sports (and it's slowly making me less interested in other sports as well) but no where near the scale of MLB. Maybe I've just find other things to occupy myself and baseball just isn't a priority any more.

[mjd1001]

I think people are making a good point locally about the Jays. The Blue Jays used to be a lot bigger of a draw here, and it was the 'local' team with them being only 1-1.5 hours away, but ever since the big Dollar cable TV packages, WNY doesn't get the game on TV. While Yankee, Met, or Red Sox fans don't care much about that, it does have an impact that you can't see them anymore.

 

Another thing related to the cable packages is, most of the games you CANNOT watch on TV without cable. That has been like that for a while now, but with more and more people (especially younger people) 'cutting the cord' and getting rid of cable, they simply aren't exposed to the game.

 

As someone else said above, the league seems to be sacrificing a lot of future fans for current dollars. What needs to change?

 

1. Get the games sped up a LOT. Pitcher must get rid of pitch in 15 seconds or its a ball. Batter can only step out of Box 1 time per at bat.

 

2. Let viewers see local games streaming online. Maybe somehow get local games on TV and not on cable (probably not going to happen though)

 

3. Its summertime. Yes people work, but you need more afternoon games. Also, when an east coast team is visiting a west coast team during the week, make some of those west coast start times a bit earlier (an occasional 5:30 or 6 West coast start time would help a lot)

 

4. World Series. Start the games an hour eariler.

 

A lot of the games might be great, but in my life I have been exposed to a lot more games that were dogs. I just don't feel like blocking out 3+ hours of time with the HOPE it might be a good game. Get most of the games down to 2 hours, and might be in.

[Hoss]

No team has made a more exciting postseason run than the Royals in a long long time... But it's still impossible to ignore the fact that nobody watches the Royals. Cool story. Not cool rating.

[Robviously]

I have no interest in watching any game on TV. At the same time though, I can't wait until my nephews and any future kids play the game.

It's funny that the argument for baseball's demise is always based on TV ratings when TV ratings are becoming less and less relevant culturally.

 

The league is more profitable than ever and MLB attendance is still near its all-time high from a few years ago. Baseball is doing just fine.

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2014/2/10/5390172/major-league-attendance-trends-1950-2013

 

It's a lousy TV sport, but it has other advantages the other big sports can't match. It owns the spring and summer. It is by far the most family friendly -- both for how cheap tickets can be and for how many games there are to see all year. For whatever reason, ballparks are more highly revered than the stadiums for other sports. (There's no football equivalent to Fenway or Wrigley.) Baseball is still a big part of our culture.

[beerme1]

I echo all the Jays comments but I grew up there a long time ago. Turned 48 this year and was actually thinking during these playoffs how much fun some of those Blue Jays teams were. Thinking back to what Jack Morris did for the team. I don't think I've ever seen a better center fielder than Devon White outside of Rickey Henderson in person. Saw George Bell on opening day hit three home runs.

I go back to day 1 with them and watched every game all the time, like I do with the Sabres. But getting older meant losing patience with the slow pace of the game. Having a WS cancelled meant I quit baseball. Over the last few years IO have watched some playoff games and some WS.

I gotta say though this year has been fun to watch the Royals and their brand of baseball. It will never be like it used to be though. But I hardly think it will be doomed to being a niche sport. To the op as you note the something of soccer had double the viewers. Ok, but did you also hear the fact that baseball draws more people than hockey, basketball and football combined? I get that it may seem like a niche sport but look behind the curtain and these guys are still making out. Can't say I know how though when all I see is a lot of empty seats everywhere. But I have certainly come back to the sport for some playoff and world series games. And likely will again. But as to that 162 regular game season? Holy crap no.

[SabresBillsFan]

Living out west I can honesty tell u that with as many Hispanics living and migrating everywhere in the US that soccer is going to be on the rise. It's cheap and only need a ball and a park to play in. Out in Vegas I have seen tons of soccer fields piping up since I moved here back in 89.

[TheMatrix31]

No team has made a more exciting postseason run than the Royals in a long long time... But it's still impossible to ignore the fact that nobody watches the Royals. Cool story. Not cool rating.

 

Which is sad because people whine about the Yankees and the Red Sox and blah blah but when they get a team like the Royals into the World Series after 29 years they end up not caring. Makes no sense.

 

And I'm not sure where the "greed and lack of loyalty" thing comes from. I'm not a fan of labeling any business, organization, or corporation "greedy" since their entire purpose is profit, but if any league can be qualified as "greedy" it's the NFL, what with its attempt to infiltrate every night of TV, spreading exposure of the draft, all the fantasy sports ######, etc.

 

And if it's the players who are greedy? Well, baseball has no salary cap. Some players get more and some players get less. Mike Trout, the best player on the planet and a guy you can legitimately compare to Mickey Mantle took significantly less than what his market value would have been to stay with the Angels for like 7 more years. Andrew McCutchen and Paul Goldschmidt, two superstar players took way less than what their value would have been otherwise to stay with Pittsburgh and Arizona respectively. The Braves (my favorite team) locked up all essential pieces of their core last offseason for likely much cheaper than they would have gotten on the open market were they to hit free agency. Plus with all the arbitration rules and team control rules and all that, baseball is an entirely different beast anyhow.

 

Baseball is a very unique sport and I think I've realized a big reason why I love it so much. The game variation. I can watch games and STILL see things I've genuinely never seen before. In football, basketball, or hockey, it's always a big lead and a comeback, a low-scoring game with a last second shot or a field goal, something like that. In baseball, there are *so* many ways to win. Hell, even tonight, I saw an infield chopper that somehow got into the outfield and drove in two runs. Last year's World Series featured a "walkoff interference call" for example. There is just so much variation that the game doesn't feel stale. And I don't get too up in arms about game length anyway, and I generally refuse the "pitch clock" idea since the beauty of baseball is that it's not bound by any clock. Pitchers should work quicker and more efficiently anyway, but I'm a Braves fan and I'm spoiled in that regard, watching countless games that don't go over 2.5 hours in length.

Edited October 29, 2014 by TheMatrix31

[shrader]

Hopefully the end of Selig's time will lead to a lot of the changes people are hoping for.