left field during Major League Baseball’s annual Home Run Derby is much like loitering in the middle of a mosh pit at a death-metal concert. Balls, bodies and beers are flying. If a dinger is hit in that direction, the mass of fans becomes a tangle of limbs until someone emerges from the bottom of a pile, bruised but triumphant, home-run ball in hand.
The past year has been a turbulent one for sports, but especially for baseball. The league has cracked-down on the use of “sticky stuff”, tacky substances pitchers used to help them grip the ball and throw harder. A star pitcher from the Los Angeles Dodgers is being investigated for sexual assault, reminding fans of the prevalence of assault-related suspensions among’s commissioner, says the league suffered operating losses of $3bn in 2020 because of covid-19.
All these problems—even the covid-related ones—seem manageable compared with the existential threat that is young people’s lack of interest in the sport. A Morning Consult poll from 2020 found that only 32% of Genfans, compared with 50% of all adults. That is the biggest gap among all sports considered. In fact, younger Americans are more interested in e-sports than baseball. The league has taken notice, and is testing ways to shorten games and pump up the action.
But many fans assume a defensive posture when it comes to rule changes or adopting new technology to make the game more entertaining. “Baseball has this extremely conservative culture”, says Jacob Pomrenke, of the Society for American Baseball Research. “The idea that baseball was somehow better in the past is one we should throw by the wayside. The golden era of baseball is now.” That is easier said than done.
Even if fans come round to the idea that the sport needs to adapt to grow, labour troubles threaten to get in the way. The collective-bargaining agreement that governs schedules, salaries and safety precautions is set to expire on December 1st. The relationship between players and owners is already acrimonious, thanks to last year’s bitter negotiations over the shortened season. If the sides cannot agree terms, a strike or a lockout looms.
I am SHOCKED
Football faces irrelevance. Kids today would rather watch other people play Madden.
Can’t read the article because of a paywall. Is this article centered on playing baseball or spending hundreds of dollars to watch the game in person?
more like not-based ball lmao
Boomerball has been slowly dying for years. They call it “Americas PASTime” for a reason
I couldn’t read the article, but does it offer any ideas/suggestions? My kids love baseball, playing it, etc. but their attention span is too short to watch a whole game. The same is true for watching ⚽️ and 🏈 tho. At least ⚾️ is on during the day and not 9pm start times.
wow
People who like baseball like baseball because it’s baseball. It’s not football or basketball. It’s slower paced with no timer. That’s on purpose. Defense possesses the ball, which also makes it different. If people don’t like it, there are other sports to watch.
risks irrelevance if it doesn't adapt. The publications focus on the virtues of the globalist elite makes changing the slant and actually providing useful analysis difficult
It's the republican party of sports.....don't want to change anything because their sport is highlighted in historical sense & straight numbers based.....it's a dead sport in 10-15 years if it doesn't change....'America's past time' just like Dallas is 'America's team' yea sure🙄
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