OT: Question for baseball fans

[Cusefan0307]

Baseball has become less popular over the past 15 years or so as the number of runs per game has decreased. A lot of that has to do with Drug Testing and the absence of PED's, but theres something else as well. Either pitchers throw harder, or hitters aren't as good. The number of strike outs in the majors has reached record levels the past couple years. Team batting averages are at the lowest levels since the late 60's, right around the time MLB lowered the mound. There simply isn't Tony Gwynns or Derek Jeters anymore. There's no guy in the majors you can look to and guarantee hes going to hit .315 this year.

A lot of people didn't mind sitting through four hour baseball games when the score was 13-10 in 2000, but now we still have four hour baseball games and the score is 3-2. I know purists love their pitching, and i do as well, but to attract new fans you must have more offense. Maybe the mound needs to be lowered again, maybe fences need to be brought in 10 feet across the majors, maybe they need to make the shift illegal and make it a rule that the shortstop can't play on the right side of second base. Whatever happens, all I know is baseball has done a complete 180 in 15 years. In 2000, not one team in the majors had a team ERA below 4. The Braves led the league with a 4.05 ERA. This year 24 out of 30 teams had a better ERA than that, and 21 had an ERA below 4. Scoring is the problem for baseball, much like it's the problem in Hockey.

The NFL and NBA are the two most popular leagues right now in America, but they to had their problems in the past. The NFL went through a bunch of rule changes in the 90's because of the lack of scoring. That is originally why the kickoff was moved to the 30, how we got the two point conversion, and why they started creating rules to protect the QB and Receivers, not because of Health.
Basketball had the same problem post Jordan, when the Spurs and Pistons were the best teams in the NBA. It wasn't until the NBA limited handchecking that scoring increased.

You can talk about shortening a game, or a season, or the playoffs all you want, but that isn't going to have much of an affect on the growth of your fanbase. Right now the hitting sucks, and pitching and defense are dominating. No casual fan is going to watch a sport where the athletes are incapable of scoring no matter what sport that is.

 

[timkay99]

Killing 8 games can eliminate a lot of the "B" rosters on travel days, minor league / longman spot starts, etc. As a season ticket holder for the Nats I pay the same to see Strasburg or Blake Treinen. When the Yankees were selling seats in the moat and equating it to a Broadway musical (what a bunch of greedy jerks, btw), you're always going to hear the big scores in the Broadway performance.

What kills the game speed is situational pitching from the 5th inning on.

On playoffs unbalanced schedules, esp with interleague, aren't helpful.

While I can understand that, 8 games doesn't much eliminate it. If you truly wanted to eliminate it, it would be eliminating September.

 

[KellySyracuse]

by all means get rid of the inter league play. I was fun the first couple of years, now it's just pointless.

Even as a Yankee fan I also think they should do away with the DH, make the pitcher hit.

The length of the game doesn't bother me, they're normally about 3 hours. The same length as an NFL game.

And I think I'd rather watch a pitcher's duel than an HR fest.

 

[bevosu]

I agree about inter league play. It bothers me when I see an unbalanced schedule...meaning a schedule that favors one of the potential contenders while another team in their division has to play a stronger team.

Theoretical example...Yankees play the Cubs. Red Sox play St Louis.

Very theoretical considering the Yanks and the Sox weren't serious contenders this season.

 

[Pat Kelly]

I agree, I think one of the reasons why football is so incredibly popular in the US (in addition to our lust for violence) is that it always leaves you wanting more. The season is short, and the games are weekly. In between each game it allows you to catch your breath, discuss the last game, and then emotionally build up to the next game.

I just don't understand why the powers-that-be 100+ years ago decided it was a good idea to play every single day.

It was thought of as the common man's sport. You "work" every day just like the average American and you don't have to be in incredible shape to be a great player.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

No casual fan is going to watch a sport where the athletes are incapable of scoring no matter what sport that is.[/QUOTE]

Then why is soccer popular? I'd much rather watch a 1-0 baseball game than a 1-nil soccer match.

 

[Cusefan0307]

The one advantage soccer has, is it never stops. Game is done in less than two hours and theres constant action.

 

[shandeezy7]

The one advantage soccer has, is it never stops. Game is done in less than two hours and theres constant action.

"action"

 

[Upstate]

"action"

And the action in baseball is? the .09 seconds it takes for the pitcher to throw a ball? The ball is in play the least in Baseball than any other sport and it probably isn't even close.

 

[bevosu]

Like I said last year...Baseball is too cerebral for some people to fully appreciate.

 

[Lawrinson14]

Baseball has a ton of issues going on right now:

• Games are too long
• It's no longer the "American" past time. Listen to post-game interviews...most of the players barely speak English.
• There are no Big Boppers ala McGwire, Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr, that you find yourself having to watch when they step up to the plate.
• The game has become a pitchers game. Less runs=less exciting for casual fans.

At this point, the game needs a complete overhaul. I'm all for allowing steroids back into the game. I mean, let's be honest...90s baseball was awesome.

Seriously though:

• Change the game from 9 innings to 7, just like high school. Most starters can only go 5 or 6 anyway. Why draw the game out with sub-par bullpen pitchers?
• No leading on the bases. This means no pick offs or slow, purposeful pitchers going from the stretch. This speeds the game up.
• No mound visits (save for injuries). Manager comes out, pitcher comes out. They have the whole other half of the inning to speak.
• Max of 3 pitching changes per game per team.
• No taking a pitcher out after only facing 1 batter (lefty vs lefty BS)
• No wild card

 

[orangecuse]

The one advantage soccer has, is it never stops. Game is done in less than two hours and theres constant action.

Constant action, now that's funny. You're apparently a huge soccer fan, I don't think you can convince all those casual fans that a typical 1-0 soccer game is packed with action. The most entertaining part of the game is to listen to the announcers have an verbal organism when a goal is scored...

 

[Eric15]

Like I said last year...Baseball is too cerebral for some people to fully appreciate.

I would argue that football is by far the most cerebral sport there is. The complexities of NFL offensive and defensive schemes are so far beyond what casual fans understand.

 

[orangecuse]

I wouldn't put any type of clock, time constraints, etc. on the game. That, in part is what makes the game so unique, as all other major sports have some type of clock. Baseball in such a cat and mouse, strategic game, placing on clock on it would deter from it imo.

I think they could shorten the season some. So many of those early April games are played in frigid temps and crappy weather, not fun as a player nor for the fan. The post season format is good, though as others have mentioned, I'd like to see a best of 3 wildcard game...

 

[shandeezy7]

And the action in baseball is? the .09 seconds it takes for the pitcher to throw a ball? The ball is in play the least in Baseball than any other sport and it probably isn't even close.

Most of the time watching soccer is like watching baseball players throw it around the horn. Yeah, something is going on, but it's not amounting to much. But whatever, one person's definition of "action" is another person's definition of a complete snooze fest. To each their own.

 

[shandeezy7]

And the action in baseball is? the .09 seconds it takes for the pitcher to throw a ball? The ball is in play the least in Baseball than any other sport and it probably isn't even close.

This 2013 WSJ article blasts baseball for having only 18 minutes of actual action in it:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323740804578597932341903720

However, this 2010 WSJ article says that American football only has 11 minutes of action when the ball is in play:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704281204575002852055561406

 

[OburgOrange]

I've hated baseball since the strike in 94. The Expos were loaded and were on their way to a world championship. They would probably still be in Montreal if not for the strike.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

This 2013 WSJ article blasts baseball for having only 18 minutes of actual action in it:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323740804578597932341903720

However, this 2010 WSJ article says that American football only has 11 minutes of action when the ball is in play:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704281204575002852055561406

It's a classic case of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I grew up watching and playing baseball and love all of its intricacies. Football is fun, but I never played and wouldn't watch if not for the Red Zone channel or Syracuse football. The number of commercial breaks in the NFL makes it so hard to watch. I've been glued to the first two WC games and love seeing the atmosphere in Baltimore tonight. (I'm a Sox fan, by the way)

 

[SUFaninNJ]

I've hated baseball since the strike in 94. The Expos were loaded and were on their way to a world championship. They would probably still be in Montreal if not for the strike.

Ironically baseball has gone longer now than any of the other major sports without a work stoppage.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Constant action, now that's funny. You're apparently a huge soccer fan, I don't think you can convince all those casual fans that a typical 1-0 soccer game is packed with action. The most entertaining part of the game is to listen to the announcers have an verbal organism when a goal is scored...

I played soccer and baseball growing up. I liked baseball more, but was better at soccer. Baseball needs help they need to increase scoring and I've been watching baseball since 94. Even my dad who is 73 says he hasn't remembered the hitting this bad since the late 60's.

 

[jekelish]

Leave it exactly how it is, but if you had to change it:

1.) Eliminate Interleague play

This is the biggest one for me. It started out being kind of unique and novel and interesting, but honestly it feels like they play interleague games every other weekend at this point. It kind of ruins things. I like the idea of maybe one weekend per year, and then holding off until the World Series.

 

[jekelish]

I've hated baseball since the strike in 94. The Expos were loaded and were on their way to a world championship. They would probably still be in Montreal if not for the strike.

I remember seeing the plans for the new downtown stadium in Montreal. So irritated that the franchise couldn't stay afloat, but let's be honest, even if we'd won the World Series we would have become the Marlins at best, selling off the best pieces in a firesale every couple years.

I've come to appreciate and love the move to Washington at this point if only because it's a major market and the owners can actually spend some money to make the team a contender.

 

[bevosu]

As a Red Sox fan I'll always have a warm spot in my heart for the Expos for trading Pedro to Boston in 1997.

 

[OburgOrange]

As a Red Sox fan I'll always have a warm spot in my heart for the Expos for trading Pedro to Boston in 1997.

Yup. Like Jekelish said. Selling off parts of a championship team to stay afloat

 

[supp]

For the folks suggesting 7 inning games...boy, what a different playoffs it would be already! Oakland vs. LA in the ALDS, Detroit would have stolen one in Baltimore today.