MLB's Issue in popularity

[Cyder]

Well, also, there's just not an emphasis at the lower levels of "defense above all", which would be the only way you'd get double switches in a DH game. Otherwise, your best hitters are likely already in the game, so there's no point in pulling one.

I was referring more to the NL with double switches. In the AL where the DH is usually a slow guy an extra bench player or 2 for pinch running might make a little difference.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

The game of how it is played is not the reason it has fallen from the top spot to the 4th spot.

^Asperger's

 

[The Q]

A few years back I read an article about the lack of black youth being exposed to the game via little league and the like... so they wanted to foster interest as a lot of players are coming from Latino countries.

Yet, I've seen little movement there and it seems like everyone expects you to have cable/dish or they don't care to market towards you. NASCAR has done some of the same with their splits between NBCSports channel, and Fox or FS1. Some people then are left high & dry midseason from the switch.

I still love Baseball, but I hate ESPN & their broadcasters. That leaves very little options to catch a game unless you watch a pseudo game via CBS Sportsline or other website that gives you the play by play. It's a bit less interesting to 'watch' a game that way.

MLB has the RBI program which is about getting kids to play the game in urban areas. That's a good start.

The problem is with baseball it is expensive.

and there aren't many AAU team who get the funding that the basketball teams do. So you travel alot. Hotels, driving, equipment. It all adds up.

There's less college scholarships available so less people can afford to play college ball (not really MLB's point, that's a Title IX issue, another side effect of that "great" legislation).

And if we're being honest, seeing more people "like you" on a basketball court or NFL field does help steer you that way.

 

[Guy Incognito]

I agree that baseball is a slower paced game, but the average MLB game at 2 hr 56 min is actually shorter than the average 3 hr 5 min NFL game.

Ironically, with as fast paced as an NFL game seems, this WSJ article says that the average NLF game has about 11 minutes of actual play, with the other 2 hr and 54 min being taken up by replays and commercials. It'd be interesting to see a similar study on MLB games - I'm assuming it wouldn't be much different; a small percentage of the 3 hrs taken up by actual on-field action.

In America's Pastime, Baseball Players Pass A Lot of Time

What's the bottom line? When we compare total action to total down time—even including debatable action such as pitches, trots and pickoff throws—total action time is 17:58. The average game time was 2 hours and 58 seconds, so the action portion of a typical game is 10%. That leaves 90% of the game as down time. Individually, the Twins-Tigers game percentage was 9 minutes of action vs. 91 minutes of inaction; the slugfest game percentage was 11 vs. 89 (spendthrifts dig the long ball) and the pitchers' duel was 9 vs. 91

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Think about this, and I understand I am on the baseball forum right now so many here will have better knowledge of the game and teams then most, but do you think your average sports fan can name a star player on each team? Name me the starting lineup for the Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, Cardinals, etc....I don't think many could.

I'm not convinced that you have a point here, but I can tell you that the average sports fan cannot name all the starters from 5+ NFL or NBA games.

And, seriously, I'm not sure the average American sports fan can name a single MLS player from any team.

 

[The Q]

In America's Pastime, Baseball Players Pass A Lot of Time

What's the bottom line? When we compare total action to total down time—even including debatable action such as pitches, trots and pickoff throws—total action time is 17:58. The average game time was 2 hours and 58 seconds, so the action portion of a typical game is 10%. That leaves 90% of the game as down time. Individually, the Twins-Tigers game percentage was 9 minutes of action vs. 91 minutes of inaction; the slugfest game percentage was 11 vs. 89 (spendthrifts dig the long ball) and the pitchers' duel was 9 vs. 91

What's the NFL?

Games there are longer and have less action time. Every pitch is action in MLB. Every snap is action in NFL. So it's probably not even close. MLB has more action.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

baseball has become so regionalized it doesn't market itself nationally. For instance, I live in Oregon. I get the Mariners on my local sports network ROOT SPORTS, but other than that, the only other baseball I get is what is broadcasted on the big network, which is the same 4? big name, big market teams, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, San Fran. Sprinkle in occasional Detroit and National games.

Do you get the MLB Network? They show quite a few games per week and their show, Baseball Tonight, is almost like a MLB-bent Sports Center with live look-ins to high leverage spots in all 15 games. If you don't like baseball, you won't like it, but if you're looking for coverage of more teams that the Mariners, it's out there.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

What's the NFL?

Games there are longer and have less action time. Every pitch is action in MLB. Every snap is action in NFL. So it's probably not even close. MLB has more action.

Ironically, with as fast paced as an NFL game seems, this WSJ article says that the average NLF game has about 11 minutes of actual play, with the other 2 hr and 54 min being taken up by replays and commercials.

 

[Guy Incognito]

I was referring more to the NL with double switches. In the AL where the DH is usually a slow guy an extra bench player or 2 for pinch running might make a little difference.

The DH is taking over. There were kids I played with in high school that hardly ever swung the bat. Unless the DH goes away (fat chance, the union loves the DH as it means higher paying jobs for vets who can't play defense plus owners and chicks dig the long ball), that's an element that is going to continue to be pushed to the side.

I don't like it personally, but the horse is so far out of the barn at this point that it doesn't really matter.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

Baseball deserves everything it gets.

It schedules it's games to squeeze out every last dollar from it's advertising revenue.
Fuck everybody if the game goes to midnight, fuck the kids if they can't stay up that late to watch the playoffs.

Well more & more kids grew up realizing they don't need or care about baseball.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

PLUS who doesn't want to see the Cubs win the world series, maybe besides St. Louis Cardinal fans?

Me. I'd like to see Cubs fans' misery continue at the hand of The Fighting Braves of the Cuyahoga.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

It's not about speeding up the game, it's about marketing young players, teams, across the country for people to get to know, understand, and root for.

I think you've got a great point here.

 

[Cyder]

The DH is taking over. There were kids I played with in high school that hardly ever swung the bat. Unless the DH goes away (fat chance, the union loves the DH as it means higher paying jobs for vets who can't play defense plus owners and chicks dig the long ball), that's an element that is going to continue to be pushed to the side.

I don't like it personally, but the horse is so far out of the barn at this point that it doesn't really matter.

I also think the DH is on the way out but I would prefer they let the two leagues have that difference.

 

[The Q]

The DH is taking over. There were kids I played with in high school that hardly ever swung the bat. Unless the DH goes away (fat chance, the union loves the DH as it means higher paying jobs for vets who can't play defense plus owners and chicks dig the long ball), that's an element that is going to continue to be pushed to the side.

I don't like it personally, but the horse is so far out of the barn at this point that it doesn't really matter.

Every other league on the planet uses a DH except the NL.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Promote players, roster, teams nationally besides the same big 4 market teams. Lets see a Rockies vs Phillies game. Let see a Twins vs Blue Jays game, Indians vs Orioles, etc.

MLB Network's Upcoming Game Schedule



Over the next eight days, you could see 24 of the 30 MLB teams.

 

[Guy Incognito]

I also think the DH is on the way out but I would prefer they let the two leagues have that difference.

The DH is going nowhere.

GMs may be changing their approach to how they fill DH spots, giving preference to younger guys who can play the field so that they can stock their bullpens with more pitchers, but the DH isn't going away.

 

[The Q]

The DH is going nowhere.

GMs may be changing their approach to how they fill DH spots, giving preference to younger guys who can play the field so that they can stock their bullpens with more pitchers, but the DH isn't going away.

Yeah but every team in the leauge would take an Ortiz in that spot if the could get them.

Or a Bautisa or Encarnacion.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

I tune in regularly to Sports Center and shows alike. I can maybe name you 1 player on each team. And that is mostly thanks to highlights.

Either

A) you don't pay much attention to the MLB segments of SportsCenter
B) you have a bad memory
C) you have Asperger's

I'm stuck between A and C. I'm leaning A, but the whole "soccer is more popular that baseball" pulls for C.

 

[Guy Incognito]

Yeah but every team in the leauge would take an Ortiz in that spot if the could get them.

Or a Bautisa or Encarnacion.

Absolutely.

The DH isn't going anywhere, and the NL is almost certainly closer to adopting it than the AL is to removing it.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Not just the marketing, but their choices in broadcasters. Used to be able to see a Saturday game or two on the three main networks, now nothing. If you don't have ESPN or the FoxSports regional cable channels, forget about baseball.

This.