Baseball in bigger trouble?

[FairwaysToHeaven]

Being a golf site i've seen and heard how many golfers the game has lost in the last years and how the game is in trouble. its not without its issues, but membership is always going to fluctuate with several factors, but I'm wondering, is baseball in bigger trouble.

 

i sit in an office around guys who talk sports all the time. its the day of game 7 of the world series, and guys were talking about upcoming regular season football matchups, fantasy teams , nba opening games, and end of year golf. no one even mentioned or brought up the world series. ratings are at its lowest ever. people are watching couple innings and then headed to bed.

 

can anyone even sit through an entire game while watching on tv anymore. kids aren't allowed to stay up past the 2nd inning because games are on so late. i remember watching world series games growing up. i'm early 30s now and figured i'd catch the highlights on sportscenter the next day rather than watch the whole game.

 

i see baseball having a bigger problem on their hands than golf. curious if others think either is in trouble, or my perception of baseballs decline is off base. are times changing, or has the game changed. i just find it a whole lot less interesting than i used to. is it the teams and matchups, the players, the length of season, the length of time for a game, lack of offense, the seemingly lack of parity and lack of salary cap, .... not sure i know.

[Arizonalefty59]

No way. Baseball is still America's pastime in my book.

[Imp]

Nope. Nothing wrong there in your office.

If your local team isn't in the playoffs/championships, then you're already talking about the current team sport. When your team isn't "in it" then you just move on to what's next. I mean... KC in the series? Of course the Giants won (they've been a formidable team), but they don't have the same kind of history as the Sox/Yankees, etc... So yeah, of course viewership was down on the WS. I didn't watch one pitch of it becuase to me it was a forgone conclusion.

Example: When the Red Sox are losing in July, we say "3 more weeks 'till Pats preseason!"

--kC

[F171615]

Based on the money MLB is making through tv deals, then I'd say baseball is in pretty good shape.
As for viewing the World Series - I need Fox to replace Joe Buck and Harold Reynolds before I watch on tv.

[golfortennis]

You do realize that baseball is right on the NFL's heels in total revenue, right? Baseball is very much a regional sport, as imp mentioned. I've tended not to watch too many World series the last few years for reasons listed(start times, and length of games) when the Tigers weren't involved. But it's always an easy soundbite to go on about low ratings, when basically *everything* rates lower now because of all the choices. "Lack of parity" is a tired line that doesn't stand up to scrutiny. The freakin' Royals were in the World Series for pete's sake. Only a handful of teams have not made the playoffs since 2010.

Last night was actually a great game. Those that missed it missed a classic. But baseball is not in trouble.

[Duffner's Waggle]

As someone who played baseball my whole life up through a college career, a year coaching at the college level and then 4 years as a high school head coach......I watched only a handful of games this year before the post season.

My life has changed, granted, so that has a lot to do with it. My nights are spent feeding, cleaning and putting a 1 year old to bed, and when I'm done with that I don't have time to sit down and watch a game that will either keep me up til midnight or put me to sleep from the slow pace. I personally know a small handful of big leaguers and I used to watch all of their games religiously, but even that has gone away.

Bottom line: The TV product sucks. Its slower than slow. 162 games means nothing in June, July and August, and the games seem to have about as much urgency. There are few great superstars anymore. Say what you will about the steroid era...I loved it. Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro, etc. Those guys were larger than life, literally and the games were a ton of fun. Nowadays, everybody has 5 or 6 guys in the pen, 3 left and 3 right, all of which throw ched and have filthy breaking stuff.....the game is a glorified bullpen session if someone has the lead after the 5th or 6th inning.

I don't know what the solution is to be honest. 5 years ago if you'd have told me I was this disinterested in baseball, I'd have laughed in your face, but its true. I'd rather watch golf, football, The Blacklist, Parenthood, etc.

I said it this way the other day.....in baseball there might be one great catch or great hit all night long. If you miss it, you miss it and sit bored through the other 4 hours. In golf or football, you don't have to be as locked in. You might miss something, but there's more of the same coming right around the corner. Golf probably isn't a great example, as my desire to improve fashions my love for watching on TV, but its definitely true of football. Its just a more exciting product night in and night out. 12 games means every game counts. Kids put their heart and soul into every Saturday.....the same isnt said, and realistically shouldn't be said about 162 game regular season when you can win your division with a worse record than the 3rd place team in another division.

EDIT: That being said, I think baseball started off with a MUCH larger fan base to begin with, so the dropoff isn't as significant as golf losing people by the droves as is being reported.

[avrag]

[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414695925' post='10374871']
Its slower than slow.
[/quote]

Which is a good thing. We need more things in our world which don't cater to a 12 minute attention span.

[FairwaysToHeaven]

[quote name='Imp' timestamp='1414693668' post='10374679']
Nope. Nothing wrong there in your office.

If your local team isn't in the playoffs/championships, then you're already talking about the current team sport. When your team isn't "in it" then you just move on to what's next. I mean... KC in the series? Of course the Giants won (they've been a formidable team), but they don't have the same kind of history as the Sox/Yankees, etc... So yeah, of course viewership was down on the WS. I didn't watch one pitch of it becuase to me it was a forgone conclusion.

Example: When the Red Sox are losing in July, we say "3 more weeks 'till Pats preseason!"

--kC
[/quote]

giants win was foregone conclusion? they won by 1 run in game 7.

i'll bet any money that if we had bengals vs cardinals in the superbowl that i'd hear a lot more chatter about the upcoming game.

i realize its not all about ratings, and i realize that revenues may not be hurting (for now). i'm talking more about peoples passion for the game and the overall interest in the game. just seems that more people aren't really invested in watching like they used to. maybe its just who i hang around with, but baseball seems like an afterthought when it comes to talking sports.

[thug the bunny]

I sure wish football were on the decline.

But, even when I was young I could never sit through a whole game if the Yankees weren't playing. I watched about 4 innings of game 6 and that was it for me...

[poizster]

I like the suggestion someone made on ESPN awhile back. Don't let hitters adjust or take off their batting gloves during an at bat. Might save 1 hour right there. Either that or don't let them step out of the batters box.

[avrag]

[quote name='poizster' timestamp='1414697324' post='10374999']
I like the suggestion someone made on ESPN awhile back. Don't let hitters adjust or take off their batting gloves during an at bat. Might save 1 hour right there. Either that or don't let them step out of the batters box.
[/quote]

Yeah, I think that as well. I would allow them to do it once per plate appearance, but that is enough.

[Chief Illiniwek]

[quote name='poizster' timestamp='1414697324' post='10374999']
I like the suggestion someone made on ESPN awhile back. Don't let hitters adjust or take off their batting gloves during an at bat. Might save 1 hour right there. Either that or don't let them step out of the batters box.
[/quote]

Trying to recount a story I believe was told by an StL sports reporter. Basically he was watching a meaningless regular season game, and Shumaker (sp?) was up to bat. The at bat took an extended period of time, like five minutes, with Shumaker stepping out of the box every pitch to readjust both batting gloves and basically taking forever. In stark contrast, he flipped over to an old Brewers/Cards World Series game and Moliter was up. Thirteen pitches later and Moliter hadn't stepped out of the box ONCE.

I used to love baseball as a kid and young adult. I bet I watched every pitch of 100+ Cardinals games/year. I don't know how I did it. Many of the games go over 3.5 hours. I don't know how I did it. I can't even watch baseball anymore. Didn't watch a single pitch of the WS this year.

[Duffner's Waggle]

[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1414696879' post='10374961']
[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414695925' post='10374871']
Its slower than slow.
[/quote]

Which is a good thing. We need more things in our world which don't cater to a 12 minute attention span.
[/quote]

No it isn't a good thing. Maybe for your frustration with the ADHD world we live in, but if we're talking about bringing people to the game, it is certainly not a good thing.

[gambit]

I watched and listened to so much baseball as a kid. As an adult it's harder with work, family, kids, other priorities. The nice thing about 162 games is you don't have to watch all of them. I agree that the game needs to speed up. A game used to last around 3 hours, now it's pushing 4. Start times are dumb. Why can't a Saturday World Series game start at 4pm EST so everyone can tune in? I will say this though. IMO, baseball playoffs are the best. Every pitch matters, every hit, every run. The great plays in baseball still make me feel like a kid. That double play last night was incredible.

[avrag]

[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414698956' post='10375143']
[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1414696879' post='10374961']
[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414695925' post='10374871']
Its slower than slow.
[/quote]

Which is a good thing. We need more things in our world which don't cater to a 12 minute attention span.
[/quote]

No it isn't a good thing. Maybe for your frustration with the ADHD world we live in, but if we're talking about bringing people to the game, it is certainly not a good thing.
[/quote]

Things like games, movies, music are the way they are. Changing them by dumbing them down does not make the world better.
It is the same with the suggestions of bigger cups or six-hole courses in golf.
Why does everything need to be changed to accomodate the dumb nowadays?
And I don't think we need it to bring people to the game. If you look at the Royals and the Giants, it is pretty clear that if you have teams who play well, they will get sell-out crowds.
Also, I live in Europe, and whenever there are reports about baseball (which is basically just during the WS), you will always get comments like "most boring game in the world" in sports forums, usually made by people who don't know anything about it. This might be why I get so mad when I hear suggestions about changing it.
Besides, what should be done?
Maximum dimensions for ball parks to have more home runs? No, more runs make the games even longer.
Outs on two strikes? No, it means fewer runs, which again makes the game more "boring" for most people.
Five inning games? No, as it would put hundreds, if not thousands of players out of work, which can't be helping the game one bit.

You can make the game a little bit faster moving by not allowing the batters to step out and not allowing the pitchers to circle the mound or leave it completely in between pitches. I am for that. But real rule changes? NO.

[PZero]

The sports talk shows and networks don't give baseball any time anymore.

ESPN has made a conscious decision to push NFL, SEC football, Soccer, and NBA. Yet they preach about how they have fair and balanced coverage.

[bscinstnct]

[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414695925' post='10374871']
As someone who played baseball my whole life up through a college career, a year coaching at the college level and then 4 years as a high school head coach......I watched only a handful of games this year before the post season.

My life has changed, granted, so that has a lot to do with it. My nights are spent feeding, cleaning and putting a 1 year old to bed, and when I'm done with that I don't have time to sit down and watch a game that will either keep me up til midnight or put me to sleep from the slow pace. I personally know a small handful of big leaguers and I used to watch all of their games religiously, but even that has gone away.

Bottom line: The TV product sucks. Its slower than slow. 162 games means nothing in June, July and August, and the games seem to have about as much urgency. There are few great superstars anymore. Say what you will about the steroid era...I loved it. Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro, etc. Those guys were larger than life, literally and the games were a ton of fun. Nowadays, everybody has 5 or 6 guys in the pen, 3 left and 3 right, all of which throw ched and have filthy breaking stuff.....the game is a glorified bullpen session if someone has the lead after the 5th or 6th inning.

I don't know what the solution is to be honest. 5 years ago if you'd have told me I was this disinterested in baseball, I'd have laughed in your face, but its true. I'd rather watch golf, football, The Blacklist, Parenthood, etc.

I said it this way the other day.....in baseball there might be one great catch or great hit all night long. If you miss it, you miss it and sit bored through the other 4 hours. In golf or football, you don't have to be as locked in. You might miss something, but there's more of the same coming right around the corner. Golf probably isn't a great example, as my desire to improve fashions my love for watching on TV, but its definitely true of football. Its just a more exciting product night in and night out. 12 games means every game counts. Kids put their heart and soul into every Saturday.....the same isnt said, and realistically shouldn't be said about 162 game regular season when you can win your division with a worse record than the 3rd place team in another division.

EDIT: That being said, I think baseball started off with a MUCH larger fan base to begin with, so the dropoff isn't as significant as golf losing people by the droves as is being reported.
[/quote]

I played a ton of baseball and watched just as much into college.

Now, I barely watch it as well but

Do you think the game has changed or we have?

[Duffner's Waggle]

[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1414699779' post='10375211']
[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414698956' post='10375143']
[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1414696879' post='10374961']
[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414695925' post='10374871']
Its slower than slow.
[/quote]

Which is a good thing. We need more things in our world which don't cater to a 12 minute attention span.
[/quote]

No it isn't a good thing. Maybe for your frustration with the ADHD world we live in, but if we're talking about bringing people to the game, it is certainly not a good thing.
[/quote]

Things like games, movies, music are the way they are. Changing them by dumbing them down does not make the world better.
It is the same with the suggestions of bigger cups or six-hole courses in golf.
Why does everything need to be changed to accomodate the dumb nowadays?
And I don't think we need it to bring people to the game. If you look at the Royals and the Giants, it is pretty clear that if you have teams who play well, they will get sell-out crowds.
Also, I live in Europe, and whenever there are reports about baseball (which is basically just during the WS), you will always get comments like "most boring game in the world" in sports forums, usually made by people who don't know anything about it. This might be why I get so mad when I hear suggestions about changing it.
Besides, what should be done?
Maximum dimensions for ball parks to have more home runs? No, more runs make the games even longer.
Outs on two strikes? No, it means fewer runs, which again makes the game more "boring" for most people.
Five inning games? No, as it would put hundreds, if not thousands of players out of work, which can't be helping the game one bit.

You can make the game a little bit faster moving by not allowing the batters to step out and not allowing the pitchers to circle the mound or leave it completely in between pitches. I am for that. But real rule changes? NO.
[/quote]

Giants/Royals sell outs? Of Course...its the world series. They're always sold out. The number of sell outs during the regular season is far fewer, I assure you. And I'm talking actual butts in the seats, not corporate season tix or boxes.

I don't understand your comment about 'dumbing it down' How is making the game faster, making it 'dumber?' That makes no sense at all.

Say what you will about how you like the tradition, but the numbers don't bear that out. Fewer kids are playing baseball, fewer fans are attending baseball games, fewer fans are watching games on television.

You say more runs = longer games, but at least they'd be entertaining to more fans. I know the game inside and out, and it sounds like you do too, so we can appreciate the intricacies of the game, but for the casual fan they don't know or care about that stuff.

This wasn't a thread about whether or not the rules of the game are in trouble, but rather the public appeal of the game of baseball and there is absolutely no denying that it doesn't appeal to a large majority anymore. Whether you like that or not, is another discussion entirely.

[Duffner's Waggle]

[quote name='bscinstnct' timestamp='1414700359' post='10375261']
[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414695925' post='10374871']
As someone who played baseball my whole life up through a college career, a year coaching at the college level and then 4 years as a high school head coach......I watched only a handful of games this year before the post season.

My life has changed, granted, so that has a lot to do with it. My nights are spent feeding, cleaning and putting a 1 year old to bed, and when I'm done with that I don't have time to sit down and watch a game that will either keep me up til midnight or put me to sleep from the slow pace. I personally know a small handful of big leaguers and I used to watch all of their games religiously, but even that has gone away.

Bottom line: The TV product sucks. Its slower than slow. 162 games means nothing in June, July and August, and the games seem to have about as much urgency. There are few great superstars anymore. Say what you will about the steroid era...I loved it. Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro, etc. Those guys were larger than life, literally and the games were a ton of fun. Nowadays, everybody has 5 or 6 guys in the pen, 3 left and 3 right, all of which throw ched and have filthy breaking stuff.....the game is a glorified bullpen session if someone has the lead after the 5th or 6th inning.

I don't know what the solution is to be honest. 5 years ago if you'd have told me I was this disinterested in baseball, I'd have laughed in your face, but its true. I'd rather watch golf, football, The Blacklist, Parenthood, etc.

I said it this way the other day.....in baseball there might be one great catch or great hit all night long. If you miss it, you miss it and sit bored through the other 4 hours. In golf or football, you don't have to be as locked in. You might miss something, but there's more of the same coming right around the corner. Golf probably isn't a great example, as my desire to improve fashions my love for watching on TV, but its definitely true of football. Its just a more exciting product night in and night out. 12 games means every game counts. Kids put their heart and soul into every Saturday.....the same isnt said, and realistically shouldn't be said about 162 game regular season when you can win your division with a worse record than the 3rd place team in another division.

EDIT: That being said, I think baseball started off with a MUCH larger fan base to begin with, so the dropoff isn't as significant as golf losing people by the droves as is being reported.
[/quote]

I played a ton of baseball and watched just as much into college.

Now, I barely watch it as well but

Do you think the game has changed or we have?
[/quote]

Probably both. Football used to be a weekend thing, now its a Thursday night thing, all-day Saturday thing, all-day Sunday thing, Monday night thing (sometimes twice). There are so many other things competing, and I come back to it again.....the television product of a major league game is no good. I don't have the answers to fix it, but I definitely know that as a 31 yr old its getting too slow and boring...you can only imagine what its like to the snapchat generation. If they're the future of fans of the game, and they are, then to answer the OP's question, YES the game is in trouble.

[Duffner's Waggle]

[quote name='PZero' timestamp='1414699948' post='10375223']
The sports talk shows and networks don't give baseball any time anymore.

ESPN has made a conscious decision to push NFL, SEC football, Soccer, and NBA. Yet they preach about how they have fair and balanced coverage.
[/quote]

Do you ever listen to Colin Cowherd?

He is abrasive and can certainly be a bit of a shock-jock, but he's honest and I think pretty intelligent and he lays it out there....he says all the time 'We talk about and showcase what you all (our viewers/listeners) want'

In other words....they see the ratings...they see the trends on twitter, the discussions on facebook, the comments and visits on ESPN.com. If they're not talking about baseball on SportsCenter or ESPN Radio, its because viewers/listeners aren't interested.

[Duffner's Waggle]

BTW, if ESPN has made a conscious decision to push soccer, they're doing a horrific job. I haven't gotten that message at all.

Now NFL, NCAA, SEC, yea definitely.

[bscinstnct]

As someone who played baseball my whole life up through a college career, a year coaching at the college level and then 4 years as a high school head coach......I watched only a handful of games this year before the post season.

 

My life has changed, granted, so that has a lot to do with it. My nights are spent feeding, cleaning and putting a 1 year old to bed, and when I'm done with that I don't have time to sit down and watch a game that will either keep me up til midnight or put me to sleep from the slow pace. I personally know a small handful of big leaguers and I used to watch all of their games religiously, but even that has gone away.

 

Bottom line: The TV product sucks. Its slower than slow. 162 games means nothing in June, July and August, and the games seem to have about as much urgency. There are few great superstars anymore. Say what you will about the steroid era...I loved it. Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro, etc. Those guys were larger than life, literally and the games were a ton of fun. Nowadays, everybody has 5 or 6 guys in the pen, 3 left and 3 right, all of which throw ched and have filthy breaking stuff.....the game is a glorified bullpen session if someone has the lead after the 5th or 6th inning.

 

I don't know what the solution is to be honest. 5 years ago if you'd have told me I was this disinterested in baseball, I'd have laughed in your face, but its true. I'd rather watch golf, football, The Blacklist, Parenthood, etc.

 

I said it this way the other day.....in baseball there might be one great catch or great hit all night long. If you miss it, you miss it and sit bored through the other 4 hours. In golf or football, you don't have to be as locked in. You might miss something, but there's more of the same coming right around the corner. Golf probably isn't a great example, as my desire to improve fashions my love for watching on TV, but its definitely true of football. Its just a more exciting product night in and night out. 12 games means every game counts. Kids put their heart and soul into every Saturday.....the same isnt said, and realistically shouldn't be said about 162 game regular season when you can win your division with a worse record than the 3rd place team in another division.

 

EDIT: That being said, I think baseball started off with a MUCH larger fan base to begin with, so the dropoff isn't as significant as golf losing people by the droves as is being reported.

 

I played a ton of baseball and watched just as much into college.

 

Now, I barely watch it as well but

 

Do you think the game has changed or we have?

 

Probably both. Football used to be a weekend thing, now its a Thursday night thing, all-day Saturday thing, all-day Sunday thing, Monday night thing (sometimes twice). There are so many other things competing, and I come back to it again.....the television product of a major league game is no good. I don't have the answers to fix it, but I definitely know that as a 31 yr old its getting too slow and boring...you can only imagine what its like to the snapchat generation. If they're the future of fans of the game, and they are, then to answer the OP's question, YES the game is in trouble.

 

You actually got me thinking re: is it me or the game that has changed?

 

There always were a ton of games but I used to watch all of them and loved the pace of the game, the leisurely combined with explosive action. I guess I associated with the action because I played so much.

 

Now, I get bored with it easily but every once in a while on a lazy weekend day, fresh cut grass smell in the air! It's cool to just sit back and watch a whole game. Even if it is meaningless...and harken back....to roaming center field....dip!....cheating instinctively with the pitch...the purest feeling of just ripping the cover off the ball!

 

BAseball!

 

[RJRJRJ]

Its already turned into a pitcher biased game, and speeding up the batters alone would make it even worse. Speeding up pitchers and batters would probably create more action, while saving a good hour of game time.

[PZero]

[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414700782' post='10375281']
[quote name='PZero' timestamp='1414699948' post='10375223']
The sports talk shows and networks don't give baseball any time anymore.

ESPN has made a conscious decision to push NFL, SEC football, Soccer, and NBA. Yet they preach about how they have fair and balanced coverage.
[/quote]

Do you ever listen to Colin Cowherd?

He is abrasive and can certainly be a bit of a shock-jock, but he's honest and I think pretty intelligent and he lays it out there....he says all the time 'We talk about and showcase what you all (our viewers/listeners) want'

In other words....they see the ratings...they see the trends on twitter, the discussions on facebook, the comments and visits on ESPN.com. If they're not talking about baseball on SportsCenter or ESPN Radio, its because viewers/listeners aren't interested.
[/quote]

Cowerd is 1 of 2 people at ESPN (SVP is the other) I actually respect and think have well thought out arguments.

[avrag]

[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414700535' post='10375267']
[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1414699779' post='10375211']
[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414698956' post='10375143']
[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1414696879' post='10374961']
[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414695925' post='10374871']
Its slower than slow.
[/quote]

Which is a good thing. We need more things in our world which don't cater to a 12 minute attention span.
[/quote]

No it isn't a good thing. Maybe for your frustration with the ADHD world we live in, but if we're talking about bringing people to the game, it is certainly not a good thing.
[/quote]

Things like games, movies, music are the way they are. Changing them by dumbing them down does not make the world better.
It is the same with the suggestions of bigger cups or six-hole courses in golf.
Why does everything need to be changed to accomodate the dumb nowadays?
And I don't think we need it to bring people to the game. If you look at the Royals and the Giants, it is pretty clear that if you have teams who play well, they will get sell-out crowds.
Also, I live in Europe, and whenever there are reports about baseball (which is basically just during the WS), you will always get comments like "most boring game in the world" in sports forums, usually made by people who don't know anything about it. This might be why I get so mad when I hear suggestions about changing it.
Besides, what should be done?
Maximum dimensions for ball parks to have more home runs? No, more runs make the games even longer.
Outs on two strikes? No, it means fewer runs, which again makes the game more "boring" for most people.
Five inning games? No, as it would put hundreds, if not thousands of players out of work, which can't be helping the game one bit.

You can make the game a little bit faster moving by not allowing the batters to step out and not allowing the pitchers to circle the mound or leave it completely in between pitches. I am for that. But real rule changes? NO.
[/quote]

Giants/Royals sell outs? Of Course...its the world series. They're always sold out. The number of sell outs during the regular season is far fewer, I assure you. And I'm talking actual butts in the seats, not corporate season tix or boxes.

I don't understand your comment about 'dumbing it down' How is making the game faster, making it 'dumber?' That makes no sense at all.

Say what you will about how you like the tradition, but the numbers don't bear that out. Fewer kids are playing baseball, fewer fans are attending baseball games, fewer fans are watching games on television.

You say more runs = longer games, but at least they'd be entertaining to more fans. I know the game inside and out, and it sounds like you do too, so we can appreciate the intricacies of the game, but for the casual fan they don't know or care about that stuff.

This wasn't a thread about whether or not the rules of the game are in trouble, but rather the public appeal of the game of baseball and there is absolutely no denying that it doesn't appeal to a large majority anymore. Whether you like that or not, is another discussion entirely.
[/quote]

First of all, let me say that I appreciate it that you took no offence to what I wrote. When rereading it, I felt like one could also have assumed that I was calling you dumb, which was not my intention, so I apologise for that.
I meant that the Giants were not only sold out for the WS, so their product seems to be fine as it is.
If anything, NFL football like we know it today won't survive. They can tweak the rules however they want, the game was not meant to be played by 300lbs guy who can run 40 yards in 4 seconds. The long-term health effects will, sooner or later lead to a basic change of the game, which will make it probably less interesting for many people.
I have to believe you, when you say that fewer and fewer kids in the US play baseball, but is it not true that fewer and fewer kids get into sports in general? I know that this is true for our brand of football in my country. When I was young, we used to play it everywhere, on parking lots, on former dumps, as long as they had some reasonably flat areas, on playing grounds, using the benches that were meant for the mothers to sit on as our goals.
This has stopped completely. Now it is a game played in academies, youth camps and in the youth teams of professional clubs, but hardly anywhere else. There are two reasons for this. One is the fact that many kids today don't want to take part in any sport at all. The other is that there are too many new ones to choose from for those who are still interested (one of them being baseball around here, BTW).
TV audiences for baseball might well be dwindling in the US, I can imagine that, but on the other hand, they are on the rise in many other parts of the world. Don't underestimate that there is an ever growing market for MLB in Latin America, as people there get wealthier, so more can watch the games on TV, more can buy all the merchandising stuff, and with them having their own heroes, more and more kids start to play the game there.
With friends of mine, whoi were not interested in the game to begin with, but got interested over time, I have made the following experience:
For it to be exciting on TV, a lot of it has to do with the commentary. Now, I can well imagine that Joe Buck is able to kill any interest in it, so what can be done is only having TV announcers who really love the game and who really know it. I have stated before that Thorne and Sutcliffe, whom we get over here (thank God), fall into that category. Those people have the ability to make it exciting by making the correct points and asking the right questions during the coverage.
And yeah, make it move faster by cutting down the time in between pitches (similar to golf) also by cutting down the time in between innings maybe (ouch, less time for commercials).
I would also love to have base coaches, umpires and players miked up. Now that would make it really interesting, except for the paranoia US networks have with "foul language", so those people would have to behave differently from what they do now, which would make it more boring again.
But I think that baseball also has a tendency to come and go in one's life. I know many people both from Europe and the US who were completely crazy about it at a young age, then lost it somehow when they got to your age and then found it again, when their kids were old enough to share it with them.

[PZero]

[quote name='Duffner's Waggle' timestamp='1414700836' post='10375287']
BTW, if ESPN has made a conscious decision to push soccer, they're doing a horrific job. I haven't gotten that message at all.
[/quote]

They made the push for the World Cup and really pulled people in to it. For at least 5 years they've been including routine soccer goals into the SC Top 10 just to keep it on viewers minds.

They want soccer because it's huge overseas and they can smell the money already.

[bubbagump]

[quote name='PZero' timestamp='1414699948' post='10375223']
The sports talk shows and networks don't give baseball any time anymore.

ESPN has made a conscious decision to push NFL, SEC football, Soccer, and NBA. Yet they preach about how they have fair and balanced coverage.
[/quote]

Baseball tonight is on pretty much every night. ESPN also carries the home run derby and other festivities. During the season, a game is on most every night. I would really disagree that he coverage is declining..

[Imp]

[quote name='HoosierMizuno' timestamp='1414696971' post='10374973']
[quote name='Imp' timestamp='1414693668' post='10374679']
Nope. Nothing wrong there in your office.

If your local team isn't in the playoffs/championships, then you're already talking about the current team sport. When your team isn't "in it" then you just move on to what's next. I mean... KC in the series? Of course the Giants won (they've been a formidable team), but they don't have the same kind of history as the Sox/Yankees, etc... So yeah, of course viewership was down on the WS. I didn't watch one pitch of it becuase to me it was a forgone conclusion.

Example: When the Red Sox are losing in July, we say "3 more weeks 'till Pats preseason!"

--kC
[/quote]

giants win was foregone conclusion? they won by 1 run in game 7.

i'll bet any money that if we had bengals vs cardinals in the superbowl that i'd hear a lot more chatter about the upcoming game.
[/quote]When you play 90+ games, vs 18, 19, 20... yeah, there will always be more chatter about football.

--kC

[RSinSG]

I used to love to go to watch Dodger games, and I could actually watch some (parts) of them on TV if Vin Scully was calling the game. Lately I cannot watch a any baseball game on TV. Way to slow. The game lasts almost 3 hours and it seems like the players are standing around doing nothing for 2hrs 45 mins.

I do admit to being a FBS and NFL junkie. I can waste a whole weekend watching football. I do agree with avrag though. The game is getting way less fun to watch with all the flags. Preseason this year was brutal to watch.

[PZero]

[quote name='bubbagump' timestamp='1414703328' post='10375453']
ESPN also carries the home run derby and other festivities.
[/quote]

They have Mike Greenberg as the in stadium announcer and Chris Berman on TV for it. What a treat!