If I owned a Baseball team...

[wantonebad]

That wasn't the Yankess or another large market team, I'd sell it, soon!!

Don't get me wrong I love the sport and live and die with my RedSox but it's a dying sport. Kids don't play it, they don't watch it and even if they like certain players or teams, they'd rather watch ANYTHING other than Baseball.

Am I wrong, will it survive or thrive? I don't see it, I think MMA and Ultimate Frisbee will take over

[mfserge]

You're just bummed that YOUUUUUUK is gone and the RedSox are a mess. Baseball is more popular now than ever before. The sport is in great hands with a lot of young stars and youth leagues are still jammed packed with kids playing the sport. Saying that the sport is dying is pretty ridiclious I think. Sure other sports are gaining popularity like MMA and Nascar, and the NFL is even more popular because its made for TV viewing, but baseball is thriving and will continue to do so.

[wantonebad]

Originally Posted by mfserge

You're just bummed that YOUUUUUUK is gone and the RedSox are a mess. Baseball is more popular now than ever before. The sport is in great hands with a lot of young stars and youth leagues are still jammed packed with kids playing the sport.

Young stars are great, that's what is needed!!

If I were bummed about the sox and their "state" then all of my life would have been a downer save 4 or 5 years. They are always a mess, even when they win.

[Al1988]

Speaking as someone who doesn't live in the US, my exposure to US sports is limited to what I hear about in the news and from others I speak to. Based on that, I cannot remember the last time I heard about Baseball whereas I hear random facts or info about the NBA and the NFL very regularly.

So I don't know if my opinion is of any value but at least to someone who lives in the UK, baseball certainly does not have the same international reach as some other major US sports. Just my 2 cents!

[East Bay Rider]

Baseball is alive and well. The kids who play well and enjoy the game usually play more than one league and play/practice from April through October.
At least where I'm from. They may play more down south where it's warmer longer.

[AzPaul]

This season, nearly 20 MLB teams are selling more than 30,000 tickets a night, with 6 of those up around 40,000. When you figure in that there's 81 home dates per team, no sport anywhere comes to close to MLB for overall attendance. Last season alone they sold more than 73 million seats.

The sport is going through an adjustment period as far as their national television ratings are concerned but on the local level, except for in a handful of cities, MLB is still doing very, very well. It's certainly a long way from being on life support.

[Cru Jones]

???

Attendance figures are solid. 162 games a year. Huge local TV contracts. New stadiums left and right. Labor peace. The game is thriving.

[gmh1013]

I dont see that in Phoenix at all.....lots of L.L. all over the valley

[Lmbeauleap]

I agree! I used to love playing baseball. I'd get all excited for practice even. I just don't see the excitement anymore.

Football has the market cornered.

[daveathall]

Originally Posted by Al1988

Speaking as someone who doesn't live in the US, my exposure to US sports is limited to what I hear about in the news and from others I speak to. Based on that, I cannot remember the last time I heard about Baseball whereas I hear random facts or info about the NBA and the NFL very regularly.

So I don't know if my opinion is of any value but at least to someone who lives in the UK, baseball certainly does not have the same international reach as some other major US sports. Just my 2 cents!

I think that, that is a fair reflection of the viewing possibilities over here. I have watched and enjoyed American football (One of the NFL fixtures is held each season at Wembley stadium at London) Basketball and Nascar. I would also like to watch some baseball games, but the nearest I got was when a taxi (cab) driver showed me the outside of the San Francisco baseball stadium while there, it does seem strange that it hardly, if ever gets a mention over here. Shame, I am convinced that I would enjoy it as much as I enjoy other North American sports.

[Lmbeauleap]

At least it's not soccer where there was rumor of a scoring play 2 years ago. It was just in practice but still....

[Wolfgang427]

Originally Posted by wantonebad

That wasn't the Yankess or another large market team, I'd sell it, soon!!

Don't get me wrong I love the sport and live and die with my RedSox but it's a dying sport. Kids don't play it, they don't watch it and even if they like certain players or teams, they'd rather watch ANYTHING other than Baseball.

Am I wrong, will it survive or thrive? I don't see it, I think MMA and Ultimate Frisbee will take over

Speaking as a volunteer Coach for one my towns Little League teams you couldn't be more wrong. There's a total of 6 major league teams, 7 minor league teams, 4 junior league teams and 2 tee ball teams just in my towns LL program. I call that a pretty good turnout of young players from 6 to 12 years old.

[Boothroyd]

Football faces its own problems with potential head injury litigation changing the landscape of the game.

I regularly go to Twins MLB games, and things seem fine. But more and more young talent is coming from Latin America these days, that trend is well documented. Basketball has made a dent, as has all that time US kids spend on soccer field.

Attendance comments are spot on, however. The game has never been stronger financially.

[MoBe]

If Baseball is dead ,or on life support,then I wonder where they get the money to pay the ridiculous player salaries.

[NYC6]

Originally Posted by Al1988

Speaking as someone who doesn't live in the US, my exposure to US sports is limited to what I hear about in the news and from others I speak to. Based on that, I cannot remember the last time I heard about Baseball whereas I hear random facts or info about the NBA and the NFL very regularly.

So I don't know if my opinion is of any value but at least to someone who lives in the UK, baseball certainly does not have the same international reach as some other major US sports. Just my 2 cents!

I believe you're correct as far as Europe is concerned but baseball is pretty big in the Americas. Canada has a MLB team(Toronto), USA of course, baseball is big in South American countries as well as Cuba and Panama and dont forget Japan and Taiwan wheres its huge. Baseball is alive and well and will be for a long, long time.

Go Yankees!

[MoBe]

The Players Strike of `94-`95 certainly didn`t help the long term prospects of the sport,I know that I lost interest and so did thousands of others according to league statistics.

[wantonebad]

You guys bring up good points about attendance and popularity, but I see the stands for Pirates, Marlins and even Tampa Bay games. Tampa Bay has a solid team too and people aren't going in those cities. Like I said kids aren't playing the way they used to. I guess though, you have a point Bill, talented kids get weeded out sooner these days and they play all the time. So gone are the "sandlot" kids, and enter the specialist kids who are targeted at an earlier age.

Wolfgang, are the kids driven by baseball itself or is it any sport that motivates them? True passion for BB, that's what I'm questioning.

[McLovin]

I've never seen baseball stronger in my area. The Orioles and the Nationals are both fielding good teams this year.

[Boothroyd]

Marc, yes it pretty bad in Oakland, TB, Pittsburgh. First two have horrible stadiums, the last has one of the best with a horrible team. The one that surprises me this year, however is Cleveland. They are contending, but drawing 18K a game. Remember when "The Jake" was having sell outs like the Phillies now are?

By the way, here's a link where you can compare recent season's attendance: http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance

[Wolfgang427]

Originally Posted by wantonebad

You guys bring up good points about attendance and popularity, but I see the stands for Pirates, Marlins and even Tampa Bay games. Tampa Bay has a solid team too and people aren't going in those cities. Like I said kids aren't playing the way they used to. I guess though, you have a point Bill, talented kids get weeded out sooner these days and they play all the time. So gone are the "sandlot" kids, and enter the specialist kids who are targeted at an earlier age.

Wolfgang, are the kids driven by baseball itself or is it any sport that motivates them? True passion for BB, that's what I'm questioning.

Tough to say really. I'll be guessing by using my teams stats. Out of 13 kids, 8 play 2 sports(football, basketball, soccor, hockey) or more. I run one of the minor league teams which is 8-9-10 year olds but could also have 11 year olds. This year I have 3 players which never played BB before and they all said they are coming back next year. Problem is I'm only allowed to keep 6 players every year from the last year played all others either are drafted up to the majors or go into a draft pool and could go to other teams or back to mine depending on the draft outcome. I would say that out of the 13 probably 8 are die hard BB players with 3 being on the fence and 2 just because its something to do.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by wantonebad

Pirates, Marlins and even Tampa Bay games.

i hear you on those teams, but, i don't think you can condemn the whole sport based on them. the pirates haven't had a winning season in twenty years (but, luckily for the fans, the park is beautiful), the marlins have a tough history to fight of past owners holding massive fire sales after each championship run thereby gutting fan support, and i don't think anyone ever thought tampa bay was a good market (and the stadium is an abonimation).

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by daveathall

I would also like to watch some baseball games, but the nearest I got was when a taxi (cab) driver showed me the outside of the San Francisco baseball stadium while there, it does seem strange that it hardly, if ever gets a mention over here.

I find it interesting that Chuck Taylor's and perhaps other athletic shoes are called "baseball boots" in the UK.

I guess that kind of confirms that the sport doesn't get much play over there.

[wantonebad]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

i hear you on those teams, but, i don't think you can condemn the whole sport based on them. the pirates haven't had a winning season in twenty years (but, luckily for the fans, the park is beautiful), the marlins have a tough history to fight of past owners holding massive fire sales after each championship run thereby gutting fan support, and i don't think anyone ever thought tampa bay was a good market (and the stadium is an abonimation).

Right but you also have teams like the Angels and Padres that don't sell out games, someone else mentioned Cleavland. I think there is a generational divide, and I think the boomer's and in some cases the children of boomer's represent the last BB crazy generation. I hope I'm wrong and you guys have given me things to think about, so we shall see.

Having the Braves in last weekend reminded me that teams with passionate fans transcend trends and cheer on their teams through think and thin. Cubs fans, Dodgers, Sox and of course Yankees fans, they all have it ingrained in them to root for and do what they can to support their team. I guess that will continue and only time will tell if it drops off or not

GO RED SOX!!!

[BarkMaster]

The decline is measurable; at least from an equipment supply perspective...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...156582750.html

[azguy]

Well the Dodgers jsut sold for over $2 billion so there is some value in owning a team...

Look like the Padres are going to bring north of $800 million..

[wantonebad]

Originally Posted by azguy

Well the Dodgers jsut sold for over $2 billion so there is some value in owning a team...

Look like the Padres are going to bring north of $800 million..

Dodgers deal was for a lot of LA land as well wasn't it? Don't know anything about the Padres deal but that sounds like a lot less than other teams.

[Boothroyd]

Padres deal is for a majority ownership stake, not outright ownership. That is why its under $1B.

[A.J.R.]

I don't think its a problem with baseball itself. It is the fact that Americans live our lives completely differently from when baseball was at its peak roughly 1920-1970. We live in a faster paced world where time is more important, information is more accessible and almost every game is televised.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by A.J.R.

We live in a faster paced world

i agree with that sentiment....the wonderful ebbs and flows of a 162-game, 6-month regular season is harder to appreciate these days, what with the explosion of entertainment choices out there and the general reduction in free time.

[sierra11b]

I would love if the A's would move to Sacramento instead of San Jose if that time comes to move. They could put the stadium where the Maloofs didn't and that's in the old Union Pacific railroad yard adjacent to downtown.


I'm slowly starting to get interested in baseball again since the strike.