Baseball Is Dying

[carlsonjok]

Originally Posted by Tabe

It's not just MLB. The NHL does it, too. I can't see Kraken games on the streaming package until a day or two later because of the blackout rules. I live *300* miles from Seattle. Thankfully, I'm a Detroit fan so it's not really an issue. In prior years, they at least just made the blackout last only until the game was over. As soon as the game ended, I could watch it. Not anymore now that they've moved to an awful setup on ESPN+.

Two separate comments regarding this. First, try living in Oklahoma City. I have to deal with the blackout rules for the Royals, Cardinals, Rangers, and Astros. As a Yankees/Guardians fans, that is a lot of games I can't watch. Particularly because, as Rich points out, those of us who have cut the cord and only stream can't get the local sports network. Second, the NBA also enforces local blackouts, but the difference is that you can get around it with a VPN. I tried last year with MLB TV and I wasn't able to use that way to get around local blackout rules.

[D. Bergin]

In this day and age, when most revenue actually comes from broadcast rights, blackout rules are absolutely idiotic.

Anybody who wants to spend $500+ to bring their family out to a game, isn't going to stay in and watch it on TV instead.

It seems self-defeating and whittles away at your future fan base.

[Mountaineer1999]

Baseball may not be dying, but it sure isn't the same as it used to be. Ive mostly attributed this to me getting older but my 20 year old boys find it boring so Im not so sure. When I was growing up in the hills of Appalachia in the 1970s, baseball was magical an escape from the day to day. Most here are talking about not being able to see the games. In the 1970s that was the allure. We saw two games a week, Saturday NBC game of the week and Monday night baseball, I spent all my time trying to get KDKA radio to come in in Southern WV to hear the Pirates games. Those are memories i cherish now. Baseball has lost its mystique, its romanticism because it's everywhere. Or maybe I've just gotten old.

[Mountaineer1999]

Also, if you're a T-Mobile customer. The MLBTv package is free every year.

[Snapolit1]

Views of average Net 54er:

Baseball today sucks.

Movies today suck.

Music today sucks.

TV today sucks.


Mmmm. Sensing a theme here.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhTuYKR-ejo

[puckpaul]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Views of average Net 54er:

Baseball today sucks.

Movies today suck.

Music today sucks.

TV today sucks.


Mmmm. Sensing a theme here.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhTuYKR-ejo

Nah…TV is awesome today! Streaming is great.

[brass_rat]

Regarding rules changes and adjustments, folks might enjoy this interview with Theo Epstein. He ties all of the changes back to a singular goal of increasing game action and rhythm while reducing the rate of true outcomes.

https://theathletic.com/podcast/243-...w/?episode=201

For those without a subscription, there's a free trial, or you might have access already through services like Amazon Music (in the podcast section).

[frankbmd]

[QUOTE=Snapolit1;2213455]Views of average Net 54er:

Baseball today sucks.

Movies today suck.

Music today sucks.

TV today sucks.

Dale Carnegie sucks.


Mmmm. Sensing a theme here.

[Mountaineer1999]

Movies today do kinda suck.

[drcy]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer1999

Movies today do kinda suck.

I watch a lot of old B movies. Many movies also sucked in the old days.


Baseball games are too long.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer1999

Baseball may not be dying, but it sure isn't the same as it used to be. Ive mostly attributed this to me getting older but my 20 year old boys find it boring so Im not so sure. When I was growing up in the hills of Appalachia in the 1970s, baseball was magical an escape from the day to day. Most here are talking about not being able to see the games. In the 1970s that was the allure. We saw two games a week, Saturday NBC game of the week and Monday night baseball, I spent all my time trying to get KDKA radio to come in in Southern WV to hear the Pirates games. Those are memories i cherish now. Baseball has lost its mystique, its romanticism because it's everywhere. Or maybe I've just gotten old.

My 20 year old sons find everything I've ever done in my life boring. Their idea of watching a movie is having it on the big screen, while they post on Redditt about what they are watching, while the text their friends about completely unrelated things, while they occasionally glance down at their college homework. And somehow they seem to understand more about the movie than I do.

[Snapolit1]

Over 10 billion minutes of MLB baseball watched last year on cell phones.

https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/...egular-season/

That's a lot of eyeballs for something no one cares about anymore.

[Orioles1954]

Speaking for myself only, the season is too long when 40% of the teams make the playoffs. We’re starting to see load management in the MLB and the World Series should never be played around Halloween. Baseball is the ultimate league of the haves and have nots. A cap/floor should have been instituted although a balanced schedule for 2023 is an imperfect step forward.

[Hankphenom]

Looking at the box scores from yesterday's games, it's clear they need to change the rules on who gets the win--and I mean right now, today. I couldn't believe how many teams used eight or more pitchers, and how few starters went five. I know it's a trend of long standing, but reading the paper (another endangered species, oh how I will miss the page with all the box scores from the day before!), the start of this season struck me as truly revolutionary for the amazing number of pitchers used in so many games by both teams. And that's with a requirement that they go at least three batters!

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

Looking at the box scores from yesterday's games, it's clear they need to change the rules on who gets the win--and I mean right now, today. I couldn't believe how many teams used eight or more pitchers, and how few starters went five. I know it's a trend of long standing, but reading the paper (another endangered species, oh how I will miss the page with all the box scores from the day before!), the start of this season struck me as truly revolutionary for the amazing number of pitchers used in so many games by both teams. And that's with a requirement that they go at least three batters!

Not to disagree with your overall point, but I'd attribute some of the unusually low pitch counts for starters so far this year to the abbreviated spring training. Just a few examples I quickly pulled up from yesterday:

Max Scherzer 80 pitches
Charlie Morton 78 pitches
Walker Buehler 78 pitches

These guys will be almost certainly be going deeper into games as the season goes on.