WSJ: "Why Kids Aren't Watching Baseball".

[christopher.herman]

Slightly O/T article from today's Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303843104579167812218839786?mod=e2 tw

and another similar (albeit more detailed) one from the Atlantic Monthly entitled "Why Kids Are Losing Interest in Baseball":
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/10/why-kids-are-losing-interest-in-baseball/281017/

Some highlights:
The average World Series viewer this year is 54.4 years.

Kids age 6 to 17 represented just 4.3% of the average audience for the American and National League Championship Series this year.

Little League Baseball, which represents about two-thirds of the world's youth baseball, had 2.1 million players last year, compared with 2.6 million in 1997.

Sad overall really. I have to think that this will no doubt negatively affect the hobby moving forward.

Thoughts?

[ullmandds]

I think part of it is that baseball is a long...slower game...and the kids today need instant gratification...more action. Maybe we need an abbreviated baseball game...like they did with cricket!

It's a crying shame I tell ya!

[drmondobueno]

Watch espn this week, if you can. It is all football and Lebronball. The media no longer reports, it promotes.

[Leon]

Maybe games should be like they were in Little League, 6 innings long?

I agree that kids today have an attention span of about 5 seconds. My 17 yr old daughter is an example. I can barely speak with her as I see her getting bored after my first few words. (or maybe it's because it's Dad? :))They always have something else going on and do need instant gratification to stay tuned in.

[Jaybird]

I'm not sure the length is the problem. You see a football game lately? 3 hours with about 20 minutes of action. To me, baseball is infinitely more enjoyable.

I watch baseball with my son and we love it together. If the parents aren't watching with their kids, the kids won't learn the game and love it. If the parents are watching football, then realistically, that's what they will love.

Football is on during the day on weekends (for the most part) when everyone has time to watch. Baseball is 6 days a week at night (one game on Sunday during the day). You get my point. The scheduling of a baseball season requires a dedicated fan to lock in and watch. And the beauty of baseball is knowing all of the details on what happened the night before and hte week before which informs what's happening now. If you are a casual baseball fan, there is some enjoyment but I think a lot of the tension and interest are lost.

Football is smashing and bashing and anyone can turn on the Superbowl and see a touchdown and know what is going on. It's more accessible. Baseball is more nuanced. Nuance is awesome but takes patience.

[pariah1107]

Kids have been financially shut out of games. I remember when the Mariners use to give away tickets to kids who did well in school. I was never a good student, but always made an effort to study harder for those extra three or four tickets a year.

Length of games is probably the biggest problem, and seems to be a constant theme. World Series Game 6 1918 took one hour fifty minutes, last nights game was nearly four hours. I say, eliminate commercial breaks between the top-and-bottom of the innings. Limit the number of pitching changes to three a game; with the exception of extra inning ball games, but please no more five man no-hitters. Put a clock on pitchers, and just so I'm not only bashing hurlers, let's revert to a foul ball being a third strike :eek:.

Sad to say but replay is only going to make an already long game, practically interminable. I don't think children's attention spans are to blame, as I also prefer reading shorter books and can't sit in a theatre watching a lengthy movie, like Titanic. It sinks right?

Great article Chris.

[rjackson44]

Social media,iPads,games ,,too many distractions

[jp1216]

Eastern time zone here. First pitch for these games isn't until about 8:30PM. My son will make it for about 3 innings and I struggle to make it 8. First thing he asks the next morning is "Who won". Then we'll watch Sports Center.

[t206trader]

To be fair, baseball has been declining in popularity since the strike. I think it just suffers from the perceived slower action versus other sports like basketball and football. Also, PEDs have seriously damaged the legitimacy of baseball athletes and "Heroes" of youth today. While we all know that PEDs are a problem in every major sport it's influence has been hardest hit on baseball.

[irishdenny]

Jack Morris's Answer!

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9896436

Denny's Question?

"How Long Would the Game Actually be IF There Were No Commercials?"

I don't think that the Game iS to Long, "The SIDE SHOW" iS Killing the Game! jmho

[MattyC]

Great news. Less competition for my hulking son to trample on, along his way to shattering MLB records!

[packs]

I don't think it's an issue of the length of a baseball game either.

Really, I think sports in general has been marginilized in America, and because baseball was once so prominent, it only looks like it's suffering dramatically.

Baseball used to be a focal point of American life. Remember, Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color line was a tremendous event in American history, not just baseball. That's because baseball once meant that much to America's identity.

In my opinion, sports in general has been out paced and forced out of the public's psyche by Celebrity. Every American now wants to be a celebrity. But being a celebrity is not a "thing" you can be. It's somethig you attain. Think about how many reality shows are on at any given time. These are regular people at work who are suddenly huge nation-wide stars (think Duck Dynasty). You no longer have to be good at anything, and being good at sports or being good looking (movie stars) is no longer the only way to capture the country or world's attention.

For baseball to recover, companies like Steiner need to disappear. Card companies need to stop marketing to adults and big hit chasers looking for cut signature cards.

The focus needs to be brought back to celebrating America's oldest pastime with your family. Only then will baseball mean as much to children today as it did in the past. Baseball needs to remind people of what going to a game with your dad is like. Kids need to know that they can form bonds with their families at the ballpark and that its a tradition, not a business.

[lharri3600]

I think part of it is that baseball is a long...slower game...and the kids today need instant gratification...more action. Maybe we need an abbreviated baseball game...like they did with cricket!

It's a crying shame I tell ya!

Pete my friend, you nailed it!

[lharri3600]

I don't think it's an issue of the length of a baseball game either.

Really, I think sports in general has been marginilized in America, and because baseball was once so prominent, it only looks like it's suffering dramatically.

Baseball used to be a focal point of American life. Remember, Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color line was a tremendous event in American history, not just baseball. That's because baseball once meant that much to America's identity.

In my opinion, sports in general has been out paced and forced out of the public's psyche by Celebrity. Every American now wants to be a celebrity. But being a celebrity is not a "thing" you can be. It's somethig you attain. Think about how many reality shows are on at any given time. These are regular people at work who are suddenly huge nation-wide stars (think Duck Dynasty). You no longer have to be good at anything, and being good at sports or being good looking (movie stars) is no longer the only way to capture the country or world's attention.

For baseball to recover, companies like Steiner need to disappear. Card companies need to stop marketing to adults and big hit chasers looking for cut signature cards.

The focus needs to be brought back to celebrating America's oldest pastime with your family. Only then will baseball mean as much to children today as it did in the past. Baseball needs to remind people of what going to a game with your dad is like. Kids need to know that they can form bonds with their families at the ballpark and that its a tradition, not a business.
I agree here too

[Runscott]

Games have been 9 innings for a long time, but our society has been evolving toward a 'McDonalds mentality' for a long time, so perhaps 9 innings is now too long for kids.

Older guys can think back on why they loved baseball as a kid, and then identify what is now missing or different: focus on steroids, corporate ticket prices, fewer heroes and more criminals among players. When I was a kid there was the feeling that anyone could be a baseball player, regardless of size, wealth or anything else. Now I don't sense that with kids.

Not sure how video games and other modern distractions play into this - when I was a kid we loved playing board games, but we also loved baseball. I also think baseball cards had a heavy influence - building sets, getting your Mantle or Mays, reading those stats and building teams out of your cards. Now they are just collectibles, and parents (like us) are into it.

I also remember running home from school every afternoon to catch the afternoon world series games between the Tigers and Cardinals in 1968. Now the games are all at 8pm+ Eastern, so a lot of kids can't even stay up to watch them. Every aspect of baseball is now geared toward making money for rich people, so there are fewer ways for a kid to identify with it on a personal level, other than when they are out in the sandlot actually playing.

[Jason]

Social media,iPads,games ,,too many distractions

Way to many distractions for sure.I have opened the door to my sons room plenty of times and he will have a phone to his ear,a ps3 controller in hand,and a computer in his lap.No way these kids are watching a game for 3-4 hours.Even cable t.v is becoming obsolete for them on the word of Netflix and on demand.

Also my son plays for the same Little League I did and in a 15 year period they are down to about 1/3 the size they were when I played.Its definitely a dying sport.

[scooter729]

Umpires need to do a better job of making pitchers throw pitches quickly.

Aside from my normal excitement for the World Series last night, I was extra excited that Lackey was pitching. Why? Well, aside from the fact that he's pitched well this year, I meant because he works fast. He pitched a complete game in September that was 2:15. The ALCS game vs. Verlander went about 2:20.

Red Sox fans will know all too well what it's like to watch a Buchholz start or, even worse, six years of Dice-K starts. Every game with Dice-K was 4+ hours, since it would take over a minute for every pitch to be thrown, even with no runners on. I remember when Wakefield was starting for the Sox - if I was going to the game, I'd like to say that win or lose, at least it would be over in 2:30. He worked fast, and it made the game more enjoyable.

Umps need to be diligent about calling balls if a pitcher takes too long to throw a pitch. The games don't need to be 4+ hours all of the time; pitchers who stall too long have turned it into that WAY too often.

[chaddurbin]

too many unwritten rules to keep track of.

[markf31]

According to a recent Gallup poll, baseball has not been America's favorite sport since 1972 when football first surpassed baseball in popularity. There is a significance here that I'll get back to in a moment. I think for a long time baseball had ridden it's own coat tails in regards to popularity even after football over took it. Baseball was far and away the most popular sport from the 1920s (prior to the 1920s it could easily be argued boxing was more popular) up to the early 1970s. Baseballs popularity began to slip when television coverage of sports began to become more wide spread, the 1970s.

Baseball is a sport that is tailor made for the radio! Football is more difficult to follow I think on radio, its better suited for a television viewing audience. I do think this had a serious effect on the decline of baseball. Baseball is not as captivating on the television in comparison to what it was on the radio from the 1920's to the early 1970s.

In response to how little "action" there actually is in a baseball game, The average baseball game contains 14 minutes of real action study finds. (http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Average-baseball-game-contains-14-minutes-of-real-action-study-finds-100610)

[honus94566]

I think it just suffers from the perceived slower action versus other sports like basketball and football.

It's not just perceived though, it's actual. Honestly I can barely sit through a baseball game. Going to a stadium is great and the atmosphere is relaxing and makes up for the lack of action, but I would 100 times rather watch a game of college football on TV than a regular season MLB game.


According to a recent Gallup poll, baseball has not been America's favorite sport since 1972 when football first surpassed baseball in popularity. There is a significance here that I'll get back to in a moment. I think for a long time baseball had ridden it's own coat tails in regards to popularity even after football over took it. Baseball was far and away the most popular sport from the 1920s (prior to the 1920s it could easily be argued boxing was more popular) up to the early 1970s. Baseballs popularity began to slip when television coverage of sports began to become more wide spread, the 1970s.

Baseball is a sport that is tailor made for the radio! Football is more difficult to follow I think on radio, its better suited for a television viewing audience. I do think this had a serious effect on the decline of baseball. Baseball is not as captivating on the television in comparison to what it was on the radio from the 1920's to the early 1970s.

In response to how little "action" there actually is in a baseball game, The average baseball game contains 14 minutes of real action study finds. (http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Average-baseball-game-contains-14-minutes-of-real-action-study-finds-100610)

Great point.

IMO there is very little that can be done. Our society is changing, and things are changing. Baseball is pure Americana, it won't ever go away, but it's never going to even remotely approach the foothold it once had in american life and culture.

[Bugsy]

I think the time between each pitch is the issue. Even I find myself getting restless at times. That said, baseball is still king. Can you imagine what a spectacle it would be if your favorite baseball team only played 8 home games every season?

[iwantitiwinit]

Not just kids adults too. Believe it or not the MNF game had a higher national rating than the World Series did this past monday night and this is the third time in the last 4 years that its happened. Baseball is dead, the most exciting part of the sport is collecting T206's!!!!!!

[Hot Springs Bathers]

I think Jon hit it with the starting time. Baseball has given in to the corporate world with no day games and late starting times.

These post-season comes during the school year and kids can not stay up. As far as length of game there is much more time wasted in a football game than in a baseball game. I don't know how many of you have been to an NFL or college game of late but the extended timeouts are horrible.

Also, in person a current college game is impossible to watch. It used to be that when a team broke the huddle the crowd would lean forward or rise to watch the action. Now there is no huddle and the QB raises up after calling signals 2 or 3 times and no one knows when the play will begin. It has literally sucked the life out of the stadiums.

Last Saturday I was driving to see a D-2 game and passed two baseball fields that had pick up games going on, no adults in sight. Maybe there is hope after all!

[christopher.herman]

Edited to add the following related article:
"Why Kids Are Losing Interest in Baseball"
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/10/why-kids-are-losing-interest-in-baseball/281017/

[packs]

It seems like the game is growing globally still.

[Mark]

Regarding tv viewership, it's important to pay attention to the numbers for local broadcasts of local games. They can make up for a drop in national tv ratings. As for national games, they are a problem. I recommend that they start televising them at 6:30 eastern. Regarding Little League, that's a big drop. But it will be mitigated some by the explosion of travel / club teams over the last 15 years that take kids away from the Little League program.

Hope for the future? Baseball's new slogan: Play Baseball, Where There Are Few if Any Concussions!

[Hot Springs Bathers]

We have seen a tremendous rise in youth baseball in Arkansas. As a longtime Boys & Girls Club board member we have been scrambling to meet the need. Our largest groups are in T-Ball, we are in the process of raising funds for turf fields t avoid the missed game times during the Summer.

What I am hearing from parents is that they feel a team sports is a positive in their child's development and it is very obvious that they are directing their sons away from football. I think the most curios fact here is that is happening in a southern state where most of us were raised with football in our DNA mix.

Of course travel baseball or as I like to call it "buy your kid a position" baseball is strong but the economy is tough on travel team parents right now.

[Runscott]

It seems like the game is growing globally still.

I love it!

Hey, who needs punctuation?

[CaramelMan]

There will soon be a baseball renaissance when the known but long withheld brain damage information comes out....

NFL players are killing themselves slowly due to Repeat trauma ...brain disease is found in ALL dissected NFL player brains.....

Soon it will be a no-brainer (no pun intended) for a world class young athlete to choose baseball over football...

Pro football players are finally admitting the don't want their kids to play football.

Add in the fact that baseball has GUARANTEED contacts vs football non guaranteed contracts and baseball becomes more attractive...it really should be the opposite way....

Things run in cycles and baseball will have its upswing (from increased international players and from potential football players choosing baseball)

So collect away!

[Texxxx]

I think there are a lot of factors that have contributed to the decline. There are so many thinks for the kids today to do hands on. Watching is boring compared to doing. Even if its just texting. Another reason is the sheer number of channels on TV to chose from. I have like 250 on mine right now. When I was growing up I only had 3 and so when baseball came on it was great. Even if it was in black and white. At least I missed the radio era.:D
I think the game is going through a bad time also with all the PED problems. That turns kids off also.

[ValKehl]

I agree with "Bugsy" - the excessive time between pitches is the primary reason games are too long, which is a major turnoff for many folks. And, the blame is not just with the pitchers - too many batters feel the need to step out of the batter's box after each pitch to adjust their batting gloves, take a practice swing, etc. Just as there is a 24-second clock in basketball, there needs to be a maximum time between pitches - and, if the allotted time elapses before a pitch is made, the home plate ump decides who to penalize by calling a "phantom" strike or ball on the batter, depending on whom he deems to be the culprit.
Val