Baseball Is Dying

[scotgreb]

My 2022 perspective on the overall health of baseball . . .

The LLWS was awesome (as usual) -- regionally expanded bracket -- great viewership and attendance.

I attended several high school playoff games. Attendance was impressive. Full venues everywhere I went.

Attended my first CWS regional. Expanded seating at the venue essentially sold out every day. Tickets were bringing premiums.

Attendance weak at my local AA affiliate (only attended one game this year) but late season.

Saw my beloved Bucs a few times at PNC. Experience was as great as ever and attendance was surprisingly strong given their late season standing.

[mr2686]

I've pretty much stopped going to MLB games in person since they've pretty much priced me out of going (I could, but would have less money towards any of my hobbies). I should be able to watch several games on my big screen tv, but my cable provider has done away with the MLB channel and there are very few games that they put on the tele...and when they do they're teams I don't care about. With all that said, I will be glued to the TV starting Friday when the wildcard games start.

[ullmandds]

baseball is dying...just like the rest of us are dying...a slow death!

[Kzoo]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

baseball is dying...just like the rest of us are dying...a slow death!

LOL.....maybe if you lived near Detroit, as it felt like that being a Tiger fan this year. Now we have a new GM and we'll get 'em next year.....or maybe the year after that.

[67airborne]

Originally Posted by Kzoo

LOL.....maybe if you lived near Detroit, as it felt like that being a Tiger fan this year. Now we have a new GM and we'll get 'em next year.....or maybe the year after that.

Matt
We will need to make it through the lions season before that can happen,
so a slow death is still a possibility. Lol

[Ray Van]

I've observed an interesting demographic shift in Toronto over the last few years. More and more young people are going to games, making it a social experience for groups of friends. 10 years ago the average age of attendee was 50+ (or so it seemed), but lately it's been much younger. Lots of potential factors causing this but definitely the state of the game is healthy up north. Having a playoff team doesn't hurt, as many younger people are bandwagon jumpers or just want to post their experience on social media.

[philo98]

Originally Posted by scotgreb

My 2022 perspective on the overall health of baseball . . .

The LLWS was awesome (as usual) -- regionally expanded bracket -- great viewership and attendance.

I attended several high school playoff games. Attendance was impressive. Full venues everywhere I went.

Attended my first CWS regional. Expanded seating at the venue essentially sold out every day. Tickets were bringing premiums.

Attendance weak at my local AA affiliate (only attended one game this year) but late season.

Saw my beloved Bucs a few times at PNC. Experience was as great as ever and attendance was surprisingly strong given their late season standing.

Im a season ticket holder for the Pirates and what Ive found this 2nd half of the year is attendance is strong on Firework or Bobblehead night, but the other games, paid attendance is around 8K to 13K or so, take away the Yankee and Philly series. The actual people that show up compared to paid attendance is anywhere from 50-80%. Some games, there may have only been 1-2K in the stands and the number of foul balls I have got is well over 15 which rarely ever happens. Im not a Pirate fan per se, I just live in Pittsburgh for the time being and I prefer a poor team to get ticket prices cheap and attendance down, but what Im seeing is a fan base that is sick and tired of how the team has been managed. In 2032, it wouldnt surprise me if the Pirates left the city, unless things change soon.

[BCauley]

Originally Posted by philo98

Im not a Pirate fan per se, I just live in Pittsburgh for the time being and I prefer a poor team to get ticket prices cheap and attendance down, but what Im seeing is a fan base that is sick and tired of how the team has been managed. In 2032, it wouldnt surprise me if the Pirates left the city, unless things change soon.

One of my good friends is the grandson of Danny Murtaugh. Actually has his last game used jersey framed and on his living room wall.

I'd say about once a year he and his mother, Danny's daughter, go up to Pittsburgh for some sort of celebration of the Pittsburgh old timers. This year, they were up there for the inaugural induction of the Pirates HoF though I can't believe it's taken this long to do that for a team with so much history.

Back on track, my friend was telling me how so many of even the former players and family members are sick and tired of this owner and what he has done to the organization. It would do wonders for him to sell to someone who cares about the actual product on the field. My friend's mother wouldn't even talk to him during the ceremony and follow up gatherings that were held.

[LEHR]

Baseball is dying?

While I didn't make it out to a major league park this year I went to 10 Salt Lake Bees (AAA Angels affiliate) games and had a great time every game.
If the games dying you could have fooled me.

[BobbyStrawberry]

Baseball will continue to thrive despite Manfred's attempts to kill it!

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Baseball will continue to thrive despite Manfred's attempts to kill it!

+1

[drmondobueno]

I live 270 miles from the closest major league park, Dodger Stadium. If MLB moves to Las Vegas I will be around 260 miles.

The last professional game I watched in person? The Reno Aces in 2016, about 185 miles from home.

I watch an average of three games a day., and with the “cable” ageeements of the Dodgers and Angels, I watch 40 times as many Yankee and Pirate games as I do the “local” Socal teams.

At my age and with mobility issues, money is just not a primary reason to attend. I have never enjoyed the mess of getting to a game in Southern California.
To be honest I’d rather watch my boys play in their high-end beer leagues than burn time getting to and from a congested overpriced hostile bad beer sometimes dangerous park.

Our local high school took out the baseball diamond to put in a dog park. And that’s because attendance at the school is half what it was ten years ago. But there are still little league teams playing everywhere.

Seems the OP may be getting caught up in pride of ownership of an opinion based on whatever seems an appropriate basis to confirm a bias.

Just watched the Yankees end their regular season. And Trout hit number 40. Cool as hell. I am ready for the playoffs and hockey season.

Just sayin’.

Peace out, and Go Kings Go (lol).

[egri]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Baseball will continue to thrive despite Manfred's attempts to kill it!

I never thought we would have a worse commissioner than Bud Selig, but Rob Manfred has proved me wrong. For all his faults, Selig loved the game.