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[entremet]

I love baseball, but the sport needs to court younger fans fierce. The fanbase is rapidly aging.

MLB is not out of the woods yet.

Even though, I still think the sport can be profitable business, does it want to be a relevant one in the coming generations as well.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Sometimes we do this dance within a division in the same sport. Dodgers/Giants/Padres.

Giants/Dodgers fans would never root for the other team for "the glory" of the NL West or the NL.

 

[lrt75914]

Do you feel the same way about NFL football?

Pretty much, although the Cheerleaders are kinda nice. The only sports even I will watch is the FIFA world cup and that's because not watching it would result in a lynch mob chasing you down the street and trying to hang you for treason.

There's your first mistake right there; baseball is about misery and failure and drinking until you're numb to the world because your favorite pitcher is going to miss the next year and a half due to Tommy John Surgery and your favorite hitter only fucks up 65-70% of the time.

Well I guess I missed the hole point of MLB, then :-D.

 

[ReAxion]

Would love for a % of this money be put in a fund to encourage kids to pick up the sport. Put in parks, offer more and full scholarships, subsidize fees for little league etc etc.

Financially the sport is thriving but there is so much room for improvement.

I dunno that it's mandatory for all teams but my local team builds/refurbs fields and donates the jerseys for leagues. They probably get a decent tax credit for it, but hey it's still community work.

 

[Opiate]

Pretty much, although the Cheerleaders are kinda nice. The only sports even I will watch is the FIFA world cup and that's because not watching it would result in a lynch mob chasing you down the street and trying to hang you for treason.



Well I guess I missed the hole point of MLB, then :-D.

You switched the quotations, there. But yes, it sounds like you may just not enjoy sports generally, which is completely fine.

 

[The Lone Courier]

Giants/Dodgers fans would never root for the other team for "the glory" of the NL West or the NL.

Thats how I feel. A Padres fan root for the Dodgers? Wat?

 

[ReAxion]

Giants/Dodgers fans would never root for the other team for "the glory" of the NL West or the NL.

More like when opposing fans in the same park get tired of cheering against each other and decide to hate a common enemy.

 

[Beckx]

Would love for a % of this money be put in a fund to encourage kids to pick up the sport. Put in parks, offer more and full scholarships, subsidize fees for little league etc etc.

Financially the sport is thriving but there is so much room for improvement.

Cutch has a really good article about problems attracting younger players.

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

It's a really dumb name, but today for whatever reason it looks really dumb.

 

[kingocfs]

Would love for a % of this money be put in a fund to encourage kids to pick up the sport. Put in parks, offer more and full scholarships, subsidize fees for little league etc etc.

Financially the sport is thriving but there is so much room for improvement.

Just show them that they can play until they're 40 years old and that they won't have to worry about their brains turning into soup.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

I love baseball, but the sport needs to court younger fans fierce. The fanbase is rapidly aging.

MLB is not out of the woods yet.

Even though, I still think the sport can be profitable business, does it want to be a relevant one in the coming generations as well.

On the local level, there are still plenty of younger fans in the stadiums. At least in my experiences so far on the west coast.

There are also a bunch who are attracted to the sport because of the statistical/analytic side of things, which isn't something you really see from the older fan demographic.

With the growing concern about football and injuries at the younger level, that may also a resurgence in Little League and other youth clubs.

 

[Maxim726X]

Getting tired of the Wilponzis using it as a crutch every fucking year...

Whatever. I'm especially sour this year because with a few extra moves the team could have actually competed for a wild card spot. As it is now, they'll likely be around .500.

Another season wasted. But Fred and Jeff get to save some sheckles!

 

[Abounder]

I love baseball, but the sport needs to court younger fans fierce. The fanbase is rapidly aging.

MLB is not out of the woods yet.

Even though, I still think the sport can be profitable business, does it want to be a relevant one in the coming generations as well.

NBA teams have also increased value and I think better targets younger fans. Clippers sold for $2 billion and Forbes values the average NBA team around $1.1 billion. The fight for America's no.2 sport will be interesting.

 

[Mr.Swag]

NBA teams have also increased value and I think better targets younger fans. Clippers sold for $2 billion and Forbes values the average NBA team around $1.1 billion. The fight for America's no.2 sport will be interesting.

NBA def gonna take the title away.

 

[pxleyes]

Color me surprised. Baseball has done nothing to improve the game and bring fans in, so I'm not sure where the interest is coming from. As boring as always, baseball, the national snore.

 

[ReAxion]

Thats how I feel. A Padres fan root for the Dodgers? Wat?

Depends, are they playing the Giants an in even year?

 

[TheWarrior]

Baseball doing a pretty good job globally. It's getting more popular in Mexico, and most of Central America and Carribean nations it's already massive. MLB also does well in some Asian markets. I'm also pretty sure the Aussies like baseball too.

 

[Maxim726X]

Color me surprised. Baseball has done nothing to improve the game and bring fans in, so I'm not sure where the interest is coming from. As boring as always, baseball, the national snore.

Massive TV money influx across the board, from what I've read.

 

[Beckx]

I'm also pretty sure the Aussies like baseball too.

I found baseball catching on in Australia to be the most surprising.

Europe even has a national team (and took a game from Japan this month, though a Japan team fielding a sub-standard lineup)

 

[Fenderputty]

Still can't hit the cutoff man

A Cutoff man is below the greatness of Puig

Spoiler

 

[BFIB]

Love them small market Cardinals!

 

[lrt75914]

I found baseball catching on in Australia to be the most surprising.

Europe even has a national team (and took a game from Japan this month, though a Japan team fielding a sub-standard lineup)

Europe has a national team?

 

[Windu]

the nl east has to have the best value, even with the marlins dragging down the rest of the division.

 

[Fox318]

Now if only the Yankees can use that money to keep bums like Texiera at home.

 

[HarryDemeanor]

Now if only the Yankees can use that money to keep bums like Texiera at home.

All the money should be going to A-Rod.

 

[JoseDFrog]

Now if only the Yankees can use that money to keep bums like Texiera at home.

Or to sign young players like Moncada... It still hurts.

 

[RumblingRosco]

So glad my small market Cardinals get competitive balance draft picks to make up for their disadvantageous position in the baseball world.

Love them small market Cardinals!

It helps that we are the Best Fans in Baseball™.

 

[entremet]

NBA def gonna take the title away.

If it does it would be due to TV contracts. MLB still has better attendance per game.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Averag..._sports_teams_in_the_United_States_and_Canada

The NBA also gives away tons of free tickets per year so the arenas don't look deserted.

 

[Malo]

Now if only the Yankees can use that money to keep bums like Texiera at home.

Only two more seasons brah.

 

[jwhit28]

Now I see why the poor Braves needed that public money to get a new stadium and move out of their decrepit 19 year old one.

 

[Dmncnby2k9]

I found baseball catching on in Australia to be the most surprising.

Europe even has a national team (and took a game from Japan this month, though a Japan team fielding a sub-standard lineup)

baseball wil be playing games in Europe very soon. rumors had it at this year but most likely next year. the WBC is a powerful tool for baseball. continue to grow that baby and get more countries involved.

 

[Beckx]

Europe has a national team?

ha, I guess national is the wrong word, but quibbles about word choice aside, All Euro.

 

[Jackie Chiles]

MLS will overtake MLB in 25 years. Today is the day NeoGAF has jumped the shark. No one in America gives a fuck about soccer except during World Cup season.

 

[eznark]

It helps that we are the Best Fans in Baseball™.

Baseball's Best Fans retweeted
Casey R. Steele @CaseyRSteele · Oct 16
@mikematheny22 you should fucking retire. Collect Pringles, or suck dick for quarters. No one will care, Thanks for fucking Cardinal nation

 

[Parch]

Europe has a national team?

Italy used to have a pro league. I assume they still do.
The Netherlands are really into baseball. They always have a respectable showing at the World Juniors.

 

[The Lone Courier]

Depends, are they playing the Giants an in even year?

A game where the Dodgers are playing against the Giants? Giants I suppose but it would pain me to do it.

 

[Frog-fu]

This is surprising. I thought baseball was on the decline.

 

[ReAxion]

A game where the Dodgers are playing against the Giants? Giants I suppose but it would pain me to do it.

Nobody said it's a comfortable choice!

 

[entremet]

This is surprising. I thought baseball was on the decline.

In TV ratings yes, but MLB makes more money off ticket sales than other leagues.

 

[Beckx]

Baseball also has a more than decent chance to be back in the olympics in 2020.

 

[Mr.Swag]

MLS will overtake MLB in 25 years. Today is the day NeoGAF has jumped the shark. No one in America gives a fuck about soccer except during World Cup season.

Things chamge/ are changing.

The world tomorrow isn't the same as yesterday

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

baseball wil be playing games in Europe very soon. rumors had it at this year but most likely next year. the WBC is a powerful tool for baseball. continue to grow that baby and get more countries involved.

I'm sure all the big people in baseball were pulling for the Netherlands in the WBC finals a few years ago. Europe is really the last place baseball to break into.

 

[lrt75914]

ha, I guess national is the wrong word, but quibbles about word choice aside, All Euro.

Italy used to have a pro league. I assume they still do.
The Netherlands are really into baseball. They always have a respectable showing at the World Juniors.

Thanks for clearing that up

 

[XiaNaphryz]

In TV ratings yes, but MLB makes more money off ticket sales than other leagues.

National TV ratings at that. At the local level, they're more than fine...otherwise you wouldn't be seeing all these ridiculous TV contracts being signed.

 

[Opiate]

This is surprising. I thought baseball was on the decline.

It definitely has some potential future hurdles, but then, most sports do.

Baseball's biggest issues right now are that its fanbase is aging and disproportionately white. In addition, the national broadcasts get terrible ratings because nobody wants to watch MLB teams outside their region, unlike NFL Football, where people will watch the Raiders play the Packers even if they live in Wyoming. But it has some big upsides, too; revenue is growing, local tv watching is on the rise, even if national watching is declining, and the sport has considerable penetration in third world countries and in Asia, which primes it for growth long term globally.

NFL is a good foil here. It's fanbase is younger and its national tv ratings are excellent, but its appeal outside the US remains very limited and the concussion trouble legitimately threatens the sports long term potential, as fewer children are expected to play the sport from a young age. Additionally, because the NFL only has 8 home games a year, their ticket sales are considerably smaller than a sport that has 81 home games a year.

I'm not saying one is better than the other, here, just showing that no sport is without its troubles. I think MLB's national TV ratings dip is what most people think about when they think baseball is "dying."

 

[Tobor]

Post Mitchell Report recovery complete.

The curve for change in franchise value for the Nationals since they arrived in DC has to look insane.

And to think there were people who thought it wouldn't work. Lol.

Nats could be in the top five by the end of the decade.

 

[crimzonflame]

lol Toronto Blue Jays

 

[entremet]

National TV ratings at that. At the local level, they're more than fine...otherwise you wouldn't be seeing all these ridiculous TV contracts being signed.

Good distinction. Yeah, I was thinking of national broadcasts.

And to think there were people who thought it wouldn't work. Lol.

Nats could be in the top five by the end of the decade.

That's so wacky looking back. DC is top 10 media market.

 

[captmcblack]

Jesus laughs at the idea of baseball's death.

Baseball is bigger than you - it's been the American pastime forever, and has survived work stoppages/strikes/scab players, steroids, legal acrimony, racial integration, and everything in between. Football runs the show in the short-term in the US, but I'm sure baseball will bounce back.

It's also smarter than you - it was the first major US sport to deal in advanced statistics/sabermetrics and make them commonplace (now you're seeing it in basketball and football too).

Plus, it's probably embraced the Internet and advancing technology as well (or better) than any other US sport. It had online broadcasts to every kind of screen before any sport had, and it's tech is so good that other companies/entities do business with it via their MLBAM arm to help them get broadcasts online (like WWE).


...but dammit, robot umps already.

Also, Yankees > *. Soon, we will spend all the money again and crush you haters. Soon.

 

[jman2050]

but but but but baseball is dying.

It's always been dying!

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/t...horn-mlb-historian-baseball-decline-articles/