Birthday Answers

[susandennis]

(For my birthday, I asked for Ask Me Anything Questions. I got so many wonderful ones. I'm answering them in entries from here until I get to the end. If you think of something you want to ask, just leave a comment or a note. Deadline is totally not a thing.)

spacefem (to whom I owe a huge thanks for even having this birthday AMA idea in the first place!!)


1) what’s the best thing about MLB? What would you change?

Well, I guess the best thing is that it brings us baseball in an organized manner so that men around the country can play each other at about the same skill level. The MLB is one of those monoliths - a giant, private, difficult to penetrate and/or understand. From where I sit it appears to be a group of old white men whose mission is to collect all the money it can on the backs of athletes and those who want to watch them perform. So the first thing I would change is transparency.

I'm sure there is a great reason for this but here in Mariner land, THE only way to see a Mariner game on TV is to have cable. People under 30 do not have cable. (I have cable but only the minimum 20 channels except in baseball season when I have to buy 300 more in order to get the one that carries the Mariner games.) Unless the Mariners and MLB change their ways, their fanbase is going to die. So I'd sure as shit change that.

Comments

[bill-schubert.livejournal.com]

There are a lot of things that are more expensive than when I was young. There was a time that golfers used to pick up their tees not to be tidy but because they cost money. The bleachers at Fenway were cheap enough that anyone could go. And it is not just inflation it is greed. The more the game has moved away from being a game into being an athletic, entertainment enterprise the less likely I think its chances are of surviving as a game. John Kruk is a jerk but even jerks are right twice a day (or maybe that's clocks). "I'm not an athlete, I'm a baseball player!"

Before the strike in 94-95 I used to watch. A lot. I grew up on watching Casey Stengel and Yogi Berra. And tickets were cheap enough that Donna and I would go on a sunday afternoon and see the Padres lose to whoever was in town and get seats on the third base line for maybe $20 a ticket.

Once they went on strike and dumped the series that year I quit. Still followed a smidgen but they sucked my heard out. I agree that they are going to do the same with the current generation who already cares more about soccer. And MMA. They've killed the goose.

[jwg.livejournal.com]

I think baseball the way it is now has limited appeal to young people. Games take much too long. The average time for a 9 inning game in 2019 was 5 hours and 5 minutes, a record In 2005 it was 2:45. The average thus far for 9 inning games this year is 3:16. In the fifties it was 2 1/2 hours.

When we go to games many people, especially the young ones, leave long before it is over - and they paid high prices for the tickets.

Also it is time for electronic ball/strike calling - they are going to experiment in then minor leagues. I'm sure it is a turnoff to some people to see the frequent bad calls. And think how difficult it is for a human being to judge where the 90 mph ball is crossing the plate.

[susandennis]

I absolutely agree with all of this. Ain't no kids got time for 5 hour games. AND yes on electronic pitch reading. The only thing I'm dreading about that is the years of whining about it by the analysts. But, it's time.

[spacefem.livejournal.com]

This is so interesting! I thought you’d pick out some obscure baseball rule that’s weird but you brought up money.

I have also seen articles about the recruiting issues MLB is having... little league got so competitive that only rich kids who can pay for clubs and camps get into baseball. So the talent pool is shrinking, and the players aren’t as good. Maybe? I’m not familiar enough with the sport but it’s an interesting case study about what happens when kids sports become part of capitalism.