Do you agree with the premise that baseball needs to be saved.

[JWags85]

I can't remember the last time I sat down and watched a ballgame. I'll tune in for the 9th inning of a close game, or watch an inning here or there, or watch the last few innings of a tight postseason game. But to sit there and watch 9 innings, as I used to do for years and years ... I simply can't do it anymore.

At this point I'm not sure what changes they could make to revive interest in guys like you and me, but we're probably not the audience they're shooting for when they do some of the things they're trying.

I knew multiple people when I was living in Chicago that watched EVERY White Sox game.  Every one.  My uncle watches EVERY Brewers game.  Its just baffling to me.

I'm a huge Cubs fan.  2016 was one of the best times of my life and one of 2 times I ever cried about sports.  Can always tell you how they're playing, their recent results, stats and lineups, etc..  But I don't think Ive ever watched more than 50 full regular season games live.  And that may be high.  Maybe if it was the only team or sport I truly cared about.

[The Sultan]

It's something to have on in the background on a summer evening. But that's about it unless it's playoff time.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I still do regularly.   I do that in lieu of getting into tons of shows on the streaming services.

Watching that many tigers games could be terrible for your health.

We pretty much have the Brewers on every night that we are home. 

Growing up, it was play baseball outside until 1 pm.  Come inside, get lunch, turn on WGN and watch the Cubs.  After the game, go back outside and play more baseball.

[tower912]

Watching that many tigers games could be terrible for your health

Reminds me to stay patient and embrace the journey.

[MU82]

$18 per?   I don't like you THAT much.

I thought we'd be at a sports bar!

As a kid I loved watching all the Cubs games on WGN during the day with Jack Brickhouse. 
The Brew crew with the homerun bombers of the 1980s was also a lot of fun to watch.
Maybe the fact that NC doesn't have a mlb team has something to do with it.
Lots of minor league teams.

I stopped watching full ballgames on TV long before I moved to NC, but yeah living here does make MLB seem "far away."

When I was at MU, the Brewers were SO much fun to watch - Bambi's Bombers and Harvey's Wallbangers! We'd sit in the RF bleachers and get tons of BP souvenirs.

[cheebs09]

Never forget, chicks dig the long ball.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I have the Yankees on pretty much every night.  I don't usually watch anywhere near the whole game, but take in a few innings.

[muwarrior69]

I have the Yankees on pretty much every night.  I don't usually watch anywhere near the whole game, but take in a few innings.

I too am a Yankee fan and like you will take in a few innings. However, when I was a young kid I would watch not just a whole game but a doubleheader. Back in the 50s watching a game on TV was a novelty and watching not just the Yankees, but the Giants and Dodgers as well. Those Dodger/Giants games were fun to watch. I also looked forward to the annual All Star game when it was something special. The only night games back then were mostly on Fridays with a few on Tuesdays as well, but most games were day games that ended around 4 or 5 pm depending on the start time of the game.

[The Sultan]

I too am a Yankee fan and like you will take in a few innings. However, when I was a young kid I would watch not just a whole game but a doubleheader. Back in the 50s watching a game on TV was a novelty and watching not just the Yankees, but the Giants and Dodgers as well. Those Dodger/Giants games were fun to watch. I also looked forward to the annual All Star game when it was something special. The only night games back then were mostly on Fridays with a few on Tuesdays as well, but most games were day games that ended around 4 or 5 pm depending on the start time of the game.

Since every game is on television, people aren't going to take time like they did back when it was a "novelty." 

[Dr. Blackheart]

I think of all the sports, baseball will be permanently negatively impacted by COVID. The media announcers are just so bland and create no viewing excitement, with the ESPN crews the poster child of bland. The cost of in person attendance has outgrown its fans' ATMs.

After being locked down during COVID, a four or five hour investment in a baseball game (more for in person with travel time), just isn't worth it for many fans, especially for the experiences being offered. The DH made boring games even longer. And, young fans now moved to the suburbs to start families en masse.

[Pakuni]

I think of all the sports, baseball will be permanently negatively impacted by COVID. The media announcers are just so bland and create no viewing excitement, with the ESPN crews the poster child of bland. The cost of in person attendance has outgrown its fans' ATMs.

After being locked down during COVID, a four or five hour investment in a baseball game (more for in person with travel time), just isn't worth it for many fans, especially for the experiences being offered. The DH made boring games even longer. And, young fans now moved to the suburbs to start families en masse.

Replace "COVID" with "Strike" and this could have been written in 1995.
People have been predicting the demise of baseball for decades.

[JWags85]

Replace "COVID" with "Strike" and this could have been written in 1995.
People have been predicting the demise of baseball for decades.

The 1995 strike didn't also have a draconian and moronic social media policy that misses out on HUGE opportunities to attract/engage fans at the same time

[MUBurrow]

I think service time and service time manipulation does legitimate damage to fan interest.  For losing teams, players who should get fans excited for the future have been buried in the minors for years.  Compared to the timing of the draft, its like having a marketing extravaganza for a summer movie blockbuster in April and May of this year, then stopping, then quietly releasing the movie in two years.  Sure lot players need legitimate work in the minors, but there's no reason for top prospects to languish for years.  If you're a fan of the Rays or the A's or another small market, smart drafting team, we need to find a way to get these guys into the majors earlier without punishing the team for bringing them up.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Replace "COVID" with "Strike" and this could have been written in 1995.
People have been predicting the demise of baseball for decades.

The 1995 strike killed baseball in Montreal.