In response to Laura Ellermeyer’s Tuesday column on Major League Baseball’s dwindling popularity: While I absolutely agree with Laura on the grounds of the declining popularity of baseball, she has gotten many of the reasons wrong.
First, you cannot find baseball games on “channels upon channels” of television as she suggests. The exact opposite is true.
In the past few years, blackouts have become increasingly common.
Also, Fox controls all Saturday games. Meaning, if your favorite team isn’t one of the four or so chosen, then your team will most likely be blocked from television on Saturday. Some may mention ESPN’s broadcasts, but those games are dominated by either the Yankees or Red Sox.
For example, Monday night’s game was a showing of the Twins at Yankees.
On Wednesday night, they will once again show the Twins at Yankees.
This Sunday? Yankees at Red Sox.
Monday? Rays at Red Sox.
See the pattern?
One of the other major points Laura made was the supposedly higher prices of MLB tickets and concessions. As someone who’s had season tickets to both the Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for more than a decade, there isn’t a major difference.
I spend the same amount of money on food, but actually a little less on the baseball tickets. However, that’s understandable because there are fewer games in a football season than in baseball, so higher prices can be expected for the Bucs.
As far as “quality” versus “quantity” argument, that’s a matter of opinion. I watched both boring and exciting football games last season, and the same goes for baseball. Yet, baseball last year may have been one of the more exciting seasons in recent memory.
Multiple no-hitters and perfect games were thrown – that never, ever happens!
Roy Halladay of the Phillies threw a no-hitter in the playoffs.
Yet, strangely, Jose Bautista defied the pitchers and hit more than 50 home runs during the regular season.
History was made all over the place last season.
In addition, some teams clinch before the season ends, but many others go until the very end. Remember the race in the NL West last season that depended upon a ton of scenarios and wasn’t finalized until the very last out was made? There was a possibility that the World Series Champion Giants might not have even made the playoffs. Or a few years ago when the Tigers and Twins had to have a tie-breaker game?
Yeah, baseball is still exciting until the last game of the season.
The real reasons behind MLB’s decline in popularity can be traced back to the MLB executives and Commissioner Bud Selig.
Why is football more popular today?
They’ve captured the youth.
The MLB, on the other hand, has completely neglected the younger generations.
Baseball hasn’t taken advantage of Internet media and social networking sites. In fact, the MLB has major restrictions placed on how blogs and sites like YouTube can show its media.
Basically, you can’t use it.
If you want MLB highlights, you must go to the overcrowded and horribly created MLB website.
Also, MLB has failed to capture the mainstream audiences with teams other than the Yankees, Red Sox or Phillies.
When the World Series between the Giants and Rangers was announced last October, the mainstream crowd had no idea who those teams were.
As I mentioned, Fox and ESPN constantly show Yankees-Red Sox rivalry or other big-market teams like the Phillies.
Yes, those teams should be shown because they are good – they have tons of money to be consistently good – and they have a huge following, but it is a double-edged sword because it also hurts the mainstream popularity of the sport.
These are just a few of the major reasons why the MLB is losing popularity, and it all starts with the youth. Many of the problems come from the MLB itself and its ignorant commissioner Bud Selig.
Anyone want to start a coup?
It’s not like there’s anything else to do if the NFL continues a lockout.
Editor's note: This letter refers to this column.
