Posted on 05/12/2019 9:21:44 PM PDT by GuavaCheesePuff
Major League Baseball has a dearth of high-profile stars. Is the problem a down cycle, or is it the sport itself?
Major League Baseball has a dream matchup for the World Series as two of its marquee franchises, the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers, face off.
But oddly it also has a problem: Most people, even sports fans, might struggle to name a single player on the field.
The percentage of Americans who say baseball is their favorite sport to watch is at a low. Fewer baseball players have crossed over into wider popular culture than did a couple of decades ago. There is no Derek Jeter or Ken Griffey Jr. at the moment.
By almost any measure, baseball players just aren’t well known. ESPN’s annual ranking of the most famous athletes in the world includes 13 basketball players, seven football players, several cricket players, two table tennis stars and zero baseball players. And ESPN is a media partner of M.L.B.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Ditto for Tennis players or Boxers.
In the 70s, they were household names.
How many players even “habla ingles”?
Mike Trout, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, J D Martinez, Mookie Betts. The list goes on and on. What, are you in the business of trashing America’s pastime now?
True.
Ali, Frazier.
McEnroe, Jimmy Connors
Once Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Nadal leave the stage, tennis may go downward.
More Slimes nonsense.
I remember in the 70s, I would never dream of missing the Wimbledon Final.
I haven’t watched one in years.
Times change.
You’re not cub fans. Baez, Rizzo, Bryant. Cubs got’em and most of Chicago knows them
The point is, outside of Cubs fans, who knows who they are?
Costello: So I throw the ball to first base. Whoever gets it drops the ball and the guy runs to second. Now, Who picks up the ball and throws it to What. What throws it to I Don’t Know. I Don’t Know throws it back to Tomorrow, triple play! Another guy gets up and hits a long fly ball to Because. Why? I Don’t Know; he’s on third…and I don’t give a darn!Who’s on first? I don’t know. And I don’t care, lol.
Abbott: Whatcha say?
Costello: I said: I don’t give a darn‼
Abbott: Oh—that’s our shortstop‼
Let me guess, New York Times: They’re only famous if people mention them around your offices in New York.
When will their Mexican owner drop the hammer on this loser?
Let me guess, New York Times: They’re only famous if people mention them around your offices in New York.
When will their Mexican owner drop the hammer on this loser?
Baseball is not what it used to be, sorry.
As a Tigers fan from way back, I remember in 76, when Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, took the country by storm. Whether they were at home or on the road, when he pitched, the games were sellouts.
Will we ever see anything like that ever again?
Nope
1950s-1960s:
Mantle, Berra, Snyder, Aaron, Williams, Koufax, Mays, Drysdale, Killibrew...
Top that.
99 percent of the world couldnt name a living or dead baseball, football or ice hockey player
Basketball maybe 30 percent, but most could only name michael jordan
In many ways free agency killed pro sports. When a player gets good they wait until their contract is up and go to the team that pays them the most. Teams also trade way too much and don’t depend on their farm systems like in the past.
“Baseball is not what it used to be, sorry.”
Don’t be sorry. Very little is what it used to be.
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