I read somewhere where college football also took an attendance hit this past season.
its gotta be weather. Here in upstate NY, its snowing today, and we’ve had freezing rain for 3 straight weeks. I don’t think our local MLB farm team has been able to play a game at home yet
1. Call balls and strikes electronically. The technology exists, use it.
2. End the abomination known as inter-league play.
It is definitely bad weather.
I think when the weather breaks this will change.
I definitely think it is due to weather. Many high schools and colleges in our area have had to cancel most, if not all, of their track meets, baseball games, etc. so far this season. They already have a pretty short season, and are down to just 3-4 weeks left as of now.
I love baseball. My kids probably play 100 games a year, that I go to. I watch or listen on the radio to every Dodger game & any other game I can. But I never go to the stadium.
My kids have to sell Angel tickets as part of their HS baseball team. If they can’t sell them, I usually end up buying them. But the kids go with their teammates (who also couldn’t sell their tickets). I never go.
The weather is weird. We went camping in Pennsylvania over the weekend. I took my warm weather sleeping bag because it was only going down to 60 at night. It was the coldest darn 60 degrees I’ve ever been in.
Saturday was sunny and 85 degrees for our 11 mile hike around Gettysburg Battlefield.
Sunday was 45 and misty cold rain. Just bizarre.
For now, the weather. I saw the Mariners’ Robinson Cano wearing a ski mask in 27 degree Minnesota weather on 7 April. It was a tossup who was happier to see the game end, the players or the fans.
This has been compounded that the season was moved up by about a week because of the new contract with the players that wanted more off days during the season.
I'm a baseball traditionalist, so I would like to see the season go back to 154 games, like it was prior to 1961 (I think 1961). I really don't think it would hurt total attendance much, as you would lose games on the front end in colder weather/kids still in school. It would cost each owner 4 home games/8 TV broadcasts. But like the other day, the White Sox had 971 actual bodies in the stadium for a game when it was like 35 degrees. But I'm guessing the shorter schedule won't happen.
It’s definitely the weather. The Upper Midwest and the US Northeast has experienced the most miserable spring with snow, sleet and a lot of rain that is still going on as I type this.
Cubs-Cardinals game cancelled due to wind chills in the 20s.
https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/985934155006570496
Stop raping people at the concession stands!
Until 1970, if you were an adult American male, you inevitably played a lot of baseball, mostly with your friends without supervision, and had an inherent understanding and enjoyment of the game. Sorry but today’s adults simply did not have the same experience. They rarely if ever played the game unless their parents enrolled them in Little League or T ball. They have at best a casual familiarity with the game. The fan base is shrinking. If you listen to sports radio, those Latin American immigrants who are articulate enough to call seem to still love the game. Fewer native born Americans love and really understand it.
Chicago vs Atlanta, cold, rain howling wind and MLB apparently refused to cancel the game.
Until the Dodgers return to Brooklyn, things will never be right.