Posted on 08/20/2019 12:24:42 PM PDT by GuavaCheesePuff
As a result, new stadiums are shrinking.
In a piece for USA Today, sports writer Gabe Lacques noted the falling attendance of several MLB teams.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Same here. I used to love football, now, I could care less.
They’re considering a 20-second clock for pitchers, with a ball called if the pitcher doesn’t pitch within 20 seconds. The current average time between pitches is 23 seconds, and the average nine-inning game contains about 300 pitches. That’s 900 seconds, or 15 minutes, of dead time you can eliminate with just that rule change.
Another problem is the parade of pitchers. Phil Mushnick of the New York Post says the managers are looking for the pitcher who can lose the game. They’re considering a three-batter rule, whereby a pitcher would have to face a minimum of three batters unless he finishes the inning.
Batters need to re-learn bunting, so when the shift is on, they can bunt for a hit through the open part of the field.
There is talk of moving the mound back (to compensate for the excessive speed of today’s fastballs), but that’s a no-go as far as I’m concerned. Lower it, don’t move it.
One of the problems is that last year for the first time, there were more strikeouts than hits. This year, despite tighter, virtually seamless balls that have led to an explosion of homeruns (four guys are over 40 already, and several teams are on pace for an all-time team high), the trend of more strikeouts than hits continues.
The DH contributes to the excessive length of games too, because it causes more pitching changes, all for half a run per team per game.
The rule is that if a third strike is dropped, the batter can run to first base. in the Atlantic League, they are experimenting with a rule that allows that on any pitch that is dropped, regardless of the count.
We have a less strategic, thus less interesting brand of baseball, with more dead time and delays. I’m a traditionalist, and I hate changing the game, but some change is needed if there is to be any appeal to future generations.
Exactly. For tv there should be more crowd noise as well as louder fields of play noise to create a better natural sound. For live play, the game needs faster play which helps tv viewing.
Well, Tampa Bay, which is in wildcard contention, has horrible attendance but not bad TV ratings.
They need to stop posing and watching everything they hit. Put the bat down and run to first base.
They’re experimenting with numerous changes.
“I bought New York for a reason.” — George Steinbrenner. (He had chances to buy the Indians and the Washington Senators.)
The designated hitter and inter-league play shows that the MLB is willing to sacrifice tradition for $$$.
So when someone in the MLB organizations starts talking about tradition, I don’t believe it.
Last year, the Braves moved into Sun Trust Park, which replaced Turner Field. they moved into Turner Field in 1997.
Quick trivia: Who was in uniform for the winning tam in both the first and last games at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium?
https://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechfieldofdreams.html
Ray, people will come, Ray.
They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up your driveway, not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past.
“Of course, we won’t mind if you look around,” you’ll say. “It’s only twenty dollars per person.” They’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it. For it is money they have and peace they lack.
And they’ll walk out to the bleachers, and sit in shirt-sleeves on a perfect afternoon. They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they’ll watch the game, and it’ll be as if they’d dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, they’ll have to brush them away from their faces.
People will come, Ray.
The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.
America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.
This field, this game — it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.
Ohhhhhhhh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.
The Yankees and White Sox will be playing a game at the Field of Dreams in 2020.
When I was 12, I was chosen as an “All Star” in the city of Dayton Little League players as I was batting .800. It was a huge deal - the city had a special day to honor the All Stars across all age groups thru High School.
I had visions of becoming a MLB All Star.
The catcher on my LL team batted a paltry .200 but as a 2nd baseman, I caught his cannon-like throws - hellava arm.
Fast forward a few years, a petite blonde moved next door and I found a new interest...and she later became my wife before she lost a battle to breast cancer at 28.
That catcher on my LL team? Well, he (Steve Yeager) became the starting catcher for the LA Dodgers.
The Bay Bears are moving next year anyway.
1993 was the expansion year (Rockies and Marlins), not 1994.
It helps that the Yankees are good (despite 17 or 18 players currently on the injured list.)
Reminds me of one of my many trash lines to umpires:
“Why don’t you go on strike instead of trying to call them?”
“1994: The year I stopped caring about baseball.”
Same here, I believe that was the year they had a strike and did not play the World Series. Making all that money to play a kids game!
“I’ve not noticed any MLB teams folding up operations in one city and moving to a new city so I’d say the league is pretty financially secure.”
Tampa Bay and Miami are reportedly in trouble. Tampa Bay has explored playing some games in Montreal during the hottest summer months. Miami has a retractable roof so weather is not an issue there. Attendance in Miami is horrible, though - 10,000 average this year.
I don’t watch interleague either. Small park games in the minors or spring training are great.
As for the “hurry up” crowd here, go watch cricket.
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