And yet MLB had record revenues last year.
Still, you can tell they are starting to get nervous. The average MLB fan is aging. I’m 50 and my kids couldn’t care less about baseball. Don’t get me wrong, if the Yankees are in the World Series they’d watch. But otherwise, they follow from afar and don’t buy shirts/hats etc.
This is why baseball is tinkering with all these rules to speed up the game. But installing pitch clocks, and minimizing the amount of batters each pitcher must face shortens the game from say 3:05 to 2:50. Does that really matter?
The length is not why they’re not watching. To them, it’s boring. They want instant gratification. They want constant action. They’re not interested in nuance; long term strategy and the build up of tension.
It’s a shame. But I bet my kids kids won’t play baseball unless they’ve moved to a part of the country where Lacrosse doesn’t exist and baseball is still huge.
Same here. My kids and other young people I know, have no interest in baseball. We have gone to some games, and they get bored and don’t really watch the game much.
I’ve noticed the same among other people at the ballpark too. I recall decades ago, going to ballgames, and talking baseball with fans sitting next to me. I try that today, and it becomes clear that my neighboring fans have little knowledge of the game or strategic moves being made.
Baseball may have good attendance and record revenues due to these casual fans, who go to the ballpark but aren’t really fans. If these casual fans find something else to do, baseball will be in big financial trouble.
I've been a baseball fan since I was a kid. All these "rule changes" have pissed me off to the point that I no longer care about the game or consider myself a fan. They took a great national pastime and completely ruined it.