Saturday, July 17, 2010

What's Wrong With Baseball?

The 2010 Midsummer Nights Classic was dismal and boring. It's indicative of the state of baseball today. The declining ratings and popularity of America's past time is alarming. There are 3 distinct reasons for the fall off:

1. Superstar turnover. The best players aren't household names yet. The all star game was filled with players making their first or 2nd appearance. It will take some time for the public to open up and embrace these guys.

2. Dominant pitching. Baseball has had a ton of perfect games, no hitters, and shutouts this season. Chicks dig the long ball however and strikeouts and pop flys are boring for the casual fan. Baseball needs big time hitters to make the game more interesting.

3. Baseball is drug free. The fans got spoiled in the late 90's with historic performances that led to historic attendance. McGwire, Bonds, and Sosa captivated our attention and won over our hearts. Without the drugs players end up with very average numbers. The fans would rather see the video game type numbers.

There is no quick fix to this problem, but fortunately the Yankees will win the World Series this year which keeps things interesting for at least one more season. Without them major league baseball has no stability.

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