Are we witnessing the death of the Orioles?

[Uli2001]

On 10/16/2019 at 7:14 AM, webbrick2010 said:

Congrats to Baltimore for being so progressive

Baseball is dying as a sport, the fact that it will die in Baltimore faster than the National average should make us all proud.

I agree that Baltimore will lose it's franchise within the next 15 years

Tonight an ALCS game involving the NYY was played, and around the fifth inning there were five or six tags for the KC-Denver NFL regular season game among the top trending topics on twitter, and none, zero, for the baseball game. This is becoming real.

[Uli2001]

On 10/16/2019 at 12:53 PM, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

I agree on that. I've never been to Oakland, but I like the atmosphere of the A's stadium. The Rays plays in a warehouse. 

In a warehouse, not by one. This is very important...

[Roll Tide]

3 hours ago, Uli2001 said:

Tonight an ALCS game involving the NYY was played, and around the fifth inning there were five or six tags for the KC-Denver NFL regular season game among the top trending topics on twitter, and none, zero, for the baseball game. This is becoming real.

Patrick Mahomes was injured on a QB sneak with what could be a serious knee injury. 

[Uli2001]

5 hours ago, Roll Tide said:

Patrick Mahomes was injured on a QB sneak with what could be a serious knee injury. 

Yes, that's part of it. Much bigger news these days than if any baseball player gets injured.

I think baseball can still be saved, but they are going to have to stop being stubborn before it's too late. They sorely need quicker games, electronic ball and strikes, and perhaps a shorter regular season, to make each game mean more. The first two are a must though.

[Satyr3206]

Fans like offense, that means no time reduction there. Replay has added time to games. Pitching changes add time. The simple fact is it takes a certain amount of time to play a baseball game. Maybe people should develop some patience. Electronic balls and strikes might work. Who calibrates the machines? I ask because Umps haven't called the rule book strike zone in eons.

Owners will never go for a shorter season. I doubt the players would either. Revenue and Salary reduction? That's a no go.

[Satyr3206]

On a side note I have never used Twitter so I have no idea what trends there. I do know lots of different media types use all kinds of methods to get people to click on, or watch things. I do what I want and ignore the noise.

[Frobby]

36 minutes ago, Satyr3206 said:

Fans like offense, that means no time reduction there. Replay has added time to games. Pitching changes add time. The simple fact is it takes a certain amount of time to play a baseball game. Maybe people should develop some patience. Electronic balls and strikes might work. Who calibrates the machines? I ask because Umps haven't called the rule book strike zone in eons.

Owners will never go for a shorter season. I doubt the players would either. Revenue and Salary reduction? That's a no go.

The biggest factor, IMO, is the time between pitches, mostly driven by batters stepping out of the box after every pitch.   Everybody now does what only Mike Hargrove used to do.     More frequent pitching changes is also a factor, which is why I’m strongly in favor of the new rule for next year that relievers have to pitch to 3 batters unless the inning ends.     

[Redskins Rick]

1 hour ago, Uli2001 said:

Yes, that's part of it. Much bigger news these days than if any baseball player gets injured.

I think baseball can still be saved, but they are going to have to stop being stubborn before it's too late. They sorely need quicker games, electronic ball and strikes, and perhaps a shorter regular season, to make each game mean more. The first two are a must though.

How many players got hurt playing in Toronto's concrete field of ball?

Way too many.

 

[Uli2001]

Okay so then do not shorten the season, but they must shorten the games, have more action and less down time. Many ideas have been put forward, it's not for a lack of ideas that nothing is being done. Some I have heard:

1) have a pitch clock (the NFL has a play clock and does fine; even tennis has one now).

2) Eliminate or reduce extended at-bats via foul balls; 

3) reduce pitching changes (it seems they will finally look into that now).

4) eliminate throws to first, by requiring the runner's lead to be within a short area around the bag (okay I haven't heard this one, I have just made this one up).

5) add your idea here.

[Uli2001]

44 minutes ago, Frobby said:

The biggest factor, IMO, is the time between pitches, mostly driven by batters stepping out of the box after every pitch.   Everybody now does what only Mike Hargrove used to do.     More frequent pitching changes is also a factor, which is why I’m strongly in favor of the new rule for next year that relievers have to pitch to 3 batters unless the inning ends.     

Yes, reducing that is an idea too. Having a pitch clock should take care of that. If the batter still steps out of the box, then he is assessed a strike (like a false start flag in football).

[theocean]

45 minutes ago, Frobby said:

The biggest factor, IMO, is the time between pitches, mostly driven by batters stepping out of the box after every pitch.   Everybody now does what only Mike Hargrove used to do.     More frequent pitching changes is also a factor, which is why I’m strongly in favor of the new rule for next year that relievers have to pitch to 3 batters unless the inning ends.     

Last night it really hit me, but baseball's biggest problem might be that its biggest playoff games are on TBS. The Yankees and Astros have some of the biggest and most marketable players in the game. It is exactly the type of game that should be use to expand the game.

I wanted to watch it. But as a cord cutting millennial, it was simply too difficult for me to get it on my TV. I ended up watching Joe Flacco throw to empty parts of the field during the lousy Thursday Night Football game.

So, if me, a huge baseball fan isn't even going through the trouble to watch a ALCS game between two big teams - - what are casual fans doing!?

[Uli2001]

Thinking more about this, it's ridiculous MLB still doesn't have a pitch clock. Pitchers and batters being allowed to take an unlimited amount of time between pitches is just absurd. Imagine the NFL without a play clock.

[Uli2001]

1 minute ago, Uli2001 said:

Thinking more about this, it's ridiculous MLB still doesn't have a pitch clock. Pitchers and batters being allowed to take an unlimited amount of time between pitches is just absurd. Imagine the NFL without a play clock.

Or the NBA without a shot clock.

[Uli2001]

4 minutes ago, theocean said:

Last night it really hit me, but baseball's biggest problem might be that its biggest playoff games are on TBS. The Yankees and Astros have some of the biggest and most marketable players in the game. It is exactly the type of game that should be use to expand the game.

I wanted to watch it. But as a cord cutting millennial, it was simply too difficult for me to get it on my TV. I ended up watching Joe Flacco throw to empty parts of the field during the lousy Thursday Night Football game.

So, if me, a huge baseball fan isn't even going through the trouble to watch a ALCS game between two big teams - - what are casual fans doing!?

Is this cause or consequence though? Have you asked yourself why networks or even ESPN are not buying these games?

[Redskins Rick]

6 minutes ago, Uli2001 said:

Is this cause or consequence though? Have you asked yourself why networks or even ESPN are not buying these games?

There isnt a big demand in the viewing public to see these games, which is where Cable makes their revenue, commercial ads.

If the demand was there, companies would be outbidding each other to market it.