MLB response to tanking: more playoff teams?

[eddie83]

1 minute ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Who is Tua?  I literally have no idea.  

College baseball is on TV as much as is warranted for something that would draw a few hundred or a few thousand viewers a game.  At most colleges baseball isn't even a revenue sport, because if you charged for tickets 88 people would come to an average game.

In 1950 college football was way more popular than pro football.  In 1950 college baseball was about as popular as it is today, which is not at all.  You're not going to change that by putting it on TV or streaming more.

You have not heard of Tua Tagovailoa, the Alabama starting QB? Who played in back to back National Championship games? 

My point is baseball themselves need to promote the upcoming players. The NBA and NFL has that done for them. Instead of rebroadcasting the same shows over and over show college games on MLB Network. Show Austin Martin and Spencer Torkleson. It’s February, there aren’t even any spring games on yet. Promote the fact that these guys are Top 3 prospects. Do I think the ratings will be great, no but the sport needs to take their own network and promote the future any way they can. 

[Philip]

Just now, DrungoHazewood said:

At least not your interest.  It's an open question as to whether he's increased interest among others.

 Attendance is down. To me that means decreased interest. The cost of the game is going up in the interest in going to the game is going down. You don’t increase interest by increasing homeruns. A homerun is a minute of nothing. You increase interest by increasing activity on the base paths.

 The urgency and the suspense of wondering whether the guy is going to steal or whether there’s going to be a double play or he’s going to be able to come home on a sacrifice fly. So the way to increase interest is by increasing base runners. Let me give you an example. Would you rather see one solo homerun in an inning, resulting in one run, or three singles in an inning, resulting in one run?

Regardless of which one you prefer, the more interesting scenario is the one which creates the most possibilities, so three singles is more desirable

Mannford hasn’t done anything that makes the game more interesting, they actually slow the game down. And of course the cheating scandal I don’t think anybody can say he handled it well.

[DrungoHazewood]

4 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

You could look at attendance and TV ratings and then adjust them by societal trends.

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, eddie83 said:

You have not heard of Tua Tagovailoa, the Alabama starting QB? Who played in back to back National Championship games? 

My point is baseball themselves need to promote the upcoming players. The NBA and NFL has that done for them. Instead of rebroadcasting the same shows over and over show college games on MLB Network. Show Austin Martin and Spencer Torkleson. It’s February, there aren’t even any spring games on yet. Promote the fact that these guys are Top 3 prospects. Do I think the ratings will be great, no but the sport needs to take their own network and promote the future any way they can. 

Nope.

If it wasn't for Frobby fanboying I might not have heard of Zion. 

I certainly couldn't tell you who went #2 in the last NBA draft.

Only reason I know who Kyler Murray was is because he was drafted by the A's.

[eddie83]

3 minutes ago, Philip said:

 Attendance is down. To me that means decreased interest. The cost of the game is going up in the interest in going to the game is going down. You don’t increase interest by increasing homeruns. A homerun is a minute of nothing. You increase interest by increasing activity on the base paths.

 The urgency and the suspense of wondering whether the guy is going to steal or whether there’s going to be a double play or he’s going to be able to come home on a sacrifice fly. So the way to increase interest is by increasing base runners. Let me give you an example. Would you rather see one solo homerun in an inning, resulting in one run, or three singles in an inning, resulting in one run?

Regardless of which one you prefer, the more interesting scenario is the one which creates the most possibilities, so three singles is more desirable

Mannford hasn’t done anything that makes the game more interesting, they actually slow the game down. And of course the cheating scandal I don’t think anybody can say he handled it well.

Attendance is down for all sports. That is not a baseball issue alone.  

[eddie83]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

Nope.

If it wasn't for Frobby fanboying I might not have heard of Zion. 

I certainly couldn't tell you who went #2 in the last NBA draft.

Only reason I know who Kyler Murray was is because he was drafted by the A's.

Then you are not a typical American sports fan. Baseball is in competition with the attention that other sports have. Those players are household names to many.  

I hardly follow the NBA much anymore but Zion was a big deal.  

[DrungoHazewood]

3 minutes ago, Philip said:

 Attendance is down. To me that means decreased interest. The cost of the game is going up in the interest in going to the game is going down. You don’t increase interest by increasing homeruns. A homerun is a minute of nothing. You increase interest by increasing activity on the base paths.

 The urgency and the suspense of wondering whether the guy is going to steal or whether there’s going to be a double play or he’s going to be able to come home on a sacrifice fly. So the way to increase interest is by increasing base runners. Let me give you an example. Would you rather see one solo homerun in an inning, resulting in one run, or three singles in an inning, resulting in one run?

Regardless of which one you prefer, the more interesting scenario is the one which creates the most possibilities, so three singles is more desirable

Mannford hasn’t done anything that makes the game more interesting, they actually slow the game down. And of course the cheating scandal I don’t think anybody can say he handled it well.

I don't disagree with the ideas about the style of play and amount of action. 

But the attendance is due to a number of other things including many more entertainment options, and a concerted effort to maximize revenues rather than attendance. The baseline assumption has to be that attendance is going to decline, just how much.

[Philip]

7 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

Attendance is down for all sports. That is not a baseball issue alone.  

So? Do  do you think it would be better if the commissioner would make better choices? And remember, there is an inherent advantage to baseball that should make it more heavily attended. It’s in the summer, when kids are out of school, it’s daily, so you can go whenever you want, and although prices and parking and concession fees are going up, it’s still less expensive than Attending a football game.

[atomic]

11 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

Attendance is down for all sports. That is not a baseball issue alone.  

NBA, MLS and NHL attendance is not down.  

[Philip]

1 minute ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I don't disagree with the ideas about the style of play and amount of action. 

But the attendance is due to a number of other things including many more entertainment options, and a concerted effort to maximize revenues rather than attendance. The baseline assumption has to be that attendance is going to decline, just how much.

Well if attendance is going down in general, because of things that have nothing to do with baseball, then it’s logical to assume that bad decisions by the organization will increase the speed of the decline. If Manfred makes better decisions, which he has yet to show the ability to do, the decline in attendance might be slower than it is. It just makes sense that if the play on the field is being negatively impacted by  commissioner decisions, and that is true, then they are bad decisions. 

 Specifically, he has basically said it is OK to cheat. When Pete Rose asked for reinstatement on the grounds that, “hey they did it as an entire organization and nothing happened to them.“ He was exactly right. I do not think he should be reinstated, but I do think that all the guys who got away with it should be severely penalized.

[Redskins Rick]

Attendance is down for all sports, but the leagues are healthy and most people are making money.

There is so much revue outside of ticket seat sales, profitability does not directly relate to sales.

Not too mention all the sponsorship and cable tv money coming in.

[Can_of_corn]

14 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

Then you are not a typical American sports fan. Baseball is in competition with the attention that other sports have. Those players are household names to many.  

I hardly follow the NBA much anymore but Zion was a big deal.  

Never been called atypical before.

[eddie83]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

Never been called atypical before.

Was not my intent to be critical. Just saying most people know who those players are. 

[Enjoy Terror]

12 minutes ago, atomic said:

NBA, MLS and NHL attendance is not down.  

Just fact checked this. Atomic is right. NBA and NHL attendance is steady if not growing.

[Enjoy Terror]

If you want to know why baseball is losing fans it's because the MLB doesn't market its best players (at all/effectively) and the sport doesn't appeal to young people who cord cut and have no access to the game. Baseball is behind on moving into the future.