MLB's Big Market Problem. Atlanta is 7th largest media, Houston is 8th.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

On 10/27/2021 at 5:32 PM, turtlebowl said:

Did anyone notice that last nights game which was really one sided took over 4 hrs because of all the pitching changes?  The trend of multiple relievers being used every game is a problem for the game.  At one point I used to tune in just to watch games where I really liked the starting pitcher.  Remember, at that point you didn't have to throw 95 plus to be a starter.  I loved watching Maddux, Mussina and others of that ilk work their way through a lineup 3 or 4 times. It was to me what made a 9 inning game interesting, especially for games where I maybe didn't have that rooting interest.  Now we are at the point where they pull a starter before they ever get around to the third time in a lineup regardless how well they seem to be pitching.  Even worse is if some bullpen arm throwing 96 gives up a bomb he gets pulled for some guy that can come in and throw 98.  Is this what pitching has come to in baseball?

The game is going the wrong direction between all the strikeouts, shifts and bullpen usage.  I realize that the changes are all driven by SABRmetrics so the science supports the changes but at least in my opinion it makes it way less entertaining.  

You're absolutely correct it shouldn't take four hours for a nine inning World Series game to complete. All the specialization in baseball is making every game take forever to complete now. I understand the analytics of it and why teams do what they do. 

Long term though it's going to result in less and less new fans attracted to the sport. I can't see any kids (especially on the east coast) willingly paying attention for four hours and watching until midnight.

Also it's the freaking weekend why is the game still starting at 8pm EST? Manfred and baseball seem hellbent on becoming a niche sport. 

[osfan83]

I grew up a huge baseball fan. Collected baseball cards for years, could pretty much name every player on each team throughout the 70's and 80's, even into the '90's. With that said, I haven't watched a baseball playoff game, excluding those with the O's participating, in 10+ years. My list of why:

- Other life priorities.

-Can't stay up late enough during the week to see past the 5th so why start watching at all.

-Irritated with baseballs inequities.  

-Lack of excitement (K,BB,HR outcomes).

[DrungoHazewood]

On 10/27/2021 at 5:32 PM, turtlebowl said:

Did anyone notice that last nights game which was really one sided took over 4 hrs because of all the pitching changes?  The trend of multiple relievers being used every game is a problem for the game.

Pitching changes contribute to the length of games somewhat.  But it's pacing more than anything else.  Nobody enforces pitch clocks or the existing rules on how often a pitch has to be thrown.  There are vastly more exceptions than enforcements.  Watch a game from the 1970s on YouTube.  Almost nobody steps out, the pitcher just gets ready to pitch and goes.  I watched an Orioles World Series game from I think 1970 where Brooks stayed in the batter's box with his cleats in the same holes for an entire mound visit.  Today he'd go next door to Arby's and get a sandwich.

Commercials also contribute.  As do more pitches, there are something like 10% more pitches today than 20 or 25 years ago. 

So it's not just one thing, but pacing by pitchers and batters and umps is the primary thing, and also the thing that is seemingly impossible to fix.  Teams used to play getaway day games in just over an hour or so when they needed to catch a train.  Now the players don't seem to care at all, it's just the fans that go to bed in the 4th inning.

[DrungoHazewood]

On 10/30/2021 at 11:31 PM, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

You're absolutely correct it shouldn't take four hours for a nine inning World Series game to complete. All the specialization in baseball is making every game take forever to complete now. I understand the analytics of it and why teams do what they do. 

Long term though it's going to result in less and less new fans attracted to the sport. I can't see any kids (especially on the east coast) willingly paying attention for four hours and watching until midnight.

Also it's the freaking weekend why is the game still starting at 8pm EST? Manfred and baseball seem hellbent on becoming a niche sport. 

Constant pitching changes might contribute five or 10 minutes to an average game.  Maybe 15 at the outside.  But when this year's Series sees two nine-inning games come in at over 4:00 that's not the driver.  The driver is pacing and probably commercials.  The longest game in the 1970 Series was 2:35.  This year in Game 1 2:35 probably happened in the 4th inning.

I actually watched some of the Series this year, but I never made it to the 7th.  No way I'm staying up to midnight for two teams I really couldn't care less about.

[NCRaven]

21 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Watch a game from the 1970s on YouTube.  Almost nobody steps out, the pitcher just gets ready to pitch and goes. 

Mike Freaking Hargrove.