Captain's Quarters -

Ed... baseball may also want to seriously consider just how popular MLB will be when it comes to be perceived as watching a bunch of South American's play ball. Americans want to identify with their heroes.

Baseball has steadily lost ground to the NFL and NBA in recent decades. I don't think that I have a grasp on all of the causes, but can certainly see why not actively recruiting from within will be detrimental over the long term.

I have four kids who play ball and who've been active in Little League for six years. I see their participation as worthwhile within its own context, but it would be nice for a boy to be able to dream about a future in the sport.

Some of the most popular players in MLB are from Latin America, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Mariano Rivera to name a few. I think the infusion of Latin players has been very good for the game. And with more Japanese players coming in as well, the game is truly taking on an international flavor. Just another variation on the global economy.

I also wonder how much of this has to do with Title IX. Many players who enter the draft do so from college where presumably they are on some sort of athletic scholarship. With so many schools cutting programs like baseball to comply with Title IX, perhaps that is having an effect as well. College basketball and football programs are generally better funded, I think. I don't know, just a thought.

Immolate,

Baseball is the most diverse sport in America. If any sport gives ANY kid a chance to see themselves in a major league uniform, it's MLB. Even with the low percentage of black players today, young black stars are moving in with the likes of Ryan Howard and Delmon Young.

Baseball's popularity has been growing the past few years, with strong ticket sales and television ratings, despite it's major stars being named Pujols, Soriano, Santana, Beltran, Ramierez, Ortiz, etc...

You also have Joe Mauer, David Wright, Alex Gordan and Justin Morneau (AL MVP) as young white stars on the rise.

Then there's Dice-K, Ichiro and Wang for Asian kids to look up to.

That's pretty much the four major food groups of the American melting pot.

Could baseball be losing its attraction due to steroids? I know of no other sport that tracks records and statistics as much as they are tracked in baseball. When the records are achieved by questionable means, they mean nothing. The sport seems more hollow every year.

Something else to take into account is a general attitude that MLB only cares about enriching MLB. A lot of fans lost interest in the game after the 1994 strike. Many lifelong fans (like myself) have been disillusioned with MLB since they made Bud Selig Commissioner and the 1994 strike was the straw that broke the camels back for a lot of us.

Cindy

I think you are on to something regarding the amateur draft, but in my opinion the problem with baseball is twofold and both of them cultural.

First, baseball doesn't lend itself to the thuggery and exhibitionism popularized in the entertainment media today -- it's traditionally more gentlemanly than basketball or football. Obviously there are contrary examples in the MLB, but at least there is an effort to preserve tradition. You may remember that during the 2001 Little League World Series, the Bronx Little League team was warned by the umpire to stop showboating and taunting the other teams or he would declare a forfeit. It's the same team the was ultimately disqualified in the Danny Almonte scandal. The ESPN commentators fell all over themselves trying to excuse the bad sportsmanship, but the contrast between the Bronx team and every other team was vivid.

Second, in spite of all the whining about poverty in the U.S., kids who grow up here really do know how to entertain themselves without wearing $150 athletic shoes. It's still fashionable to be the best shortstop regardless of the equipment. This is the way it was 40 - 50 years ago everywhere -- city and suburb. Kids played stickball, dodgeball, softball, baseball, you-name-it in the playgrounds during recess at school and in the streets and vacant lots until it was too dark to see at night.

What are the odds of seeing dodgeball on a school playground today?

For whatever reason, inner city culture pegs baseball as being a "white" sport. I don't see what baseball can do to change that. Basketball can be played year around and in many ways, it's more fun to play than baseball is.

I go to Washington Nationals games once in a while, and the only black people in the park are the vendors. RFK is located in a black neighborhood. Meanwhile, there is a good percentage of fans who are black at the Wizards games and those tickets are far more than are baseball tickets. Nats tickets start at $5, whereas Wiz tickets start at $20, so it's not the money.

But despite that, the sport is thriving at all levels. College baseball is growing in popularity, look at how well it's doing in the SEC conference, particularly. I noticed that when I was in New Orleans recently, that all of LSUs/Tulane's games are broadcast.

With how long the seasons last, it's hard to focus on more than one or two sports anymore. I like baseball and football, myself. Hard to have time for much more.

College baseball is growing in popularity, look at how well it's doing in the SEC conference, particularly. I noticed that when I was in New Orleans recently, that all of LSUs/Tulane's games are broadcast.

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Posted by NoDonkey at April 3, 2007 07:51 AM

I agree and add minor league baseball to your list -- it's family-oriented and a good value in most parts of the U.S.

We are forgetting the ban was not just on African-Americans but all players of African decent. To say that there has been a decline in black players in the major leagues is wrong. What we are seeing is the internationalization of MLB and that is good for the sport. If 9% of major league ballplayers are African-American then given the number of international players, many of whom are black, African Americans are indeed participating in the majors in proportion to their numbers in the population

Next to being at Beaver Stadium watching college football on any given Saturday in Happy Valley, baseball is the distant second, ESPECIALLY if you can watch games in the spring in Florida. Then comes pro hockey and pro football. There is nothing close on the pro level than watching a baseball game in Dunedin with a nice cold Canadian beer of your choice.

While Rudy is a classic ND movie, more great movies have been made about baseball ... forget the numbers, it is still America's Pastime.

Agree, capitano and admission prices for baseball are by far the cheapest for pro sports. You can buy a ticket for half what a movie costs.

And yes, there's less kids out playing, due to video games, etc, so getting enough kids to put together a decent sized game is hard.

If you get 10 kids together, you can have a full court 5 on 5 basketball game. 10 for baseball and you have a pitcher, 1st/2nd base, SS/3B and two outfielders. Lotta ground to cover.

I think it's good for kids to play a sport, any sport. Better than sitting inside playing video game or reading the New York Times.

"There is nothing close on the pro level than watching a baseball game in Dunedin."

I assume that's in Canada. That does sound good.

The best I've experienced is drinking an Old Style at Wrigley, at 2:30 p.m. on a Tuesday, when the sun is shining and it's 80 degrees.

Must admit it beats drinking an Iron City Light in the bleachers in Pittsburgh, although that's close.

I think you have missed the boat entirely when you say that more money needs to be thrown at it. More education needs to be thrown at it. Check the IQ of any baseball player against the best in NFL and NBA. You will find your answer there.

There's a sports complex in our town devoted entirely to amatuer baseball, softball, and soccer leagues.

Membership fee: $100
Security deposit: $50
Required Aluminum bat (2", any store): >$300
Modern gloves (any store): >$80
Cleats (any store): >$60
Ball: >$2

of course I can go play in a vacant lot with a $40 wooden bat and a secondhand fielder's mitt for $35 IF anybody else shows up, but if I expect a guaranteed schedule of games, I better pony up...

So if African-Americans are 9% of MLB players now and are...hmm, well Wikipedia says 12% of the general population..how is this anything other than "enlightened" white liberal guilt?

Do Dave Winfield and Bug Selig *really* want to go back to the days when there were no Hispanic or Asian players in the bigs? Actually that might help Bud's Brewers by getting rid of the best hitter in their division, but just think of what that would do to Winfield's Yankees!

Speaking of which, wouldn't Derek Jeter make that 9.5%? ;-)

Das:

That 9% of the total makes it about 12% of the American Players, i.e., right on the number.

Since many of the Latin palyers are also Black the percentage of all players is greater.

"of course I can go play in a vacant lot with a $40 wooden bat and a secondhand fielder's mitt for $35 IF anybody else shows up, but if I expect a guaranteed schedule of games, I better pony up..."

We used cheap bats and tennis balls. Didn't cost much.

And I had much more fun playing pickup games than I ever did playing in organized leagues.

The only thing organized sports did for me was:
1) Taught me how to exercise/train regularly and 2) Prepared me for the military.

Which moved me towards my present excellent health and my livlihood.

But organized sports are not much fun, unless you're a star and I was not.

Interesting point about the draft. Baseball is a slower-paced game than the others mentioned - i think that has something to do with it ... much more standing and waiting in baseball than in basketball.

Rick Monday was a better player than announcer. (i once heard Monday describe a return throw from the catcher to the pitcher as returning that "small white orb")

Rudy was an awful movie.

Baseball at Wrigley really is a unique experience - glad I made my pilgrimage 2 yrs ago. Chicago's an amazing city too.