Growing up, I was a huge baseball fan. I know Ty Cobb's career batting average. I know the last player to win the triple crown. I also got turned off by the '94 strike, and the BS that McGwire and Sosa pulled at the congressional hearings, and the Bonds drama, and now the constant revelations about guys who I hoped against hope were clean but have tested positive. I find myself checking the standings every few days now, whereas before I stayed up late to see who won and who lost. The NFL, which I liked growing up but which was on the periphery really, is more interesting, and I really live for college football. And I can't get myself to give a **** again about Major League Baseball.
Confessions of a former MLB fan.
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Growing up, I was a huge baseball fan. I know Ty Cobb's career batting average. I know the last player to win the triple crown. I also got turned off by the '94 strike, and the BS that McGwire and Sosa pulled at the congressional hearings, and the Bonds drama, and now the constant revelations about guys who I hoped against hope were clean but have tested positive. I find myself checking the standings every few days now, whereas before I stayed up late to see who won and who lost. The NFL, which I liked growing up but which was on the periphery really, is more interesting, and I really live for college football. And I can't get myself to give a **** again about Major League Baseball.
Growing up, I was a huge baseball fan. I know Ty Cobb's career batting average. I know the last player to win the triple crown. I also got turned off by the '94 strike, and the BS that McGwire and Sosa pulled at the congressional hearings, and the Bonds drama, and now the constant revelations about guys who I hoped against hope were clean but have tested positive. I find myself checking the standings every few days now, whereas before I stayed up late to see who won and who lost. The NFL, which I liked growing up but which was on the periphery really, is more interesting, and I really live for college football. And I can't get myself to give a **** again about Major League Baseball.
up via Sportscenter but never got back into it. And, after all of the roid crap. even watching MLB highlights much less a game ranks on my 'must watch' list somewhere around midget wrestling or mens kickball. Hell, I didn't even know the Phillies won the World Series last year until I heard it on the radio two days ago while waiting for a football fix.
about where I am with it. Good thoughts. I basically only watch the playoffs, and not every inning either.
But that combined with my going to college the next year killed it. I wasn't a huge football fan until then, but now it's 100x more relevant to me than baseball. It was just good timing for me. I gave up baseball, and football took it's place.
I like going to baseball games, be it college, minors or majors, but I don't think I've watched a game from start to finish since the strike.
I like going to baseball games, be it college, minors or majors, but I don't think I've watched a game from start to finish since the strike.
put my name at the end of your post.
I watched MLB most nights until the 94 strike. First and last game I have watched since was Paps in the World Series.
To hell with them.
I watched MLB most nights until the 94 strike. First and last game I have watched since was Paps in the World Series.
To hell with them.
where finding a Rickey Henderson rookie card was like striking gold. Now I don't even bother to tell my 8 yr old son how much I used to like baseball and the Sportscenter homerun highlights. Haven't even gone to the attic to break out the unopened cards that I thought one day would be passed on to him during cardboard gum conversations about why these things are in plastic bulletproof holders. The thrill is gone for me until playoffs.
I grew up playing baseball. It was always my favorite sport, especially professional sport since I could care less about the NBA and didn't really care about the NFL until I moved to Nashville. I only had one professional team I loved with a passion, the SF Giants, and now I just couldn't give a ****. I am trying hard to give ****, too, since they are having a good season and have a shot to get into the playoffs. But even with that, I could really give a ****.
I am now a bigger hockey fan than I am a baseball fan. Professional anyways (I'll always love State baseball no matter what). What's even more messed up, is I think I'm now a bigger cycling fan than I am a baseball fan after watching Le Tour for the first time this year. Cycling - who woulda thought??
I had a buddy text me the other day and tell me the Giants were actually trying to make a move for once to pick up some hitting before the trade deadline and had just picked up Ryan Garko and were also going after Freddy Sanchez. I had never heard of either player - don't know what teams they played for, position they play, etc. I guess it's just gotten that bad with me. I haven't watched a single game this entire season. I think I tuned in a couple of times for the World Series last year, but that was probably the only baseball I watched all of last season too.
Bud Selig and the Players Union have single-handedly ruined MLB. From the steroids scandal to no salary cap, it has ruined America's past time. Football simply can't get here soon enough because when guys like me have to turn to cycling to get their sports fix, something's wrong. Maybe the Giants will catch fire and make a run at the Dodgers and I'll start watching a little bit, but if not, I guess I'll just watch Fox News and Food Network until football finally gets here.
I am now a bigger hockey fan than I am a baseball fan. Professional anyways (I'll always love State baseball no matter what). What's even more messed up, is I think I'm now a bigger cycling fan than I am a baseball fan after watching Le Tour for the first time this year. Cycling - who woulda thought??
I had a buddy text me the other day and tell me the Giants were actually trying to make a move for once to pick up some hitting before the trade deadline and had just picked up Ryan Garko and were also going after Freddy Sanchez. I had never heard of either player - don't know what teams they played for, position they play, etc. I guess it's just gotten that bad with me. I haven't watched a single game this entire season. I think I tuned in a couple of times for the World Series last year, but that was probably the only baseball I watched all of last season too.
Bud Selig and the Players Union have single-handedly ruined MLB. From the steroids scandal to no salary cap, it has ruined America's past time. Football simply can't get here soon enough because when guys like me have to turn to cycling to get their sports fix, something's wrong. Maybe the Giants will catch fire and make a run at the Dodgers and I'll start watching a little bit, but if not, I guess I'll just watch Fox News and Food Network until football finally gets here.
I went on strike in 94 also. Came back 2 years ago. Still don't know a lot of the players, mainly in the NL. But baseball is a great game, the steroid crap sucks, and I stayed away as long as I could.
It weeded out a bunch of whiners like y'all.
Bring on the drug free environment of the NFL and cycling.
Bring on the drug free environment of the NFL and cycling.
and I really wish I wasn't. I used to love watching MLB, and hell I could use something to pay attention to in the summer. But I just haven't been able to really get back into it. I still follow it, and know how every team is doing and most of the players, I just don't really watch it anymore, or care a whole lot.
because there is nothing tv worthy in the summer time if you're not interested in MLB. It's apathy, not hate.
I have a love/hate relationship. The game itself is great, and I love going to games in Oxford and Starkville. But the way MLB is run is terrible. A 162 game season with 4 hour games is completely meaningless when the best team can get cold at the wrong time and lose 3 out of 5 in the "divisional series." A third of the teams do not even pretend to compete, and there are no consequences. Middle infielders step out of the box and readjust their batting gloves after every damn pitch. Tony LaRussa uses 8 pitchers a night. Playoff games aren't over until after midnight. And until recently the game had fundamentally changed into an elaborate home run derby. It's like they're trying to drive people away.
I don't really know why, but I %+$%*%# loved them, especially Puckett. I had a lot of teams I liked though, since where I grew up wasn't really an area that liked any specific team. I used to buy a different fitted hat every year or two, and for like five straight hats that team went to the world series. Bought a Dodgers hat then they won with Gibson. Reds hat, then they went worst to first, with the nasty boys. A Giants hat, and they lost in the earthquake series. I was a huge Vince Coleman fan too. Him and Eric Davis. I've still got my Vince Coleman box bottom in a drawer somewhere. Eventually settled on the Twins though, and stuck with them til I quit caring.
As I've said on here before, I'm a big Sox fax and was actually in STL on October 27, 2004 when my team swept the sorry *** Cards. Holy **** what a disappointment of a Series that was. Point being, however, I neber thought I'd see the day when baseball essentially turned into the NBA -- wake me up when the playoffs start in other words. So no, I don't hate baseball. Thanks to your suck *** team I liked it again for a little while in '04. Just wished I loved it.
All professional athletes are on something. It's just a matter of what you know about and don't, and what you choose to accept and don't. The 94 strike pissed me off too, mainly because the Expos were so loaded that year it was going to be fun to see them in the playoffs instead of the Braves. It also allowed them to continue to claim their division title streak even though the Expos had a sizable lead when they walked out. I do share the same frustrations that were expressed here about the small market franchises and their ability to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox of the world. But I guess those guys are so removed from reality that I just forgive them for their actions. Sort of like I am with my toddler daughter. She doesn't understand the world, so it's not her fault if she sticks her finger in an outlet. These guys are on the other end of reality - so separated from real life they think all the millions of dollars they want really matter in the long run.
Imagine your Bulldogs playing for a national chamionship in something other than meteorology. You'd go to see that. I'll go to a world series game any time the Sox are playing.
Our society lives for instant gratification these days and that is what other sports provide that MLB does not and cannot. Who wants to watch a 4 hour game for a .5 game move in the standings during a 162 game season? Not me. I wish it could be some other way but it can't. When I was a kid it didn't matter. I didn't care about what was happening in the standings or what the game meant. When I started needing it to mean something was when baseball lost me.
I'll be just as disgusted with them as I was for baseball.
It likely won't have as much of an effect simply because I'm older, and it's more ingrained now. But I will lose respect, and my interest in it will go down some.
It likely won't have as much of an effect simply because I'm older, and it's more ingrained now. But I will lose respect, and my interest in it will go down some.
That's why I like college football and basketball more than anything else just because you don't have to contend with players bitching for more money and owners locking players out.
Watching regular season MLB on tv is boring. I used to love it when I was younger, but now I just can't watch on tv. I still like live baseball, but that sport loses a whole lot when you're not at the stadium.
What's ridiculous is the pace of the game. It's absolutely terrible. After every single pitch every single batter steps out of the box, rehooks the strap on his batting glove, swings the bat a few times, slowly steps in, goes into his completely unnecessary pre-pitch warmup routine, and then steps out again because the pitcher and catcher took more than 5 seconds agreeing on a sign. The pitcher I used to love watching more than any other was Greg Maddux in his prime. He could complete a game in 2-2.5 hours. I can watch a baseball game like that. The regular season is just boring to me now. I used to love but I just don't care. It wasn't the strike, it wasn't steroids, it's just the way the game is played doesn't work for me now.</p>
What's ridiculous is the pace of the game. It's absolutely terrible. After every single pitch every single batter steps out of the box, rehooks the strap on his batting glove, swings the bat a few times, slowly steps in, goes into his completely unnecessary pre-pitch warmup routine, and then steps out again because the pitcher and catcher took more than 5 seconds agreeing on a sign. The pitcher I used to love watching more than any other was Greg Maddux in his prime. He could complete a game in 2-2.5 hours. I can watch a baseball game like that. The regular season is just boring to me now. I used to love but I just don't care. It wasn't the strike, it wasn't steroids, it's just the way the game is played doesn't work for me now.</p>
Yeah really. I wish baseball could be as clean as the NFL and cycling are. Pro baseball continues to be my favorite pro sport, but I am obviously in the minorityDawgatAuburn said:
I agree that their should be some sort of salary cap, but the people that are crying that nobody stands a chance except the Yankees and Red Sox fail to mention that since 2000 there have been 8 different champions with only the Red Sox having multiple titles. It isnt just 2 teams taking turns winning it allDawgatAuburn said:
for anyone to want to watch a baseball game. Also, we are now too used to getting see college sports all the time and that's most of ours true love. Therefore, watching major league baseball pales in comparison.
If the season were 60 games, people would watch and payroll differences would be minimized, but I realize that's not going to happen. The season is just too damn long.
I despise the cheating as much as anyone, but as ya'll are stating, its not the reason I don't watch anymore.
If the season were 60 games, people would watch and payroll differences would be minimized, but I realize that's not going to happen. The season is just too damn long.
I despise the cheating as much as anyone, but as ya'll are stating, its not the reason I don't watch anymore.
But if you have a team willing and able to pay north of $200 million like the NYY, it certainly gives them an advantage. Thankfully they have made some investments that have not panned out well for them (Giambi, Pavano, Big Unit, etc), or they might have won 10 of the last 12 WS.
Part of the appeal is playing and living in a city as large as New York. That's a lot more fun than say, Kansas City. Even if the Royals had a YES network and that kind of coin to spend, is A-Rod gonna go there for $252 million, or to New York? His exposure is greater in New York, he can make more on endorsements there, the social scene (in addition to Madonna) is better there.....So they Yankees just keep spending knowing one day they will get it right and not worrying about the luxury tax. Then when they or other teams go over the "threshold" or whatever they call it and pay the tax, MLB keeps that money so it is not working against them by being given to the small market teams.
Part of the appeal is playing and living in a city as large as New York. That's a lot more fun than say, Kansas City. Even if the Royals had a YES network and that kind of coin to spend, is A-Rod gonna go there for $252 million, or to New York? His exposure is greater in New York, he can make more on endorsements there, the social scene (in addition to Madonna) is better there.....So they Yankees just keep spending knowing one day they will get it right and not worrying about the luxury tax. Then when they or other teams go over the "threshold" or whatever they call it and pay the tax, MLB keeps that money so it is not working against them by being given to the small market teams.
It's just not an even playing field no matter how you try to spin it. The Sox and Yankees may not win it all every year, but because of the lack of a salary cap, they are in the hunt EVERY SINGLE YEAR because of the money they can spend on free agent acquisitions year in-year out, whereas teams like the Marlins & Rays can get a team to the next level once every 10 years or so by building thru the draft. They may actually get there and win it, but it doesn't take away from the fact that the next year the entire team gets imploded and all the good players wind up signing with one of the major market teams and then it's back to square one all over again. This is the main reason why I don't follow MLB any longer.
I said that baseball needed a salary cap, I just had to point out that there are different champions damn near every year so it isnt one or two teams always winning it. The Rays were smart. They saw what they had in some of their players last year and locked them up for a decent price for quite awhile,and that is hwy they will be a good team for quite awhile. You are not seeing teams dumping all of their players at such a high rate like you used to. Well except for the PiratesBriantheDawg said:
and suck for four years. That's not fun being a fan, shipping your best players off consistently.
While different teams may bubble up, there is a group of ****** teams that just stays ******.
While different teams may bubble up, there is a group of ****** teams that just stays ******.