I think this is why it isn't relevant anymore. The nfl plays a short schedule for a number of reasons, but in that each week really counts for something. Just like in the college game of baseball each series carries weight. In MLB teams can take a month off and still come back to being relevant to the playoffs. The game doesn't need to change but the schedule does. Of course the number one thing wrong with baseball is baseball. It is such a traditionalist sport that they fervently fight change.
Why does baseball have to play 162 games?
- Thread starter TheBigDA
- Start date
I would totally support
a radical change to the MLB schedule. It'll never happen because of the nostalgia of chasing the records (homers in a season, career, etc...).
I was texting with a friend today about the Kimbrel blowing that save cause he's a douche... and the conversation veered towards the WBC how interested every country but the US seems to be about the event.
How great would it be if the MLB had a 120 or 130 game schedule... and at the end of June or July every 3rd year, there was a two week break in which the WBC and all-star game all occurred. Having it mid-season would allow anyone who is healthy the ability to play. Right now, having it during spring training really limits who gets to play and who doesn't. As a pitcher, I'm not sure there's any upside to getting your arm ready 3 or 4 weeks before it needs to be.
a radical change to the MLB schedule. It'll never happen because of the nostalgia of chasing the records (homers in a season, career, etc...).
I was texting with a friend today about the Kimbrel blowing that save cause he's a douche... and the conversation veered towards the WBC how interested every country but the US seems to be about the event.
How great would it be if the MLB had a 120 or 130 game schedule... and at the end of June or July every 3rd year, there was a two week break in which the WBC and all-star game all occurred. Having it mid-season would allow anyone who is healthy the ability to play. Right now, having it during spring training really limits who gets to play and who doesn't. As a pitcher, I'm not sure there's any upside to getting your arm ready 3 or 4 weeks before it needs to be.
I think they need that many games for organizations to break even. I think most teams lose money if they don't make the playoffs in a given season. They don't have the lucrative TV deals that football has. Of course, there's an argument that demand would go up if they played less, yada yada yada...but this is what they're comfortable with.
So
you would just make it so players from now on won't compete for any records, since the games played won't be the same?
In the NFL, teams take months off just to get hot in the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. (Giants/Ravens)
Also, the NFL is trying to add games to it's schedule.
Part of baseball's competition is that it's such a grind over a long period of time. Injuries, slumps are all part of it. Shortening for the sake of "making every game count" is short-sighted.
you would just make it so players from now on won't compete for any records, since the games played won't be the same?
In the NFL, teams take months off just to get hot in the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. (Giants/Ravens)
Also, the NFL is trying to add games to it's schedule.
Part of baseball's competition is that it's such a grind over a long period of time. Injuries, slumps are all part of it. Shortening for the sake of "making every game count" is short-sighted.
That's easy. Baseball is 10 times better than football. Therefore, baseball has a schedule with 10 times more games.
Would you please enlighten me as to how Kimbrel is a douche? Is it because he trots straight out of the bullpen gate and doesn't hop around or slide on the infield grass? Or maybe because he's relatively clean cut and doesn't have a beard or some ridiculous hair style hanging out of his cap? Or is it because he just fist pumps(maybe) and greets the catcher after he records the last out, instead of doing some obscene hand gesture, yelling at the opposing team, or untucking his shirt as he walks off the mound?
Or maybe just because you're a 17ng Cardinals fan?
It's pretty obvious after last night
that he hates America. And anyone who hates America is a douche.
Probably should put these ** somewhere.
that he hates America. And anyone who hates America is a douche.
Probably should put these ** somewhere.
Which proves my point about fighting change. John Q American could care less about 162 games of baseball. I like baseball but could care less about 162 games. This is also way baseball is fading from 3rd to 4th in major sports. MLB must shake things up. Look at NASCAR and nfl, they are constantly looking to make their sports more fan and tv friendly. MLB not so much. Heck why not play a 3 game home and home with everyone in your league then play a 3 game series with a team from each division of the other league. That gives you a 93 game season plus playoffs. Toe-may-toe . . . tomato
might rethink the TV theory. they are more market specific because each team can sell their local tv rights, and the league only sells a certain number of games to fox and espn. that's a ton of programming for local/regional sports networks that carry the games (4-5 hours of programming per day almost everyday for about 6 months), and the most recent deals have been huge and why you are suddenly seeing more and more "small" market and non-traditional franchises splurging to lock up young players before they hit the market. and fwiw, while ratings of the playoffs and all star game and **** might be down, attendance is up across the league.
plus, unlike football where the best team (or at least the better teams) can often be determined over 16 games because so much prep goes into each game, baseball has the ebbs and flows and part of it is staying mentally focused in august and sept and having a full rotation (reducing games means you could probably shorten rotations) that contributes instead of relying on 3 studs and not worrying about the 4th and 5th SPs or a deep bench or bullpen.
of course each game isn't do or die, and losing a random tuesday night game to a crappy team in may isn't likely ruining your season, but you follow your team or just the league in general and kinda get a feel for who is hot, who is slumping, etc. and over the course of 162 games you really find our what kind of team you have. baseball is supposed to be a relaxing season for the most part. of course the end can get crazy and intense, but you can spend the summer going to games, chilling out with friends, drinking beer, cheering for your team, and if they lose, it's not the end of the world.
finally you have to factor in all records, not just seasonal records, but careers records. guys would lose hundreds of games over a career.
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I agree. I love baseball, but the games are too long and they play too many of them. If baseball wants to revive its' dying brand, they need to start by cutting down on the number of games so that they mean more.
Why does
baseball need to change for you or others to like it? Apparently it's got enough support, currently, to exist if all of the sudden everyone started hating it, then maybe they should. However, it seems to be doing fine.
baseball need to change for you or others to like it? Apparently it's got enough support, currently, to exist if all of the sudden everyone started hating it, then maybe they should. However, it seems to be doing fine.
That's the thing though, it's really not doing THAT great compared to its' past. It is steadily losing more and more interest. We're not saying "change it for us", we're saying here's some ideas that may keep it from continuing down the downward slide it is currently on, in terms of popularity.
I have had no problem in ignoring MLB. But shorten the schedule to where games mean more, and I would jump back on board more than likely. That's MLB's problem though...they are too stubborn and it will eventually be their demise. My opinion anyway.
For all I care, they can change nothing and I will continue not watching their product. Just providing some helpful ideas. Besides, their records have been tarnished by Roids anyway, so now would be a great time to change some things up to draw more interest.
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Funny.
But seriously, it's not that people either like baseball or don't. There are tons of people like myself, that love college baseball but do not watch a single inning of pro baseball. I grew up a Huge MLB fan...never missed a Braves game and kept up with everything in the league...so why has my view changed to not caring? It's because the games mean nothing, the teams have an entirely new batch of players every season, and you have to block off 4 hours of your night to watch a single game....that like I said, means nothing by the way.
If I had never been a pro baseball fan, I wouldn't even involve myself in this discussion. But I miss liking MLB, but it's impossible for me to get back in to it when nothing is of relevance until September. Maybe that's just me though. Maybe I should try Fantasy baseball so that I have a reason to watch. I don't know.
Does anybody else feel the way I do about it? Just wondering.
But seriously, it's not that people either like baseball or don't. There are tons of people like myself, that love college baseball but do not watch a single inning of pro baseball. I grew up a Huge MLB fan...never missed a Braves game and kept up with everything in the league...so why has my view changed to not caring? It's because the games mean nothing, the teams have an entirely new batch of players every season, and you have to block off 4 hours of your night to watch a single game....that like I said, means nothing by the way.
If I had never been a pro baseball fan, I wouldn't even involve myself in this discussion. But I miss liking MLB, but it's impossible for me to get back in to it when nothing is of relevance until September. Maybe that's just me though. Maybe I should try Fantasy baseball so that I have a reason to watch. I don't know.
Does anybody else feel the way I do about it? Just wondering.
Maybe he meant "nerd" instead of "smart"....because only a nerd has 4 hours a day for 162 days a year available to watch their team play all of its' games.*
If I'm going to be a fan, I want to watch all of my teams' games.
Attendance is up because its cheap to attend
Because you get so many home games per year. If the number of games decreased, the cost per game would go up to compensate (the players aren't gonna take pay cuts) and midweek attendance would bottom out. There are many reasons, but money is usually the #1 factor. Right or wrong, I'm sure there's a fear that shortening the season would cost teams money.
Because you get so many home games per year. If the number of games decreased, the cost per game would go up to compensate (the players aren't gonna take pay cuts) and midweek attendance would bottom out. There are many reasons, but money is usually the #1 factor. Right or wrong, I'm sure there's a fear that shortening the season would cost teams money.
But baseball isn't steadily losing interest. It's actually more popular nationally than college football.
baseball has totally lost the 18-35 demographic....which means it will continue to decrease in popularity. Like someone above said, attendance may not be down, but that is because you can go to a game for 5 bucks. But surely the TV ratings, merchandise sales, etc, are down? I'm purely guessing here, maybe I'm in a small group, but it seems to be a topic on a lot of talk shows about MLB losing interest.
It's actually not. A quick Google shows that MLB TV revenue is about $800 million per season. College football was over $1 billion before the PAC-12 Network started. The SEC Network is also about to be announced. Those will probably add another $400 million combined.
I suspect misused or just bad statistics behind this claim. I hate to ask, but based on what numbers?
Merchandise revenue has been at a record level for the last few years. I'm not sure why you think it has completely lost the 18-35 demographic or where you're getting that from. It's not as popular as it was 50 years ago, but it's trending up. It's not going to overtake the NFL any time soon, but it's not going to get overtaken by any other sport, either.
First of all, show me some stats where MLB is "trending up", bc I ain't buying it. And secondly, show me where it is more popular than college football. Also, shouldn't it be more popular than a college sport? Why not compare it to NFL, NBA, etc.
Count me in. I LOVE the Cubs (I know, don't start). I always have, and can't really tell you what started it because I liked them as a 5-6 year old growing up in the country w/o cable TV in the 70's-80's. What I HATE is that my two boys will never know what it's like to know a Brett, Ozzie, Ripken, Sandberg, Chipper, etc... I thought we may still have one in Pujols, but he left too. One player on one team for one career. I know Oz started in SD and Sandberg in Philly, but you get my point. Those days are gone. For every Jeter there are 300 Octavio Dotels. You can identify with a team or a player, but not a team AND a player. That plus the money has rotted the brains of the players. Just my take.
Haha. I knew that would ruffle some feathers. I saw it not four days ago somewhere else and this thread reminded me of it. However, for the record I don't follow MLB as much as I used to. I'm in agreement with Cadaverdawg and msucub. I followed the Giants religiously during Clark's tenure there. I traded a Micheal Jordan Upper Deck card (long before his minor league stint) for a whole bunch of Giants card just because those meant more to me (value wise I got ripped off) . Here in Georgia I root for the Braves but I don't follow them as hardcore as most of my colleagues. The last game I attended was during Ripken's farewell tour. GA is predominantly all UGA and they think football is the only sport their school plays. Yet, they'll brag about their Women's Gymnastics Team! I hate them only slightly less than Ole Miss. But, I digress, my beef with UGA fans is a post for another day. Here's looking for an opening SEC win tonight.
Merchandise breaking records: http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-04-04/industries/31285326_1_sales-fanatics-new-logo
Baseball is trending up and is 2nd of all sports: http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/e...baseball-as-secondmost-popular-american-sport
Baseball is trending up and is 2nd of all sports: http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/e...baseball-as-secondmost-popular-american-sport
MLB's TV revenue is about to start going up by a lot. The Dodgers alone just signed a TV deal for over $7 billion. Besides, there are more important factors in determining a sport's popularity than what TV networks are paying the teams to broadcast the games.