The Future of Baseball

      America’s pastime is dying once again.  Over two decades have passed since the near demise of Major League Baseball, and in present day we now find ourselves in a similar situation.  Strangely enough, the declining interest in baseball cannot be attributed to any specific group or individual that is directly involved with the sport.  In reality, it is the younger generation that is destroying the fanfare that once surrounded baseball.  Their lack of interest in baseball could be linked to a plethora of factors, including short attention spans, a lack of marketing, and an inability to easily access the game.  

    The shortened attention span of children has spurred Major League executives to make strides to significantly shorten games.  Instituting pitch clocks, and removing the intentional walk are only 2 instances of the changes taking place.  On the surface, these changes seem like a harmless way to appeal to the younger generation.  However, as this historic game changes, “purists” severely discredit the new rules.  In their eyes, the game is becoming an entirely new entity at the expense of their opinions.  Nevertheless, executives believe that the money is held in the future generation; therefore, it is logical to invest in their viewership rather than the current fan.

    While I do agree with the notion of involving the younger generation, I believe that Major League executives are going about it the wrong way.  Instead of changing the actual game, I feel that an increase in advertising would be beneficial for the sport.  Every young athlete knows athletes such as Lebron James or Michael Jordan, because they are consistently featured on TV, magazines and other forms of media.  On the other hand, Mike Trout, who could be considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time, is never featured in advertisements.  Kids can easily associate the NBA’s top players with why they like basketball, but there is no real “face of baseball”.  In order to further promote the game, executives must utilize the talented players that they possess.  

    Finally, baseball must be made more accessible to a wider range of children.  The sad reality of this sport is that it is dominated by white children.  This is partly due to the fact that many underprivileged minority families cannot afford the many expenses of baseball equipment.  Other sports such as basketball or soccer pose a much cheaper option for parents to allow their children to play a sport.  In order to further promote baseball, we must reach out to underprivileged communities and provide them with an opportunity to play the game.  Programs such as the Baseball Tomorrow Fund are already making strides in many communities, but it is evident that we can still increase our efforts.  

    The future prosperity of baseball is reliant solely on the engagement of the younger generation.  New ventures must be made to promote the game to the children, while also preserving its vast history.

by Chris Steffens