Major League Baseball is Striking Out
Baseball is the game of my youth. At 43 years old, that is a distant memory. As every year passes, seemingly more quickly, I become more and more disconnected with my first sports love.
Falling out of love is not easy and sometimes you cannot pinpoint the exact reasons why the magic has vanished. That is not the case here. Some of the reasons are almost too obvious while others are underlying.
The game itself. It simply is not the game of my youth. Some claim analytics have ruined it. Others profess it has enhanced baseball. I stand firmly affixed on the fence when discussing them. I love the purity of simple stats. Home runs, stolen bases, runs batted in, batting average, runs scored. Even on-base percentage and slugging percentage have entered my frame of reference even if I've never taken the time to learn how to calculate them.
But I can admit the advanced statistics do offer a more in-depth approach for the more dedicated. They do have a place but I disagree with the increasing reliance on them. It has changed drafts. It has changed free agency. It has changed trade deadlines. The acquisition of players has gone away from instincts and moved towards analytical data. The game is still played in fields and parks not computers and chessboards.
My eyes are probably deceiving me to a degree but it appears every batter is swinging for the fences. In the absence of a moonshot the strikeout has become acceptable. No shortening the swing on two strikes. No contact hitting to advance the runners. No slap-hitting. No opposite field pokes. At least that's how it seems in this homer-happy era. Even the traditionally non-power hitters are playing the role. It's made the game somewhat predictable.
Outside the game. I look around at other major sports and see three major differences with baseball that keep it from being "NBA" buzzworthy. The draft. When the hell is it? I bet you couldn't find a high percentage of baseball fans who could name the date. It's in the middle of the season so who cares? Why is it in the middle of the season? Games are happening, that's where the focus is and rightfully so. Whatever the logistical reasons, move it to after the season and before free agency. Like the NBA and NHL. Keep the buzz going after the World Series. And give the fans of the also-ran teams something to look forward to. Which leads me to...
Free agency. What has happened here? This has turned into a months-long staring contest now to see how long the marquee names can wait before their counterparts set the market. The majority of the time is so anti-climactic. Nothing happens! Look to the NBA, NHL, NFL, and see the excitement coming off the draft, leading right into free agency as fans play fantasy general managers hoping their teams make moves and imagining the possibilities. Not sure how to fix this one short of assuring cost certainty with a hard team salary cap or individual player salary caps but the non-activity is doing baseball no favors.
The trade deadline. Why is there a soft one and a real one? Consolidate. Rumor is this may already be in the works. As it currently stands it is confusing. Again, in the NBA, NHL, NFL, hard trade deadlines spur definitive movement and that creates excitement and buzz. Fantasy GMs buckle in and debate.
Ultimately, the actual game evolves for better or for worse. And the powers that be should make sure all the elements surrounding baseball are as conducive as possible to enhancing its fading popularity.
