Why MLB is dying
 

They're STUPID.

Little Girl Throws Ball Back, MLB Throws Embeds Away
September 16th, 2009 | by Jennifer Van Grove

http://ec.mashable.com/wp-content/up...illies-dad.jpg

Last night something with the potential to go insanely viral happened at a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game. Big time Phillies fan, Steve Monforto, caught his first foul ball, promptly handed it over to his 3-year-old daughter, Emily, who then immediately threw it back onto the field. After initial shock, the dad embraced his daughter in a very touching baseball moment.

The hilarious and heart-warming incident was caught on tape by the MLB, but also received the user-generated treatment appearing on YouTube in many forms, creating quite the social media stir almost instantly after the event took place.

Due the nature of the clip, it was poised to become a viral sensation on YouTube() and around the Web. Unfortunately the MLB doesn’t want to play ball. They’ve decided to make copyright claims on all but their very own copy, which has no embed code to enable sharing.

The ball incident is one that has all the makings of an Internet hit: the catch was spectacular, the moment Emily threw the ball back is adorable, and the subsequent hug and fan cheering is memorable. As such, the family will appear on the Today Show tomorrow morning, and will reportedly receive a surprise gift.

It was a such a great moment for baseball, especially with the NFL season now underway, that we’re pretty disappointed by the MLB’s decision to issue copyright claims removing all traces of fan-created videos. We’re even more surprised by the fact that the MLB’s version of the video has no embed code, which means to watch it, you’re forced to visit their site. That practice seems pretty backwards in this day and age, and one that’s likely to prevent the video from living up to its viral potential.

http://mashable.com/2009/09/16/littl...ows-ball-back/

INTERNET SCARE ME

AHHHH

- Bud Selig

Does anyone actually pay attention to baseball once football season begins?

That's awesome. Not MLB throwing a fit about the copyright but the girl throwing the ball back. What a great story to tell her later.

You think baseball is dying because they won't allow people to post videos on Youtube?

I tend to think it has to do more with no salary cap. Or maybe steroids tainting the game.

It's a lot like Baba booey's first pitch. It was huge on the Stern show but you couldn't find it anywhere for the first few days. MLB are real bitches about their property.
The NFL is a bit more lenient when it comes to their copy write. As long as you don't post the whole game they'll usually let any clips go after a week or so. They must understand that these "viral videos" are good to promote the league.
MLB has been shit since the strike (94?). NHL hasn't been the same either. Here's hoping there's no NFL strike.

I thought this thread was about whose playing the mike.

That was my first thought...

heh heh... you said "taint"

No, they're STUPID in general. This is just the latest example.

They're out of touch. Is that better?

I quit baseball in '94 as did many people. Glad to see it had some effect.

I figured it was because the game is outdated and boring.

Then why is soccer so popular worldwide? "Outdated and boring" is not a killer for sports.

Baseball sucks dick, thats why its dying.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big...n=mlb%2C189941

Link still available here. Watch it before they take it down.

Because in most countries, it's all they have.

Well, baseball isn't dying because of this.......it's been dying because there's no salary cap.

Well, I'm liking MLB right now, 'cuz Matt Wieters has gunned down Carl Crawford at second twice tonight.

And I don't care that you don't care!

FYP.

Baseball is setting attendance records and making money hand over fist right now.

Baseball is dying (dead) in KC because morons are running the show there. Go to any market with a strong ballclub and you'll see that baseball is stronger than ever. Hell, a good month in KC and suddenly the Royals 'fans' were in full throat again. Baseball as an aggregate is doing great.

Baseball's always been a regional sport, even during it's 'golden' era. You fellas live in a dead region, so naturally you think it's dead. If the Royals ever put together a winning team again, you'll see 'baseball' come roaring back, when in actuality it's really just that your region finally has something to give a damn about again.

I've kinda adopted the Rockies since I live close by to Denver. And I figure that since their in the NL it doesn't affect my allegiance with the Royals.
And since the Rockies are still in a playoff hunt the answer is yes I am still watching MLB. :thumb:

Baseball is hardly "dying." The only sport doing better than it in America is the NFL.

To be fair soccer's fans riot and kill each other so they got that going for them. :D

’94 seems to be the consensus. 2 Blue Jay World Series wins and a strike was too much for most fans to take.

yeah umm the worst team in the league just paid a 20 year old pitcher who plays every 5 days like a billion dollars it's dead alright

Wieters will be the best catcher in baseball in a couple of years. Him, Markakis, Adam Jones and all those pitchers should finally make the O's competitive again.

this thread is idiotic, and not just because it was started by a donkey fan

lolz...you can watch it right on the FRONT page of yahoo........DYING

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big...urn=mlb,189941

Be careful, though.

The Orioles have been uncanny in their ability to produce highly touted pitching prospects that flame out incredibly.

Bedard was the only guy that ever came close. They had Matt Riley, Hayden Penn, Adam Loewen, Beau Hale...the list seems endless.

The Orioles always have a 'new' class of pitchers ready to turn the franchise around. Then they 'splode.

They'll hit, though, I'll give 'em that.

Yeah, but this time there's like 5 of them, so even if 3 implode we could still get 2 good pitchers out of the deal. Like the old saying.....throw enough shit against the wall, some of it's bound to stick, right? :D

Wtf is this baseball you speak of?
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NBA is doing better.
Posted via Mobile Device

Several factors for me..

No steriods - I want jacked up monsters crushing the ball 600 ft...

Aluminum bats - see roids... I want the ball hit to I-70 from the K...

There is nothing pure about baseball, its boring, its played out and basically, people just dont care about it anymore...

Most of the NBA is bleeding money. The NBA as a whole is in deep financial trouble and on the verge of a lockout. You essentially have a few teams competing and the rest of the league looking to cut costs to survive.

The NFL maybe on the verge of a lockout too.
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It's a completely different situation. The NFL and most of its teams are in much better financial shape.

Just exactly WTF are you talking about?

Hell, you might as well have said the WNBA is doing better than the NFL and you'd be damn near as rooted in fact as the above quoted statement.

The NBA is hemorrhaging money, attendance is down and the product is as poor as it's ever been...and I'm an NBA defender! I'm one of the few genuine fans of the league left.

This is possibly the dumbest thing I've read on this board...well at least in the last hour anyway.

When the NBA went ganster-thug, it died...

Wasn't the NBA talking about giving bailout money to a couple of franchises? Just a few months ago, IIRC.

What is this, 2002? Allen Iverson isn't the league's poster-boy anymore buddy.

They did bailout a few teams, including Orlando, a team that was in the freaking finals.

I'll be damned.

I don't follow the NBA much, haven't for about 15 years. I was a huge fan back in the day.

the mlb is fixed, it's funny how the royals go on their "streaks"

That is one of the cutest, most touching short videos I've ever seen.

Personally, I think the proliferation of the home run ball is what did it for me.

The home was more exciting when you didn't see it so regurlarly, game in and game out.

That and the station to station ball that became the norm as the result.

Baseball was a lot more enjoyable whe you had phenominal base steelers and aggressive base running.

Baseball isn't dead in Los Angeles.

Dodgers Stadium is routinely packed and the Angels stadium is the same.

It may be dead in Denver, but what isn't?

:p

I agree with this. I still love baseball but I miss the days when teams ran the bases. Steals, bunts, hit and runs, taking an extra base (or not) were the things a game turned on.

In fairness, Earl Weaver was a very successful manager who preached pitching, up the middle defense and three run homers. But double steals and triples were more fun to watch.

On a whim, I just went to baseball-reference.com and looked up the 74 Royals. Their catcher, Fran Healy, had 16 steals. I like that style of baseball.

the homerun started coming because people figured out that it makes more sense to sacrifice some hits and batting average for jacks. You are going to score more

Yes, and the stats bear that out. But that doesn't make it more fun, or at least not for me. For me, drag bunt singles, hit and runs and double steals are more fun than 3 run jacks. If I were a little bit older, I probably would have been a big fan of Pepper Martin and the Gashouse Gang.

After the 3rd inning and before the 8th, of course.

Late in, early out. Strange group, Dodgers fans. For as much money as those seats cost, I'd be there to watch them take infield 2 hours before gametime.

5 to 7 PM in downtown la is a little busy

Dude, it's called traffic.

I live 5 miles from Dodgers Stadium and it often takes me more than a hour to get there. Even with preferred parking, I've often missed the first inning.

It's tough when you work until 6pm and try to get to Dodgers Stadium on time, especially from the Westside, in time for the game to start at 7:10.

The same problem exists for Lakers games, though I often try to take the Subway.

I lost interest in baseball back in 94.

That was a great moment to get caught on tape though. Too bad they don't want it to be seen outside of their own website though.

Isnt football the same freaking way? you cant post anything of theirs, or they take it down, if reported?

Basketball does it right, they dont hate.

Hopefully teams like the Rays will bring athletics back to baseball.

Baseball is probably doing better than it has in a long time. It's probably helped that teams like the Rockies, Rays, Brewers, etc have stepped it up the last few years. A lot more parity, although this year doesn't look like that'll be the case.

The NFL is much more hardcore about control of video. It's not even close.

Forbes: 10 MLB teams decline in value

NEW YORK -- One-third of Major League Baseball teams declined in value over the past year while the New York Yankees' worth increased 15 percent to $1.5 billion, according to the annual estimates by Forbes magazine.

The Washington Nationals took the biggest hit during the recession, down 12 percent to $406 million. The Atlanta Braves dropped 10 percent and the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners each were off 9 percent, the magazine said Wednesday.

The decline by 10 teams was the most since 2004, Forbes said. Bolstered by their new $1.5 billion stadium, the Yankees showed the top increase and remained the most valuable franchise in the majors. The New York Mets, also boosted by a new ballpark, were second in value ($912 million) and increase (11 percent).

Boston ($833 million), the Los Angeles Dodgers ($722 million) and the Chicago Cubs ($700 million) followed at the top.

The Florida Marlins' worth increased 8 percent, but the team ranked last in value at $277 million. Pittsburgh ($288 million) and Kansas City ($314 million) were among the bottom three.

Overall, Forbes said the average value of the 30 MLB franchises increased 1 percent to an all-time high of $482 million.


Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

Baseball Preparing for Significant Decline In Attendance
Posted Mar 30, 2009 11:48AM By Ed Price (RSS feed)

According to SportsBusiness Journal, Major League Baseball is projecting a drop in attendance this year -- the biggest decline, in fact, in seven years.

The 30 teams last year combined to draw 78,614,880, a 1.1 percent drop from 2007's record attendance of 79,503,175. SportsBusiness Journal said MLB sources expect that to drop to 75 million in 2009, a 4.6 percent drop from last year.

The numbers are believable, of course, given the economy. And it gave teams (other than the Yankees) reason to limit their winter spending.
Individual clubs are in a day-to-day fight to stem against that or further declines by implementing a wide range of discounted ticket offers and delaying the start of single-game sales to dates closer to the start of the regular season.

MLB executives declined to specify a firm attendance projection for the season, adding that they see signs of hope in fan turnout to games played earlier this month.

"There are a couple of barometers that have left us guardedly optimistic," said MLB President Bob DuPuy. "Spring training attendance has been essentially flat compared to last year and the World Baseball Classic attendance went up [8.7 percent], even with the economy being the way it is and ticket prices going up a bit."

Not sure about DuPuy's spring-training assertion, and three teams have new facilities in Arizona, which changed capacity and provided an attraction.

Attendance this year will be affected by new parks in New York, both of which have fewer seats then their predecessor. And if the regular season projection comes true, then clubs have an excuse to penny-pinch again next winter.

Just like Bud Selig likes it.

National Television Ratings for 2008 MLB Season Down Across the Board. RSNs Decline, As Well

Written by Maury Brown
Monday, 13 October 2008 13:43

National television ratings for the 2008 Major League Baseball regular season saw ratings down for FOX, ESPN, and TBS, with declines posted at the regional level, as well, according to the Sports Business Journal:

Fox’s MLB ratings dropped 13 percent to a 2.0, and its viewership dropped 12.5 percent to average 2.9 million viewers for its Saturday afternoon package.

ESPN pulled a cable rating of 1.4, a 7 percent drop, with 1.693 million viewers. Last year, ESPN’s MLB telecasts pulled 1.775 million viewers. And TBS posted a 0.5 cable rating in its first full season of Sunday afternoon MLB games, averaging 624,000 viewers. That represents a drop of nearly 30 percent from last year’s 0.6 cable rating, or 897,000 viewers, which was the network’s final year televising Atlanta Braves’ Sunday afternoon games exclusively after 30 seasons.

To add to the decline at the national level, 19 regional sports networks (RSNs) posted drops with 15 posting losses in the double-digits.

Yep, they're doin' great, alright.

Down in ratings, attendance, and net value.

Terrific.

Every single sport is having issues due to the economy. Even the NFL is facing blackouts. The MLB is still better off than say the NBA.

Yeah, that's not a common thread among all professional sports at all. It has nothing to do with the economy, just baseball. The NBA and NHL are facing serious financial problems and the NFL is facing it's biggest blackout problem in decades.

Looks like it says average value is at an all-time high by 1% that would mean net value is up 1% correct?

that was a great video

I watched the BoSox rob a game tonight. It was moderately entertaining but they stole it 100% thanks to the ump.

Look at the dates on those articles. Those numbers are from 2008. This year will be much worse.

And as the first article makes plain, the DROP in value of one third of all franchises is masked by the increase in the Yankees' and Mets values (how many years are the two New York teams going to have new stadiums?). The difference between the haves and havenots is one of MLB's biggest problems.

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Here was the pre-season outlook for 2009:

Baseball Braces for a Less Hopeful Season
The end of spring training is usually a time of unlimited possibilities for baseball players and fans. Not this year.
By Andrew C. Schneider, Associate Editor, The Kiplinger Letter

April 3, 2009

Major League Baseball will prove anything but recession proof this time around. With regular season play set to begin Sunday, the sport is looking ahead to a bleak 2009. Rising unemployment has consumers worried. They're gripping their wallets with white knuckles, ensuring that ticket and concession sales will fall this year. So will advertising revenue, both from stadium billboards and from TV and radio commercials. But even all that just scratches the surface of the teams' worries.

The industries that have been baseball's strongest benefactors in years past, banks and carmakers, are among the worst hit by the recession. Those that are accepting federal bailout funds -- or even facing bankruptcy, as in the cases of GM and Chrysler -- are being forced to slash anything that could be construed as unnecessary spending. That means abandoning leases on private boxes and suites, a huge source of revenue for the teams.

"Congress is putting a lot of pressure on companies not to be spending money on what it sees as luxuries," says Lisa Delpy Neirotti, an associate professor of tourism and sports management at George Washington University. Neirotti notes that companies use their suites as a marketing tool, as a way of luring or keeping customers. But it's a hard case for troubled firms to make, given recurring populist anger over executive compensation. "It's an image thing. People see it as a luxury perk and don't understand there's a business motivation behind it," Neirotti says.

The image problem is playing out on a much larger scale in New York. Citigroup had signed a $400-million deal with the Mets for naming rights to the team's new stadium. Citi Field, the replacement for now-demolished Shea Stadium, will host the Mets' first home game of the season April 13. But the troubled financial services giant is seeking an exit from its stadium marquee pact. If Citigroup manages to get out of its contract, other ballpark sponsors may follow suit.

Baseball has a buffer, thanks to the organization's long-term broadcasting contracts. That will help smaller market teams, which benefit from revenue sharing agreements with richer franchises, particularly the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. But the teams are also locked into multiyear contracts with players. That's no problem as long as the player continues to perform, but it becomes a liability if he's injured or if his playing erodes as he ages.

The free agent market provides a window on team owners' concerns. Back in December, the Yankees signed multiyear contracts with three free agents: Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett for a cumulative $423.5 million. But those signings proved the exceptions in an otherwise dreary off season.

"Something like 100 free agents were unsigned a week before spring training began. That's a record by a large margin," says Andrew Zimbalist, Robert A. Woods Professor of Economics at Smith College. "Teams are being cautious because of expectations of low revenues and owners being clobbered by [losses on] other investments."

State and municipal governments are deep in the red and can provide no assistance to franchises seeking new stadiums or to renovate their current homes.

Teams will offer discounts to keep the fans from drifting away. The San Diego Padres and concessionaire partner Delaware North are offering fans at PETCO Park a deal of five concession items for $5. A single game ticket for the mezzanine level of Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park runs for $22, but for another $8, Reds fans get all they can eat. The Baltimore Orioles are offering fans who sign up on the team's Web site a free ticket on their birthday. The Orioles are also partnering with Chick-fil-A to offer a package of tickets to 10 games for $17 to children 14 and under.

A few teams, including the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies, are shunning such discounts, counting on large, loyal fan bases to carry them through the hard times. But most franchises will have no choice. Indeed, by midyear, lower attendance will force some teams to slash ticket prices.

For franchises already in trouble, this year or next could break them, forcing them to uproot and move to a new city in search of larger ticket sales. Teams that have only recently relocated, such as the Washington Nationals, will be given more time to get their bearings. But more storied franchises showing weak returns are at high risk. Among the most troubled teams are the Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Kansas City Royals.

Baseball is dead to me. Even in the middle of the summer.

That last paragraph is really out of touch. It sounds like some business writer who doesn't fully understand baseball. And that has nothing to do with the Royals, even though they just entered into an extension of the lease. If you really think the Cincinnati Reds, the oldest franchise in pro sports, is moving anywhere, then well, I got nothing.

It's a dumb assertion in the article.. the Reds, Pirates and Royals aren't going to leave their city in the next 10 years and more than likely the next 50 years.

Or maybe because it's boring as hell and takes forever to finish a game.

x2

Yes I do. All season. Football is a distant 2nd. 3rd once college hoops start. Well actually football would still be second because by then baseball is over but you get my point. Football is #3 overall.

And I don't care to find and post a link to back this up because I don't care about the link police but I heard baseball attendance was up pretty much across the board this season. Baseball isn't dying just because haters might like to think it is.

To each his/her own. Baseball is more of a thinking persons game... short on violence so a lot of our ADD society doesn't get it.

And after I pay for my ticket and parking and all I'd like to sit there all day, so a game can last 6 hours and it's ok with me.

Boo-hoo-hoo. Baseball is down 1.1% across the board during a recession.

That's extremely disingenuous as you're trying to make it seem like baseball is quote "dying" due to other reasons without providing those reasons.

I guarantee that ticket sales and attendance will be down far more than 1.1% in the NFL this season.

This is a dumb thread.

Baseball isn't dying. They'll be playing World Series long after you're dead and gone orange. If you think it's on the verge of dying you're reeruned.

And I don't care what Forbes says about it. A couple of years ago they named Kevin McHale the best executive in sports.

And you don't have to visit MLB.com to see it either. The video's been on yahoo's main page for a day and a half now.

I miss playing baseball, but watching it is just so damn painful.

Actually maybe I'm tired of baseball because the one team that I care about (the Royals) is so chronically bad. I cared for about a month and a half earlier this spring.

That's the thing. If a baseball team is doing well it makes for a great summer and fall. I lived in Buffalo for 3 of the years they went to the Super Bowl, DC the year the Caps went to the Stanley Cup Finals, and Houston the two years they went to the NLCS, and one of those years they went to the Series. I thought the run by the Astros was the most fun to watch because there's a daily excitement. Every day you're like, "Man, can they get another win tonight? Who's pitching?"

It is difficult to be a Royals fan, I just love the game though so I can watch any two teams play. It's relaxing yet stimulating to me to follow the strategy and think about what I'd do in certain situations. I'll often choose to watch a baseball game between two teams I don't care about over the Chiefs... or I'll watch a little of the Chiefs game and once they've done enough stupid shit I'll turn the baseball game on. I did watch almost all of the Chiefs last weekend though. Opening weekend held some interest I guess, along with all the new players and coaches.

One thing that I appreciate about MLB is the long schedule. The extensive schedule and playing in series format ensures that usually the team that is truly better wins, unlike in the NFL where some crap team can get lucky and win a few games and back into the playoffs (like Herm's first year here).