Why MLB is dying

[orange]

They're STUPID.

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



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/

[blaise]

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.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Dr. Johnny Fever

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.

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.

[blaise]

Originally Posted by loochy

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?"

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

Originally Posted by loochy

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.

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.

[loochy]

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).

[Basileus777]

Originally Posted by loochy

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

When I was younger I felt the same way. But now I appreciate the pacing of a baseball game. I can come home from work or elsewhere, put the game on in the background, and watch it while doing other shit. Baseball isn't as frantic as some other sports, but when those intense moments come, it rivals anything in sports.

Though I could go for a few less 4+ hour Yankee/Redsox games.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

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 is probably not dying.

However it says something about the popoularity of the sport, or lack thereof, when the NFL Hall of Fame game gets a higher TV rating than the Yankee/Red Sox Sunday night game that was aired at the same time.

And that rating was almost double.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by milkman

Baseball is probably not dying.

However it says something about the popoularity of the sport, or lack thereof, when the NFL Hall of Fame game gets a higher TV rating than the Yankee/Red Sox Sunday night game that was aired at the same time.

And that rating was almost double.

The Hall of Fame game was something of a 'return' of the NFL.

Yankees/Sox was just another incredibly hyped late-summer baseball game. Most people are just a little tired of Yankees/Sawx.

There are 10 times the number of baseball games played, it's no surprise at all that any one of those games, especially in the late summer, would get a lower rating than an NFL game, even a pre-season one. When you consider the regional nature of baseball as opposed to the national nature of football, it makes even more sense.

[kaplin42]

Originally Posted by doomy3

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.

Or maybe that watching paint dry in between sessions of watching the grass grow is a hell of a lot more interesting.

Baseball may have been the sport to watch/play back in the day, but due to how fast life is these days, the slow and dull game of baseball is not entertaining in the least.

[carlos3652]

Originally Posted by CosmicPal

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

wow... really... im not even sure where you are going with this but I will give you the benefit of the doubt....

If you are saying its outdated and boring because you as an american have not grown up with it and perfer football or basketball or whatever than thats fine...

but to state that soccer is only fun for other countries cause "thats all they have" is ignorant at best....

[milkman]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

The Hall of Fame game was something of a 'return' of the NFL.

Yankees/Sox was just another incredibly hyped late-summer baseball game. Most people are just a little tired of Yankees/Sawx.

There are 10 times the number of baseball games played, it's no surprise at all that any one of those games, especially in the late summer, would get a lower rating than an NFL game, even a pre-season one. When you consider the regional nature of baseball as opposed to the national nature of football, it makes even more sense.

Regardless of hype, the fact remains, the Yankees/Red Sox had divisional and playoff implications at the time, and the Hall of Fame game, "return to football" not withstanding, is still a meaningless exhibition.

Baseball may not be dying.

It, however, has no where near the popularity that it had 20 years ago.

Interest in baseball has been waning for well over a decade.