Royals Why MLB is dying - Page 4

orange · 09-16-2009, 05:19 PM

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/

RJ · 09-16-2009, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

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.

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.

Demonpenz · 09-16-2009, 10:02 PM

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

RJ · 09-16-2009, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

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.

DJ's left nut · 09-16-2009, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Dodgers Stadium is routinely packed

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.

L.A. Chieffan · 09-16-2009, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

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

**DaneMcCloud** · 09-16-2009, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

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.

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.

**007** · 09-16-2009, 10:32 PM

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.

kcxiv · 09-16-2009, 11:56 PM

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.

**Buehler445** · 09-16-2009, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

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.

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

tk13 · 09-17-2009, 12:09 AM

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.

orange · 09-17-2009, 01:08 AM

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

orange · 09-17-2009, 01:09 AM

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.

orange · 09-17-2009, 01:11 AM

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.

orange · 09-17-2009, 01:12 AM

Yep, they're doin' great, alright.

Down in ratings, attendance, and net value.

Terrific.

Basileus777 · 09-17-2009, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orange

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.

09-16-2009, 05:19 PM
orange MVP Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Denver, CO Casino cash: $10004900	Why MLB is dying 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/
Posts: 11,661

09-16-2009, 10:02 PM	#47
Demonpenz Woman should only make babies Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Apartment "G UNIT!" Casino cash: $-403864	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 __________________
Posts: 54,957

09-16-2009, 10:32 PM	#52
007 Shaken. Not stirred. Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: London Casino cash: $12140126 VARSITY	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. __________________ My dear girl, there are some things that just aren’t done. Such as, drinking Dom Perignon ’53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.
Posts: 65,736

09-16-2009, 11:56 PM	#53
kcxiv In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Central Valley, Cali Casino cash: $8697996	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.
Posts: 29,111

09-17-2009, 12:09 AM	#55
tk13 ... Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $-1897500	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.
Posts: 56,717

09-17-2009, 01:08 AM	#56
orange MVP Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Denver, CO Casino cash: $10004900	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
Posts: 11,661

09-17-2009, 01:09 AM	#57
orange MVP Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Denver, CO Casino cash: $10004900	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.
Posts: 11,661

09-17-2009, 01:11 AM	#58
orange MVP Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Denver, CO Casino cash: $10004900	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.
Posts: 11,661

09-17-2009, 01:12 AM	#59
orange MVP Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Denver, CO Casino cash: $10004900	Yep, they're doin' great, alright. Down in ratings, attendance, and net value. Terrific.
Posts: 11,661