Why I’m not watching Baseball Anymore.
I have been a lifelong baseball fan. My dad took me to my first MLB game at the Polo Grounds. The Mets played there and my favorite player, Joe Christopher, was patrolling center field. We sat RIGHT behind him. At one point in time, I yelled out (during the in between innings), “HEY JOE!” He turned and waved. I almost jumped out of my skin! 1962, and I remember it like it was yesterday. After that game, my dad took me to some games in the Bronx, and when Shea opened, we went to several games in Flushing. As wonderful as those times were, it was not like the time Joe Christopher waved to me.
Since that time, I have always loved baseball. I love everything about the game. I love the mano-a-mano, when a great pitcher faces a great hitter. Get ‘em on, get ‘em over, get ‘em in. “Hit it where they ain’t.” Rickey Henderson causing absolute chaos on the base paths. Reggie’s 3 home runs on three pitches. Kirk Gibson. The Ryan Express (and his 7 no hitters). Mark McGwire’s 70 HR season. I know it was steroid induced, but you can’t duplicate THAT kind of excitement in America’s Pastime.
So, why I have I turned my back on baseball? Let me count the ways:
1 – Rules Changes.
It started with no 4 pitches for an intentional walk. If the defense wants to walk the batter, they simply wave him over to first. How many times, during an IBB did the pitcher throw the ball away, and the runner got to 2nd? Or the pitch was too close, and the batter hit the ball anyway?
Mound visits. OK, I understand that many managers go to the mound too many times. There was already SOME kind of limit; 2 times, and you yank the pitcher. But it was all part of the strategy, PLUS it gave your reliever a few more pitcher to get ready. Now only THREE times for the entire game? Don’t tell me “pace of game.” You want to speed up the game? Cut the commercials.
Play review. This is a GREAT addition. Yes, it slows the game, but isn’t it all about getting the call right? BUT, how come only SOME plays can get reviewed? Either everything gets reviewed, or nothing gets reviewed.
Double headers. This fries my cookies. Double headers are now 7-inning affairs. What the hell? Are not these guys professional athletes? Aren’t they young and in tip top shape? Hell, I play a senior softball league (60+, some are 80!), we play 7 inning double headers 3-4 days a week. AND we stay for batting practice some days. And the worst:
In extra innings, the offense starts with a guy on 2nd. What the hell is THAT? Is this a ‘pace of game’ thing, or what?
Coming – the pitch clock. What is this, basketball??
Also coming - banning the shift? WTF? If the players shift on ya, hit (or bunt) it the other way. Aren't you a professional hitter? In my senior softball league, we have guys that hit the ball all over the field. For cryin' outloud.
2 – Three True Outcomes
There is no more action in baseball. These guys have forgotten how to play the game. Over THIRTY FIVE PERCENT (35%) of the time, the result of an at bat is a home run, walk or a strikeout. Everybody swings for the fences, even the little guys who would get on base, and make something happen. The ball parks are smaller, and everybody wants to be Hank Aaron, making the big swing. HEY MLB, home runs are boring. No action, nothing happens. You see too much of a thing, and it gets mundane, like homeruns. ALL MLB fences should be 400’. A big-league slugger should be able to hit the ball 400’. If not, we see the game we all used to love. Walk, walk, strike out, strike out, home run, zzzzzzzzzz. I’m going home.
3 – Selfish Assholes.
Sadly, the ball players of today are not that concerned with winning. It is all about personal stats, so they can negotiate that big contract. No team loyalty. It’s all about who’s gonna pay me more. Lindor turned down an offer from the Mets for 10 years, THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE Million dollars. $325,000,000 ($32.5M per year) is not enough? For God’s sake, how much money do you need? Poor guy, he had to settle for $350M, for 10 years. Watch, he’ll get hurt and end up sitting on the bench for the second 5 years of his contract, mark my words. Which leads me to:
4 – Too Many Injuries
With all these experts and the HUGE investment in ball players, can’t MLB figure out how to train these guys, so they can stay on the field? Think about the players of yore, who went out there despite crippling injuries (JR Richard, Mantle, Koufax). I bet Pete Rose was out there with EVERYTHING hurting. These guys are such PUSSIES that they bench themselves for an upset stomach, or “shoulder tightness,” or a hangnail. These big boppers pump so much iron to build up strength (for the long ball, see above), that they are fragile and get hurt with an odd swing, or running to first. Stanton ($30M per year) only plays 4 days a week, only DHs, and is hitting under .200 (as of April 2021). This guy is as fragile as porcelain.
5 – Too much Advertising (see #3 above)
Now that MLB is paying these obscene salaries to fragile ballplayers, SOMEone has to pay for it. If you watch a game on TV, the outfield wall is PLASTERED with advertising. Behind home plate has computer generated ads, with the ball players masked over the green screened ads. You are BOMBARDED with advertising. While the next batter approaches the plate, the broadcast splits the screen, so an ad can get thrown up there before the pitch. Ads run constantly on the bottom of the screen. They talk about ‘pace of game.’ Want to speed up the game? Cut the between commercials BACK to 2 minutes; that’ll speed up the game. Also, this year (2021) all the uniforms have the Nike “swish” near the right shoulder. Every time the camera shows a guy, there is the Nike logo, I think “NIKE,” which is what they intended. And that leads me to:
6 – Actually ATTENDING the game …
… has gotten SO expensive, that it has to be put into the family budget, or one has to have a lot of disposable income or work for a company that has season tickets. In S.F., PARKING is $50! Forget about the $10 beers, $7 hotdogs and the cost of everything else AT the ballpark. I won’t get into ticket costs. After paying all this money, IF your favorite player is playing, there is a GREAT chance he will strike out a couple of times or be walked. I went to a Giants/Cardinal game in SF once. I went to StubHub and paid WAY too much for tickets in great seats to see Albert Pujols play; he wasn’t in the lineup. He PH in the 7th inning, 3 pitches, K. Sit down, Albert. Yeah, we’re paying those bloated salaries, too.
7 – Absolutely MISERABLE Umping.
Go to YouTube and do a search for MLB Worst Umpires. It boggles my mind how some of these guys are still working. If I made 1% of the mistakes these guy make, I’d NEVER get paid to play the tuba again. Look up CB Bucknor, or Angel Hernadez, or Joe West. Hernandez just sued MLB because he didn’t get offered to UMP in the post season. Case got thrown out of court. Hey Angel, YOU STINK! THAT’S why you didn’t get asked. Now these guys think they can act with impunity (like cops), and they are now INSTIGATING incidents, and they eject ballplayers for giving it back to them. In baseball, umpires should be invisible, NOT effecting the outcome of the game. And it's time for the robo-ump calling balls and strikes. MLB - just DO IT!
So, dear readers, this is why I won’t be watching baseball on TV, attending any games, purchasing MLB gear, or supporting MLB in any way or fashion.
Do you want to watch the game the way it is supposed to be played? With 100% commitment, love & joy, with all-out effort, teamwork and excellence? Watch Women’s College Softball. That’s the way the game is SUPPOSED to be played.
As usual, your comments are welcome and encouraged.
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