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From a straightforward and surface standpoint, of course, not having Major League Baseball around is disheartening. Sure, there’s college baseball, and soon the minor leagues will kick off, but it hardly feels like spring with reports circulating from Arizona and Florida. That’s through the eyes of a purist, though. You, here, the reader at Twins Daily, likely falls in that camp as well.
Does baseball being missed spell catastrophe for the sport?
In wondering this, it comes with the assumption that there are essentially three factions of fans. First and foremost, the diehards will be there whenever the sport returns. You’ll consume your favorite team, watch the vast majority of their games, and pour over stats as they trudge on towards the postseason.
The next group would be comprised of casual fans. You probably have a favorite t-shirt or cap and find yourself having a passing rooting interest in a team. Going to the ballpark is more a summer activity than a necessity, but you’ll hardly balk at a ballgame being turned on. You’ll find yourself more interested in September and October, but the season is probably too long to keep up with anyways.
Then the final group is likely the one Major League Baseball is failing to capture most, those that aren’t presently fans. Whether that be the next generation that is more into other sports or those that find this one less than compelling. It’s in this group, though, that I found myself wondering, how much does a lockout actually impact the desire to consume?
Of course, there not being Major League Baseball at all right now presents a significant roadblock for anyone. That said, the person not interested in the game likely isn’t chomping at the bit to watch Spring Training action or be invested during April (also likely why the owners are willing to sacrifice those games). That group is also likely unmoved by much of what is happening in the sport. Whether they know there’s a lockout or not, they certainly don’t care about the financial impact. More importantly, though, it’s worth questioning whether they care about proposed tweaks to the game. Will larger bases and pitch clocks shave off 10 minutes regularly enough to draw new eyes in? Will banning the shift lead to double-digit run production that suddenly makes the sport a football game?
At the end of the day, I’m not sure how much baseball being non-existent directly correlates to the loss or growth of the sport. Consumers were different following the 1994/95 strike, and steroids along with the home run chase provided a path back before there was social media and the internet. Now though, baseball is still trying to compete with different iterations of itself in growing the game, but failing to realize the avenues to new fans are unaffected. The next generation of consumers finds viral excitement on social media, through streaming services, and because of content creators. Major League Baseball failing to tap into those markets adequately seems far more detrimental than a lockout or three-hour affair.
It makes sense for the players to get as much right in this Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) as they can and then for Major League Baseball to work in different directions with hopes of expanding its product. I’m not so sure they relate as directly as we may assume.
Do you agree or disagree?
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