Baseball seeks fi x in wrong places
Ticket prices, competitiveness are the problems
The Lords of Baseball — owners of the 30 major-league franchises — no longer are happily singing along with the crowd.
Worried about condensed attention spans and declining TV ratings, owners have ordered their appointed commissioner, Rob Manfred, to shorten the game.
So, beginning April 2, the start of the 2017 season, an intentional walk can be awarded without throwing four balls, and managers will have only 30 seconds to decide whether to have a play reviewed. The change on intentional walks means almost nothing. Last season, each team issued only one intentional walk per five games played.
Manfred also wants to install pitch clocks, enforce time limits between pitches, limit mound visits by managers and coaches, and monkey with the strike zone — all of which he could order for 2018. OK, fine. Baseball has survived far worse changes, like the designated hitter.
The average game lasts nearly three hours. It has gradually lengthened since the 1950s and ‘60s, when a typical game was completed in 2½ hours.
Back then, of course, there weren’t long TV commercial breaks, video reviews or players stepping out of the batter’s box after every pitch to adjust batting gloves.
Baseball’s most loyal fans, who tend to be traditionalists, can be excused for a healthy skepticism over the owners’ motives.
After all, the industry is expected to generate $10 billion in revenue this year, team values are at record levels, attendance is stable at about 75 million fans per year, and players make more than ever, an average of $3.5 million annually.
Major League Baseball’s current TV contracts with FOX, TBS and ESPN, running from 2014 through 2021, will generate $12.4 billion for the teams — a 100 percent increase over previous arrangements, according to MLB.com.
The truth, it seems, is that owners are almost solely focused on reversing declining TV ratings as they look toward expanding viewership nationally and internationally.
That puts owners at odds with the average fan, who cares less about three-hour games and more about the affordability of taking the family to the ballpark.
In 2016, the average cost of taking a family of four to a major-league game was $220, ranging from a high of $361 for the Boston Red Sox to a low of $132 for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cleveland Indians came in at $179; the Cincinnati Reds at $166.
On average, major-league teams sell about 70 percent of available tickets. Holding the line on prices most likely would attract more fans, if that’s the owners’ true concern. Minor-league attendance trends are instructive. In 2016, minorleague attendance topped 41 million for the 12th consecutive year. This renaissance is due largely to affordable tickets and concessions, and family-friendly venues.
Unfortunately, owners and players most likely have scant interest in the reform with the most potential to re-energize baseball: strengthening the luxury-tax and revenuesharing system.
Nothing heightens interest in baseball more than competitive races for playoff spots leading to the World Series. Major League Baseball’s current luxury-tax system fails to sufficiently increase competitive balance between big-market clubs and their smaller-market rivals.
As a result, smaller-market teams have a difficult time holding onto star players. Fan loyalty suffers along with competitive balance.
One more thing: Bring back the spitball.