$900 million for 30,000 seats in Tampa

[NievesNoNO]

Portland is the opposite of what you look for in demographics. Very young, and I just don't think they would support MLB. It's why NBA and MLS are huge there- those are the popular sports for young people.

 

There is money though. You can't really target old people, you have to find a way to engage young people or the sport is gonna be in big trouble. All those old people in FL are really doing a great job supporting those teams.

 

How? Instead of a family section, have a "safe zone" section? Change the rules so there can be a tie in every game?

 

Ha, that's actually pretty funny. If you don't engage young people the sport will die off. It's more on MLB as a whole than the individual franchises I think. The Brewers have a great park with plenty to do and see other than watching the game and a nice party atmosphere outside the stadium. That helps, imo. MLB needs to explore avenues to expose more people to their local teams on more than just cable, which is dying anyway. The Facebook streaming game was a decent start. It's also a tougher sell when fewer kids are growing up playing it. It'll be interesting how they decide to market the game going forward.

[tmwiese55]

Portland is the opposite of what you look for in demographics. Very young, and I just don't think they would support MLB. It's why NBA and MLS are huge there- those are the popular sports for young people.

 

There is money though. You can't really target old people, you have to find a way to engage young people or the sport is gonna be in big trouble. All those old people in FL are really doing a great job supporting those teams.

 

How? Instead of a family section, have a "safe zone" section? Change the rules so there can be a tie in every game?

 

That'll do it. Stereotype them and insult them about things that their parents actually did, not them.

 

I know one thing that won't work long term is catering to old people, because well they die soon. Need to get the young people into the sport somehow or they're in big trouble. And no I don't have the answers, if I did I wouldn't be sitting here

[FVBrewerFan]

Holy cow, it's a joke man.

 

Yea, it will be interesting to see what MLB does to attract the next generation of fans. I'm guessing they want more scoring and faster games, but no matter what they do baseball is simply not a non-stop action sport.

 

I always wonder if MLB would/should appeal to the young tech crowd. There's millions of them, and baseball seems to be a good fit for those with an analytical mind, interest in math, etc.

[tmwiese55]

Your last line is right, that's why you're seeing that on the boards at MP now. Other things MP has done is the whole concessions revamp, all the craft beer focus and attempts at better more interesting food instead of brats, burgers dogs, lite beer. Personally I prefer those things but that's something they're doing. Other things I can think of would be more social/party type areas in the stadiums, similar to your Duck Blind at Mallards game. Areas for people to hang out and mingle during such a slow game rather than be stuck in their seats. That along with reducing commercial breaks, maybe to only in between innings rather than half innings. Can maybe shorter the game 10-15 minutes like that. Those last two things of course will cost teams money (less commercials and fewer seats to sell) in the short term but in the long run it's what might be needed. Plus of course lower ticket prices would go a long way. So, is it the millennials fault for everything or the greed of the people in charge that is the problem

 

For the ripping on millenials, sure you're mostly just joking but it's so old to listen to them get blamed for everything while the two generations previous have basically bankrupted the country and are fueling the current toxicity of the political environment.

[homer]

That's enough with the political stuff, guys.

[MadScientist]

Part of the issue is that you can't play baseball or softball at recess anymore, because they now take a dim view of kids bringing bats to school, or having minimally supervised use of school bats.

 

What Baseball should be doing more of is marketing to parents the value of having their kids play baseball:

1) Kids of all body types are able to play - no need to have super endurance, massive size or height.

2) It's not a collision sport, kids can use their heads for thinking instead of contact with balls or other players, giving a much lower concussion rate: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/5/292 (that report shows baseball has a lower concussion rate than even cheerleading)

3) Played in nice weather. No driving in snow to get to the game, no standing in pouring rain.

4) Encourages math skills. Batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage ... it's all about the numbers.

 

Follow that up with additional family marketing, like building a baseball-themed hotel / water park near Miller Park, with some package deals for rooms and game tickets, and fun off-season events.

[TURBO]

The other issue is that kids are too damn lazy to unplug from whatever screen they are attached to, to get out and play anything, not only baseball.

 

That isn't their fault, that is the parent's fault.

 

I can't imagine my childhood without neighborhood pickup games of baseball, basketball, football, and anything else we could think of... From the time school got out in the summer, we had a neighborhood baseball game every single day at 9:00 am. No adults to keep score, pick teams, or provide snacks and drinks. Every single day we played, and I'm talking 10 - 12 of us. If 6 showed up, we found ways to play, ghost runners, or other variations. It was ingrained in us.

 

After our pick-up games, it was on our bikes, home for lunch, then back on the bikes and on the way to the swimming pool until it was time for little league practice or games.

 

Sad to see what has happened to our youth, but as I said, it falls squarely on the parents for a number or reasons...

[pacopete4]

That's enough with the political stuff, guys.

 

[DHonks]

turborickey, your community sounded great! baseball every day! I grew up in the suburbs in the 80s/90s and there was none of that. But I often had things to do. soccer camps, tennis (only need 2 people), golf, basketball (only need 1 person), etc.

[TURBO]

turborickey, your community sounded great! baseball every day! I grew up in the suburbs in the 80s/90s and there was none of that. But I often had things to do. soccer camps, tennis (only need 2 people), golf, basketball (only need 1 person), etc.

 

It was great, couldn't have asked for a better way to grow up. This was the mid to late 70's in Southwest Wisconsin. I am still in touch with some of those neighborhood kids, and we often talk about how great we had it...lol

[MrTPlush]

That along with reducing commercial breaks, maybe to only in between innings rather than half innings.

 

I have honestly never understood this argument when it comes to baseball. Baseball has natural breaks and that is where they put the commercials in. The pitcher needs his warm up pitches and people have to get on/off the field. They don't draw this out to fit in commercials. There aren't forced breaks like there are in football/basketball to have commercials.

 

On another note I am not sure why there is complaining about kids sitting on tablets and not playing with neighborhood kids. The kids doing this aren't even old enough to go to a game by themselves.

[Baldkin]

If I had billions, I'd give a billion to put a stadium in Central Park Manhattan and have the Rays move there.

 

Brooklyn and North Jersey should have a park/MLB team too.

 

 

If anybody has an argument how that wouldn't be great for the MLB and every baseball fan in America and New York especially, I'd like to hear it.

 

 

I'm not against your argument as it would certainly add competition in a market saturated with fans, but I'm pretty sure there exists some sort of territorial agreement between the Yankees/Mets and MLB. It's not unique to NYC, either. When the A's wanted to relocate to San Jose, the Giants objected saying that was part of their territory. I remember Peter Angelos objecting to the relocation of the Expos to Washington (not sure if he was compensated or just had sour grapes).

 

They still don't play home series on the same weekends as part of that agreement.

[tmwiese55]

That along with reducing commercial breaks, maybe to only in between innings rather than half innings.

 

I have honestly never understood this argument when it comes to baseball. Baseball has natural breaks and that is where they put the commercials in. The pitcher needs his warm up pitches and people have to get on/off the field. They don't draw this out to fit in commercials. There aren't forced breaks like there are in football/basketball to have commercials.

 

On another note I am not sure why there is complaining about kids sitting on tablets and not playing with neighborhood kids. The kids doing this aren't even old enough to go to a game by themselves.

 

Well, to me I thought that it is drawn out an extra minute or so due to the forced commercial break. Basically, that they'd be able to do it quicker if they didn't know they had as long as they did. Like, is there as long a break in untelevised college and minor league games? I'd think not. If that's not true, so be it but that's the thought. Another thing I thought of on this after that wouldn't work is that it would give one team an 'advantage' in that they'd have longer to warm up or at least not have to rush. So yea might have to scratch that one. But maybe instead of 3 mins or whatever it is now, chop it 2. Shorten it up somehow.

[jerichoholicninja]

That along with reducing commercial breaks, maybe to only in between innings rather than half innings.

 

I have honestly never understood this argument when it comes to baseball. Baseball has natural breaks and that is where they put the commercials in. The pitcher needs his warm up pitches and people have to get on/off the field. They don't draw this out to fit in commercials. There aren't forced breaks like there are in football/basketball to have commercials.

 

On another note I am not sure why there is complaining about kids sitting on tablets and not playing with neighborhood kids. The kids doing this aren't even old enough to go to a game by themselves.

 

Well, to me I thought that it is drawn out an extra minute or so due to the forced commercial break. Basically, that they'd be able to do it quicker if they didn't know they had as long as they did. Like, is there as long a break in untelevised college and minor league games? I'd think not. If that's not true, so be it but that's the thought. Another thing I thought of on this after that wouldn't work is that it would give one team an 'advantage' in that they'd have longer to warm up or at least not have to rush. So yea might have to scratch that one. But maybe instead of 3 mins or whatever it is now, chop it 2. Shorten it up somehow.

 

Current MLB rules are 2:25 break for each half inning, longer for national television games and I believe even longer for playoff games. 2:25 is the same for the minors and they have a 20 second clock between each pitch. I don't think you can realistically make it any shorter than that.

[tmwiese55]

Yea that's not too bad. Get your stopwatch out and see how often that hits though, sure seems like not often but yea maybe it's usually pretty close to that and it just seeeems longer than it actually is for whatever reason. The 20 second clock is kind of a joke though, I don't know why they even have it and they actually put it up in the stadium. But overall doesn't seem like much can be done on this end of it if they already have it at 2:25 other than enforcing it more thoroughly, probably can't take to less than 2 at the most. So then it's onto the other types of ideas some of us rattled off and whatever small tweaks to other aspects to reduce stoppages, like what they did with catcher visits. Maybe find some other things in that vein.

[Roderick]

I think if they let a mountain lion loose on the field, that would draw fans to the stadium and television.

 

Gladiator style (comes up from the underground), randomly sometime during the game (keeps audience paying attention - don't know when will happen) when the road team is playing defense, they bring it up and let it loose. Make sure it has ability to leave cage on all side so it is random where it runs. See how fast all the players really are. Betcha Machado will hustle now.

[trwi7]

turborickey, your community sounded great! baseball every day! I grew up in the suburbs in the 80s/90s and there was none of that. But I often had things to do. soccer camps, tennis (only need 2 people), golf, basketball (only need 1 person), etc.

 

It was great, couldn't have asked for a better way to grow up. This was the mid to late 70's in Southwest Wisconsin. I am still in touch with some of those neighborhood kids, and we often talk about how great we had it...lol

 

You're just repeating the plot of The Sandlot.

[homer]

turborickey, your community sounded great! baseball every day! I grew up in the suburbs in the 80s/90s and there was none of that. But I often had things to do. soccer camps, tennis (only need 2 people), golf, basketball (only need 1 person), etc.

 

It was great, couldn't have asked for a better way to grow up. This was the mid to late 70's in Southwest Wisconsin. I am still in touch with some of those neighborhood kids, and we often talk about how great we had it...lol

 

You're just repeating the plot of The Sandlot.

 

I thought it was the lyrics to that Kid Rock song about smokin' funny things.

[TURBO]

turborickey, your community sounded great! baseball every day! I grew up in the suburbs in the 80s/90s and there was none of that. But I often had things to do. soccer camps, tennis (only need 2 people), golf, basketball (only need 1 person), etc.

 

It was great, couldn't have asked for a better way to grow up. This was the mid to late 70's in Southwest Wisconsin. I am still in touch with some of those neighborhood kids, and we often talk about how great we had it...lol

 

You're just repeating the plot of The Sandlot.

 

lol

 

luckily, it really was the way I described it. I was spoiled...

[TooLiveBrew]

I think if they let a mountain lion loose on the field, that would draw fans to the stadium and television.

 

Gladiator style (comes up from the underground), randomly sometime during the game (keeps audience paying attention - don't know when will happen) when the road team is playing defense, they bring it up and let it loose. Make sure it has ability to leave cage on all side so it is random where it runs. See how fast all the players really are. Betcha Machado will hustle now.

 

I'm slightly concerned by how much I laughed reading this post. Thank you.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I think if they let a mountain lion loose on the field, that would draw fans to the stadium and television.

 

Gladiator style (comes up from the underground), randomly sometime during the game (keeps audience paying attention - don't know when will happen) when the road team is playing defense, they bring it up and let it loose. Make sure it has ability to leave cage on all side so it is random where it runs. See how fast all the players really are. Betcha Machado will hustle now.

 

That sounds like a shift beater...make it really interesting and force the game to continue while said mountain lion is on the prowl.