re: MLB has to adapt or the league is going to die

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The issue with the MLB are the diehards who are way too anal-retentive to let the game change to adapt to demand. People don't watch the MLB to see good pitching (besides the die hards). People watch the MLB to see base hits, doubles, and ultimately home runs.

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What are you talking about? This isn't the fault of "diehards". The game has changed, and not for the better. The "diehards" want to see hitters go back to having an actual approach at the plate, rather than just swinging for the fences and striking out all the time. We also wanted to see the shift go away, because it was destroying so much of the excitement. The shift was not the result of new rules, but a new philosophy that was clearly detrimental to the game. Nobody wanted to see a line drive caught in right field by the second baseman. So MLB had to outlaw it. Perhaps the lone rule change I have appreciated in a long time. But some people complained... Of course. Because it wasn't "fair" that teams couldn't position their fielders however they pleased. Even though it allowed some offense to return to the game. They wanted change, but not that change, I guess.

It's the know-it-all's of the new generation who insist that their so-called "analytical" approach of hitting is the optimal way of scoring runs. They base it all on the idea that one swing scoring a run is better than two or three swings to get one. Which is true, of course... as long as you leave out the fact that fewer people reach base, the homers do less damage as a result, and that the "all or nothing" approach leads to wild inconsistency for most hitters... then you can go ahead and keep pretending that it's working.

So people talk about how brilliant all of the analytics are, but then they complain about the lack of action and excitement, and somehow blame it on the "old heads" or, as you called it, "diehard's". And when baseball tries to change something to appease a generation of complaining fans, they almost always just alienate all of the people who actually care.

Baseball isn't a game for the impatient, or short attention spanned people. Trying to make it something it's not will never fix anything. People also used to visit each other, and now all most do is text and tweet. Let's change the rules for how people live their lives, to force them to engage with each other. Sound like a good idea? You want to legislate attention spans and use of free time?

We all know that would be a bad idea, and frankly, so are all of the ideas to try to force the game of baseball to be fan friendly, to people, who's constant complaining keep contributing to said ideas that make the game worse. Either teams will adopt better philosophies, or things won't change for the better. New rules are not the answer, in my opinion.

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1980 = 42 million viewers. 225 million people in the US. Nearly 25% of people watched the WS then

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There were only 4 channels back then.

The old fart in me … I am in my mid 60s … wants to agree with you, but the realist in me will point out that the average age of baseball viewers on TV, and eyes on TV are much more important than asses in seats in all sports these days, is 57. Focusing on that demographic is not sustainable for the sport’s future because it will die with them. There’s nothing wrong with making changes to meet the world where it’s at in 2024. It’s just got to be the RIGHT changes.

The only thing that will save MLB is a salary cap and a salary floor like the NFL.

I bailed the second they got behind this communist organization

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The issue with the MLB are the diehards who are way too anal-retentive to let the game change to adapt to demand.

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Who are these diehard fans that have any sway over Rob Manfred?

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1980 = 42 million viewers

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2023 = 9 million viewers

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1980: 5 channels to watch on your TV

2023: literally a BILLION options to watch on your TV

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Most of the country had 3-4 tv stations to choose from in 1980.

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We had at least 10 where I grew up.
Which was tiny town BFE Hicksville with -1000 city population at the time.

Then why has the Super Bowl increased to almost 300% the amount of watchers as 1980 or the NBA finals bascially the same today as then.

Yet MLB is 20-25% the numbers as then. It's just gotten boring. There is no denying that. Very few want to watch good pitching. People want hitting.