Tracy Jones (03-29-2018)
I don't know if that indicates there's going to be a talent drop. For instance, there's also more high level instruction and travelling teams than ever before (though pay-to-play has become an issue with that). So the system might do a better job of converting talent into players rather than relying on brute force to do the job. There's also international talent.
IMO, the bigger problem with that is millennial parents and their kids might not be that interested in baseball. Lower participation numbers might translate to fewer fans in the future. I'd worry more about that.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
*BaseClogger* (03-29-2018)
It’s always been the best path to a professional sports career IMO. You don’t have to win the genetic lottery like in basketball or football. You don’t have to get beat up like you do in football or hockey. And it’s the sport where if you succeed, you’ll make the most money. Football is on the way down and by proxy, I think baseball benefits. It may take a decade or so to see the results, but I think it’s already starting to happen.
RedsBaron (03-29-2018)
When they had the last expansion there wasn't the amount of foreign players who weren't from Latin America that there are now. Speaking of Latin America Cuba is opening up more. So you'll have more Asians, more Cubans and probably the same amount of players from Latin American countries. Also the population keeps increasing. There are plenty of players but I have said before and I'll say it again I don't see hardly any worthy cities to add.
"Hey...Dad. Wanna Have A Catch?" Kevin Costner in "Field Of Dreams."
M2 (03-29-2018),Red Raindog (03-29-2018),REDREAD (02-28-2020)
% of MLB debuts by IFA's
1998 - 14.4%
1999 - 21.4%
2000 - 18.6%
2001 - 20.1%
2002 - 21.1%
.....
2013 - 24.4%
2014 - 25.6%
2015 - 25.2%
2016 - 25.3%
2017 - 27.5%
World population in 1998 - 5.99 billion
World population in 2018 - 7.63 billion
MLB can more than justify expansion. The sheer number of Article XX-B Free Agents signing minor league contracts every year is growing quite a bit.
Chip R (03-29-2018),cincinnati chili (02-29-2020),George Anderson (03-30-2018),M2 (03-29-2018),Tom Servo (03-29-2018)
I would be good with an expansion team in Hanover, NH.
klw (03-30-2018)
Yes to San Antonio. No to Montreal. Yes to Charlotte or Indianapolis. The Charlotte area still rapidly expanding in population.
When I went to school at OSU back in the early 00's, baseball wasn't very popular among the people who were from Columbus. Now for the students, it still was popular among the people from Cincy as well as Cleveland. Lacrosse was much more popular in Columbus at the time than it was in Cincy. I could be wrong, but I think the Lacrosse faze has died down considerably, even though it is making inroads in the Cincy.
I guess when I look at this, in America, I think you will see four major sports vying for kids. Hockey will still be a major sport in this country, but it is a much more niche sport, that requires a great deal of specialization and monetary commitment.
Football will continue bleeding youths, but will continue to be the most popular sport. There is just too much money involved, and the sport is too ingrained in our society right now for it to completely fall off a cliff. I do think you will see more people shift to soccer. The dynamics of the sport help with its popularity, one game a week. Put it this way, the SB Champ or CFP champ will play 15-19 games. Baseball does that in less than three weeks.
Soccer will probably benefit the most from kids not playing football. Its growing in this country rapidly, and it is THE international sport. I think it will continue to grow, and it wouldn't surprise me to see it become the most popular sport in my lifetime.
Basketball will always be popular because all you need is a ball and a hoop. It will always receive support from HS and college because of the minimal cost to run the program. Basketball requires 5 players, and teams have what, 12 scholarships? It dwarfs that of football, and dwarfs the team requirements of both Baseball and Soccer.
Baseball is in a better place now that I think it was a decade ago. But I think they need to do more to get more kids playing the game. With the numbers dwindling, they aren't getting as many kids playing anymore. Will it matter? Absolutely. 4% of kids is 4%, sure it may be the bottom 4%, but it could also be the top 4%. They need to get as many kids playing the game as possible, regardless of skill.
One thing I would like to see done but it would require a push from all the major sports, is to recommend playing multiple sports. Its better for the body and better for the development of kids to play multiple sports instead of solely focusing on one.
REDREAD (02-28-2020)
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