http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... re_twitter

Interesting read. Too soon to be drawing any conclusions.

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Team Cutler.

I agree with some points about the article, that kids today don't like to play a game where they just stand around and more likely to play sports where they keep moving, like Football, Basketball, Soccer, and Lacrosse.

It's a sport that in 10 years I could see in big trouble. Not to show ageism, the people that love this game are more the older generation and the younger generation don't care much about the sport. Not sure the word for it, there is not really a player that America can attach too, like a Mcgwire, Bonds, or Frank Thomas, I know some of those guys were on things, but people wanted to watch them. I heard some people talking about how African-Americans especially kids don't have anybody to attach too. Another problem, is that I see the Playoffs and World Series moving to cable full-time and I don't think that will help.

On some rules changes that were in the article, I wouldn't take out the intentional walk in the High School Level, I know you want to see the big hitter come through, but that's part of the strategy. I also heard today to increase homeruns, move the fences in, I wouldn't do that either, because if you do that then it's not baseball.

All of this may be true but in response to the article....soccer sucks

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Lacrosse and hockey seem to be the trendy sports with kids these days. Football never has been a sport that everyone plays. It is rare that a kid is not in some Little League program

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

As much as people hate steroids and the players who take them, the fact is that everyone enjoyed the game much more when everyone was on them.

That would be really dumb. How can you even eliminate the intentional walk? Instead of the catcher standing out of the strike zone, you could just throw 4 pitch outs, or throw 4 pitches way out of the zone.

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Baseball is the most inconvenient sport to play. To have anything close to resembling a real game you need at least 8 people. Even then, you have to play some sort of strange rules. You need about 16 people to play a real game and that is with two outfielders and no catcher. Almost every other sport you can have a similar game with 4-6 people. Outside of home run derby with a tennis ball and a mini-bat we never played baseball. It was just easier to play basketball and it was more fun.

I think in previous generations that baseball was what you did because you only needed an open field. It's like soccer. However, now kids have so many other options, and basketball courts are everywhere. I lived very close to a baseball field when I was growing up. The thing was never filled with non league games. It sat empty while the basketball and tennis courts were filled. It was just too hard to organize a game and the type of neighborhood baseball group like in the movie The Sandlot didn't exist. It was easier to just go play other things and more fun as there isn't much action in a baseball game that you are playing in.

It's only going to get worse too. As dolphin pointed out lacrosse is becoming much bigger and roller/ice hockey is too. Basketball is still big. The emergence of 7 on 7 high school football will also make a big cut into an already declining popularity of youth baseball.

Baseball will become soccer. It will be the sport that nearly all 7 and 8 year olds play but most dropping out for other sports by 12 or 13.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I never had problems getting into baseball games as a kid.
Hell, had more trouble with guys waiting to play and no spots. There was basically two games a day down at the Dirksen park diamonds every day to choose from. The little dudes tended to play earlier and the bigger boys later in the day. Generally the same people, but guys in guys out and what not.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Hockey is pretty damn inconvient to play with needing ice time and everything. I guess you could count roller hockey but if you want to go down that road then I would count fast pitch or home run derby as kids playing baseball. Do you have any idea how much goalie equipment costs for kids in youth hockey?

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Just had our first little league practice. While the gross numbers decline is concerning, it is way too early to predict the death of baseball. Every field is jammed on Saturdays in the summer. It is not hard to play at all. It takes 2 people to play catch. I do it everyday in the summer with my son. It takes 4 of us to take batting practice (hitter, pitcher, wife catching, and other kid shagging). We have games at least 3 times a week in the backyard with anywhere from 6-10 kids playing, ages 7-12.

The article should explore the international growth of the sport.

It will never be the most watched or played for a variety of reasons. But it will have a strong cult like following. I noticed that many kids drop out quickly because it is a highly skilled sport that requires significant practice. Kids are already getting weeded out by 10 years old because they can't make contact or can't pitch. These kids quit because they are no good.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

I am just asking, isn't that problem now, that most of the players come from the Latin countries and America really doesn't have a player to latch on to.

You obviously don't have kids that play hockey. Hockey practice, workouts, and games are scheduled months in advance. As a player you don't fight for ice time. You show up when you're scheduled. With two practices and 3+ games per week, kids aren't trying to find open ice time to get an unscheduled game going.

And no, you don't count roller hockey, unless you're gay.

You are obviously right. You are gay.

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Well, I would say last night's Giants/Dodgers game gives you plenty of home grown talent (Posey (RoY), Kershaw/the Freak.....and I believe Heyward started out hot again. Besides, my son and I cheer for international players as hard as we cheer for American players. I think it's the same way in Basketball. Sometimes, the international players are more interesting because they are unknown quantities, think Ichiro when he first came over.

But I'll admit I love baseball the most, so I am just presenting an alternate perspective. I see hundreds of kids playing on Saturdays....there are just a lot more entertainment choices than in the 60's, 70's, 80's, and so on- Cable tv access, Internet, video game systems and the rise of extreme sports.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Don't let your teacher catch you posting during recess!

Plus if you end up playing hockey, then you end up like shakes. Which is a pretty goddam big inconvenience later in life.

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