Did not watch one second of the MLB all star game, and have not even been interested enough to click on any game stories.

The game used to be huge during my hapless youth, but thinking back, baseball was a huge thing for me and my neighborhood cronies.

Would hurry home from school and catch the last innings of the Cubs game, then head out to play whiffle ball, or tennis ball baseball with a few chums, comb through the game stories and stats in the newspaper (did not get access to the paper until the adults in the house were done), make sure to watch TWIB on weekend mornings, and always would watch the all star game and then try to emulate the pitching and batting styles of the top stars. This was before cable or the internet, so the only baseball you could watch was a few innings of cubs/sox and highlights on the local news, so you only saw local players for the most part making the all star game the only chance to see many of the top stars other than the few games they played against the cubs/sox.

We really loved the game back then, do not see anywhere near that level of interest ever being possible again, and expect baseball to slowly decline in the US as the guys my age continue to lose interest because it seems highly unlikely that the next generations will have it in their blood like we did growing up.

The All Star game was a fun watch last night. So was the home run derby on Monday.

I am a Cardinals fan and growing up the ASG was really the only chance I had to see the Cards players. Now I am able to watch every game. I usually tune in for at least a few innings every game.

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Do they still have that rule that the winner gets home field advantage in the WS? That’s how long it’s been since I’ve intently watched one.

Yes it was.

The only major All Star game left that is worth watching

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They do. I think that helped the game. The AL still dominates the game.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

World Series home field advantage hasn't been decided by the All-Star Game since 2016.

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They do not. I think its been 3 or 4 years since the homefield thing went away.

However, they have a 3 batter (each gets 3 swings) HR derby to determine the winner if the game is tied after the 9th.

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Oops.

I thought it still did. I'm surprised by the competitiveness of the game.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

The new format calls for a tie breaking home run derby in lieu of extras.

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Well there’s your answer

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Up until about 5-6 years ago, my buddies and I would meet at someone’s house to watch the AS game3very year. Our roto fantasy baseball league is still my favorite league I’ve ever been a part of and that disbanded 10 years ago. Baseball is an afterthought to me nowadays.

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Lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be.

yeah...interest isn't what it used to be. inter-league play took much of the mystery out of the asg. can cub bill buckner hit blue jay dave stieb? can reggie jackson hit steve carlton? i believe that things that got pete rose banned, will increase baseball revenues to keep the game going - regardless of tough economic patches. mlb having a say in gambling and fantasy play will keep young and older adults interested. you're right about the kids - not the same.

the HR derbies to end the game, the asg is on course to get nfl pro-bowled. players don't want to play and no extra innings. personally, i got back into baseball this year because i'm playing it.

Other than pace of play which is atrocious now, the main difference is the pitching. The velocity and stuff is way better. The way to get on base now is the walk, and the way to score runs is to load up on the pitch that a guy thinks he can take deep.

Something huge has to happen to make the game watchable again. It really is time to throw shit against the wall and see what sticks. Everything should be in play before it's too late and we lose another generation. Shifts, pitch clock, lose replay, move the rubber back, successful bunt is a double, 120 games, anything really. Literally ANY change couldn't hurt. I mean, if old guys won't sit down and watch this shit, who else will?

There used to be a national monday night broadcast on ABC that was on the level with MNF.

I had a lot of fun watching Schwarbs strike out

I think baseball is something you come back to as an adult, so while people aren't paying much attention to it at 20-30, they get more interested as they have more time in their 50-60s. As with everything, I could be wrong.

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

NFL has completely replaced MLB for me. Have turned down numerous offers to attend MLB games over the past several years and don't see that changing.

Attendance will always be there because of the atmosphere and baseball being the only viable summer sport. But if you go there to actually watch the game, it's even worse in person than on TV. Guys strolling to the dugout and strolling to 1b, with 8 pitching changes.

i know i'm in the minority, but all the NFL rules changes favoring 44-31 games and 3 hr 45 min game times with each team attempting 50 passes each - have turned me off. the kick-offs don't matter anymore. the vikings used to get to super bowls just on special teams.

baseball in november is ridiculous, while the super bowl is now in mid feb?

Same for me. As a kid, nothing approached baseball. It's not because the game sucks, though. It's just that I don't have the time to invest in following it the way that I used to.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

What year were the Vikings last in the Super Bowl?

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The Roe V Wade decision? Because if it is, I'm putting $20 on the Vikings this year

Nah, Roe v Wade was 71-73, Vikings made it in the late 70's last time.


Once upon a time, baseball was popular enough to be on a major broadcast network on Monday nights every week. Regular season even

one can say that special teams was the catalyst for the bears' last appearance in the super bowl.

The last two nights were appointment tv for me. I even watched some celebrity softball on YouTube. Talking with my sons as well.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

The NFL has managed to formulate the league schedule in a way that there is somewhat relevant news throughout the year. You also have in game play to play strategy to follow and break down and a need to draft/develop/coach players to fit various offensive and defensive frameworks, this all creates numerous avenues of interest.

MLB once was a game full of pitch by pitch strategy, where good players would take a team oriented approach and try to move runners into scoring position, pitchers tried to set up batters, and being an at least adequate defensive player was important. When you try to watch the game today you see guys regularly failing to make contact with guys on 3rd and less than two outs, a Michael Jackson type approach to defense where guys are out there wearing a glove on one hand for no apparent reason, and pitchers that rely only on velocity with no ability to change speeds and work inside. It's basically just strike out or homerun, no real in game strategy until the playoffs, a boring game to watch where guys like Schwarber who hit 40 HR's and have 45 RBI's are stars, guys like TA refer to themselves as the next Jackie Robinson, but are maybe 1/3 as good as Jackie on their best day, and you get the stat nerds like Bernstein and Spiegs spewing bad baseball thoughts.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Baseball then banned Pete Rose for gambling.

Baseball now has gambling factories literally 100' from home plate and encourages its fans to participate in sports betting.

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They still don't want you betting on games your team is playing in. Ask Calvin Ridley how that's working out for him.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

bernstein & holmes had howard bryant on today, just did a book on rickey henderson and currently doing one on jackie robinson vs paul robeson at un-american congressional hearings.

anyways, they asked him what he would do if he was baseball czar and he said he'd get rid of inter-league play. he's with me saying that the asg has totally lost it's mystique due to inter-league play. he also said cut the league schedule to 130 games - if mlb wants an expanded playoff. said what is the point of the yankees and astros running away with the league, but in a playoff; their best teams (with best pitcher), only start 20% of their games.

I don’t see how even the most die hard of fans can think 162 games makes sense in 2022 and beyond.

I also don’t see how any owner wants to lose game day revenue or take any other kind of hit due to less games.