Hey Baseball, Baez is How You Fix the Game
MLB attempted to change any and every aspect of the game to draw the younger viewer. They tried to put a runner on second base In extra innings. They limited warmups. They adopted pitch clocks. They even stopped the need to throw pitches when intentionally walking hitters.
Thing is, they overlooked their greatest asset – their players.
Baseball has a legitimate disconnect with America’s youth. The lack of interest does stem from length of games, but mostly lack of interest. Kids today are inundated with fast, quick hitting media. They are more probable to watch a hour of YouTube videos, then they are any television show – including a baseball game.
So how do you fix it? You do it with the product.
Every single day a baseball player does something kids would watch. Baseball just does a bad job of presenting those plays to kids.
Don’t get me wrong, I love MLB Network, and MLB Advance Media is the pinnacle of all sporting video content sites. They are just missing on delivery to youth. Sure Sean Casey is cool, Brian Kenny has an intimate grasp on sabermetrics. But kids aren’t watching to listen to guys argue if WAR should be held to a higher esteem than actual wins.
This is where the product will save the game. Baseball, right now, has possibly the most exciting group of young players, ever. Mike Trout could be the greatest ever by time things are done, Kris Bryant has all the talent and looks, Bryce Harper who is often cocky but backs it up, Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado, Jose Attuve, Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, Noah Syndergaard, Corey Seager, Mookie Betts, Marcus Stroman, Rougned Odor, Matt Duffy, Salvador Perez, Addison Russell.
The most exciting of them all is Javier Baez.
Javy Baez celebrating while putting the tag down. Love it. pic.twitter.com/tW0Q8MocSi
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) March 15, 2017
Baez is every little league coach’s worst nightmare, and every little leaguer’s idol. Every time Baez walls on a baseball field, something special will happen. This is the first time you can say that about a player since Ken Griffey Jr.
It is incredibly rare for that to be said about any baseball player. Compliments like this are usually reserved for football or basketball players, not baseball.
This is why the league needs to find a better way to showcase Baez’s, and these other young player’s talents. They have got to make it short, yet cool for kids to watch.
The game doesn’t need a rule change or shorter games, they just need to promote the incredible talent it has.
