Your job can become more critical if you are in charge of something boring. And out there, many other Baseball coaches like me face the same kind of problem. Our job is not just teaching the game. But also avoid every situation where no student can ask, “Why is Baseball so boring?”
In short, we teach and try our best to make the game enjoyable, so our students do not lose interest.
Baseball is undoubtedly a top-rated game in the USA. But additionally, it is a tedious and slowly evolving game for Baseball fans. And after 2018, the popularity drop became noticeable.
I will go through a little comparison with other sports and most of the points behind why Baseball is so boring, in this article.
Is Baseball Dying?
The thing responsible for losing popularity is not only the boredom of this game. In addition, competition from other popular games is also accountable for this. And the experts say the aging of a big part of the fanbase is also an alarming concern.
The length of a single match and season makes the game boring to follow (primarily for new fans). And for many more reasons, the game is losing its popularity noticeably.
Therefore in America, Baseball got its most followers and viewership. And unfortunately, the number is also decreasing slowly.
See, think of football. In this game, there is always a flow of motion. Something is happening all the time. And the same goes for Basketball. Nonetheless, an exciting match can offer a lot more.
But a Baseball game follows a sloth motion—the only movement you see is when the ball is hit. So, an exciting game can sometimes make you bored unless you are a regular viewer and a big fan.
Do you know what happens when FIFA’s date, mascot, and venue are announced? Well, the whole world gets to know about it. This mass awareness happens because of the internet and media outreach coverage, which is enormous. But the Baseball outreach coverage and style are too poor in quality and quantity.
Major League Baseball does not see the Internet (primarily social media) as a way to expand the business. They see it as a competition that can kill their business. Major League Baseball needs to know that if they do not go to the fans, the fans will not come either.
However, It is a lot behind in the popularity ranking, but the game has millions of die-hard fans. Who are always there to appreciate the game. The actual popularity will not die anytime soon. So, no need to panic. However, it will keep losing its fan base and will not get much to cover the gap unless it does not adopt new fast pace rules.
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Is Baseball the Boring Sport to Watch?
Well, Baseball is the national game of America. And it had a good reputation for being the nation’s pastime. But after 2018, American Football took place as Baseball faced fans’ disengagement.
See, every sport needs to evolve from time to time because it is the primary demand of time. But Baseball has not changed as much as the time asked for. However, it needed to change over time as the fans and time requested.
If I ask you, what is the most boring sport to watch? You may not know the correct answer (neither do I). But I believe you will be confident that it is not Baseball.
According to the World Sports Encyclopedia, over eight thousand sports are available worldwide (Update of 2003).
There are many sports we do not know about. But among the games we know, I think Golf can have the crown of being the boring game. As it has mostly no competition compared to many other sports. However, I can not force it. Then there is Chess, which has the same potential for being the most boring game. We can also put Marathon Running on the same plate.
And do not underestimate Baseball. It has undeniable popularity in the USA. But you can not put your hope higher if you talk about worldwide popularity. Though you can bet on that, it will not be the most boring game to watch. Baseball is just having a lousy time evolving.
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Why is Baseball So Boring?
For Not Being a Timed Sport
One of the main reasons for being a boring sport is- “Baseball has no Time Limit (Baseball lacks a Play Clock).” So, the game will carry on until the nine innings end, making mostly unnecessary long games.
A limitation always gives an urgency. In Football, the time limit is Ninety Minutes. You always have the speed in Football to knock off the defense so that you can score more in the limited time. And that gives the game a good motion.
But in Baseball, there is no limitation. To end every half inning, the defense must have three outs. And this does not create much pressure that the inning plays for twenty or forty minutes unless the batting team makes scores.
On the other hand, if you are behind the score, you can cover that when you bat without worrying about the time. And that is why even this type of situation will not create any urgency.
In Baseball games, time will not influence your gameplay (except in Little League). The only focus stays on one goal- “Win the game by utilizing the three outs.” Baseball players do not require time to focus on time.
If a game is not timed, a big score gap can also get filled quickly, with a slow pace of gameplay. And the longest Baseball match lasted for Eleven Hours. And theoretically, Baseball games can last forever. So, it is not a surprising fact that why Baseball is so boring.
Over-Hyped Home Run
When Batters hit Home Runs, the whole gallery starts to cheer. Then is it true that hype for Homerun is making the game boring? And if it is true, the question is, how does Homerun make Baseball boring?
See, cheering is not the main factor to consider here. Because if you take a good base runner, double play, or steal a base, you will also have cheers.
But these days, every hitter focuses on making Home Runs. It is not bad. Homerun is an excellent medium to advance in a match, indeed. But every single time trying to make a Homerun is foolish as there is no other way to win a game.
If you see Home Runs keep happening in a match, the game will get boring because there will be nothing else to enjoy. Or any intense.
These days players do not focus on playing a match with patience and strategy. They always feel pressure to advance fast and get famous in a short time. And that is killing the game with unnecessary tries to hit Homeruns.
Always going for Home Runs is also dangerous. If you do not focus on the hitting style or what type of throw is coming to you. You are probably going to strike out instead of hitting a Homerun.
The statistics also support this, as most power hitters get struck out a lot. Baseball is not that strategic now. They are focused on making unexpected and violent strikes most of the time. That leads them to strike out. But sometimes they get lucky, and the bat makes contact with the ball and sends it a long distance (basically a Home Run).
Once upon a time, Home Run used to be a rare shot. But it is not now. Every fan is used to seeing Homerun. And they also do not feel the excitement as they did in the past. And the high rate of Home Runs diminishes the excitement gradually.
And some matches can be boring if there is not enough Homerun. This gameplay leads the fans to monotony and numbness.
No Actions Happens for Times
From time to time, the competitions keep rising. And every match requires more time to end. Now, you may think this is making the game enjoyable. But it is doing the opposite, as much time will go without anything happening.
Without a doubt, Baseball has offered us a lot of unforgettable moments. But those games also killed a lot of time without making any significant actions. It does not have the vibrancy like other sports.
In the beginning phase of Baseball, the hitters used to be very aggressive, and the pitchers dominated. They always had fast movements. So, these two categories gave us fast-paced gameplay: no sloth movements or time-consuming phases.
On the other hand, at present, the hitters try to make slow-paced games as there is no time limit. And the pitchers are also becoming a bit sloth compared to the past. As a result, these two combined make a game very lengthy.
According to the Wall Street Journal Report, a Baseball game is just standing around Ninety percent of the time. Nowadays, a Baseball game can last for three hours. So, the principal amusement will only happen in the game for eighteen to twenty minutes.
Every fan wants to watch the game for action and thrill (Not talking about movies). Not just to see a pitcher pitching and the hitter just hitting a short-distance ground ball.
So, without a doubt, no action in a long time is also an essential reason for making Baseball boring.
Not Enough Qualitiful Celebrations
Imagine a Baseball match, where you are in the gallery with your friends. Now one of your favorite players fantastically hit a Homerun. But he and his teammates showed no chill or any celebration. As a result, the way you and your friends wanted to cheer and celebrate, you guys could not feel the energy to do so.
You know, Baseball is very shocking in its traditions. And one of them is- “ Do not over celebrate and show off to your opponents.” Overall, the game rule discourages celebration during a game. And it is assumed that Major League Baseball does not support having fun on the field. So, clearly, it lost the fun sport quality and got enlisted in a boring sports list.
If I watch a game, my most energy will come from the team I support. If the players play without showing chill, fun, and emotion (Play like Robots), I will eventually lose my energy and interest in the game. However, a perfect celebration of the supporting team is the energy fuel for the fans.
Nonetheless, they do celebrate. But only in some unique venues and games. Suppose you compare Baseball to other sports, such as Football, Basketball. Then you will find the amount of celebration is far less in Baseball.
Unless there is a vital game day, the stadium will not be complete. And for the particular game celebration, do not put high expectations. You will hardly find them cheering with teammates. They may just slowly run around the bases after hitting a HomeRun.
Suppose you watched any other games like Football or Basketball. Then you will know how poor is Baseball celebration is.
The Length of Major League Baseball Season is Insane
Let me ask you one question – “Do you feel comfortable following something (maybe a record or a spreadsheet) very lengthy, and you can lose the tracking quickly? Of course, you will feel uncomfortable and get bored unless you are super engaged.
The same problem goes with Baseball too. Here, every season is insanely lengthy. The game seasons last six months, consisting of two thousand and four hundred Baseball games.
Moreover, that is without the postseason’s game number. Furthermore, every team will play one hundred and sixty-two games. There are eighty-one home games, and the other eighty-one is a visiting game.
As a result, if you want to track one team’s gameplay in a season. That is going to be very critical and time-consuming. And if you are not that devoted to this game, you will not even do this. Just consuming a little of it can be very tough.
You know that, in this era, everyone wants everything the fastest way possible. And for sports, who has that much time? Most people who follow the game have a work life. And let’s forget about their personal life.
See, many people of all ages love and support Baseball. But this does not mean they are going to love this long season.
Major League Baseball keeps doing the same problematic step. To attract more fans, they keep messing. To do so, you do not just scatter the season and make it lengthy. You discipline it and try to make it short and time-efficient systematically. And that will bring the game new fans.
A long season helps the fans lose their interest as the season advances because interests decrease when you put a lot on one plate.
Little Knowledge about Baseball
If you are a regular Baseball fan or a player, you know that Baseball is not a simple game. It has many competitive rules and regulations following different types of styles. And to understand this game, you must have proper knowledge of these rules and techniques.
Now, if you do not have enough knowledge and understanding of these rules. Then you are going to feel left out of the game.
See, if you saw a hitter moving to Second Base after making a good swing. Unless you grasp making runs, this will not make any sense to you. And you know, a meaningless thing mostly makes you bored.
Well, there are some viewers and fans who do have knowledge lacking about Baseball. And they did not even grow up playing Baseball or watching it. Maybe they watched other games more than Baseball. They watch it as a short form of entertainment or to grow a different taste. Overall, these reasons make the fans fail to understand the game.
And to solve the lacking, focus on learning the game first. Then if it is possible, try to play the game so you can apply your learnings. And then the lacking will fill up, and the game will open up to you differently.
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How to Give Baseball A Proper Pace
From the previous points, you know that this game keeps losing fans’ engagements. And many unnecessary rules and styles are giving the game a sloth speed.
Major League Baseball officials have planned to change some rules to make the sport exciting and more engaging. And also apply some new rules to give the game the necessary pace and smooth motion.
By limiting the number of pitches
See, in every innings, there is only one limit: the outs. So, every hitter tries to take enough time and play at a slow speed to maintain the out. Now, if there is a limit on the pitch, the hitters will have no other options than fast and calculated swings. Overall, this will end the innings soon and make them more vibrant.
They are making a rule where relief pitchers must face a fixed number of batters
Only the injury can make an exception for the relief pitcher. Because of the pitching change, the players cost time. And making this rule will not only save time but also will be intense among the Teams. Because it will be a gambling call for the manager. Whether sending one special to take the pressure or the average two keeps the game going.
The Major League Baseball officials are trying to put a limit on the mound visit
When a game gets a flow, the crowds have an intense feeling for the game. Then to kill the vibe and turn it in the fielders’ favor, a mound visit happens on the coach’s or catcher’s command.
On the other hand, the game of Baseball must increase the in-game celebrations.
This break gives a perfect time to juggle up and grow energy for the fielders (Mostly for catchers and pitchers). Mound visiting also diminishes the power of the gallery. To reduce these unfair opportunities, Major League baseball limits it (only six times visiting is allowed in nine innings).
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The officials shorten the time between two innings
The time between innings is a perfect time to show sponsorship advertisements. So, if you reduce this time, the business will fall. Then the question is how the game will make a profit.
To solve that, they reduce the outros and intros time and use the spare time for advertisements. So, the commercials will start immediately if you have an out in the game. And the game will be back just before the next pitch.
They are Placing a Pitch Clock to increase the pace
Well, what is a pitch clock? Pitch Clock is just an indicator that shows a hitter’s limited time to enter the box. The officials will set a specific time in the clock if the batter fails to enter the box in that limited time. He will be timed out. In Major League Baseball, this has not been implemented yet. But it is on the test period and used in the MiLB.
Call for Intentional walking
I guess you have a rough idea about intentional walking. For many reasons ( Mostly for the pitcher’s advantage), if the pitcher wants a hitter to move to the First Base, he must throw four pitches from the pitcher’s mound to the catcher (intentionally). Watching it was a boring segment for everyone because no one came to the game to watch players play catch-catch.
To solve this boring time-wasting game strategy, a pitcher or the manager can call for an intentional walk, which can erase watching a boring part. However, there is no proof and stats on these rules’ time efficiency and increasing game speed.
Can Baseball get Fans Back
This game has been played for centuries. And it is indeed one of the prevalent sports. Every popular sport has gone through ups and downs. Baseball is losing fans continuously, and the viewer number is also decreasing slowly. Nonetheless, Baseball is not at its best stage right now.
Though all the bad things are happening to it, the experts are confident that Baseball has the potential to get back the regular and casual fans. However, to make that happen, the game must give a better environment and something that can grow the fans’ interest again. But it needs to be polished.
First and foremost, they must build excellent communication with the regular and casual fans. See, if I do not know about your lifestyle, daily updates, future updates, new characteristics, adoption, etc. I will not be able to connect with you even if I want that badly.
The fans must know every update daily. So, communication is essential. Moreover, the Baseball officials must provide future rules adoption and changes in style, events, and venue updates to the fans. And They can make this connection over Social Media, Websites, Blogging, Communication marketing.
In addition, the Baseball community can arrange community events to increase the engagement of children and new fans.
And the game must adopt new rules and make it simple. So the fans can cope with the game easily. Most importantly, the officials must give the game a fast motion and more entertaining sections. If the officials can improve these, most fans will get some good cause to come back.
Every game is meant for fans and stays alive for fans’ engagements. So, making it a fan-friendly and exciting game is the only option available. Because you can not force the fanbase to watch it, the fans must have a soothing and reasonable cause to come back. And that will help Baseball to stay alive.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Is Baseball Losing Popularity?
ANSWER: According to Google Trends, Baseball has patterned ups and downs on the graph (Based on Google Search). But from many surveys and TV ratings, it is clear that its popularity is gradually decreasing. And from the Washington Post survey (Update of 2020) – Only one percent of adults named Baseball an ideal game. So, in conclusion, it is inevitable that Baseball is losing its popularity.
2) What Sport is Most Boring?
ANSWER: From the known sports list, we can put Golf on the top as a boring sport. Additionally, there can be Chess, Dart, Marathon Running, etc.
3) Why is Baseball So Slow?
ANSWER: There are many reasons behind this matter. Limitless pitching can be the first cause. As there is no limit to pitches, the game can carry on at a plodding pace. For the batter, there is also no limit to entering the box. On the other hand, the mound visiting has no limitation. And most importantly, the game has no time limit.
4) Is Baseball Considered the Hardest Sport?
ANSWER: From taking an overlook, you may think it is an average type of physically demanding game. Well, if you played Baseball at least once, you will know it can be very challenging. Especially for the Catcher. But overall, according to a survey of ESPN, Baseball got the Ninth position on the hardest game list. In the first position, there is Boxing.
Final Saying
Do you know Cricket is also taken as a boring game? Though it has roughly three billion followers and is fourth in the worldwide sports popularity ranking. Cricket has many gaming varieties, such as Twenty-Twenty, OneDay, and Test.
So, why is Baseball so boring? And does it affect popularity? Well, yes, it does. The game is simply becoming backdated because the evolution is too slow. It can not fulfill the time’s demand. In short, it is not that fan-friendly compared to other popular sports.
I believe you get the answer to why is Baseball so boring.
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Hello everyone. My name is Jason Butler, and I live in California, America. I was a professional AAA Minor League Baseball player. I lost my chance of playing MLB for injury issues, but I did not lose my love for baseball. I attended the coaching training program and am now working as a coach in a small school in San Diego.
I always love to share my experience and knowledge if that can help you. Play baseball, and stay fit.