Are Kids the Key to Saving Baseball?
Focusing on youth could be the answer to regaining MLB's popularity
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
. . . Whether due to rule changes this season or other factors, Major League Baseball has seen an increase in average attendance per game of nearly 10% this season.
. . . The team with the largest increase this season in population is the Guardians (increase of 49%). Only six teams have seen attendance decreases, with the White Sox (down 14%) faring the worst.
Leading Off
Youth Are the Key to Baseball Recapturing Fans
By Brad Turnow
In its purest form, nothing compares to the great game of baseball. Growing up in Northern New Jersey in the 1980s, I always remember as a kid hurrying down to the baseball field on weekdays after school or early on weekends to “claim” the field for the day. We would play for hours and sometimes until the Sun went down. The street lights coming on would usually signal the “end” of the game…until tomorrow.
Now as I drive around, I see empty ball field after empty ball field. Unless there is a Little League game being played, most of the fields remain empty except for the occasional parent throwing batting practice to their kid. I am an educator in a middle school, and each year I witness less and less interest in the game of baseball. I have two teenage sons, and even though they are surrounded by stories of baseball lore and displays of many baseball artifacts, they are more interested in MMA and Premier League soccer. To add to my pain, my two teenage son’s middle names are “Gehrig” and “Jeter” - no kidding. I did my best to get them interested in baseball, even coaching them both for years, but their interests grew to other sports like wrestling, lacrosse, football, and soccer. In the end, it is what it is. I tried.
My parents first took me to baseball games in the early 1980s, traveling to the Bronx and attending games at Yankee Stadium. I’ve been lucky enough to attend hundreds of sporting events in my lifetime, and hands down, nothing beats watching a baseball game live. One of the best things about attending a baseball game is the lack of “time.” The game plays itself out inning by inning, with each inning writing its own chapter.
But today’s generation of fans is completely different. Fans are now more focused on their phones than the game itself. I am shocked fans can afford to spend so much money on a ticket to just sit there and dive into their social media accounts for hours. It saddens me to see the many parents who bring their kids to a game, only to wind up sitting there on their own phones, ignoring the game and their kids. They are losing the ultimate time to bond with their kids and teach them about the great game of baseball. It is few and far between to see a parent teaching them how to “score” a game.
Speaking of kids, this is where I think baseball should focus. Kids!
Our children are the foundation of bringing baseball back to the forefront where it belongs. Yes, I know the NFL is king, but baseball should be right up there. There are many conversations today in which baseball isn’t even considered one of the top four sports. Soccer has replaced baseball on many fronts, especially with our youth. Walking around my middle school, I see soccer jersey after soccer jersey. Only once in a while do I see a baseball jersey. There are definitely more “Messi” and “Ronaldo” jerseys than “Judge” and “Otani” jerseys…by a longshot. I hope MLB can take some steps that will help rebuild the game and get children connected to the greatest game around.
Here are some suggestions to help bring baseball back:
At all MLB ballparks, Monday through Thursday, for every adult ticket sold, two kids get in for free. Yes, free. To add to that, have a real “Children’s Menu” with discounted prices for kids! Make it affordable for parent(s) and guardian(s)!
At all MLB games, batting practice is open to all fans for both teams. One of the greatest parts of attending a game is watching BP. The away team should hit first, and the home team takes BP last. This will allow fans to see every player hit. Plus, if a player “takes the day off”, at least fans can see them in person take BP. For many ballparks now, by the time the gates open, the home team is finishing up BP and walking off the field.
Every MLB team should be required to send out at least 5 players before every game during BP to sign autographs for all fans. Make them available for a minimum of 30 minutes to sign for fans, especially the kids! Players can stand near the outfield walls or behind home plate and sign autographs during BP. That will be one of the best memories a kid can have!
During BP and even the game, MLB should include some “autographed” balls into the mix! Imagine catching a ball during BP that was signed by Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, or Manny Machado! Whatever BP balls don’t get “hit out” during BP are given to kids before the game.
Start all World Series games NO LATER THAN 7:05 pm! That means the first pitch by 7:05 pm. Start the pre-game stuff early, but give kids a chance to watch the games! Even better, play a minimum of two Series games during the day! Start the games in the late afternoon so kids can watch! Even most adults will love this! I know I speak to many adults here on the East Coast who are lucky to make it to the 3rd or 4th inning before hitting the sack. We all have to work the next morning!
Have different food/drink promotions that are affordable! Events such as “Dollar Dogs” are always a hit and make fans happy. Ice Cream and cotton candy, staples for kids, should always be super affordable. It will keep the kids coming back!
Take a page from professional soccer and bring kids on the field for introductions every game. Every player should have two kids with them during introductions and the National Anthem(s) and this should be shown on television for all to see!
These are just a few ideas to try and get fans, especially kids, back into the fold and put baseball back in the spotlight where it deserves. Baseball has a long way to go to win back fans. Some of the rule changes this year have helped, but more needs to be done. We should start with the kids as they are a long-term investment that can pay off big time.
Brad Turnow is the Owner/Creator of the website - HistoryOfTheYankees.com, a website that is an in-depth historical and biographical look at the world's most successful franchise ever...The New York Yankees. Brad also specializes in baseball historical artifacts and sports collectibles and autographs.
Extra Innings
MLB also wants to emphasize its tremendous young stars in advertising:
All those suggestions about getting kids back into baseball are great ideas and so important.
The couple of times I was lucky enough to visit Europe, flying back on the plane, it was such a wonderful feeling before landing to see baseball fields from the sky, knowing I was nearly home.