Baseball has always been America’s pastime since it was invented in 1839. The game received its famous title in the 1860s as it began sweeping the nation. After the American Civil War, it brought the country together and allowed states to compete on the battlefield rather than the battlefield. Since then, baseball has been a constant in American life but has been lacking in popularity, especially among young people.
The first MLB game occurred in 1871, and it was immensely popular throughout the nation. Fans enjoyed the game’s simple rules and the frequent and accessible games. Children fell in love with the game due to playing it outside and needed a bat and a ball. Baseball’s popularity started because of its fast movement and larger-than-life athletes like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig. Basketball and football were merely popular in college, while baseball became professional early. The game exploded with traction into the 20th century especially with the use of the radio starting in 1921, also being the first sport broadcasted on radio.
In the 21st century, it’s impossible for a sports fan not to recognize the decrease in excitement surrounding the sport. The game started as one of the only options for pro sports but soon competed with boxing for popularity. Soon after, basketball and football also cut deeply into baseball’s control in the sports world. Baseball’s top four least-viewed world series’ since 2000 have all come in the last 5 years. It’s clear that people aren’t as interested in watching and following the sport.
With baseball being near the top of the top fixture in American sports for roughly a century, why has this game struggled so much to refine its popularity? The marketability and excitement of the game directly answer this question. Games have lengthened from 2.5 hours in 1973 to 3 hours in 2024. The lack of superhuman athletes is another reason the game has become less popular. While the game has always had its superstars, from Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter in the late 1900s, the game truly had “superhumans.” I’m referring to the clear cases of PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs). Mark Mcguire and Sammy Sosa are two clear examples of this as they clobbered record-setting home runs in the late 1990s, competing with one another for who could hit more in 1998. While home run records are still being shattered in today’s game, there was excitement about the unchecked strength of players when drug use was unregulated.
While the game has struggled to retain popularity, it has especially struggled with youth. Kids loved playing baseball with their friends in a park, but now kids have so many options that they spend their time doing many other things. Younger people have also become much more immersed in football. At the pro and collegiate level, fantasy sports and betting have taken off. While the same attractions are available with baseball, they aren’t as popular because of their low scoring and long season. Baseball also takes place primarily in the summer when many kids are away at camp or busy with activities. Football, basketball and hockey seasons fall during the school year, allowing students to enjoy them with friends.
Baseball has been on a downward turn in popularity for a while now but there may be hope to regain the sport’s popularity. One way the game is doing this is by making an effort to make it more entertaining by changing the rules, which seems to have worked for game time and enjoyment. Another reason baseball can become more popular is because of its international excitement. Baseball has become much more diverse in the past decade, with many all-stars being players born outside the United States and MVPs. The game’s current biggest star, Shohei Ohtani from Japan, has gained immense popularity as he has become so dominant so quickly. Other young international players have also become fan favorites, such as Fernando Tatis Jr from the Dominican Republic and Francisco Lindor from Puerto Rico. This should only grow in the decades, leading to more fan engagement. The final reason baseball is poised for a revival is its sustainability. Football, basketball and hockey are extremely physical, causing tons of injuries, limiting their players and sidelining them. While baseball isn’t immune to this problem, it has been blessed with an influx of young talent waiting for opportunities that continue to excite the league.
Baseball is fighting to not remain America’s past. Whether it will succeed in this goal or not, only time will tell if it will regain its lost popularity in the sports world.
