Bristol game in long rain delay

[RunSup]

They are resuming the game on Fox now

[Melville]

Interesting that some complain poor marketing by MLB yet 85,000 people were motivated to buy tickets to attend the game.

One could argue it was brilliant marketing to sell that many tickets .
Last night, WWE sold over 53,000 tickets to their outdoor pro wrestling show. WWE can market their product too,

and now it has come to this - comparing Major League Baseball to the phony exhibition that is pro wrestling. GTFOH.

Simply brilliant point!

[BrummerStealsHome]

I noticed that the fans are not close to the field. Need binoculars to see the game

May rain awhile. Lots on radar

Like WWE Summer Slam at Met Life Stadium.
Imagine watching wrestlers in ring from high in upper deck.
You end up looking at a Jumbotron screen.

Or Cowboys stadium in the upper deck. Had 45yardline seats, 3rd row of upper deck for Rams-Cowboys in 2011. Watched the darned game on the big screen in front of me, it was a lot better view than from the seats.

[Melville]

You result players kill me, always certain of the best move after the hand is over.

You say since it rained a lot last night, shame on MLB for even trying to promote the game.

If it had gone off as scheduled it would have been in front of a record crowd and would have been a seasonal highlight for MLB. Didn't work out, too bad, but I didn't hear any complaints from anyone when the game was scheduled about the threat of rain.

Gimmicks like this are not what MLB needs to thrive.

Absolutely correct.
MLB does not understand their product nor their market.

Go on — what’s their market?

It is distinct from all other sports in multiple ways.
It' is iconic.
It is America's past time.
It is summertime at the ballpark - with a dog and a brew.
It is traditional rivalries.
It is winning a road series to get into the playoffs.
It is Ruth, Gehrig, Cobb, Mantle, Mays, Musial, Koufax, and Jackie.
It is Kirby in Minnesota, Tony in San Diego, Randy in Seattle, Hammerin' Hank in Atlanta, Bidson in STL, George in KC.
It is the 27 Yankees, The Gas House Gang, da Bums, the Curse, Harvey's Wallbangers, MV3.
It is Vin, and Harry, and Mel, and Red, and Jack.
It is legging out a triple, stealing second base on a curve ball, a sac fly on a 2-strike count driving in the lead run, striking out the last man with the tying run in scoring position, a walk off homerun.
THAT is the market.
THAT is the product.
It is NOT playing an exhibition game on a racetrack.

None of the people you mentioned still play baseball. All but a couple of them are dead.

If baseball remains that focused on the past it will continue to shrivel into irrelevance and ultimately die. The market must be younger. The product must be new players, new ideas. Not every change is great (ghost runners), but change is a must in order for the game to survive.

Anyone who remembers fondly all the people you mentioned are not the target audience anymore. I only remember fondly about a third of them, and I’m not the target audience anymore. That’s part of life.

It is not the past.
It is the answer.
It is baseball's salvation.
It is the pathway to current and future generations of fans.
My son can remember the games we went to.
He understands the game as I described it above.
And he prefers baseball over basketball, football, hockey, and golf to this day - and, of course, over NASCAR.

[icon]

Every MLB stadium field has a highly sophisticated drainage system specifically designed to divert water from the playing surface as quickly as possible.
How could MLB be so stupid and so unaware of the risk of playing on a temporary surface which lacks that basic and fundamental infrastructure?
The Reds are in a rare post-season hunt in which every game is critical.
To put them at a disadvantage by staging a failed stunt is ridiculous.
To put their players at risk was foolishness.
Honor the integrity of the game.
Only and always about the game.

Yes.

[icon]

You result players kill me, always certain of the best move after the hand is over.

You say since it rained a lot last night, shame on MLB for even trying to promote the game.

If it had gone off as scheduled it would have been in front of a record crowd and would have been a seasonal highlight for MLB. Didn't work out, too bad, but I didn't hear any complaints from anyone when the game was scheduled about the threat of rain.

So you like gimmicks over baseball as well. Congratulations.

[desertrat23]

You result players kill me, always certain of the best move after the hand is over.

You say since it rained a lot last night, shame on MLB for even trying to promote the game.

If it had gone off as scheduled it would have been in front of a record crowd and would have been a seasonal highlight for MLB. Didn't work out, too bad, but I didn't hear any complaints from anyone when the game was scheduled about the threat of rain.

Gimmicks like this are not what MLB needs to thrive.

Absolutely correct.
MLB does not understand their product nor their market.

Go on — what’s their market?

It is distinct from all other sports in multiple ways.
It' is iconic.
It is America's past time.
It is summertime at the ballpark - with a dog and a brew.
It is traditional rivalries.
It is winning a road series to get into the playoffs.
It is Ruth, Gehrig, Cobb, Mantle, Mays, Musial, Koufax, and Jackie.
It is Kirby in Minnesota, Tony in San Diego, Randy in Seattle, Hammerin' Hank in Atlanta, Bidson in STL, George in KC.
It is the 27 Yankees, The Gas House Gang, da Bums, the Curse, Harvey's Wallbangers, MV3.
It is Vin, and Harry, and Mel, and Red, and Jack.
It is legging out a triple, stealing second base on a curve ball, a sac fly on a 2-strike count driving in the lead run, striking out the last man with the tying run in scoring position, a walk off homerun.
THAT is the market.
THAT is the product.
It is NOT playing an exhibition game on a racetrack.

None of the people you mentioned still play baseball. All but a couple of them are dead.

If baseball remains that focused on the past it will continue to shrivel into irrelevance and ultimately die. The market must be younger. The product must be new players, new ideas. Not every change is great (ghost runners), but change is a must in order for the game to survive.

Anyone who remembers fondly all the people you mentioned are not the target audience anymore. I only remember fondly about a third of them, and I’m not the target audience anymore. That’s part of life.

It is not the past.
It is the answer.
It is baseball's salvation.
It is the pathway to current and future generations of fans.
My son can remember the games we went to.
He understands the game as I described it above.
And he prefers baseball over basketball, football, hockey, and golf to this day - and, of course, over NASCAR.

And how old is he? My son remembers games we went to as well — and he doesn’t cherish navel-gazing over people who stopped playing decades before he was born.

[Melville]

You result players kill me, always certain of the best move after the hand is over.

You say since it rained a lot last night, shame on MLB for even trying to promote the game.

If it had gone off as scheduled it would have been in front of a record crowd and would have been a seasonal highlight for MLB. Didn't work out, too bad, but I didn't hear any complaints from anyone when the game was scheduled about the threat of rain.

Gimmicks like this are not what MLB needs to thrive.

Absolutely correct.
MLB does not understand their product nor their market.

Go on — what’s their market?

It is distinct from all other sports in multiple ways.
It' is iconic.
It is America's past time.
It is summertime at the ballpark - with a dog and a brew.
It is traditional rivalries.
It is winning a road series to get into the playoffs.
It is Ruth, Gehrig, Cobb, Mantle, Mays, Musial, Koufax, and Jackie.
It is Kirby in Minnesota, Tony in San Diego, Randy in Seattle, Hammerin' Hank in Atlanta, Bidson in STL, George in KC.
It is the 27 Yankees, The Gas House Gang, da Bums, the Curse, Harvey's Wallbangers, MV3.
It is Vin, and Harry, and Mel, and Red, and Jack.
It is legging out a triple, stealing second base on a curve ball, a sac fly on a 2-strike count driving in the lead run, striking out the last man with the tying run in scoring position, a walk off homerun.
THAT is the market.
THAT is the product.
It is NOT playing an exhibition game on a racetrack.

None of the people you mentioned still play baseball. All but a couple of them are dead.

If baseball remains that focused on the past it will continue to shrivel into irrelevance and ultimately die. The market must be younger. The product must be new players, new ideas. Not every change is great (ghost runners), but change is a must in order for the game to survive.

Anyone who remembers fondly all the people you mentioned are not the target audience anymore. I only remember fondly about a third of them, and I’m not the target audience anymore. That’s part of life.

Before I was ten years old, I knew of the history of the game and it's early players - Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Cy Young, etc. My father talked about these players, and I read many books and magazine articles. You do not have to be focused on the past, but it is important to recognize the great history and evolution of the game. I consider it sad that you only remember a "third" of the players and legends mentioned in Melville's post.

Allow me to clarify: I remember a “third” of those folks firsthand. Like you, I am well-versed in the others through books and magazine articles read before I was 10.

Unlike you (and many others here), I am capable of recognizing that experiences, culture, and the world is different today than it was when I was 10. Kids today consume information through two-minute YouTube clips and social media. And whether or not you think that’s the wrong way to live is irrelevant — it’s what IS. A young baseball fan isn’t going to read a book about Babe Ruth, or watch a documentary about the history of their favorite team. They’re going to watch a YouTube clip of Ohtani and Judge hitting tanks or a countdown of the coolest closer entrances. They have more choices in entertainment, and a more diverse world surrounding them.

To stay relevant baseball has to recognize and honor its past but not live in it. Other sports are doing this well, and some baseball teams are doing the same, with exciting, charismatic players who play with joy and passion. Some of the rule changes work better than others but the intention is admirable — create new fans that will follow the game for decades to come, not cater to those who have only a few years or decades left. Did I like the DH coming to the NL? Heck no. Do I like the ghost runner? Of course not. Do I think many of these City Connect uniforms are gaudy? Of course. But it’s not about ME. I’m always going to love baseball, and I’m always going to love the Cardinals. They’ve got me. To create a sustainable business they’ve got to worry about who comes after me and cater to them.

If baseball feels old, slow, and stuffy it will not survive. And that means they’ve got to honor history but not dwell on it, embrace what’s next and create new traditions.

I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree. I have two grandsons who love baseball. One is 21 and played college baseball for 4 years. He follows the game and has read about the history of the game extensively - not so much on books, but online. The other is 18, and he was not much of a baseball player, he only played football and wrestled in high school. However he does follow the game and enjoys it. He does not read many books, but he is familiar with the old players, partly because I have informed him of them.

We don’t actually disagree, except maybe to a certain degree. The past is important, the game’s history is amazing. But it has to evolve to survive.

The DH did not make the game better.
Nor did creating intentional walks without pitches.
Nor did free baserunners in extra-inning games.
Nor did limiting throws to 1b to just 2 tosses.
Nor did limiting the infield shifts.
Nor did juiced baseballs and juiced players.
All this and more specifically designed to shorten games, increase "action", add offense - with the stated purpose of "relevance" and "attracting younger fans".
All mistakes.
All failed.
Marketing stunts will as well.
It is not about evolution.
It is about understanding the product and the market.
MLB does not.

[jcgmoi]

The rain was the problem last night, not the venue. I disagree that MLB teams could have handled the volume of rain without any problems.

You don't want bad weather to mess up games? Make every team play in a dome. Probably should ensure they're not in an earthquake zone too.

Last night's game was a superb marketing effort by MLB to expand the game's appeal that unfortunately was spoiled by weather. It was not a rejection of the history of the national past-time, and the achievements of former players were in no way diminished. It was a ball game that got rained out.

[Melville]

You result players kill me, always certain of the best move after the hand is over.

You say since it rained a lot last night, shame on MLB for even trying to promote the game.

If it had gone off as scheduled it would have been in front of a record crowd and would have been a seasonal highlight for MLB. Didn't work out, too bad, but I didn't hear any complaints from anyone when the game was scheduled about the threat of rain.

Gimmicks like this are not what MLB needs to thrive.

Absolutely correct.
MLB does not understand their product nor their market.

Go on — what’s their market?

It is distinct from all other sports in multiple ways.
It' is iconic.
It is America's past time.
It is summertime at the ballpark - with a dog and a brew.
It is traditional rivalries.
It is winning a road series to get into the playoffs.
It is Ruth, Gehrig, Cobb, Mantle, Mays, Musial, Koufax, and Jackie.
It is Kirby in Minnesota, Tony in San Diego, Randy in Seattle, Hammerin' Hank in Atlanta, Bidson in STL, George in KC.
It is the 27 Yankees, The Gas House Gang, da Bums, the Curse, Harvey's Wallbangers, MV3.
It is Vin, and Harry, and Mel, and Red, and Jack.
It is legging out a triple, stealing second base on a curve ball, a sac fly on a 2-strike count driving in the lead run, striking out the last man with the tying run in scoring position, a walk off homerun.
THAT is the market.
THAT is the product.
It is NOT playing an exhibition game on a racetrack.

None of the people you mentioned still play baseball. All but a couple of them are dead.

If baseball remains that focused on the past it will continue to shrivel into irrelevance and ultimately die. The market must be younger. The product must be new players, new ideas. Not every change is great (ghost runners), but change is a must in order for the game to survive.

Anyone who remembers fondly all the people you mentioned are not the target audience anymore. I only remember fondly about a third of them, and I’m not the target audience anymore. That’s part of life.

It is not the past.
It is the answer.
It is baseball's salvation.
It is the pathway to current and future generations of fans.
My son can remember the games we went to.
He understands the game as I described it above.
And he prefers baseball over basketball, football, hockey, and golf to this day - and, of course, over NASCAR.

And how old is he? My son remembers games we went to as well — and he doesn’t cherish navel-gazing over people who stopped playing decades before he was born.

You miss the point entirely.
It is not about the past.
It is about knowing the product - how it connects with people and why.
That has not changed.
Cutch is still the most popular Pirate.
Kershaw is still one of the top selling jerseys.
Witt is the new Brett in KC.
Raleigh is the biggest sports icon in Seattle in many years.
And they have huge numbers of young fans.
Baseball's popularity is based on exactly the same things which have distinguished it for more than 100 years.
It is about the players.
The moments.
The numbers.
The memories - whether from 50 years ago or 50 days ago.
The more gimmicks, the more stunts, the more evolution, the farther MLB moves away from knowing its own market.

[Quincy Varnish]

Another completley idiotic marketing stunt by MLB.
Utterly, laughably ridiculous.
Complete insult to the game.
MLB could not be more ignorant of its own product.

Agreed. The game itself is never good enough for Manfred.

Maybe manfred is blinded by the light; wrapped up like a [ablution]; you know, the rumor in the night.

revved up like a deuce, but your version suits him

I thought Werewolves of London was “Where Was The Thunder?”

[Mort Gage]

Another completley idiotic marketing stunt by MLB.
Utterly, laughably ridiculous.
Complete insult to the game.
MLB could not be more ignorant of its own product.

Agreed. The game itself is never good enough for Manfred.

Maybe manfred is blinded by the light; wrapped up like a [ablution]; you know, the rumor in the night.

That's how it sounds. But Bruce wrote it as "revved up like a deuce". I thought you of all people would know. Sigh.

[moose-and-squirrel]

Another completley idiotic marketing stunt by MLB.
Utterly, laughably ridiculous.
Complete insult to the game.
MLB could not be more ignorant of its own product.

Agreed. The game itself is never good enough for Manfred.

Maybe manfred is blinded by the light; wrapped up like a [ablution]; you know, the rumor in the night.

That's how it sounds. But Bruce wrote it as "revved up like a deuce". I thought you of all people would know. Sigh.

another runner in the night

[Quincy Varnish]

It is summertime at the ballpark - with a dog and a brew.

[Quincy Varnish]

Another completley idiotic marketing stunt by MLB.
Utterly, laughably ridiculous.
Complete insult to the game.
MLB could not be more ignorant of its own product.

Agreed. The game itself is never good enough for Manfred.

Maybe manfred is blinded by the light; wrapped up like a [ablution]; you know, the rumor in the night.

That's how it sounds. But Bruce wrote it as "revved up like a deuce". I thought you of all people would know. Sigh.

I’d guess he might

[moose-and-squirrel]

It is summertime at the ballpark - with a dog and a brew.

wow... just..wow