Just a question – do you know when MLB is Opening Day? No, seriously, without looking, when will baseball be back? Have you heard or seen advertising? I’m not sure. Coming from a year of isolation and quarantine, where we sports fans are screaming for sports on our screens, you would think “America’s Pastime” would shout from the mountaintop that it would return soon.
So when does the baseball season start? Exactly a week from today. What a missed opportunity, MLB.
Not only are Major League Baseball essentially choosing not to advertise at all, but they are missing out on a great opportunity to change the tone and view of the league for the general public. Major League Baseball still packs in white Americana, apple pie, and hot dogs, preferring to play John Fogerty’s “Centerfield” than trying to be new, fresh, youthful, and / or exciting. Here’s an alternate option:
Different right? Imagine a baseball league promoting – and stick with me here, because it’s pretty radical – fun. You have a league full of superstars, but not rock stars like you see in the NBA and NFL, and that falls right on the shoulders of a league trying to hold on to an outdated identity rather than the hip-hop culture and individuality of being players.
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Aside from (and maybe even inclusive) playoff baseball, I’m not sure I’ve ever had more fun watching baseball than when we were treated to the 2017 World Baseball Classic. I had fun because the players were having fun. They were passionate, they were loud, they were flashy, we celebrated their nationalities and cultures – it was everything the MLB is not. Just look at this part of Javier Baez, including the coolest thing I’ve ever seen on a baseball diamond – he’s celebrating a second place tag before even catching the ball and making a no-look tag.
This is what baseball should look like. The days of hot dogs and apple pie are over. If Major League Baseball wants to appeal to a new generation of sports fans (as opposed to the same fans who listen to ragtime music while eating their 4:00 pm early bird special), we need passion, excitement, and not just a skill for players to express itself, but a spotlight celebrating.