On Sunday, Max Muncy hit his 13th home run of the season into McCovey Cove. Muncy watched his shot fly, angering noted anti-bat-flipper Madison Bumgarner.
This homer ended up being the difference in a 1-0 win for the Dodgers, but the result of the game was undermined by the conflict that is plaguing the sport of baseball–a sport that continues to decrease in popularity in America.
In one corner stand the old-school, baseball traditionalists; the ones who feel that there is no place for emotion on the field–that a batter should place his bat on the ground, put his head down, and run around the bases. Among these baseball purists is Goose Gossage, who went as far as to call Jose Bautista a “f*****g disgrace” to the game of baseball after his famous bat flip against the Rangers in the 2015 playoffs. Gossage is also a member of the crew that believes advanced stats are ruining the game of baseball.
In the opposite corner, the new school. The guys like Tim Anderson and Derek Dietrich, who are going to throw their bat and take their sweet time rounding the bases. The Billy Beane’s and Theo Epstein’s, who have revolutionized roster management through math and analytics. These emphatic bat flips are among the most viral baseball highlights on Twitter and Instagram. Yet with every highlight shared, there are bound to be complaints in the comments section.
The MLB has firmly stated its support for energy and change. The official MLB Twitter account told Tim Beckham to “Keep doing his thing”, ran a playoff promotion last year that encouraged everyone to “Let the Kids Play“, and even tweeted out a video of Mississippi State Senior Elijah Macnamee showcasing raw emotion after hitting a no-doubter in the College tournament.
The MLB is also adopting new changes in an attempt to speed up play, including the new pitch clock, and forcing relievers to throw to at least 3 batters (starting in the 2020 season). These changes are a part of Major League Baseball attempting to regain popularity, especially among younger viewers. Football and basketball have overtaken America’s Pastime. Last year, the MLB attained its lowest attendance marks in 15 years.
The question must be asked–what are these changes really going to accomplish? Are kids going to start watching baseball because the games are for two hours and 45 minutes instead of three hours? And in implementing these changes, the MLB is angering the traditionalists that have been watching and following baseball for decades.
The MLB is in a pickle. There is a stark contrast between the younger and older generations–even among current players, as shown in the Bumgarner/Muncy dispute. And for the league, it’s hard to promote bat flips when you have Hall of Famers ripping the players who do so. The MLB needs to clearly establish the image it wants to set. It must appeal to a younger audience without taking away from the game that so many young men have fallen in love with. Many believe that star players need to be better advertised (Mike Trout is only known by about 20 percent of Americans), others suggest making changes to allow a team to put their best hitter at the plate in a clutch situation. Whatever choices and changes the MLB decides to make, some fans will undoubtedly be unhappy. But in order for the MLB to achieve the success it once had, something must be done.
P.S.Umpires suck.
