Yesterday, a professional baseball game was played between the Washington Nationals and the Florida Marlins. This 12-inning marathon was played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami which can seat around 75,000 fans. The attendance for yesterdays game? Around 400.
Yep. 400 folks attended this match-up which lasted just over 4 hours.
You can read all about it at the Washington Post link below (photo credit goes to the Post as well):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/12/AR2007091201874.html
Several years ago, I had an on-going debate with Preston, a co-worker and friend of mine. Now, Preston is a baseball purist and a fan to some degree. I'm really not, I admit.
So anyway, we were discussing the fact that several high profile games had their outcomes impacted by either poor officiating, or spectator interference. I pointed out at that time that baseball needed to revamp the officiating -- you, know, add a replay official to use slo-mo to overrule those bad calls, and get rid of the umpires who are sometimes biased and always incumbered with basic human limitations. I also pointed out that the games were far too long and that people now-a-days lack the attention span to watch a game in excess of 3 hours.
Of course my friend scoffed at me, and told me that you don't mess with the National Pastime. He was pretty passionate about his views, and frankly, I just liked messing with him. And, as he was and still is, bigger than me -- I eventually let it go.
Yesterday's Miami game just proves that I am right though. It doesn't matter that these two teams suck right now. People will go see professional athletics, if certain criteria are met. Hey Baseball Commissioner, you wanna save your sport? Here's what you need to do:
1. Get rid of the home plate umpire. We have computers that can determine a strike zone without bias and without error. If you still think that the Umpire needs something to do, let him yell out the results that the computer gives him.
2. Bring in an instant replay official that can overrule a close call on a base or catch.
3. This one's my favorite: Institute a time clock, much like a shot-clock in basketball. Have the time start when the pitcher gets the ball. Then give him 30 seconds to get rid of it. I once read that if you took all of the action in a baseball game - pitches, hits, steals, etc. - and pieced it altogether, you'd have about 9 minutes of action. 9 minutes of action from a 4-hour game aint gonna cut it. You get your major league games down to 90-120 minutes and you'll have a better chance of the Generation X-er's putting away their Nintendos for a while to watch a game.
4. Lastly, if none of the above work, then you are probably going to have to hire a 40-girl pom/dance squad. Dress them up in cleavage and sequins and let them squirm around on the field during the 7th-inning stretch.
Ok, that last suggestion was just a joke.
And, sorry Preston - I don't want to mess with the National Pastime. I just want to enjoy it more.
