Is Baseball a Dying Sport?

Mom, apple pie, and baseball. That's the kind of lofty position baseball once held in the hearts of Americans. It even garnered the coveted title of our "national pastime". For our parents and grandparents growing up, baseball was the king of sports.

My, how the times have changed.

An AP-AOL poll in late 2006 showed that less than one-third of Americans call themselves fans of professional baseball: 32%. In 1980, the number was closer to 50%. Those under 35 were even less likely to call themselves baseball fans.

In a recent survey of elementary school kids, 593 said basketball was their favorite sport to watch, 535 said football, and 255 said baseball. And in the 2001 Gallup poll, 28% of Americans said football was their favorite sport to watch. This was followed by basketball with 16%, and baseball with 12%.

The sale of team logos and merchandise has also been declining for baseball. Until 1992, baseball was the number one sport in terms of merchandise sold. By 1996, both football and basketball had surpassed it, and ever since the rank has been football and basketball way ahead of baseball in overall merchandise sales.Inevitably, when you bring up the sport of baseball in a conversation today, someone criticizes it. People are quick to point out that it's probably the slowest paced of the major sports, though they usually don't put it that kindly. They say baseball is boring. To the ears of baseball fans who truly love the game, that stings.

Sports fans today are accustomed to the constant action of basketball and soccer, and the brutal physicality of football and hockey. Society in general has become more fast paced, with instant gratification being the name of the game. Baseball has always been known as the thinking man's game, but a lot of sports fans today ar not content to think long and hard during a game; they want to be entertained by flying slam dunks or crunching hits from linebackers. A generation of fans raised on Sportscenter highlight reels appreciate the most athletic, the fastest, and the strongest. Though baseball has some great athletes who perform some amazing feats, most of the time it can't compete.

Even the home run, which has long been considered the most hallowed and exciting play in baseball, has lost some of its luster. Accusations of home run hitters pumped up on steroids, using corked bats, or hitting juiced balls have tarnished the glory of the Big Hit.

In my hometown, the recreation center I work at no longer offers baseball leagues for kids older than second grade. There simply is not enough interest to form leagues for that age group. Meanwhile, soccer, hockey, basketball, and flag football always fill up before the deadlines. As a person who grew up enjoying the Little League experience, it saddens me.

Will baseball survive in America? There certainly are plenty of communities around the country that still love and support the game. And there is enough interest in the sport in Asia and Latin America to keep lots of talent coming into the big leagues. One has to wonder, though, if grassroots baseball, the kind where kids got together in the empty lot and played neighborhood pick up games, has a future in the United States. There are just too many other activities competing for kids' attention, and in today's world, baseball may be left behind.