Baseball's fan base and home runs

Does Major League Baseball have a future? I think it is safe to say that most sports fans, at least baseball fans, may wonder about the future of Major League Baseball. During the players strike in the early 1990s 50 percent of Americans said that they were a fan of professional baseball, however by the time the dust settled from the strike that number fell to 45 percent.
The summer of '98 brought the love for the game to an all time high at 56 percent, but as the drama of a homerun race wore off, the numbers began to steadily decline the next season and have fallen five percentage points in the past three years amid steroid speculation across the league. In a December 2006 Gallup poll, only 45 percent will claim themselves as a fan of the game on a professional level.

Now, what was once considered our national past time, holding the appeal of 39 percent of Americans as their favorite sport in 1948, the love has fallen behind football and basketball. Today 43 percent of Americans consider football their favorite sport, up nine points from December 2005, while basketball remains even at 12 percent and baseball at 11 percent.

So, what is the reason for the fallout of fans from our favorite past time? Is it because we have become a more fast paced society and would rather see an action-packed battle on the gridiron or an hour and a half basketball game as opposed to sitting through three to four hours of baseball? Or is there something more than that?

Baseball's poll numbers are starting to look like political polls – the majority just don't have a trust in the game anymore. Last June 47 percent of professional baseball fans claim that performance-enhancing drugs are the direct influence to the higher number of homeruns. Only 27 percent thought that it was based on an increase in quality hitters, while eight to nine percent said it was because of a new baseball or lack of quality pitching.

With that, it is no surprise that only three percent of sports fans consider Barry Bonds, second all-time in home runs, the greatest home run hitter in the history of the game. Babe Ruth holds that respect with 43 percent of the votes, while Hank Aaron is the only other to receive more than three percent of the votes with 26 percent. And of course the reasons for the doubt in Bonds, which was down from six percent just three years ago, is because 78 percent of professional baseball fans said last April that they believe he has used illegal steroids.

It'll be interesting to see how the 2007 season unfolds, as Bonds is in pursuit of the all-time home run crown after hitting hitting his fourth home run of the season Wednesday, leaving him with 18 needed to break the record.

One thing is for sure, if Major League Baseball has any hope of returning to the position it once held as the country's best, it needs to find a way to win back the hearts of Americans. Simon and Garfunkel's lyrics to Mrs. Robinson ring true today, "Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you..." We need a Joltin Joe or an Iron Man (Lou) Gherig or (Cal) Ripken, to help peak our interests - players who are respected for their pure talent and passion for the game. The same players that were in the shinning spot light at baseball's greatest number of fans.

Hope may remain in the pen stripes, as Alex Rodriguez's walk-off homer on Thursday was his 10th of the season. Since playing his first full season in 1996, A-Rod has averaged 42 home runs a season through last year. He is on pace for 116 this year, although that number won't come to fruition, it is safe to say 40 will, which will list him in the Top 20 with more than 500 career home runs. Home run leaders in perspective..Hank Aaron averaged 33 a season for 23 years in 3,298 games, Barry Bonds has averaged 35 in 21 seasons (through 2006) in 2,860 games and Babe Ruth averaged 32.5 for 22 seaosns and 2,503 games. If you take away Babe's first four years in Boston and last season of his career, when he hit a combined 15 home runs, and he avereaged 41.11 through 17 seasons in 2,309 games. A-Rod's average of 42 a season through the past 11 seasons and 1,681 is impressive. He beats Bonds (.25) and Aaron (.22) with an average of 0.27 in seasons where he hit at least 10 home runs (all but two). Ruth's is at the top with 0.30.

Statistical information for this column came from various Gallup Polls and Basebal reference for poll resutls and career stats.

A lack thereof

There's been a lack of blogging on this page for the past three months plus. The same was the case in the fall. I liked to think that my mind was a source of information, thoughts or ideas ready to pour on the page, but if this is true, there's the lack of motivation at the end of the day or time to spend "wasted" online to write on this blog. No, I'm not going to cancel it, but maybe I'll have a break through idea to post sometime soon or an interesting story. In the mean time, if you're interested in reading what I have been writing, which has been 99 percent, if not more, sports driven, then visit www.shelbycountyreporter.com and read the sports stories.

It has been a good first three months on the job. I have covered state championships in indoor track, wrestling and AISA girls basketball, the Bassmasters, a rodeo, an emotional inaugural memorial golf tournament for one of the best golfers in recent history from the state of Alabama. I have also had the opportunity to watch the best junior tennis player in Alabama capture a county championship and develop small relationships with a future SEC football center and golfer. Before the move from sports information and Pulaski, I wondered if I'd be able to have the same opportunites to build relationships with student-athletes that I had there. The answer to that question is becoming true as yes, as long as I want that to happen. It has been great to be able to establish some relationships with coaches, players and fans - just a small part of what makes the job fun and new each week, even if there is burn out every now and a then for the lack of a full 24 hours off from work...such is the nature of media, especially in our technology and information age.

Another good angle to working with the Shelby County Reporter has been the enviroment in which I work. Friday we had an office cookout, which presented itself as more of a family atmosphere. The same was present when the office hosted a joint baby shower for the wives of the publisher and managing editor. The publisher's daughter was born a few weeks back, while the managing editor's son is expected in the next two months.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being where I am now. However, I do ask myself, "Where am I going?" The question of what my next career move will be is up in the air, however, maybe that is a good thing. While it is nice to have goals and a plan to achieve those goals, it is also nice to enjoy the moment and succeed in the task at hand until the time comes that a change is called for, if it ever is.

--Just something to fill the space--