Both of New York’s MLB teams are doing great. The Los Angels Dodgers, too. The St. Louis Cardinals are posed for another solid season. The Boston Red Sox are rebounding from a bad start. The Chicago Cubs? Not so much.
So why aren’t MLB and TV execs jumping for joy. The above are baseball’s nationally or regionally-followed teams. Historically, when they’re winning, MLB is in great shape.
But it isn’t. Declining ticket sales and TV viewership continue.
The problem is in the hinterlands where you and I are. Once it seemed every one in every town had a favorite team in some faraway land. You knew you might never see them play in person. You longed for them to play in the Saturday afternoon Game of the Week, then the only nationally televised game. You daydreamed about your team making the World Ss.
You followed your team in the weekly Sporting News, gobbling up every boxscore, or listening through the static on your transistor or big-box radio.
Now few of us could care less about MLB. And finally MLB is paying attention to us.
Is it too late?
