Baseball's Shrinking Gap Between Worst and First

Wall Street Journal ^ | 6/19/14 | Brian Costa

[foreverfree]

A league that was once divided between the haves and the have-nots has become the united realm of the mediocre. Twenty teams have won between 45% and 55% of their games, nearly double the number that fell within that range at this point in 2013. And if the sport's hierarchy seems clear, try waiting a week. It may change.

[C210N]

In every area that doesn't have a local MLB team, the Yankees were the favorites. ...

Saw that too, interesting map. Perhaps this is more a comment on the Mets, but even around Flushing Queens, the Yanks rated higher than the Mets.

[Alberta's Child]

That's an excellent point, and I'd use the NHL as a great example of that. At one time it seemed like a great idea to embark on a major expansion to become an NBA-like sports league with a competitive franchise (there's that "legislated parity" again) in every major North American market, but when you look back over the last 20 years the evidence tells the opposite story. Interest in the NHL as reflected in TV ratings was probably at its lowest when teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning were winning the Stanley Cup, and was at its highest when traditional franchises like Detroit, Boston, Chicago and the New York Rangers were Stanley Cup finalists.

Los Angeles is an unusual case because it's a major TV market and the Kings have been around for almost 50 years, but it's not a traditional hockey market and the Kings have to compete with a lot of other sports/entertainment alternatives for fan interest.

[Alberta's Child]

That’s a pretty common phenomenon in sports, where some teams have a national fan base due to the storied history of the franchise and/or the national exposure over many years. The Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Dodgers are good examples of this in MLB. The Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and (maybe surprisingly) the Pittsburgh Steelers are good examples of this in the NFL. Even the NHL has their versions of these larger-than-life franchises: mainly the “Original Six,” but the Philadelphia Flyers might belong in that group, too.

[Lisbon1940]

Hey, don’t dis the Pirates, who have as much parity as anyone. Also Grilled Cheese has now been demoted.

[SamAdams76]

I would like to see more home runs in baseball. Juice up the ball. Let the players fill their bats with cork. When there is a pitching change, don't let them warm up on the mound (that's what bullpens are for). Just send them to the mound and keep the game moving along.

I like the shot clock in basketball. They should have a 15 second pitching clock. If the pitcher can't deliver the next pitch within 15 seconds, award an automatic "ball".

I want to see more home runs. Baby Ruth hit 60 one year. I want that to be the new normal. Your average players should hit 60 a year with the superstars hitting 150 or more. If you are a player who can average one homer per game, then you should be considered one of the better home run hitters and you deserve a pay increase.

[foreverfree]

Hey, don’t dis the Pirates, who have as much parity as anyone. Also Grilled Cheese has now been demoted.

This Phightin' Phils phan asks, Who or what is Grilled Cheese?

ff

[Lisbon1940]

Grilled Cheese is Jason Grilli, gone soggy this season with four blown saves.