MLB has apparently come to the conclusion that there is something
wrong with baseball's pace of play. American football—the most popular sport
in America (and also the slowest sport in America)—is just SO FAST that baseball pales in comparison.
In view of these facts, what has MLB been doing? Trying to
make baseball more like football.
Baseball has added instant replays, complete with a
"challenge" system like the NFL. They are now trying to add and
enforce more rules to take more of the moments of tension that make baseball what it is out of the
game.
MLB bigwigs are completely out of touch with the very
product they are in charge over.
Why isn't MLB trying to market baseball in the other direction?
Marketing the unique aspects of what makes baseball baseball and that make it better than football? Why is MLB trying
to market baseball by just making it more like the NFL?
Guess what, MLB: if you try to market baseball by making it more like football, you will always be chasing the NFL. A lot of the supposed weaknesses of baseball are, in fact,
its greatest strengths. Seriously. Come on.
This isn't rocket science.
This is an epic marketing failure.
