What would I see if baseball was more popular? What's the equivalent of "basketball goals in the driveways?"

 

You have described why it's easier to get a game going in the neighborhood.

 

You'd see pitch/catch going on in the back yards. Games of pickle, if you had three. And if you had 5 or 6, you'd see whiffle ball games going on. None of them might be the full experience of playing 9 on 9 on a field, but you'd still want to associate with the game. Back in the day, I (along with many of my friends) would not only imitate the batting stances/swings of many players, but could do the same for the motion of many pitchers. How many kids do that today?

I'm waiting for the soccer fans to chime in?

I'm waiting for the soccer fans to chime in?

Both of them?

I'm waiting for the soccer fans to chime in?

 

What would you want to hear from those jerks for? And what does this thread have to do with soccer?

I never have a handle on this sort of thing because I have no clue what other people like or why. But an informal analysis of my friends leads me to this:

 

More of my friends seem to watch and follow the NBA than MLB. That said, my friends that are into MLB are WAY MORE into baseball than my more numerous NBA-fan friends are into the NBA. There's also plenty of crossover and this is a general pattern I've noticed rather than a hard-and-fast rule. My college friends from Cleveland are among those that go the other way: they seem to be more into the Cavs than the Indians.

You'd see pitch/catch going on in the back yards. Games of pickle, if you had three. And if you had 5 or 6, you'd see whiffle ball games going on. None of them might be the full experience of playing 9 on 9 on a field, but you'd still want to associate with the game. Back in the day, I (along with many of my friends) would not only imitate the batting stances/swings of many players, but could do the same for the motion of many pitchers. How many kids do that today?

 

My argument is that while I see basketball "goals" I don't see basketball "games." I live on a street FILLED with hoops in the driveway. I can think of one house that I see kids playing ball.

 

I'm 52. Your romanticized memories of kids playing versions of baseball are exactly the same as mine. Great days. Kids re-create players today on a PS4.

I go by a park pretty much just about everyday. Up front there are two basketball courts, Always seems like there's at least a couple of pickup games going on in the summer. The baseball fields behind them? Empty.

I would argue that baseball is more like 5th.

I would argue that baseball is more like 5th.

 

Behind?

Behind?

 

NFL, NBA, NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball

 

And in my mind...NASCAR, golf, boxing, fishing, MLS, European soccer, NHL, dodgeball, roller derby and professional wrestling.

I refuse to believe that MLB is bigger than the NBA. It may be, but it just doesn't seem like it.

Two different questions being posed here, in my mind.

 

1.) Is basketball more popular than baseball? Yes. Just look at all the basketball goals in the driveways or on the barns across America. You get 4-6 guys together with a basketball, and you're playing a game. With baseball, you're probably still looking for more guys. It's just ease of access. So, as much as I am a baseball fan, I readily concede this part.

 

2.) Is the NBA more popular than MLB? Ehhhh, maybe in certain parts. Most basketball arenas hold what, 15-20k? I'd say that's about an average attendance for a baseball game. And that's even with twice the amount of games you can go to. I know people go to baseball games for the socializing factor too, but I'd still say they're at least somewhat a fan of the game/team...otherwise why not just save yourself the ticket price and hang out with your buddies at the local bar. So, I'd still give MLB the nod (slightly).

 

How many goalposts do you see in people's yards across the country? Yet the NFL is clearly the most popular league.

This is a year old...

 

CHART: The popularity of the NFL is starting to fall in the US - Business Insider

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I've been hearing about the demise of baseball since the 90s yet we haven't seen evidence of it.

 

People are still coming to games at about the same clip. Not sure about watching it on TV.

 

I would guess that watching on tv has went down quite a bit. Outside of the die hard fan, most find it boring and can find other things to do while at home or something more interesting on another channel. I personally will watch all day if I were able to but then again I love baseball that much. Surely there is evidence somewhere showing yearly ratings.