Read the debate intro and Loyal Homer’s argument for why the MLB regular season should be shorter.
The number 162 is a big number. It is easy to say that 162 games in a single season is way too long for any major sport’s season. That number… it just SEEMS too big. Factor in some off days, rain outs, tie breaking extra games – and do not forget the playoffs – and their sure is a lot of baseball during the year!
But, unsurprisingly, there are some basic rules governing the construction of a baseball season. Baseball’s professional league cannot have a regular season last more than 183 days… or be fewer than 178 days. As baseball’s season length expanded – from 154 games a season to 162 in 1961 in the American League, and from 154 games a season to 162 in 1962 in the National League – the number of double headers shrunk. Because of those simultaneous changes, the number of days needed to play those games also increased more than expected. Hooray for more baseball!
The sports fans/critics that want a shorter baseball season must a) have plans during the summer, b) not appreciate history, and c) be infatuated with football training camp. What else is there to do during the summer? Baseball has been a national cultural phenomenon since the late 19th Century. Part of the attraction is a lack of distractions and competition in the sports world – especially as media coverage has expanded. Baseball has summer to itself. And, when it shares the sports spotlight, it is well worth watching. In the Spring the excitement of a new season and the possibility of success are compelling while in the Fall the lure of the playoffs grabs fan attention. The length of the season capitalizes on each of those audience segments.
History is another primary factor baseball’s season cannot be shortened. The ability to compare one player’s season from 2009 to a player’s season from 1909 separates baseball from every other sport. Now, it is fair to question the ability to compare seasons statistically since 154 games were on the schedule from 1904 to 1961. The eight extra games modern day players have to compile statistics is not fair to the historical players, right? It is a fair question. But, consider the size of ballparks historical players competed in during their respective eras. Many massive ballparks in the early 1900s did not have a home run fence. That means hitting a home run required, you know, RUNNING. It was a different era, but the basics of the game were the same, and the statistics largely stack up nicely, era over era.
The statistics from the historical era are still good for gauging modern performance for a number of reasons. The most important reason is the evolution of a player’s playing time. In the historical era a position player would often start all 154 regular season games. In the modern era a position player will start between 153 and 157 games per season. That is comparable, and a main contributing factor to why baseball players from separate eras are compared to one another, and a reason why the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame has more integrity than any of its contemporaries.
Aside from all of these emotive and historical elements to baseball, there are plenty of business reasons to sustain a lengthy 162 game season. Using a simple business model of $25 per seat in a 40,000 seat stadium, a team can count on roughly $1,000,000.00 per home game in revenue (provided all tickets are sold). That is a million bucks for every home game. Even a simple expansion of eight extra games a season – four home games – adds four million dollars in revenue. Baseball franchises use this type of model to forecast gate receipts and other aspects to the business of baseball… you know, the stuff like player salaries, coaching searches, player insurance, etc. As salaries, talent searches, and insurance costs have increased – to name just a few of the escalating costs baseball organizations face – that “extra” four million dollars is now an essential and reliant part of the business plan. And, obviously the $25 ticket price is conservative, but the conservatism proves the point. The yearlong ability to sell tickets makes a substantial difference in the business success of a modern baseball franchise.
Also, baseball is a game of failure. Because of that fact, it takes a long time to build up baseball statistics that achieve statistical significance. Success is defined by failure seven out of every ten attempts (you know, a .300 batting average). It takes a lot of at bats to determine if a player is consistently good or just hot for a time. Plus, starting pitchers only get to pitch once every five games. A closer gets an average of 25 chances over the course of the season. A long season is necessary to get the kind of measurable results organizations need to make personnel decisions and understand how much talent it has.
Just because baseball is a long season where patience and stamina are crucial does not mean the season should be shorter. It is designed that way for a reason. It is more exciting to have a close finish at the end of a long race. All of the buildup makes for a better payoff.
For baseball to remain a sustainable business in tough economic times, the season must remain as long as it currently is. And, business aside, for baseball to continue to its historical and cultural relevance the season must remain as long as it currently is.
The real problem facing baseball organizations is how to acquire new fans. Retaining fans is an easier marketing problem to solve, especially when considering the myriad new mediums fans can consume baseball’s content through. New fan acquisition must be a preeminent focus for baseball, and the sports and its franchises need the sustainable revenue from a long season to continue the sport’s growth.
the Orioles are not looking too bad now!