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The decline in the popularity of baseball has its roots in several issues. Some have to do with American society. Others have to do with more global issues. And still others have to do with the culture of sports. The more popular ones will be discussed. But there will be a reason discussed that is never mentioned, that may have as much to do with it as all of the others.

The most popular reason why baseball is declining is because people say that it's "too slow." What many fail to take into consideration is that it hasn't really changed in the past century, so it's not as if the game has devolved into a game of chess. The thing that makes this argument very flimsy is that hockey is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, sports on the globe. If the "too slow" argument had any logical basis, then hockey would be the most popular sport in America. Instead, football, a game that has almost as much down time as baseball, is the most popular sport. And basketball, with its tendency to grind to an almost total halt at the end of games, is next. Sorry, but I don't buy that.

Another popular reason that's given is the rise of football and basketball in the mid-to-late 20th century. That is a little more palatable, because now baseball is not the only real option. People's attention can be distracted by football and basketball. But that has fundemental flaws as well, because basketball season ends half way through baseball season. And football season doesn't really get into full swing until baseball is well into its pennant races.

In all actuality, the number one reason for the downfall of baseball is globalization. Baseball is a game that has its roots very strongly planted in the east coast. Particularly the northeastern states. The expansion south and west reached out to fans that previously had little to no baseball exposure. So now, rather than having a small, loyal following, baseball spread itself thin by reaching out to fans that don't have such a strong tie to the game. Baseball took a strong hold in the midwestern states and in California, but it still struggles to gain a good following in other areas.

Another issue that closely ties into this is the relocation of the work force. Many people from a certain area are transplanted into other regions. What that does is it causes a disconnect between that fan and his/her team. Prior to the rise of the internet, digital television, and satellite radio, the only way to follow an out of town team was through the newspaper box score. It wasn't until recently that a fan of the Red Sox or Yankees could follow their team in Texas or New Mexico. The problem is, that by the time that came around, baseball had lost a large number of fans to football and basketball.

Then came the issues of the current "leadership" in Major League Baseball. But that is a separate issue entirely.

Learn more about this author, Luis Sotelo.
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