Baseball's Globalization

Has it Caused the Deterioration of America’s Favorite Pastime?

Mar 20, 2009

Is there a correlation between the globalization and deterioration of baseball in America? The jury is still out, but there is plenty of evidence to support it.

According to a recent Harris Poll, baseball remains second in popularity to football. Those in the baby boomer generation remember a time when this was not the case. From 1937 to 1960 baseball was America’s favorite sport, or pastime.[1] For the next decade it remained relatively even until football overtook baseball in 1972 and has commanded the top post ever since. Coincidentally, baseball is the only top five sport in terms of popularity that has seen a decline, at approximately 8%, since 1985.[2]

Youth Baseball Decline Causing Baseball’s Deterioration?

The youth of our country is confirming the popularity descent. Little League Baseball saw a 10% decrease in enrollment in a decade, from 1996 to 2006. Defenders of baseball would argue its popularity by stating that attendance at Major League games is at its highest point ever. This is true, but primarily due to the increased number of teams in the league and secondarily because of the more fan-friendly stadiums that have become the trend in the past two decades. No matter if one is an avid fan, a casual observer, or oblivious to the game, the deterioration of America’s pastime is undeniable.

Baseball’s Globalization

As its overall popularity wanes in the U.S., baseball’s globalization continues its substantial rise. Foreign-born players in Major League Baseball have more than doubled to 31 percent since 1995.[3] Ironically, most of this increase has come from Hispanics, a similar trend well-documented within the general population. By contrast, the National Football League, by far this country’s most popular sport, maintains the lowest percentage of international players at just 2%.[4] NASCAR, America’s fastest growing sport, is at the bottom of the list with the NFL.

Baseball’s Average Ticket Prices on the Rise

So as average ticket prices (up 10.9 percent in 2008 to $25.40)[5] and the average cost to take a family of four to a ball game (up 8.3 percent in 2008 to $191.75) continue to climb, baseball’s fastest growing populous and their fan base currently maintain a median income nearly $20,000 less annually than baseball’s and America’s majority population. Even with Hispanics being an enormous and ever growing economic force in America, a real argument could be made that the math simply does not add up for baseball to reverse its declining popularity rating.

Socially, America has came a long way to tighten its racial and gender gaps, but are American sports fans hankering to see their own back in our stadiums? Time will tell, but patriotism may be the only thing that trumps winning.

The copyright of the article Baseball's Globalization in Baseball is owned by Ryan Haskell. Permission to republish Baseball's Globalization in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.