This past August, I spent two weeks absolutely glued to the TV watching the United States Olympic men's basketball team.
You just couldn't tear me away. I spent my nights reading articles and looking over stats, and my mornings were reserved for the 7 a.m. games that were aired in prime time across the globe in Beijing. Somehow, I managed to avoid skipping work. I don't remember when, if ever, I slept. My internal clock was fried worse than the clock tower in Hill Valley.
I wasn't alone. In the States, the story of the Redeem Team captivated a nation. In China, basketball continued its rise to the top. Forty-four percent of Chinese TV viewers watched Yao Ming at least once last August — that's 585 million people. The international game had become an international sensation. There was something irresistible about watching the best in the world play their game.
Seven months later, I find myself wondering why the same isn't true of baseball.
The 2009 World Baseball Classic begins tomorrow. If you're even the least bit aware of that fact, then congratulations. You're part of a knowledgeable minority. Interest in baseball around the world appears to be at an all-time low — baseball has already been eliminated from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, making it the first sport nixed from the Games in 76 years.
On Aug. 9, the day before the USA-China game that many believe to be the most-watched basketball game ever, a feature in the New York Times estimated that there are 450 million NBA fans in China. Think about that number! For every fan Liu Kai has, Yao must have thousands. How has this happened? How has baseball taken the backseat so quickly?
The players themselves, of course, have noticed. Why else would they all be finding excuses to get out of playing in the WBC? They know they have little reason to play. That's why in the States, we see Grady Sizemore, Carlos Quentin and Vernon Wells sitting the tournament out with minor injuries. You think Dwyane Wade would sit out the Olympics due to groin soreness? Please.
Then there are the players who have no excuse but are saying no anyway. Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, CC Sabathia, Tim Lincecum and Jonathan Papelbon are the tip of the iceberg. It's gotten to the point where guys like Mark DeRosa and Chris Iannetta are out there representing the stars and stripes. Talk about red, white, blue and unqualified.
I fear that this is a downward spiral. The fans care less about the baseball; the players care less about pleasing the fans; the baseball only becomes worse when the player pool shrivels up; and the worse the games are, the less the fans show up. Maybe I'm overreacting here, but the WBC seems doomed to fail.
It's frustrating because, in theory, the concept is an amazing one. Baseball has always been popular worldwide — it's easy to learn and appreciate, but it's nuanced enough that it never ceases to be interesting. And the idea of seeing all of the world's best in one three-week tournament is a great one, but it came a few decades too late. It's not enough to bail out a sport that is on the decline worldwide.
Maybe it's people's dwindling attention spans for long games; maybe it's the black mark left on the sport by the Steroid Era; maybe it's just great marketing that's propelled other sports, like basketball, to overtake what used to be our national pastime. Whatever the reason, baseball appears to be in trouble.
The first pitch for Team USA in the Classic is at 2 p.m. Saturday in Toronto. It may not be Kobe versus Yao, but it still might be worth watching. I just thought I'd remind you all, just in case you'd forgotten. If you had, I can't blame you.
--
Evans Clinchy is a senior majoring in English. He can be reached at Evans.Clinchy@tufts.edu.
