Yesterday I shared with you how much The Youth love baseball. well the TV ratings are in and…

The American League Championship Series, which aired on TBS, saw an average audience of 5.179 million. The National League Championship Series, airing on FOX and FS1, averaged 4.656 million viewers.

Those numbers are down slightly from the 2021 numbers (via Barrett Sports Media)

Well let’s see….um……well the ALCS didn’t have any big markets…well except for the Yankees are the biggest team and Houston is the #6 market.  So it’s not that.

Um…there were football games on……

Hey I didn’t tell you to play on Sunday.

Don’t forget it’s cold/raining/we have to work tomorrow – all fun excuses that never ever came up before in October, and I am not sure why it’s raining inside your house anyway.

MAYBE PERHAPS baseball played the postseason for two generations way too late at night, and in the process lose the younger millennial and all of Generation Z.  Is it possible that’s what happened?  Maybe Mushnick and I were right!

Or maybe perhaps having the 6 seed in the playoffs isn’t that great an idea, and you’re better off with the better teams playing in the glamour games – just a thought.

Anyway, I am sure the Baseball Mafia will ignore this like they ignored the empty seats at Yankee Stadium and the not-sold-out games in Citi Field and keep telling us how great baseball is doing.    After all, baseball is back baby, and anyone who says it isn’t is a grouchy blogger in his mom’s basement, right?  Enjoy the press box!

Hey very cool stuff over at Uni Watch where they take a look at the notion of Nolan Ryan (usually #30) wearing a 20.  With photos and stuff!   I assure you its way more interesting than me posting a variant Mets cap today.  Go read it!

MLB.com has an article titled Numerous indicators show youth MLB fandom is on the rise which of course it is!

Look how young the fanbase on social media is!!!

• On Instagram, 71 percent of MLB followers are under the age of 35, while 61 percent of Instagram’s overall U.S. user base is under 35.
• On Twitter, 66 percent of MLB followers are under the age 35, while 46 percent of Twitter’s overall U.S. user base is under 35.
• On Facebook, 63 percent of MLB’s followers are under 35, while 47 percent of Facebook’s overall user base is under 35.

So yeah the Youths are checking out Insta posts.  Which isn’t attending games or watching games or playing actual baseball…but hey CLICKS!!

I like this next sentence which is waving away TV numbers…which is fine, except that when MLB gets a good # they crow about it.

Nielsen numbers — which are derived from electronic measuring devices in the homes of people who have agreed to be a part of a panel — don’t carry the weight they once did.

Plus there is this!

• The age range of 13-34 accounts for 95 percent of the audience for MLB Originals, which is consumed primarily through YouTube. And for Celebrity Sluggers, 79 percent of views came from viewers under the age of 35.

Which is nice but whats the total audience?  If 100 total people are watching it then 95 isn’t that impressive a number.

And have you ever heard of Celebrity Sluggers?  No, you haven’t.

And here’s a good laugh

“Travel play is increasing,” Marinak said. “And Wiffle ball and catch participation is increasing, but not necessarily tracked.

Yeah um, er, kids are playing wiffle ball!   We don’t track it, but they totally are.  I mean I definitely see more wiffle ball being played now than in 1980, don’t you?

And according to a Simmons survey, MLB has more attendees in the 12-17 age group than any of the major pro sports leagues.

Yes,  81 home games.

Anyway, baseball has a super hot girlfriend, she just goes to a different school which is why you have never met her.  If you would like to read about a league deluding itself and trying to convince you it is getting younger, read this, just don’t read too closely.

The Baseball Mafia, who declared yesterday’s Phillies game an “instant classic” and who ignored the Mets not selling out any of their home playoff games are very excited about The MLB Finals.

Meanwhile, fans seem less excited.

(📱: @ChrisGordy) pic.twitter.com/OVwNXPDS6K

— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) October 24, 2022

I’m confident we will hear the usual excuses…

…the weather was bad.

WHAT?   BAD WEATHER IN OCTOBER? FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1900?

…it was Sunday Night.

SO WHICH IS IT?  IS THE SPORT HEALTY OR DO PEOPLE NOT WANT TO CONSUME IT ON SUNDAY NIGHTS?

…we have to work tomorrow

UNLIKE PLAYOFF GAMES PLAYED MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

…tickets are expensice

ALSO, PLAYOFF TICKETS WERE EXPENSIVE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1900!!

At some point, it’s a product that people don’t want, right?  Like if nobody wants to go because it is expensive and played at an inconvenient time….at some point this is not a healthy business, even though yesterday’s Phillies game was an Instant Classic.

So baseball, you do you.   Let the 6 seed take on the team everyone hates.  The sport is doing just fine.

The Phillies face the Astros, FRIDAY, at TBD Time.  How do they not know what time this is starting? (Getting the TBD from MLB.com)

Interesting enough Mets cap…I have for sure seen worse.  This one from Hat Club.