Pastime or past its prime? The future of MLB

Warm July air, a hot dog wrapped in tinfoil, a cold beer in hand and nine innings of baseball: sounds like a summer evening well-spent. Baseball has always been a sport best enjoyed from the stands, where fans can experience a team camaraderie that feels homegrown even at the professional level. Amidst declining viewership within the past decade, MLB is striving to incentivize audiences to buy into its 162-game season and learn to find joy in baseball’s deliberate, calculated pace. From implementing rule changes to investing in youth baseball initiatives, MLB is doing all it can to shed its reputation as being the perfect sport for background noise and remind fans why it has earned the title of “America’s Pastime.”Plus, on this week’s Fun Friday, Claire and Jenna determine whether athletes’ superstitions are “red-flag” or “green-flag” behavior.Transition track credits:Downtown Walk by | e s c p | https://escp-music.bandcamp.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/