Bryce Harper nailed it.
"Baseball’s tired. It’s a tired sport, because you can’t express yourself."
- Bryce Harper
I've been pounding the "baseball needs to evolve" pavement for years now. The sport, well before it's recent moment of clarity under new commissioner, Rob Manfred, needed to come out of the dark ages on this nonsense dictated by it's unwritten rules. Rules which are utterly ridiculous and yet, held as high law within the sport, making some of the most skilled athletes in all of professional sports robots.
Folks, we're talking about a sport that frowns upon entertainment and showing raw emotion in some of the most heightened moments the sport has. I've heard many argue the reference, "have respect for the game" as if this justifies the end result. As if players everywhere else besides the United States, and our wacky, ridiculous, and utter boring unwritten rules, do not pay homage to the greatest game.
Somehow, every other culture, which has dancing, bat flips, stutter steps, and other moments that individualize the athletes, celebrate the moments, create the entertainment that should drive the game, and overall, expound and accentuate the beauty and essence of the game, are considered "disrespectful" within our borders and society.
"What does this kid know? This kid doesn't know squat about the game, and no respect for it."
- Goose Gossage
Baseball NEEDS to get over this - like yesterday. Hitters bat flip. Pitchers fist pump. Home Runs should be showboated. And great catches can have some flair.You don't like it? Do something about it on the field. The whole "respect the game" deal is cheap. It always has been. Also, please stop on the "stop stealing bases in blowouts" ordeal. That is beyond dumb as well. Nothing cheapens baseball and is more disrespectful than compromising the sport in moments.
Baseball, while healthier than ever, is losing big time in younger demographics to football and basketball. For the first time in a long time, the NBA Finals garnered a better rating than the World Series. Baseball needs personalities. It needs STARS!
With the latest initiative to improve upon this, baseball has plenty of young talent and many, many, personalities that can be transcendent. It's a perfect fit. It's time to do this. Bryce Harper nailed it. It's time to change.