Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Weekly Post #4: Baseball in Cuba (due Feb 5)
An interesting read on Baseball in Cuba. Is this the way things are headed here in the US? How might this impact a game that is drawing more and more players from Spanish speaking countries? Could this cause a shift in the ethnic/racial make-up of MLB? Or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill, and MLB will just find and cultivate talent elsewhere? What are your thoughts?
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I think that the Cubans do need to worry about soccer taking over, because as the article said it is a generational thing. While there is an increasing amount of young people in the world, the old people are, not to be intentionally blunt, dying. Soccer is one of the easiest sports to access for people who do not have the resources of fancy balls and full size goals and people are able to play anywhere. Soccer is a fast pace game that involves everyone on the field at all times, were as baseball is slower paced and more technique focused. While baseball is an older sport, it is also an American sport where the World Series only includes the teams from the US while the World Cup includes teams from all around the world. There is not only a World Cup for men, but a Women's World Cup as well, which creates an opportunity for another half of the population to participate in a sport. It gives the young girls of the population around the world role models to look up to as they see that there are women out there in the world playing soccer for a living. We have already seen a decline in African American players in the MLB and this new spark of "soccer" in young people's brains could potentially lead to a decline in Cuban players as well.
ReplyDeleteAs soccer becomes more dominant in Cuba and other Central American countries, the demand for baseball players becomes greater. This high demand and lack of interest from Cuban players will make it difficult for the MLB to recruit players of different ethnicities and races. It's important to keep in mind that the lack of Cuban players will be unintentional and the result of the up and comingness of soccer, not the lack of interest of the MLB. There is no question that baseball is slowly losing popularity; it is predominantly American, requires specific gear, and is slow-paced compared to a sport like soccer. While baseball may be fading out of Cuba, I think that it will ultimately remain a beloved American sport and past time. If and when it fades, American's can cherish the past and look forward to the sports that will take its place. Baseball will always remain a part of both Cuban and American culture, regardless of how often it is played.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I found strangely humorous in this article is the statement that “The old people prefer baseball because it's a tradition, but the young people prefer soccer," since in Spalding's "The National Game," part of what makes baseball the national game is that it is not rooted in tradition or the heritage of Britain, fitting into America's independence and breaking away from the traditions of England in general. So, it's interesting to see baseball becoming an outdated or even traditional sport in Cuba, taking the role that cricket once did for it. I think that this does mark a sizable change in Cuba's culture in terms of sports, and I think that this was really inevitable. It isn't a change to bemoan or to celebrate, in my opinion, but just a change that was going to happen sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there are two reasons why Baseball is becoming less popular. One reason is that Soccer is the most played and most watched sport around the world, and right now in the sport, there are players like Messi and Ronaldo who many consider to be some of the best players of all time. This makes the sport much more enjoyable to watch, because the fans feel like they are witnessing history and a younger generation wants to be like those stars, so they gravitate towards Soccer. The second reason that Cuban youth are shying away from Baseball is that the sport is not in a great spot right now. There are no current players or teams that people believe to be the best ever or even in a generation, unlike Basketball or Football, with players and teams like Lebron James, the Warriors, Tom Brady and the Patriots. This makes Baseball a sport that people are less likely to watch in comparison to the other sports, therefore making it less popular among younger people and reducing the draw from Spanish speaking countries that are more interested in Soccer. With all that being said, I still think that there will be a lot of spanish speaking players that will play Baseball, because it is so ingrained in its history, but it will not be at the pace that it was before. I do believe that there will be a larger influx of Asian players, especially since so many Asian players have had success in the MLB, like Ichiro. Will this drastically change the ethnic/racial make up? No, not significantly in the next 20 years, but it might foreshadow a shift that the sport is going towards.
ReplyDeleteI think that the craze around soccer is very threatening to the popularity of baseball not only in Cuba, but in many other central american countries as well. The article mentioned that baseball was the Cubans primary connection to the rest of the world. Being a famous Cuban baseball player was the achievement of the “American Dream” and was the ultimate symbol of success, though now, Soccer’s popularity represents a more appealing global success for both young boys and girls. Overtime, the decrease in global popularity of baseball will inevitably lead to a more whitewashed sport, which is something that is very concerning. The MLB must increase exposure internationally and advertise baseball better to keep the diversity that the baseball community has worked so hard to achieve.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this article highlights that soccer is taking Cuba by storm as its dominant sport, I do not feel like this poses a real threat to baseball in Latin America. This is because the relationship with Cuba at the time had yet to be "restored". With the two countries starting to become more friendly I believe the popularity of baseball will increase with an increase of communication. Also MLB is doing a much better job recently in setting up Camps/Academies to maintain popularity in the countries where it has had success (DR, Puerto Rico, etc.). So to me a decrease in popularity in Spanish speaking countries is not as immediate of a problem as the US. The popularity of baseball is way down in the US and there truly isn't anything to stop it. People are less drawn to the brain and finesse behind baseball and more into "hard-hitting" sports. What this will cause, which won't necessarily be a bad thing, will be an increase of the percentage of Latin players in the MLB compared to the current rate. As of the start of the 2016 season it was approximately 30% Latin and 60% Caucasian and I see those two percentages becoming more and more equal in the coming years.
ReplyDeleteI believe that one of the most important factors that seemed to be played down a bit in article was the significance of the cost difference. It does't cost much to kick a ball around and set up imaginary goals, but it sure does cost a lot more to pick up a baseball bat, a baseball, catching mitts for both teams, and batting helmets. I think the word I am looking for here is "accessibility". The younger generation wants new, fast and easy. As soccer continues to grow as the beautiful game, baseball seems to fade away as old tradition. Its sad, but true, that in many cases today, the younger generation wants fast! New! Exciting! Action! and soccer provides that. Whereas in baseball, so much of the younger generation doesn't have the patience to wait for those glory moments as they are more prevalent in soccer. Soccer is so present throughout the media and baseball isn't. Maybe its generational and because baseball is more traditional, but if baseball made its way better into the media, I think it would have a good shot at making it to the top again.
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ReplyDeleteI think that this movement is notable; the increasing shift towards soccer as the everyman's game. When baseball was introduced in the mid 19th century, it was meant to be the sport anyone and everyone could play. At a time where tensions ran high between the rich and poor, north and south, baseball presented unity. The most athletic specimen and a scrawny boy both had the potential for greatness, and all it took was hard work. This ideology in the US was also present in other countries, causing young boys without money to make the closest thing to bats and balls they could so they could practice and have a shot at making it big. And it worked. Many players in the MLB have come from humble beginnings, and many from other countries, but the sport is not as much an everyman's game as it used to be. The rise of steroids over the last couple decades has meant that non athletes can't really make it in the MLB. Now you need to be strong, powerful, and athletic in order to compete. In addition, the rise of baseball academies and elite preparation programs has made it increasingly harder for those without the access to baseball equipment and coaching to make it. While baseball has become a more elite sport, soccer has only become more accessible. Soccer has also spread worldwide in a very large way, enticing younger generations to try the sport. Soccer doesn't require the same amount of equipment as baseball, doesn't require strength, and doesn't require as much coaching, it's far more about practice. Thus, it is understandable why we see this shift in countries like Cuba. This will impact the MLB to some degree, there will be fewer kids playing baseball in central america, leading to fewer Central American players in the MLB, but I don't think the trend will spread to the US in the same way. Much of the reason soccer is chosen over baseball as a cost concern, and the US is far wealthier than these other countries. Most kids who want to play baseball will have some way to do it in the US, not such the case in Cuba. Overall, I don't think this is too large of a problem. It certainly could impact the MLB, but not in a way that could make baseball any less enjoyable to watch.
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ReplyDeleteThe swing in traditional values in Cuba is quite present with the younger generations, favoring the rapid pace of soccer over the long and dragged out game of baseball. The simple reason for why Cuba is slowly adopting soccer as their national sport is because of the simplicity that the game has to offer. Young players have more access to a soccer ball and a goal than a baseball field and equipment such as a bat, glove, and ball. It makes the sport easier to play, regarding accessibility not to mention the economic benefits behind it. This most certainly impacts the level of play that the MLB receives from Cuban players. With the country losing interest in the game it becomes harder to find players with the motivation to be an all-star player in the MLB. With the Cuban populations ranging from the ages of 10-30 years of age being more involved with soccer directly influences the quality of play of baseball. Children are now growing up kicking a soccer ball around instead of swinging a bat, causing their exposure to the game to be limited. The sudden change in sports is a generational thing but it is most definitely worrisome for the MLB. My advice to the MLB would be to start looking elsewhere for their star players and to not get caught up in the traditional expectation of Cuban ballplayers.
ReplyDeleteThis has already been the trend of baseball in the US: its relatively slow pace make it difficult to watch for a generation with a much lower attention span for entertainment. The connection of youth to tradition has, in recent times, been much weaker than in previous generations. Because of this, the youth's interest in baseball has dwindled overall. I do not believe this to be an issue isolated in any particular nation/ethnic group, as the generation as a whole has less patience for the relatively slow flow of baseball. I think this will perhaps cause baseball to be less of the universal game it was but it will not change the ethnic makeup of baseball, nor will it extinguish the game. But it may relegate it to a secondary role (in terms of sports popularity) behind sports like football and soccer. Until baseball can find a way to make the game more adapted to the current generation's attention span, it will continue to trend downwards in interest.
ReplyDeleteI think soccer is taking over for several reasons. For one, younger generations are getting more exposure to it on TV, their primary connection to the rest of the world. The state-run television network shows only one MLB game a week and shows several European Soccer matches. Secondly, soccer is a much easier pickup game. Kids simply need a ball and can mark imaginary goalpost easily, were baseball requires more equipment. Collectively, these two changes in Cuban society will affect ours. With less interest to play baseball, there will be a smaller pool for the MLB to select players from. As a result, Cuban talent will be less and less present among Major League teams. Overall, I think this might affect how the game is played. different cultures play slightly different versions of baseball, and when they all come together in the MLB, the game is more interesting. When Jackie Robinson started playing in the Majors, he brought new talent and strategy to the game and made watching it a much different experience. Without the unique style of play from Cuban players, the way baseball is played in the MLB will be changed.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this is the way things are headed for the US... steroids aren't particularly difficult to procure, and owners will do just about anything to make money (because hey, this is America -- if we aren't driven by consumers and capital gains then who are we?!) by having increasingly intense games between increasingly inhumanly strong players. The language used to describe baseball in Cuba was extremely deliberate; noting that, like Americans noted about Brits playing cricket, the previous generations played baseball and were fans by default whilst the younger generation chooses to play soccer (because it is more fun and accessible). I think that interest drives talent, so the youth consensus that soccer is the best and baseball is lame will definitely impact how many new Cuban players we see in MLB in the next 5-10 years. I think this has less to do with ethnic, racial, and linguistic recruitment patterns and more to do with the intersectionality between socioeconomic divisions and popularity of a sport globally. As Sam noted, baseball began in America as this wonderful, patriotic game that transcended societal boundaries but has become a pumped-up roidfest, leaving the baseball that older generations knew and loved in the dust. It would also be naive to pretend or think that race and ethnicity are completely separate from socioeconomic factors that make certain sports more popular globally *cough cough, soccer, cough cough* so I don't think that you are making a mountain out of a molehill.
ReplyDeleteThe sports situation in Cuba is very similar to that in the United States. More aggressive and fast paced sports are becoming popular. In the US, football's popularity has increased to the point that it is more popular than baseball. A major reason for this is the intense atmosphere of the sport along with the stereotypical manly athletes that play football and similar sports. In Cuba, soccer is becoming more popular as the younger generation also looks to these fast paced sports. Along with the aggression and physicality of these sports, things such as the Super Bowl halftime show draw crowds which wouldn't necessarily watch the sport otherwise. The MLB will face a challenge of recruiting players if the sports' popularity begins to decrease, but in reality, any sport/organization is there for the purpose of making someone lots of money. If these sports are going to continue to succeed in doing so, they will need to make it attract larger crowds. The sports that have begun to rise are those which involve high speeds and lots of physical contact. If baseball is going to continue to be popular, then something will need to be done to attract a larger audience.
ReplyDeleteThe diminishing interest in baseball in Cuba is unfortunate for the MLB, but may also separate the most dedicated, MLB-destined players from the casual players. The rise of soccer and replacement of baseball is also understandable; younger generations like things fast-paced and exciting, which is more obviously a characteristic of soccer (not to say baseball can't be that way). Also, the evident increase of broadcasting of soccer is going to draw young people, who may watch more TV than older adults, to seek out the sport, whether on the street or on an organized team. It doesn't seem like the MLB just accepts anyone, no matter where they're from. A major league ball player must have the skills to play professionally, and there has just so happened to be a number of good players to come out of Cuba. However, I do not see this number changing drastically- while soccer is on the rise there will still be those few dedicated young baseball players that want to go pro and will seek that out in every way they can. Those boys are the ones that the MLB [should] want, and because of this, I don't see the number of Cuban players in the MLB changing dramatically.
ReplyDeleteBaseball is based in the US. Although other countries have their own programs and leagues, the MLB is baseball’s home base. Baseball is the American pastime. Soccer is a more versatile sport. Known and played around the world, soccer trumps baseball in popularity. Countries have different teams and compete against each other in the world cup. The baseball has the world series, however it is American teams who participate. Although not in the same professional league, soccer is a sport that can be played by both men and women. Having a sport that both little boys and little girls can develop a love for makes soccer a popular pick. When in competition with sports like soccer, baseball is fighting an uphill battle. In order to keep a flow of strong talent from spanish speaking countries the MLB has to have more latin player role models for people to look up to. In addition, baseball needs to become more of an international game. Yes other countries have baseball teams and leagues, however none are as developed as the MLB. Without the presence that baseball has in the US, other countries will turn to different sports. Having more countries involved in the MLB would lead to further diversification of the game.
ReplyDeleteBaseball's decline in popularity worldwide wasn't really something I really noticed, but it has been fading and the more I think about it the more apparent it becomes. Obviously the rise of soccer in Cuba and the fall of baseball are directly correlated but I don't think that this decline is based around baseball, but instead on the rise of soccer. Soccer is both more accessible, relatively easier to play(equipment) and far more accessible than baseball. The portion about exposure also provides a very valid reason for the switch to soccer. Kids tend to mimic what they see on tv and that evidently is primarily soccer. I don't think that this shift, be it temporary or permanent, will hugely impact cubans in the MLB, as sports often rise and fall in popularity. In addition, Cubans should get more and more exposure to baseball as their access to the internet, as well as the increasingly good relations increase between the US and Cuba. There may be a small downward trend in the number of kids playing baseball at a young age, but I believe that the ones with recognizable real talent will stay find their way to the big leagues.
ReplyDeleteFrom reading this article, it makes a lot of sense why this shift is happening in Cuba. It’s a lot easier to have a pick-up game of soccer than baseball, and with the popular culture of soccer a lot more prevalent with the younger generation, it’s not a surprise. I have noticed similar changes happening in the US; its always a little funny to me hearing baseball referred to as the “national pastime” because I feel like sports such as basketball and football are just as watched, if not more. This too makes sense, since these games are faster-paced and typically more exciting; the younger generations in the US like a lot of stimulation and action. There still are plenty of young baseball fans, though, and I don’t think that baseball will die out in popularity any time soon, As far as the effect on the MLB of the Cuban shift, there are plenty of aspiring baseball players in the US and elsewhere, more than enough to fill up the MLB, and although soccer may become more popular in Cuba, that doesn’t mean baseball is totally eradicated. Overall, even though this change makes sense in Cuba, I think the roots of baseball in the US are strong enough that it will still stay one of the biggest sports.
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