JPD today posted in his Bloggin' Baseball
column a piece of his mind on the nature of winning at the minor league level.
He put it succinctly:
As for the "FUN" in spite of losing he adds this:
The issue for a lot of fans at the game is to still have fun in spite of a loss --or more importantly a long string of them. That's promotions and entertainment come in, especially for the casual non-fan. All of the above (winning, quality play, fun at the ballpark) come together in that even if you don't have a winning club, everyone wants to have fun seeing a well-played game for their money. Even the "Fun is Good" Saints found that attendance fell (in part) due to a series of losing seasons.
Of course there's the reality that all but one club in a league will be losers each season. Baseball is a zero-sum game and someone has to lose each time. What a successful league should have is enough parity that no single club dominates every single year. Certainly some will be perennial contenders, but even the lowliest should have a shot and make a surprise run and take it all.
To that end, I think one thing John left out is that all clubs should have the hope of winning and winning it all. Fans should feel that even if their club is behind by a few runs (or games) that they can come out on top... eventually. Even Cubbies fans say "Wait 'til next year." It makes the final victory all the more enjoyable.
NOTE: I decided this was not the same topic as promotions, though it is closely related. It's hard to say if John blog post was in any way related to that topic.
He put it succinctly:
Yes, it is true that attending, and participating in, a minor league game is a lot more FUN than attending and watching a major league game. But it is NOT TRUE that the quality of play and outcome of the game is irrelevant.I agree with that statement. Watching a poorly played game makes it hard for anyone to get into it. It also tends to give a nod to indy ball where the clubs play to win, not just get in a protracted inter-team practice.
As for the "FUN" in spite of losing he adds this:
In short... winning puts everyone in a better mood and everything in a more favorable light. Losing creates a pall over the ballpark and the organization and puts people in a foul mood.I agree on most counts. Certainly a crowd of fans is a lot happier when the club wins (for those who stay long enough to actually see the final outcome). Teams should lose gracefully. Losing is not fun and who in their right mind "likes to lose a ballgame?"
I just don't like to lose and I don't like to be around people who accept losing. Should we show class, grace and dignity when we lose? Absolutely. But I hope no one in the Cats' organization ever thinks it is OK to lose "as long as we have fun". Losing is simply NOT fun, and there are no two ways about it.
That sounds awfully funny coming from a CUBS FAN! But the Cubbies are in first place this morning!
The issue for a lot of fans at the game is to still have fun in spite of a loss --or more importantly a long string of them. That's promotions and entertainment come in, especially for the casual non-fan. All of the above (winning, quality play, fun at the ballpark) come together in that even if you don't have a winning club, everyone wants to have fun seeing a well-played game for their money. Even the "Fun is Good" Saints found that attendance fell (in part) due to a series of losing seasons.
Of course there's the reality that all but one club in a league will be losers each season. Baseball is a zero-sum game and someone has to lose each time. What a successful league should have is enough parity that no single club dominates every single year. Certainly some will be perennial contenders, but even the lowliest should have a shot and make a surprise run and take it all.
To that end, I think one thing John left out is that all clubs should have the hope of winning and winning it all. Fans should feel that even if their club is behind by a few runs (or games) that they can come out on top... eventually. Even Cubbies fans say "Wait 'til next year." It makes the final victory all the more enjoyable.
NOTE: I decided this was not the same topic as promotions, though it is closely related. It's hard to say if John blog post was in any way related to that topic.
