As the temperatures continue to soar, the sports world turns its attention to several busy, event-filled days in the world of Major League Baseball. The festivities get underway with the MLB All-Star Futures Game this afternoon, followed by the first two rounds of the MLB Draft tomorrow evening, the Home Run Derby on Monday night, and culminating with the All-Star Game on Tuesday evening.
Young players will be on full display as MLB continues its attempt to appeal to a younger audience. The powers-that-be need to promote all of the exciting, up and coming stars who have arrived on the big stage in the past few seasons. Another initiative MLB is attempting is to bring in more kids from the inner city to play baseball. For various reasons, the number of black players playing in the big leagues has dropped significantly in recent years, and numerous former players are making a concerted effort to make baseball more inviting to the young people of today.
There are some folks who question whether baseball should still be considered the National Pastime, with the almighty National Football League’s meteoric rise. The NFL dominates the professional sports landscape, and
the NBA has made tremendous strides in recent years as well.
Major League Baseball is making a push however, with attendance numbers breaking records this season. Forbes Magazine pointed this out in a recent article, citing the changes in pace of play contributing to the increased interest.
In my opinion, that is just one factor. Another reason is the influx of young talent, and MLB is counting on that to keep their teams profitable. The owners need to keep bringing in as much ballpark revenue as they can, because local broadcasting rights are expected to fall between 20% and 30% in some markets. That loss of revenue could be especially significant for smaller market teams.
The trend this season has seen National League teams outdraw the American League, with its largest lead in the past 20 years. The primary reason for the NL dominance is the NL West. That division has enjoyed the best attendance in every season since 2006, led by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have drawn baseball’s biggest crowds for more than a decade.
Another general trend when you look at the attendance numbers is that the teams that spend the most, usually bring in the most fans as they enjoy the most success on the field. The big-spending Los Angeles Dodgers have the
highest payroll, and they’re averaging 47,769 per game. They’re followed by the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Atlanta Braves.
The American League also has the misfortune of the ongoing mess in Oakland, where the Athletics are drawing a meager 7,899 fans per game. Seven of the bottom 10 teams in attendance are in the AL, with the Miami Marlins in last place in the NL, bringing in a paltry 12,829 spectators.
In case you’re wondering, the Cincinnati Reds rank 22nd among the 30 teams, averaging 25,035 fans per game at Great American Ball Park. Expect those numbers to dramatically increase if the club can begin to win consistently for the remainder of the season.
That remains to be seen.
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MIDSUMMER CLASSIC FEATURES YOUNG STARS – The 94th MLB All-Star Game will be played at Globe Field in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday night, and despite some folks scoffing at its importance, the event takes center stage in the world of sports for one night. The game still represents a showcase of the best players in the world, and there are numerous fond memories of past exhibitions. The National League snapped a nine-game American League win streak last year with a 3-2 win in Seattle.
This year’s rosters feature 32 players receiving their first All-Star selections, so if you haven’t been keeping current on the new crop of stars in the bigs, you’ll have a prime opportunity to do some catching up.
Reds fans will be looking forward to seeing their two brightest stars in action, with shortstop Elly De La Cruz and pitcher Hunter Greene being named to the National League squad. EDLC leads the majors in stolen bases and the 22-year-old plays with unbridled enthusiasm every time he steps on the field. Greene, 24, appears to finally be fulfilling his potential and he was picked to replace Tyler Glasnow of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who placed the righthander on the 15-day injured list with lower back tightness.
The NL starter will be announced on Monday, with many fans hoping to see Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes on the mound. The former LSU righty, who was the first overall pick in last year’s draft, has dominated since his call-up, and his most recent performance may have been his best yet. The 6-foot-6 Skenes tossed seven innings of no-hit baseball against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, striking out 11 in a 1-0 win for the Bucs to improve to 6-0. He has thrown 66 1/3 innings, allowed 48 hits, 13 walks, and fanned 89 while posting a 1.90 ERA.
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FUTURES GAME SHOWS OFF STARS OF TOMORROW – A pair of the Reds’ top prospects, pitcher Rhett Lowder and third baseman Cam Collier, were named to the NL roster for the MLB Futures All-Star Game. The game will be played at 4 p.m. today and features minor leaguers who are on their way to the bigs, and has been held since 1999.
Lowder, a product of Wake Forest and the Reds’ top pick in last year’s draft, is pitching at Double-A Chattanooga after getting promoted from High-A Dayton earlier in the season. The 22-year-old righthander has struggled for the Lookouts, but pitched well in his most recent outing against the Biloxi Shuckers.
Collier, the son of former big-leaguer Lou Collier, was the Reds’ first round selection in the 2022 MLB Draft. He won’t be 20 years old until November, and the lefthanded-hitting prospect is hitting .231 at Dayton, after a recent mini-slump. Collier has clubbed 13 home runs and driven in 48 for the Dragons.
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TEAMS SEEKING NEW TALENT IN MLB DRAFT – The first two rounds of the 2024 MLB Draft will be televised on MLB Network on Sunday at 7 p.m., and continue Monday afternoon with rounds 3-10 on MLB.com. Rounds 11-20 are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Reds have the second pick in the draft, following the Cleveland Guardians, who haven’t tipped their hand with who that top choice will be. There’s tons of speculation surrounding the top picks in the draft, with the Guardians reportedly interested in a group that includes Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana, Georgia outfielder-third baseman Charlie Condon, and West Virginia infielder JJ Weatherholt.
It’s a huge guess at this point, but if Cleveland does not take Condon, look for the Reds to bring the power-hitting 21-year-old to their organization. He is one of the most big-league ready players in the draft, and could be in the Cincy outfield as early as next season.
Other expected top selections include Wake Forest pitcher Chase Burns, Florida first baseman Jac Caglianone, Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz, Arkansas pitcher Hagen Smith, Florida State outfielder James Tibbs and Texas A&M outfielder Braden Montgomery.
Kentucky left fielder Ryan Waldschmidt has been moving up the board in recent mock drafts, with one projection having him as the 17th pick by Milwaukee, or at No. 18 by his hometown Tampa Bay Rays.
***** REDS CONTINUE UP AND DOWN CAMPAIGN – The 2024 season has felt like an uphill battle for the Reds, a team
that takes a few steps forward, followed by a few steps back. As this is being written on Friday morning, the Redlegs are tied with the Chicago Cubs for fourth place in the National League’s Central Division at 45-49, nine games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.
A three-game sweep of the lowly Miami Marlins is the goal this weekend in the final series before the All-Star break. The Reds gave the fans some hope after the three-game sweep over the slumping Yankees in New York, only to return home and get swept by the Detroit Tigers. A 3-1 series win over the 33-61 Colorado Rockies was a step in the right direction, but get real, it was the Rockies. The same could be said about the Marlins, who invaded GABP last night with the worst record in the league at 32-61.
The Reds will need to show they can be consistent over the remaining 68 games, something they have not been able to do thus far in 2024. For the team to catch and surpass the Brew Crew, it would likely take a record of at least 42-26, and that would be shocking, to say the least. The best scenario the Reds can realistically hope to attain is earning a Wild Card berth. That too is unlikely, as there are no less than eight other teams vying for the three spots.
It will be interesting to see if the front office decides to make any big moves before the July 30 trade deadline,
but my advice would be, don’t hold your breath. The owners of the club are not invested in winning; they would rather be mediocre as long as they’re still making a healthy profit, which they are.
The front office appears more than content to field a .500 team and hope for a Wild Card, which is not exactly a lofty goal.
If you’re a Reds fan, you’re all too familiar with that philosophy.
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“They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays.” – Ted Williams
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If I ain’t startin’, I ain’t departin’.” – Garry Templeton, referring to the 1981 All-Star balloting
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“It’s amazing that fans want to see me play. What is our society coming to?” – Phillies outfielder John Kruk, before the 1993 All-Star Game
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“You can’t help but like Mr. Taft. The country likes him and respects him; and I want him to make the best people in the country continue to respect him and every now and then dislike him – sure proof, in a public servant, that he is doing his whole duty, as he sees it, regardless of personal consequences. He has the natural
gifts, the culture, the training, the sanity, the right-mindedness, the honesty, the truthfulness, the modesty, and the dignity properly requisite in a President of the United States, the most responsible post on the planet. In a word, he possesses every qualification the other one (Theodore Roosevelt) was destitute of.” — Mark Twain, describing Cincinnati-born William Howard Taft, the 27th president who served from 1909-1913, and the 10th chief justice, serving from 1921-1930, the only person to have held both offices
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