Stephen A. & Mad Dog Russo think MLB is risking becoming IRRELEVANT | First Take

Stephen A. & Mad Dog Russo think MLB is risking becoming IRRELEVANT | First Take
Stephen A. Smith and Mad Dog Russo discuss Major League Baseball announcing the first two series of the 2022 regular season have been canceled after MLBPA leaders agree not to accept MLB’s final proposal.
#ESPN #MLB #FirstTake
✔️Subscribe to ESPN+ espnplus.com/youtube
✔️ Get the ESPN App: www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn
✔️Subscribe to ESPN on KZbin: es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoKZbin
✔️ Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on KZbin: bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoNBAonESPN
✔️ Watch ESPN on KZbin TV: es.pn/KZbinTV

[@ericfelder8363]

I wouldn’t mind seeing Mad Dog on First Take daily with SAS

[@greggreg6886]

Everyday…. These two work well together

[@stuartdamon3610]

Agreed. He can more than hold his own with Stephen A. And that’s saying something! 😂

[@adamchristie7626]

Yep yep!!

[@jclemons121384]

Yeah. Problem is would SAS be ok with someone else being the star.

[@duece8033]

@@jclemons121384 nope that's why MAX is gone

[@LobsterRavioli]

The fact this is not even talked much about on sports talk radio is proof, baseball has become irrelevant. And I say this as a huge baseball fan.

[@kendalletten-bohm5152]

Personally was a huge baseball fan, then I started watching more hockey and more soccer, now I don't watch baseball and it saddens me because I don't even miss it.

[@YBTekno]

Can you explain to me what the first 2 series are? Is that the first 2 games or are they talking series like playoffs?

[@Investwithstef]

@@YBTekno in baseball they play series. So when they travel to a city they play 3-4 games while there instead of one. So the first 2 series would be the first 6 games of the season

[@YBTekno]

@@Investwithstef ahh ok... I just saw no one is getting paid for it neither

[@Flowerz__]

Yup. That’s MLB fault. They need to get on the phone with ESPN and Fox and get MLB talked about on first take and undisputed for starters. MLB has some of the greatest young talent it’s ever had with guys like shohei tatis and Soto amoung many others. Look what degrom was doing and they didn’t even talk about it. MLB has an amazing opportunity to turn these guys into superstar household names again. It’s not tht hard. They need to get them talked about the espn fox Twitter and KZbin. Get one of these guys a Netflix show or something like start actually marketing bc with this group of guys MLB can easily have a resurgence. And look what Jomboy has done. He honestly single handled brought MLB back to relevancy with his coverage and videos. I know A LOT of ppl who started watching baseball again bc of Jomboy. Now it’s MLB turn to start marketing these players. It starts by getting their players and teams into the daily programming of shows like undisputed and first take. And rob manfred needs to go if he can’t handle this. I honestly could do a better job.

[@jamesball9608]

They are. They’ve gotten rid of all the fun. The personalities. The managers. The base running. The tactics. All the things that made it fun to play or watch except home runs. Nobody wants to watch guys walk and strike out for 3 hours

[@turdferguson8175]

So true yet these things can still comeback.. I don’t get it

[@jordanjohnson9866]

Not all the fun. /

[@jordanjohnson9866]

Not nobody. /

[@gregcostello237]

Facts....as russo says on his radio show all the Harvard grads wearing socks with flip flops on with this analytical stuff is killing baseball

[@neneshubby]

Only 3 hours?

[@walkoff2]

The state of the on the field product doesn’t get talked about enough so I’m glad Mad Dog said something about it

[@adamkingston2231]

Expanding the playoffs will only make the product even worse. Devalues the regular season and creates worse games in the playoffs.

[@LegendaryOldwarrior]

@@adamkingston2231 Yep I don't think expanding is the answer either, and I think they need to shirk the Stadiums. Sure you have ones like Boston and such that sell out, but here in AZ it's like 14k people in the seats lol. I love spring training because it's like you are right there. However I went to a Dbacks game in the regular season back in the day and both my Dad and I were amazed how it felt like you weren't even part of it. Maybe because it was half full at the time (back in mid 2000's, it's worse now) but we both agreed we are never going to a season game again lol. I think for teams that are looking to build a new stadium, they shouldn't be allowed to go above 30k seating. I think dbacks hold 50k? I get that other stuff goes there, like ncaa bowl games, outdoor concerts, etc. but man looking on tv and seeing more than half the stadium empty is like ooook. Even when teams are good you still see it a lot. Maybe too many games also?

[@evdombrowski1]

Amen. Mad Dog nailed it.., they gotta speed up the game, limit the relief, and I actually think shorten the season. Would love to see playoffs starting in August and the World Series final in September. That would give the NFL a run for the money.

[@DatOneGuy901]

Baseball sealed it's own fate when it went after steroids. The sport had never been more popular during that time

[@AnthonyMcNeil]

The sad part is that everyone knew they were doing steroids...but it made regular people tune in because it was fun. Then they went after the players and put the blame on them.

[@jordanjohnson9866]

Baseball was still declining in popularity before MLB went after steroids. /

[@jordanjohnson9866]

Baseball was still declining in popularity before MLB went after steroids. /

[@dreadxplayzs7849]

@@jordanjohnson9866 it was doing better though.probkrm with baseball is that it's to old fashioned.wgy don't they wear shorts in the summer? because they can get scrapped by sliding but that would be more exciting or at least have the players play in the MLB jerseys that we buy from the stands to raise the cool factor because nothing is cool about baseball

[@jdsthird]

Other major league sports allow steroid????

[@neneshubby]

Russo absolutely nailed everything wrong with baseball right now. I love baseball but it’s getting harder and harder to watch. Everything is either a strike out or a home run, the batters step out after every pitch, the pitchers walks around the mound for 5 minutes, the managers bring in endless relief pitchers, the games go on and on and on. Never thought I’d say this but baseball needs to have some type of time constraints. Football has a clock for plays basketball has a shot clock. A pitcher throws a pitch and then 5 minutes of meandering around while the catchers goto the mound, managers going to the mound, batter walking around pitcher walking around it’s not entertaining. Go back and look at a game from back in the day the pitcher threw the pitch, got the ball back and got ready to throw the next pitch, the batter got ready to hit the next pitch.

[@davidsheridan3513]

Yeah Game 7 of the 1960 World Series only took 2:30 minutes to play. And the score was 10 to 9. Also the only post season game in history with no strikputs.

[@davidsheridan3513]

Yeah. Game 7 of the 1960 World Series took only about 2:30 to play. The score was 10 to 9 and was the only post season game in history where no one struck out.

[@kevinfinnerty8414]

It’s Brad Pitt’s fault.

[@lzeb4730]

@@kevinfinnerty8414 LOL ok Tony...

[@jordanjohnson9866]

Nah. Not everything wrong with baseball. Not Everything is either a strike out or a home run. /

[@85futureshock]

Baseball died years ago. Greedy owners such as the Ricketts family taking baseball off local tv and putting it on their overpriced sports channels that no one wants to pay for, kids no longer wanting to play, the horribly slow pace and no superstar players aside from Ohtani. The national pastime is nothing more now than a rotting corpse holding onto what it used to be instead of what it could be. I don’t feel good writing that by the way. I loved baseball and want to love it again but something must change.

[@GSC2000]

These owners do not care or respect the sport at all. Old bastards.

[@erickd3250]

Cancel this league !! Lol

[@dukeofdeception]

Ding, ding, ding. When was baseball relevant? In the 90’s when you could turn on a game on local channels and watch while doing things around the house. I still do it for the NFL and they learned their lesson with the whole MNF only on PPV debacle

[@Grievous_]

No superstar players besides Ohtani? Dude what Ohtani isn’t the only superstar player there’s multiple I’ll name some, Mike Trout, Christian Yelich, Fernando Tatis Jr, Valdimir Guerrero Jr, Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Ronald Acuna Jr, Gincarlo Stanton, Jose Altuve, Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Jacob Degrom, Nolan Arenado, Gerrit Cole, and Justin Verlander. So there’s multiple Superstar players but imo Ohtani is the best one of them all since he can pitch and hit at an insane rate

[@turdferguson8175]

League has sooo much talent more then ever the owners don’t know how to market it. It’s sad they have what they need to get back on track but don’t have the leaders to do so

[@boomboominroom]

Baseball is dying because it’s not as “fun” as the NBA or the NFL. Basketball and Football players look like they’re having fun when they play. Baseball players get mad when you don’t take a strike on a 3-0. They even get mad when you celebrate after a homerun.

[@Mrcharles.]

I agree this is why you don’t hear millennials and Gen Zers talk about baseball because it’s boring! Zero action, takes too long and no attendance.

[@mysticmisa1]

I agree 💯

[@dreadxplayzs7849]

Also nothing cool about baseball which is why NBA has a huge success with the youth is because the NBA has the cool factor, baseball doesn't have any of that cool factor to get youth invested in it.

[@Grievous_]

To me personally playing baseball is super fun, it’s my favorite sport and I love playing it and going to the batting cages and stuff like that, but the Mlb is in a disasterous position right now and baseball is dying because of what is happening right now

[@boomboominroom]

@@dreadxplayzs7849 Exactly. Steph shooting the ball from 30ft is cool. OBJ catching a pass one handed is cool. Kids don’t think throwing a 98mph fastball is cool.

[@j_c_d_b]

Mad Dogs energy is what’s needed on this show

[@dbreiden83080]

That's he and Mike worked so well.. Because Mike acted like he gave zero fucks about everything.. Ying and Yang..

[@TV93412nc]

Francesa literally rode his coat tails and because mike had stronger lawyers stole Russos entire career. Francesa WAS NEVER the talent involving that show. Francesa was the bore, but he ran off with all of ths cash after that show ended because him and his lawyers took the time to change the fine print...guys a full scumbag tbh

[@andrewgilbertson595]

Good shout 😂

[@HahaHaha-km4sm]

I can’t name 5 players in the MLB now.. back in the 2000s and before, I could name a player from every teams smh

[@RC_928]

Jeter, A-Rod and David Ortiz are the most popular players and they haven’t played in years

[@kevintaveras2683]

MAD DOG RUSSO IS A LEGEND!!! Thank you Stephen A For putting him back on TV.

[@ranviratwal1832]

The biggest problem is this lockout is not about fixing the problems in baseball Its all about splitting more dollars between players and owners

[@blackout07blue]

Get an electronic strike-zone or it’s not a real sport.

[@joshgen8533]

Or it’s because it needs more narratives. Look at the nfl and nba, they are literally saturated with stories to sell, narratives, all this social justice stuff, while the last mlb stories were older black legends that died off now. They need more publicity stuff that has people engaged, whether it’s race based or even political based, any publicity is good publicity.

[@northside4767]

If you can’t market the superstars in your game to the younger generations, your sport is gonna die. Most young people probably couldn’t pick the five best baseball players out of lineup, that’s bad for business.

[@blackout07blue]

Not a real sport without an electronic strike-zone. Sorry.

[@anthonytaylor7928]

Facts bro u can tweak the game all u want but nowadays it's all about entertainment baseball and hockey needs to market their.players or hook-up with a Kardashian

[@SAINTxSZN]

Kids used to talk about the yankees and alex Rodriguez when I was in 3rd grade 2009

[@oriplaydirty]

I can’t name more than 5 active mlb players

[@Yandel21ableify]

Mlb is boring without steroids

[@YaBoyyJohnNBA]

As a baseball fan, it was already a dying sport now with the lockout it can easily become irrelevant.

[@digontozahid]

Still has better ratings than nba lol

[@shakeemrobinson30]

@@digontozahid that's a joke right?

[@digontozahid]

@@shakeemrobinson30 mlb has better ratings than nba look it up

[@gunkmasterflex942]

Dying? No, baseball has never been dead. Does it take a back seat to NFL NBA : YES . But baseball isnt dead.

[@ttg8966]

@@digontozahid look it up the past 3 years the nba finals had higher rating then the mlb world series

[@comeflexwithme_4493]

Just keep mad dog bruh. Stephen A can’t stop laughing

[@jamesnelson5618]

Yeah! Ever since He's Bullying the Dallas Cowboys after he Returned to his home and his Sports show First Take on the day after Cowboys is eliminate from First round Playoffs.

[@tdmainevent]

They pretty much nailed it spot on! Both Mad Dog and SAS nailed it. Outside of NYC, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, Houston and Dallas, the sport is pretty much irrelevant across the country

[@jdsthird]

Ummm, LA Dodgers???? Let's go Dodgers!

[@TivoKenevil]

Dallas don't care about baseball 😂

[@TheStefanp10]

Atlanta and DC

[@justinjackson5899]

Yea not gonna lie u right !

[@ezioaltairac]

@@TivoKenevil The Rangers’ best player left them because their 2011 postseason was an afterthought to Dez Bryant.

[@OUTTAIDEAS88]

NBA trade deadlines get more headlines and attention than the World Series. People are becoming less and less interested in Baseball. Its a slow and long game with few stars. And 160+ games a season? Ridiculous.

[@mistersunshine1330]

Funny because the MLB All star game and World series had more viewers the NBA all star game and finals

[@0P9ine]

@@mistersunshine1330 all syars maybe but finals? I'm gonna need citation

[@cardslifer2828]

that's because espn needs to pander to black audiences so they cover nba way more.

[@OUTTAIDEAS88]

@@cardslifer2828 need to pander to black audiences? Why do you say that?

[@0P9ine]

@@cardslifer2828 doesn't even make sense buddy....only people that watch baseball are those who are one generation removed from when slavery was legal

[@cmx20232]

Skip Bayless is BACK at First Take!! WOOO HOOO LETS GOOOO SKIEEEEEUUP!!

[@landshark616]

This guy is a gem

[@Playboyy1985]

Basketball made some huge changes to keep it relevant and more fun to watch: three point line, 24 second shot clock. NFL switched to a passing league and made it easier for offenses. What has baseball done? They are allergic to changes because a) their fan base is ridiculously conservative and b) they are obsessed with their stats so they don’t want to do anything to make offense easier because their scared records may be affected

[@vulcanraven9701]

Basketball is going in the wrong direction too. It's accessible, thus it gets views. But it has become soft and worse, the culture of NBA has gotten soft. From FA superteams, to divas, and apathetically easy path to make playoffs. The NBA has become a bad product. MLB sucks too. Slow, way too many games. Garbage camera angles etc.

[@hassansaleh4649]

@@vulcanraven9701 Basketball has gotten worse but I wouldn’t say it’s a bad product. Sure there’s teams jacking up 3s for fun, and the physicality isn’t what it once was but the stars are what make the league. Morant, Doncic, Freak, Lebron, Curry, KD, Harden, Embiid etc. there’s always gonna be ppl tuning in to watch them and they’re entertaining too. Though you do wish to see more classic competitive playoff series which we haven’t got a lot of recently but I really feel like the east is gonna be fun to watch in the postseason this year.

[@vulcanraven9701]

@@hassansaleh4649 Fair enough.

[@scapegoat413]

I feel like baseball is getting worse because the players who make the most $$ for the game aren’t the ones necessarily bringing in the views.. These guys getting paid $35-40 million a year based off of stats and that have no personality.. all they do is show up and play.. in a world where this is supposed to be entertainment.

[@alcoballic9593]

The only thing basketball needs to fix is the officiating. Like Rick Barry said, call moving screens and travels. Players will adjust. In my opinion, basketball will continue to grow bc they’re the most progressive of all the major sports.

[@halfstream1461]

This is actually the most attention baseball has gotten in years. I almost forgot they were still a sport lol.

[@mistersunshine1330]

Thats more on you than them

[@trev9749]

Already is irrelevant. It's a snooze fest

[@deesmith8221]

Since the debut 💀😭😭😭😭

[@adrianrocha49]

They never innovated, changed the rules to fit peoples shortening attention spans. Additionally, I think they relied more on the over romanticized past perception of baseball. I think a couple of sports did the same thing, baseball and boxing. I swear to God, watching movies about those sports, although good and fun, over romanticize the sport so much that it kind of makes watching the real thing even more boring.

[@hiddenjocelyn1088]

I will even say this a sport that's on the rise but used to not appeal to younger people is auto racing but they made a huge effort over the last few years to try to bring in the younger demographic and it's working. Baseball really feels as though it's an old people sport, because nobody young hardly I see talks about it

[@nostalgiacorner1999]

@@deesmith8221 🤣🤣🤣

[@davidramos4707]

Part of the problem is that pitchers really don’t like home runs.

[@terrancesmith6994]

Top tier comment 😂

[@thomasberrymanll4595]

💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@vulcanraven9701]

David Ramos: this is the greatest comment about the MLB i have ever seen.

[@HR-ms6ed]

🤣🤣💪🏿💪🏿

[@pimpnamedslickback7780]

Im 26 I grew up loving baseball. I cant count on my hand the amount of friends that I have who actively follow baseball. Everyone I know who follows baseball actively is 50+. Make the game fun update to the times. Loosen the restrictions, make cool throwback and city edition jerseys. Experiment with the game or else it will die out

[@jamesjefferson3809]

When Stephen A pulled out the tissue I died😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀💀💀

[@user-zp7cm1ub2l]

I love the game too but the league had been out of touch with fans for a while. No superstars or personalities .

[@analyticalinsight]

There are superstars and great personalities, but the media chooses to ignore baseball because the media hates America....Theyve been attacking American pastime

[@Miless93]

@@analyticalinsight Man that’s such a HUGE reach, it’s just boring. Simple.

[@mistersunshine1330]

@@Miless93 Usually when people say it's a simple minded person

[@dylanf3108]

@@analyticalinsight Lolol They have ignored baseball because Mike Trout the best player in the MLB has the personality of a brick.

[@pamoon_]

The MLB has literally one team with two superstars but it takes a herculean effort to bring that team to the postseason where more eyes are on the league Plus the league has a double standard on personalities: Bryce Harper’s antics are seen as “a man who just loves baseball” while Fernando Tatis Jr’s antics are “disrespectful to the game” when both antics are literally the same

[@alexwatzke5932]

I like baseball and I’m a huge white Sox fan. I’m really sad they are canceling games, but i I do agree they should find some ways to make the games take less time. I think a great idea would be introducing a pitch clock of 20 seconds between pitches

[@ajjames1059]

Comiskey Park

[@morganzimmerglass9925]

Yeah baseball has so many problems but I really don’t think cancelling 20 games at the start of the season is going to be the thing to ruin it for fans. The season is too long anyways. A shorter season could be better for fan interest.

[@agvga5510]

Bro pitchers would die.

[@d3vp131]

Risking? Played baseball growing up. I don’t know anyone that watches. I haven’t watched baseball since 2009. Kind of slow and boring. Took some neighborhood kids to a game back in 2000. They all wanted to leave in the 3rd inning. We left in the 5th. Baseball field that was in my old neighborhood became a soccer field 20 years ago. It was empty for about 4 years before it became a soccer field and has been filled ever since. Younger generations don’t care. You can tell by the lack of social media activity in comparison to other major sports.

[@cliffpaul2483]

alright grandpa

[@adrianrocha49]

Baseball? Is that what they were talking about? I just have to hear the word baseball and I start getting sleepy so I must've dozed off as soon as they mentioned it.

[@ki11erkittie]

Many of these owners have been prioritizing marketing as a fun family thing to go to during the summer, they have that market locked up regardless of how competitive the team is. They've been subtly hurting the sport for a while now, and their unbelievable greed may push the talent out their money maker and kill the mlb outright.

[@Instramark]

Great observation. I feel it's worse than that.

[@ki11erkittie]

@@Instramark I wouldn't doubt it but I'm honestly not that plugged in with everything thats going on. I was once a diehard Twins fan, but after coming to the realization the ownership invests in the family experience and that the investmentment in competition isn't worth it to them, there wasn't any coming back from that.

[@Instramark]

@@ki11erkittie Thanks for your comment. I am 66. Like almost all of us of that age or older, I grew up in neighborhoods where activities were outside and baseball ruled, especially before high school before we were big enough for football and basketball. Pro baseball was something we followed as kids and as we got older, pro ball became pastoral with a predictable rhythm. It was a friend, counselor, a partner. You could count on baseball to relieve things. It was a daily massage. Now it's not pastoral at all. It angers from every angle. It's absurd from the money to the casinos in parks and the game itself has lost its spirit, or sure has caused me to lose my baseball spirit. A shame.

[@ki11erkittie]

@@Instramark It truly is a shame, baseball was a big part of my childhood as well. I played backyard, recreational, and in highschool. I watched every Twins game I could, and I had friends who loved the game to watch it with. As I got older I was less able to watch games and the games I was able to started feeling different, like I was watching people going through the motions at work. Later Target Field was built and it is a beautiful stadium, with a lot to do and see. I still appreciate the stadium atmosphere, although I truly miss the competitive energy. I used to think this was a Twins problem but it seems more widespread than that now, and with the lockout it really is cementing to me that they don't value the best athletes the sport has to offer.

[@BlazeyHero]

Becoming irrelevant? It's been irrelevant when Manfred refused to strip Houston of their chip. If they are okay with cheating to win a chip, I can watch more entertaining sports then.

[@dantheman8152]

Baseball used to be a primetime sport but not anymore

[@usd500]

Mad dog is a must stay on first take

[@Salazar824]

5 more months till NFL PRESEASON BABY!

[@j_c_d_b]

Facts

[@sportsgamer2342]

Nfl is soft these days too like any other sport lol

[@rashadsmith6911]

I actually look forward to Stephen A and Mad Dog talking sports. ESPN gives me what I want...

[@adamchristie7626]

Should be daily

[@dbreiden83080]

@@adamchristie7626 They are a good pair.. But Chris is 62, not sure he'd want that big a job at this stage.. And he still has his radio show..

[@Shiny101]

Pat McAfee gives you what you NEED

[@Shenzy17]

one of baseball's biggest problems is just how hard it is to get regular people playing it. gloves, bats, batting gloves, a whole field, 18 people minimum. it's kind of like hockey with how big of a barrier to entry it is. and this is from someone who played it growing up

[@ryguyk9375]

Yup. I LOVE baseball but Mad Dog was right comparing it to a book. You just can't "get into" baseball.

[@dreadxplayzs7849]

Plus no cool factor for youths to care for it like they do the NBA football is the same u can't play a 1 on 1 with football either it's why basketball beats them all.

[@isaihvega9928]

Exactly! Its just not a sport that people end up playing. Its always basketball and soccer. Basketball and soccer used to be my least favorite but they were the games i ended up playing. Baseball was a favorite of mine but i never even played a pick up game or anything.

[@thegoat259]

@@dreadxplayzs7849 Lol NFL IS FAR AND AWAY THE LEADER THAN NBA ITS NOT EVEN CLOSE BRO 🤣🤣🤣

[@dreadxplayzs7849]

@@thegoat259 u high?NBA sells way more merch than NFL,don't talk crazy now

[@thomasspengler9044]

I’m interested to see how the USFL does if it doesn’t have to compete with baseball. An established spring football league would probably be one of the worst things for baseball right now

[@weekendtrailerparksupervis3216]

Great observation. Fútbol (soccer) is about to if not already surpassed baseball.

[@cooperwolfe5478]

I agree. This could be incredibly beneficial to the USFL especially if their isn’t any baseball the entire time the USFL plays its season

[@michaelweil824]

Agree 100%. I was thinking the same thing over the weekend.

[@phantom514]

@@weekendtrailerparksupervis3216 not in the US

[@ralphdelrio5826]

Unfortunately, payroll will be a challenge again. I hope it succeeds because year around football is fun.

[@hardhungheads]

I’m glad we’re seriously considering baseball being obsolete

[@JK-ii6gf]

Amen to that. Game is not entertaining at all

[@Fraudkovic]

They should replace it with cricket

[@asdfadf1904]

Lacrosse is a more entertaining sport

[@ralphdelrio5826]

That's moronic.

[@latinouncle8752]

@@Fraudkovic Cricket is just as horrible

[@money0925]

As a SUPER casual, I only watch Baseball when the Braves are good and even then, its only background noise. I'd have a tough time naming 20 players. Its a drag to watch and attend. IDK what the solution is.

[@DetectiveRFB]

In Canada, the 1994 baseball strike really hurt Canada. The Montreal Expos had a really good team that year and it played a major role in Montreal losing their MLB team. Also, the Toronto Blue Jays since winning the World Series in 1992 and 1993 has only made the MLB playoffs twice. Lastly, the popularity of sports like basketball, soccer, and tennis in Canada has really gone up and is much more popular than there were when baseball was the second or third most popular sport in the 1980s and early 1990s in Canada.

[@michaelaugustine6271]

Thank you. I'm an Expos fan and that was the beginning of the end for me. I hung on for a few years, but I eventually gave up watching baseball.

[@Widemouth1832]

I live in St. Louis, and I would rather do just about anything other than watch a baseball game. Its brutally slow and expensive to watch a game at the stadium.

[@spookyboi8446]

I played for 15 years through high school and yeah it is dying rn its the one league that has continued to be unbearable in nearly all aspects

[@broadstbullies]

Never agreed with any segment more. Russo, SAS both hit nail on head. MLS might surpass baseball in America

[@enriquecuevas8191]

Yup and from the looks of it the MLS is chasing the premier league

[@sixfiftychris]

I love the MLS. I went to a game yesterday, and the Saturday before too

[@theitechlab]

I love the MLS. Way more exciting, 90 minutes of action without breaks, no commercials, no pitchers walking around the mound, no batters wasting time lining up to the plate. On top of that, soccer games are 10x more enjoyable to watch in person (and on TV) and provide an enjoyable atmosphere. I hope the MLS boots the MLB out and takes its place.

[@jkris1947]

someone who can rant with Stephen A. LOL

[@CJK-bt4ll]

They reached irrelevance a long time ago. The last socially relevant event in MLB was the 2001 World Series, Game 1. That's it. The Cubs winning was fun. Red Sox comeback was good for the game, but MLB is on a slide that will just continue.

[@ibn1989]

The last socially relevant moment in MLB was Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron's record

[@CJK-bt4ll]

@@ibn1989 I would disagree that it was socially relevant. My definition of socially relevant is a unifying event or righting a wrong. If you mean that controversy is socially relevant, then yes. But I thought the public response was muted that week, and so was MLB's. Even the media seemed tame. Writers and broadcasters got burned by McGwire and Sosa, they don't want that again.

[@ibn1989]

@@CJK-bt4ll You know what? Now that I think about it. The last time everybody came together on baseball was the Cubs winning the World Series.

[@CJK-bt4ll]

@@ibn1989 Excellent point. Thanks.

[@snowguy54]

He’s 100% spot on.

[@davidarrington4144]

Why baseball sucks: Home run battles are cool, but they also make the amount of time the game takes way longer. Pitching battles make the game go faster but nobody scored and it’s boring.

[@mistersunshine1330]

Both of those things are false

[@blaketindle4703]

Love these two together!

[@Laid2Sleep]

Please have more of these two on, I love it.

[@mysticmisa1]

They should let the players fight like in NHL. I'll definitely tune in for that

[@hiddenjocelyn1088]

Sponsors won't like that bro, their opinion matters more than fans even though most sponsors DONT watch any games

[@mysticmisa1]

@@hiddenjocelyn1088 Yeah you right. Just wishful thinking 😅

[@nithilanamudhan6260]

I like baseball. It's a really good game. But if you tell me i have to watch 162 games a season then forget about it.

[@sedohema]

They ARE already irrelevant. You let cheaters get away with cheating the sport

[@phillipcotton833]

Labor issues aside, there's a couple things that has hurt the sport. 1. The times we live in aren't as conducive to the sport as it used to be. We are simply spoiled in wanting "instant gratification ", & baseball wasn't designed that way. Can't reasonably ask a batter to "speed up" when attempting to hit a cutting slider at 95 mph. 2. Like most other sports...the adults have forgotten the most important thing. IT'S A KID'S SPORT!!! What 9 year old wants to watch a game,& hear analytical philosophy from the commentators? MLB got too sophisticated. Oh....and let's not let Little League off the hook. Travel teams have taken the community(local) aspect away,& made playing baseball as expensive as Ice Hockey. SmH!!!

[@eyorke01]

Great stuff from Mad Dog. Me personally, I have too many other things going on to care about Baseball. I'm out.

[@roadtodawn8088]

Not only American Football, and basketball have passed baseball but European football (soccer) and F1 are going to pass it soon, because they know how to market to the younger generation

[@jjreale7068]

Nhl is a joke but tbh id rather watch hockey then baseball at this point

[@BelowTheYellowLine]

Yup. NASCAR is also passing them somewhat easily in terms of tv viewership as well

[@chay770]

soccer is the most popular sport

[@beastyboy101bo]

I swear the minute the World Cup happens here in the US in 2026 baseball can kiss the grave of irrelevancy. It’s literally a handful of cities where baseball is actually relevant or popular

[@justinjackson5899]

Soccer is in a tier of its own. European football

[@youngboy_chiefkeefsosa3856]

Its crazy because i really started learning the game of baseball last year for a chance and now they on a strike smh it might be over for baseball

[@RC_928]

It already is irrelevant. They want to cater to older audiences. The Field of Dreams game was a good gimmick, but nobody under 30 can relate to that. You can’t watch a game without the announcers mentioning stuff that happened 40-50 years ago. They need to get with the times if they want to survive.

[@ralphdelrio5826]

Stick to skateboarding LOL!

[@RC_928]

@@ralphdelrio5826 Better future in skateboarding that baseball

[@ralphdelrio5826]

@@RC_928 Yeah...Skateboarding. I like the girl that laughs alot in Ridiculousness. Baseball dwarfs all sports in Revenues and attendence.

[@RC_928]

@@ralphdelrio5826 maybe because they play over 150 meaningless games. Regular season NFL games slaughter MLB postseason games in ratings, that says alot

[@ralphdelrio5826]

@@RC_928 That's idiotic R C Cola. As if Basketball doesn't matter until the finals and all games are only good until the las 4 minutes of the 4th Quarter...and if it's a blow out...watch it on Sportscenter. I just watched the Celtics toy with Golden State in Game 1. No strategy at all in the game. The last 5 minutes were fun to watch. Also watching the Celtics turn it on before the half. It's a good game as background noise while you play cards and drink a few whiskeys and beer. Baseball on the other hand is good on TV and especially live in person. Basketball is a great sport; especially when played properly.

[@davidvh2738]

Maybe this is the 1st thing this network has done something right in years with the pairing of these two together. Been listening to Russo since the 80's when was doing radio on another station before WFAN . They seem to play off each other well so far.

[@joestack1222]

mlb been irrelevant for a minute now the nba trade deadline gets more coverage than the world series let that sink in

[@vegashotboi2151]

“100 guys coming out the bullpen throwing 100000 mph nobody can hit the ball” lmao

[@fxredlyte]

Honestly, I've never understood how so many baseball players get paid so much more than other athletes in American sports - especially compared to the NBA and NFL. I get that they play more games, but the sport is not as physically grueling on the body and it's not a sport that is popular with the younger generation. Compared to football and basketball, baseball seats are empty, viewship is low, merch isn't as cool, because top players aren't as well-known, and players have way more instances of cheating.

[@beastyboy101bo]

Honestly if your team isn’t in playoff contention nobody is gonna go to the games locally. Which half the league is tanking tbh plus it’s way too long

[@Grievous_]

Dude what baseball merch is one kf the best, can’t deny the fact that baseball jerseys are the best of the major sports

[@dreadxplayzs7849]

I'm surprised baseball lasted as long as it did but the way it's going it won't be around 40 years from now

[@Grievous_]

Yes actually it is physically grueling on the body, swinging a heavy bat for 162 games gets tiring and then imagine getting hit by a literal rock going 90-100+ mph, also I think Pitchers are among the most injured players in sports so by that they suffer the most imo in all of sports when it comes to the condition of your body so many pitchers have to undergo surgery’s multiple times

[@qdakid7776]

@@Grievous_ wym can’t deny I’ll deny it right now nobody’s cares about baseball jerseys cause nobody cares about baseball no matter how good it looks means nothing when there is no interest in the sport

[@gunkmasterflex942]

This is Skips replacement! MAD DOG IS FIRST TAKE!

[@eightmink6855]

I can’t describe how much it hurts to see baseball do this to itself man I’ve loved this sport sense i was a 2 and to watch the collapse of it where I can’t do anything about it hurts man it just hurts

[@Dennis-kt7pc]

I feel the same way. I love the sport and hurts to see what’s happening right now. It’s taking a big hit right now.

[@ScottParisi]

Another good take from Mad Dog. SAS will be going to management to get him canceled soon.

[@kenyonferguson1243]

Yeah hes too good

[@madebyporter]

I agree. The last baseball players I remember is Kenny Lofton, Omar Vizquel, Carlos Baerga, Albert Belle, Eddie Murray, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Paul Sorrento and Sandy Alomar. After that, I don't really know of anyone in MLB.

[@Neversoft2489]

You from Cleveland?

[@madebyporter]

@@Neversoft2489 Yes sir.

[@Vondad2004]

Baseball doesn’t get interesting to me until September/October. But by then, the NFL’s kicking off/in full swing, college football is in full swing, and training camps in the NBA will be around the corner. Baseball’s in Major trouble and they need to fix this like NOW!!

[@andrewbees5705]

Peoples obsession with baseball popularity or if they find it boring has always been so weird to me. (Specifically nba fans ) like bruh I don’t care for soccer and the mls is a less popular league than the mlb but I don’t care what a soccer fan does or watches.. as long as nobody forces me to watch something I don’t want to then like what you like. But nba fans obsession with pointing out how much they don’t like baseball has always been weird and cringy to me

[@berrylee5000]

Luv these 2 together

[@lxywaste]

the last time i remember baseball being exciting was maybe 2014-2017?... watching those puig dodgers teams, the astros, was just fun

[@joekotulak7617]

Say what you want about how steroids were cheapening the game, but there’s a reason that baseball came back from the strike in 1994. Teams during the late 90s and early 2000s were putting up historical numbers offensively. There was the homerun race in 98 that got everyone invested. You could make the case back in the late 90s that baseball was every bit as big and noticeable as the NFL. No one cares now about a starter striking out 12 guys. It’s just not impressive when you consider the level of ineptitude with guys making contact. People want to see what we saw in the late 90s to mid 2000s where there were exciting plays at the plate, stringing together a series of base hits, and more exciting plays in the field. Advanced stats (although they have been around for a very long time) has essentially ruined the game since they are treated as a verbatim script for a team. There’s no hindsight or using the eye test anymore in baseball and that has made the game stale and boring. Look at the NBA and NFL, they don’t live based on a script. While baseball has always been a sport to have less action than the other 2 major sports, the disparity in action will always be at its’ max if baseball continues to follow a sabermetrics script. You will continue to distance the younger generation of fans. I mean be honest if you are already an established die hard fan of the game, you’re not just going to quit watching the game if the game becomes like the late 90s to mid 2000s. You will watch no matter what, which is why you are a die hard. That’s not the case for a casual fan who wants entertainment, who wants to appreciate the sport for a lot of constant on the field drama.

[@dukeholidai]

Very very well said

[@alabarjhoni9742]

no one is doubting it was popular in the late 90s. FACEPALM !!

[@JonSnowsGhost]

The thing about the NBA & NFL is that 95% of the time you know more or less when the game is going to end. MLB isn’t designed that way. Unfortunately, we live in an era where you can barely get people to sit down and watch a 30 minute tv show let alone a 4 hour baseball game.

[@williamcooper6274]

I am a Sports Encyclopedia... My first love? BASEBALL. I used to read, at tens years old, books about Great Pennant Races or its Encylopedia as if they were Bibles or Almanacs. I used to listen to the METS and YANKEES on radio in the 70s. I had the STRAT-O-MATIC dice game when a young teenager. I dreamed of being a BAT BOY for the Yankees. I watched Seaver and Palmer and others. In High School I had the honor of battling Rich Eisen in Sports Trivia during Breakfast debates... ABOUT BASEBALL. BASEBALLS HISTORY, Even though it discriminated against people who looked like me, was rich. And when it was integrated, People of all creeds and colors took assault on hallowed records. That's what made it special. BASEBALL began to lose its way in 1994, when the strike happened that wiped out the post-season. (1981's mid-season strike was unfortunate, but at least the season finished with an entertaining postseason. Other strikes or lockouts did not force work stoppages during the season). Personally I feel that then commissioner BUD SELIG initially turned a blind eye to the use of PED's as the long ball power returned fans to the ballpark; but when it got out of hand he had no choice but to intervene. But now, with its second season shortage in three years (2020's Pandemic shortage was unavoidable) and this one pertaining to a lockout, baseball is in BIG TROUBLE. Seasonal Vendors, maintenance attendants and others have no employment thus far, and fans that still feel jilted due to the 1994 are livid. FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL, because of their physicality and game brevity, are now more popular. People are even more interested in those sports off-season drafts, free-agencies, coach changing and summer leagues than BASEBALL. They had better figure it out, or it will fall behind even further to other sports. Owners and players had better come to some resolutions. AND QUICK.

[@tony84.]

3:15, These two are great. It's fun and we need more!

[@erichuffman6665]

With that being said, the lockout will not affect the minor leagues. So if you wanna watch some baseball, go to your local minor league baseball games.

[@johnnyboy1237]

NFL and NBA have modernized while the MLB is stuck in 1980

[@notoriouseagle1074]

NHL too

[@jamesnelson5618]

@@notoriouseagle1074 and MLS.

[@Dennis-kt7pc]

MLB is #2 in revenues after the NFL.

[@dylanf3108]

@@Dennis-kt7pc Because of the amount of games lol. They play nearly double the NBAs amount.

[@marvinwilliams3167]

First Take is better with Mad Dog debating SAS. Want to bring back viewers keep MD on daily

[@jclemons121384]

"Six people out there with the hockey." Lol.

[@dylanf3108]

Killed me too

[@haywood0457]

It 100% is and I love baseball but for years now baseball has not caught up to times. There needs to be more offense, way more offense. And the game needs changes to make that happen.

[@vulcanraven9701]

also 162 games is a lot

[@planespotterjason]

For those people outside "The 6" of us watching the NHL and Lord Stanley Cup playoffs, you don't know what you're missing Mad dog. It is the coolest game on earth.

[@STMARTIN009]

Yeah I am from Boston and honestly it is the best sport MLB and NBA suck and football is #2

[@davidsheridan3513]

I agree Jason. I do not know why people have to take cheap shots against hockey.

[@notoriouseagle1074]

@@STMARTIN009 This city comes alive for Bruins playoffs.

[@lanevalhalla9344]

Exactly always taking shots at us.

[@sportsgamer2342]

@@STMARTIN009 Celtics are your most relevant team lol. Nfl is soft as any other sport too

[@LineagePremier]

I'm only 30 and I already feel like an old fan, most of my peers don't even know teams outside of the Dodgers, yankees or their hometown team. It's sad because this is our one true American sport and I say that as a black man.

[@mikechialastri7777]

These guys are great together

[@User-oo2cb]

Baseball is lucky the World Cup is being played in the winter this year , because if it were In the summer then it would 100% be dead with soccer and basketball post season.

[@Frankieefootballmundial]

But we got American football as well but I will be surprise nfl ratings plummet between November and December

[@muzammilusmani1820]

The 2026 World Cup is in the US, Canada and Mexico. How would MLB fare against that?

[@Frankieefootballmundial]

@@muzammilusmani1820 the sport might be dead by then

[@User-oo2cb]

@@muzammilusmani1820 I’m obviously talking about this year’s 2022 World Cup

[@notoriouseagle1074]

Hockey postseason too

[@west12me]

Any time Mad Dog is on with SAS I have to watch it.

[@matthewdigiacomo2580]

I agree with almost everything SAS and Mad DO said here except for one: And if you look at the ratings (2020 and 2021 were the lowest rated World Series in history with an average of about 9 million and 11 million viewers), baseball IS irrelevant. Yes, there are the die hards, but I used to be a sports writer and can tell you, kids just don't care about it anymore. Some still play just to pass the spring season. But little league participation is way down. most high school teams don't have JV squads anymore. Colleges have started cutting the sport in order to keep wrestling. And MLB keeps adding fuel to the fire that is burning the sport to the ground.

[@jamesnelson5618]

And Plus everyone in American is starting to give up on Baseball along With hating a Sport.

[@RandomGuy285]

Dog calling him "Steve" and Stephen A calling him "Doggy" is hilarious

[@_FMSL_]

thank goodness! make the football season longer and throw in more nba playoff games!

[@tytaylor3596]

Baseball is already irrelevant. It hasn't kept up with modern times. The game is too long, it's boring and the players are unrecognizable to the casual fan. This is an old and middle age sport right now. Hockey is actually more exciting.

[@jand1144]

Madd Dogg Should be on first take permanently with SAS💯✊🏾✊

[@randybailin4902]

Baseball is so irrelevant that the only time they talk about is when they have a segment about how irrelevant it is.

[@whogg0521]

I LOVE when Molly, Stephen A, and Mad Dog Russo cover topics. Just love it so!

[@DavidSmith-nm7un]

They have to reinvent the game. Make it more exciting. Let the past be the past and move forward with a new version of baseball. Slightly wider bats, slightly bigger bases, etc

[@HM55-77]

I hope ESPN has oxygen on standby.........MadDog does not slow down to breathe.

[@bruceleroy7193]

Shrinking the strike zone plus removing the Center fielder and 3rd baseman would solve a lot of the problem of ⚾ being boring.

[@Lamont47]

First take aint Sht without Stephen A💀

[@briantep458]

baseball is completely disconnected from the younger generation

[@jaymoney948]

I like Russo 's personality he adds a different energy to the show that counter-acts SAS ! It's a good fit!

[@johnlocke8642]

All this continues to prove that NFL is king

[@jamesnelson5618]

Indeed dude NFL it been King Since the John Madden Era to Tom Brady era.

[@Exhibit_C_me]

Baseball has been boring asf for years now. It's takes way to long with absolutely no action for the score to end up 1-0. Even soccer is more entertaining even tho it takes long as well.

[@williebrown7984]

Stephen A and Mad Dog are 100% right, that is the main reason why Bonds, Clemens and others should be in the Hall of Fame despite the allegations of steroids. They made the game fun to watch and the sport was making money from the owners down to the staff.

[@andu1854]

Also everyone was on the juice during that time

[@S1LVAW0LF]

Hot take, but not really…. I was a huge baseball fan growing up. A lot of that was due to the area I grew up in and the kids I was friends with in my neighborhood. But in the northeast, it was so popular as a kid. As I grew up, I found myself more drawn to basketball and football. Right before college, I started getting more into international and club soccer. From what I’ve seen (keep in mind, I’m 20 miles away from nyc), baseball is definitely losing ground among the youth to an extent. The baseball diamonds and fields near me are taken over Indians playing cricket now a days. They definitely need to make changes because the average age of a fan is around 50, and that’s a lot older than the average nba, nfl, or soccer fan. were legit looking at a future where soccer is the 3rd most popular sport in the us.

[@joey159213]

Love mad dog great to hear him. Takes me back when I started listening to sports radio wfan Ny!