(Part 1) The Mid 90s - Mid 2000s Was The Greatest Decade In Baseball History

I Kept Hearing Over The Years That A Lot Of Fans Fell Off Watching As Much Baseball Sometime In The Early 2010s. They Would Say That They Peaked Watching Around The Late 90s To Mid 2000s. So I Did A Deep Dive On What Made That Decade So Special For Baseball.
#baseball #mlb #majorleaguebaseball

[@JabroniBaseball]

Do you agree that this was the greatest decade in baseball history? What was your favorite moment during this timeframe?

[@henrygagnon1547]

Yeah the 2000s were probably the best time for baseball

[@andyanderson4151]

Yeah absolutely, especially for a Redbirds fan like myself! Gee n they say ya couldn't hit piss missle'z out of Ole Busch Stadium!😂

[@TyrannoJoris_Rex]

Nah I'm happy I got good video and audio quality, consistent and detailed score bugs, reliable pitch velocity tracking, Statcast and Trackman, George Steinbrenner's been dead and his squad are perennial losers in the time that I've watched, and I don't have to watch a bunch of fat white guys with goatees and sideburns on the field

[@TyrannoJoris_Rex]

Nah I'm happy that I've got good video and audio quality, score bugs with reliable pitch velocity tracking, Statcast and Trackman, George Steinbrenner's dead and his squad are perennial losers ever since I've watched, players aren't stick figures now and the ones with muscle aren't don't have beer bellies and double chins from their steroids, I'm living in an age where something as dull as turning your cap backwards isn't hailed as flashy anymore, the guys with sticks up their asses get shit on by the fanbase now (looking at you unwritten rules bitches), in general I don't have to see a bunch of fat white guys with goatees and sideburns on the field.

[@TyrannoJoris_Rex]

Nah I'm happy that I've got good video and audio quality, score bugs with reliable pitch velocity tracking, Statcast and Trackman, George Steinbrenner's gone for good and his squad are perennial losers ever since I've watched, players aren't stick figures now and the ones with muscle aren't don't have beer bellies and double chins from their steroids, I'm living in an age where something as dull as turning your cap backwards isn't hailed as flashy anymore, the guys with sticks up their asses get shit on by the fanbase now (looking at you unwritten rules bitches), in general I don't have to see a bunch of fat white guys with goatees and sideburns on the field.

[@seplays2280]

Remember watching a video about the Mets vs braves in NY after 9/11. It was a woman and her two kids who’d lost their husband and father in the attacks. Woman said that seeing piazza hit his homerun and the Mets come back to win the game showed the family that they could still have fun at a ballgame even without dad. Crazy how at the height of its popularity, baseball had such an impact on people and was able to renew lost hope shortly after a national tragedy

[@JabroniBaseball]

That's an incredible story. Things like this is why it will forever be Americas pastime

[@drivewithbishop4426]

What attacks?

[@54raynor]

This is why any discussion of the greatest ceremonial first pitch in history is pretty pointless. Bush 43 delivering a strike in the first game in New York was the exact combination of perfect moment for those circumstances.

[@ericradford2142]

@@drivewithbishop4426Sept. 11 terrorist incidents

[@ericradford2142]

@@drivewithbishop4426September 11 terrorist incidents.

[@dannypresson]

In conclusion, steroids made baseball better.

[@JabroniBaseball]

Steroids saved baseball 100%. The strike year almost ruined the sport for good

[@fabianjon698]

😂😂Yep

[@NDSTRUCTIBLE1]

Steroids make everything better NFL, college Football, Baseball, MMA, BJJ, Movie Super Heroes and Body Building.

[@josegrullon024]

😂😂

[@EthanNiedorowski]

lol ❤

[@TsukiRaiki]

playing baseball as a kid growing up in the late 90s early 2000s was a dream. such fun times, no cell phones or social media just people and baseball

[@veritasinvicta8128]

Same for me but a decade earlier.

[@nm-zl4wn]

I remember staying home from school and you could always count on watching a nationally televised Cubs day game. I'm not even a Cubs fan.

[@Ramblinrabbit24]

Oh man me too. The WB. I became a cubs fan because they were on the WB. I’d record them and watch them at night. I’m sure there’s a shit ton of video tapes of games in my parents attic somewhere.

[@at2130]

WGN

[@Ramblinrabbit24]

@@at2130 oh ya your right. My bad. I e always gotten those channels confused for some reason. Thank you.

[@MarvinMonroe]

Cubs and Sox were both on WGN and Bulls and maybe hockey too. And then of course TBS had Braves. And then up until probably late 90s we had most away Reds games on our local Cincy NBC station. Then it switched to Sports channel which became Fox Sports

[@rngfootball759]

This is when I really love baseball. Between watching Red Sox breaking the curse,hours of playing MVP baseball 2005, Saturday afternoons of This Week in baseball too

[@JabroniBaseball]

It really was the best time to be a fan

[@veritasinvicta8128]

This Week in Baseball I recall from the early 80's. Mell Allen was the voice back then. It had a cool intro song.

[@rngfootball759]

Personally I like the Mel Allen version of This week in baseball from the 70s-80s compare to the early 2000s version as that's more a kid friendly version

[@atlzone6]

I'm 35 I watched dat game when Pedro threw don Nelson on the ground I was a Red Sox fan dat was some good old October classic baseball for ya I miss dem days I like the younger generation now

[@Mr.JayDice]

I snuck playing mvp baseball on my GameCube religiously

[@brandonconforto315]

Another awesome thing about baseball at that time was the fact TBS would nationally broadcast Braves games. As a baseball obsessed kid in the late 90s it was the way i could watch more National League games. It also helped the Braves were one of the best teams in baseball and had a deep lineup filled with all-stars.

[@ImNotLoganA]

I'm a Reds fan, but I also could have chosen the Cubs as a kid since they still regularly showed games on WGN in the early 2010s.

[@brandonconforto315]

@@ImNotLoganA i grew up in Cleveland, but for some reason, we didnt get WGN in my area until i was in the late part of the middle or early part of high school which was the early 2000s. I think that had to be the case for most of the country at that time. I know everyone who had cable in the 90s had TBS

[@BrutusJrThe3rd]

Intentionally walking Bonds in a home run derby is criminally hilarious 😆🤣

[@JabroniBaseball]

Lmao they were like “he can’t keep getting away with this”

[@SP-ve1im]

Good old days... used to watch Fox Sat games and Sunday night baseball every week... nowadays, kids got so many things to entertain themselves and no patient for 3 hrs of baseball on TV

[@derekholmes4792]

That's the answer.

[@PJ.Rob06]

I know these stupid new rules were made up for gen z spaz-a-trons that scroll on tiktok so much they have the attention span of a goldfish

[@UltraKellonRealEstate]

I’m 36… this video LITERALLY speaks to my childhood and my high school years, class of 2005 graduate. I can still remember making sure to be home in time to watch game 7 when the Red Sox completed the comeback against the Yankees and how special it was to hear Joe Morgan and all the others in the broadcast booth. What a time to be alive 💯💯

[@christopherbarney8424]

Great video, you totally nailed it my man! May I also add the HOF pitchers back then? Clemens, Glavine, Maddox, Smoltz, Trevor Hoffman, Schilling, Rivera, the A's big three of Zito ,Mulder and Hudson, and the two Greatest pitchers EVER: Randy "Big Unit" Johnson and the immortal Pedro Martinez!!! I don't believe we will Ever see another period in Baseball that will come close to the star power and talent of 96-2010 per say. What a time to be a Baseball fan. What a time to be a Sox fan!!!!! The 04 ALCS wasn't just Baseball, it was straight up Theater! It was must see TV!!!

[@JabroniBaseball]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I actually just uploaded part 2 that goes over all of those great pitchers!

[@jasonkeenan4154]

I will NEVER forget me and my buddy watching Don Zimmer getting yeeted. We were laughing so hard for a good 20 minutes.

[@michaelfrench619]

As a Mariners’ fan, it’s a shame you skipped ‘95. As the M’a brought the Major League movies to life that season and brought me around to MLB in the first place. Makes sense that a New Yorker would leave out Edgar’s double 😂

[@JabroniBaseball]

Don’t you worry my friend. This is just part 1. I’ll be going over the Ms in part 2 🙂

[@pikeeplaya]

For me, growing up watching baseball was fun, rooting for a small market team. Now that I’ve grown up and understand how the league itself works, it’s really soured me on MLB. I don’t want to watch a league where the same teams routinely spend 3-6x as much as others. Hoping my team can be competitive 1-2 years per decade.

[@JabroniBaseball]

Couldn’t agree with you more. Spending has gotten so out of control lately

[@TyrannoJoris_Rex]

There a problem with everybody being able to spend like the Yankees did last century?

[@mhm6]

I wish every team was good so we get to watch high-competition baseball

[@PJ.Rob06]

​@@TyrannoJoris_Rexthis is why they need the salary cap. And I'm a Yankees fan

[@Mr_boston1630]

As a Red Sox fan I completely agree 👍🏻 I stopped watching around 2016 and recently just started kind of watching again

[@shadowaccount]

For me, I think its safe to say that moving on from old school cable TV to streaming was the biggest factor in watching baseball (and sports in general) regularly. I remember alot of my friends feeling the same way as we didnt know any of the starting lineups one year since we had to look it up online. I got all my highlights and updates from watching cable ESPN when there were no games on to stay updated. If I would have had a reason to stay up to date post 08, I would have paid, but it honestly didnt make sense to me after that, as I had other obligations. Also, I probably put just as many hours playing MVP '05, and the Slugfest games as I did playing actual team ball, and watching games on cable back in that 03-06 time frame. It was a good time to be a baseball fan bewteen 96-08. Good video dude. 👍🏼

[@JabroniBaseball]

All solid points! Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it 🙌🏼

[@lorimeyers3839]

My first memories of baseball came in 1997 when I was 7 years old. I was fortunate enough to grow up idolizing Jim Thome and later on, Chase Utley. What a time these years were.

[@PJ.Rob06]

Who the hell idolizes someone that injures a second baseman in the playoffs on purpose?

[@lorimeyers3839]

@@PJ.Rob06 durrrrrrr.

[@PJ.Rob06]

@@lorimeyers3839 I mean he was a good player but I don't think that's an example of being a good role model

[@lorimeyers3839]

@@PJ.Rob06 lol, to take out the shortstop/second baseman on a potential double play ball in a playoff game? That’s exactly how you should play.

[@PJ.Rob06]

@@lorimeyers3839 i assume that you think draymond green kicking somebody in the nuts was a "good play" as well

[@garnett521]

There will never be a time like the 03/04 Sox Yankees rivalry again. The loaded superstars both had. The bad blood and fights almost every game. Losing in game 7, only to comeback the next year down 3-0 and win. Plus the fact the Red Sox hadn’t got over the hump in 86 years. All those things combined, that’s when it was at its highest, and I don’t think can EVER be replicated

[@BrutusJrThe3rd]

Started watching in 2006 & stopped after the new Manfred rules. The Juan Soto trade brought me back but channel’s like these keeps me glued to baseball every day.

[@veritasinvicta8128]

Cool channel, I just subbed. Yeah, Soto got me hyped but Cole has to be back strong by the All Star Break.

[@JabroniBaseball]

Juan Sotos gonna have a massive year this season!

[@JabroniBaseball]

Thanks for the sub! Appreciate the support! I’m sure Cole will be back as long as the Yankees dont fumble his recovery

[@robforbes5814]

Baseball just felt like it meant more back then. There were some real characters in the game then. Everything about the game was more exciting, including the all star game and HR derby as you mentioned. Plus the steady supply of awesome baseball movies that came out in the 90s, early 2000s. Baseball was special. It was something you could bond with your parent's and even grandparent's generations over much more than now. It doesn't have that feeling now.

[@bcat010]

I remember spending the night with a friend and watching the Cardinals win the 2006 world series. Really was a fun time.

[@PJ.Rob06]

Oh God watching Beltran take that called third strike still hurts my soul

[@BoscoBrown-lf2sj]

The Derek Jeter Farewell Ad In 2014 Was Also A Farewell To The MLB For Me. The 6 Degrees Of Separation With Derek Jeter And All Amazing Stars Since His Rookie Year (95) And And Retirement (2014) Is Sports And Hollywood Type Stars Was Epic.

[@mikequintero4748]

Growing up early 2000’s my grandparents had WGN in hot springs Arkansas. I became a cubs fan because of summers at their house. Derek Lee and Todd Walker became my favorites

[@dataender96]

Yo that is exactly what happened with me. Loved baseball named every player and then stopped around the 2010s

[@JabroniBaseball]

It’s pretty wild how so many people shared the same sentiment

[@mhm6]

Does this translate to other sports like football?

[@amancalleddanger]

All Star Baseball was so damn good. Homerun Derby was my favorite. I still watch ⚾️, but it doesn't have that awe that it used to. Maybe I'm older now, but those players back in the 80s and 90s were so memorable. I love the content and I love baseball. I hope they return to the old HR derby format.

[@Yaboifatback]

Baseball is the most unique and bizarre sport of all time. I’m a Padres fan so my misery has been constant but I will never stop being a Padres fan.

[@Ramblinrabbit24]

Hang in there buddy. I’m a rangers fan and have been since I was born. I remember being heart broken every season but all that heartache was worth it this past season. It’ll be y’all’s turn soon buddy and it’ll be so worth it.

[@Yaboifatback]

@@Ramblinrabbit24 I hope so. San Diego is a great baseball town. I’m sure after 2011 that was heartbreaking for you. That was a great lineup

[@Ramblinrabbit24]

@@Yaboifatback you know the weird thing about 2010 and 2011. I was in the army in those years. I was in basic and tank school in the summer and fall of 2010 and I was in Afghanistan in the summer and fall of 2011. I’m kind of glad they lost those years. I remember not even knowing they were in the series in 2011. I would’ve been pissed if they would’ve won and I couldn’t have seen it. That’s my point though. The baseball gods let the rangers win at the right time. A time where I could sit in my own living room with my wife and daughter and watch the team I love bring it home. It’ll happen for you and I promise it’ll be well worth it.

[@brandonfarr6740]

@Ramblinrabbit even though i didn’t watch baseball in the 90s (wish i had) it would have been awesome if that ‘96 rangers team would have won the chip. that was an awesome team with one of my favorites in juan gonzalez. he almost single handedly took down those damn yankees with all the home runs he hit against them in the division series. too bad it ended in four games.. wish it went all the way to five. i even think that fifth game would have been in texas because of how the format was set up that year.

[@ethanl1359]

An era of great storylines for sure. The new rules have brought a lot of excitement back to the game. I think there’s great personalities/players around the league now too. Mostly I mourn the loss of starting pitchers. I used to LOVE pitching matchups. Now I don’t even care. They’ll be gone in 5 innings. Go 6 innings regularly and you’re an ace… Also, replay has taken the drama out of big plays. Even if it’s made the game fairer, there’s a real anti-climax when someone’s thrown out at home and the players, rather than getting fired up, just stand around waiting for the inevitable second look. That is what it is though

[@floridasportsworld]

100% Agreed! Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, A-Rod, Albert Belle, Barry Bonds, Greg Vaughn, Big Mac, Canseco, Maddux, David Justice, Gary Sheffield, Fred McGriff, Kenny Lofton, Pudge Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Carlos Delgado, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Tony Gwynn, Jeff Bagwell, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Craig BIggio, The Alomar Brothers, Bobby Bonilla, Mo Vaughn, Darryl Strawberry, Jeter, Doc Gooden, Dave Stewert, Pizza, Nomo, Herscheiser, Valenzuela, Pedro Martinez, Vladdy Guerro, Tino Martinez, Bernie Williams, Posada, Nomar, El Duque, Livan Hernandez, Bartolo Colon, Lee Smith, Garrett Anderson, TIm Salmon, Jim Edmonds, Pujols, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Cal Ripken JR. Kerry Wood, Moises Alou, Big Papi, Deion Sanders, Barry Larkin, Eric Davis, Chilli Davis, Cecil Fielder, Trevor Haufman, Ken Caminiti, Scott Rolen, Luis Gonzalez, Andruw Jones. So many good plaers in this era. BEST ERA EVER!

[@GLee-oe3op]

I actually started following baseball around 2009 and went to my first game in 2011. That wound up being my most nostalgic year. Players like Reyes, Jeter, Pujols, Halliday and Tori Hunter in their prime, the game 162 chaos, the last year of the *Florida* marlins and the old playoff format, and who could forget that World Series? So I was kind of a reverse for most people, but that’s probably a tell of my generation

[@homeroscollection]

Props to you for saying something that a lot of people have felt the last few years, even prior to 2020. i would like to add, not sure if anyone else stated already, the 90's was just an awesome decade. music, the internet, cable TV programming, movies, etc... were all banging. now i feel some excitement in baseball again and instead of just keeping up on the standings and box scores, will probably start watching more games on TV once again.

[@snowman9642]

Great video, you nailed it, sports was just better. Whatever the rules were in the early 2000’s, I wish MLB would go back too. In my opinion, Analytics has ruined starting pitching. Fans used to look forward to a pitcher going deep into games. Now, why even bother caring about who’s pitching if their only gonna throw a few innings.

[@JabroniBaseball]

We need to bring back complete games

[@TyrannoJoris_Rex]

@@JabroniBaseball Until they start getting shelled because hitters figure them out even more easily than they already do

[@ericbrown6847]

Dope video, definitely takes you back to better and Simpler times for sure. Well done

[@bennewman6323]

Great video, I fall right in line with that timeline of losing interest in the late 2000's-early 2010's range. There are multiple reasons for this phenomenon I think, some of which you've covered in the video. These aren't very original thoughts by any means: 1. 2005- all the steroid stuff starts up and "taints" the game somewhat, also causes power numbers to drop. Also steroids/HGH extended or revitalized the primes of Bonds, Clemens, Palmeiro, Mcgwire, etc... which meant more well known stars were performing all at once in the late 90's, early 2000's 2. 2009-2010 range- everyone gets an iPhone which dramatically reduces the collective attention span of our society, baseball games (particularly games where it isn't the team you love playing) becomes too boring to sit through 3. Around 2014 I started noticing the high volume of relief pitchers who could throw 100mph (I don't have stats to back this up, also I know there's some speculation on when velocity measurement changed and started reading higher but hitting just wasn't keeping up with the new high pitching velocities. This led to the shift in philosophy of hitters swinging for the fences b/c just hitting a single isn't as effective when the next 3 guys will probably just strikeout behind you MLB first tried to combat the low offense issue with juiced balls from 2017-19 but after it got so ridiculous in 19 it seemed to stop. It also wasn't the fix b/c strikeout rates were still so high, and more homers isn't necessarily more entertaining. I'm a big fan of the new pitch clock and shift rules (I'm a little iffy on the big bases and huge SB numbers from last year, feels a little gimmicky) so those things helped me get back into it somewhat. I still mostly just consume via highlights now though, the attention span thing is tough.. if I watch a full game it's usually the 2nd or 3rd screen I have going.

[@BlueRad90]

My first exposure to MLB was in the 00s. During the timeframe: • The Giants were in the midst of Barry Bonds mania. One of the best players at the time. • The Dodgers were irrelevant for most of the time. The only positive qualities were Vin Scully and Gagne vs Bonds. • In contrast the Angels were competitive as being the better team in SoCal. • Yankees and Red Sox were at their peak of the rivalry. • Ichiro took the Japanese Baseball by storm. • The rise of Albert Pujols. Please add if I forget something.

[@brandonfarr6740]

@BlueRad i also didn’t start watching till the early ‘00s. watching barry bonds at the plate during that time was something i don’t think we’ll ever experience again. i don’t care if he or anyone else juiced up. that man had the eyes of a hawk.

[@rickybobbysdriver555]

What a trip down memory lane. That was an awesome recap and I was one of those people, who lost interest but these videos about baseball kind of got me back into it. I still don't know a ton of the players from today's game but I did watch quite a few post season games last year as a result of these videos. I think there is something unique about watching a sporting event as a kid and it having a bigger impact and maybe that's why '90's baseball will always be special to a lot of us.

[@rickybobbysdriver555]

@@breadandcircuses8127 you're right. Just to think how every HR record was just challenged even after McGuire just topped it was insane. Not to mention what bonds did towards the end of his career.

[@JabroniBaseball]

We were so lucky to be able to grow up watching this all go down in real time. Big players with big egos and big personalities took the sport to a new level

[@JabroniBaseball]

Oh don’t you worry. This is just part one of a two part series. I’ll be going into more details on the records of the steroid era and the pitchers within it(heavily including prime Pedro)

[@amihays7449]

This is when baseball was baseball. It was worth ur time. Now it takes a backseat to other sports NFL👏

[@billny33]

"The Fox baseball theme created this strange pavlovian response where you knew something epic was gonna happen." I can do you one better. That theme really embodied the tension of postseason elimination baseball. It strikes the fear of God into you that if you don't get up off your ass and get the big hit or the big strikeout, you will not be playing tomorrow. And that is riveting even when its not your team involved. Plus for all the things people said about Joe Buck, the tone of his voice often created to/added to that tension. You hear that theme with Buck introducing the storylines behind it and it just felt like a showdown was on the horizon every time. And the cost to the loser was too great to shake off. A lot of the previous network themes used for baseball often emphasized how exciting and beautiful the sport is, but this one skips right past that and reminds you what a nervous wreck you're going to be for the next 3 hours and that you'll still love every second of it.

[@drewmorrison]

Those Yankees/Red Sox rivalry games in 2004-2005 were so intense. “Who’s your daddy!”

[@Marc.Summers]

Remember the atmosphere when a big hitter steps up to the plate the constant flashes from cameras.. added so much to the experience and excitement.

[@bournedevinesupreme]

This video ironically illustrates some of the reasons why I stopped caring about MLB. Specifically, the excessive emphasis on New York/Boston franchises. The unfair challenges faced by small market teams was the nail in the coffin, but I do really enjoy watching these baseball history channels even if I no longer follow the sport.

[@ronniebauman28]

What a trip through my youth! I could smell summer watching this.

[@JabroniBaseball]

That Fox Saturday afternoon game of the day and Allstar weekend was peak summer for sure

[@justinking3127]

I was born in 96. Went to my first braves game in spring 2001, and we loved it and immediately started going religiously. I didn’t get to see the first half of this era, but the 2nd half was my first few years of my intro to baseball. It’s always been my favorite sport, but even though I loved it in the late 2000s, something was just… missing. It wasn’t the same atmosphere, turner field was always half empty, even away fans such as Yankees fans weren’t in town for the games like they were a few years before. It was baseballs attitude era

[@JabroniBaseball]

damn that's a great take. it really was baseballs attitude era

[@kidkudoD1]

Damn bro you got me all in my feels wit this video. Cause this shit hit home for me so hard. You hit everything on the nail fr fr 100000/10 video. That video game part was unexpected & really hit me deep cause those was my childhood favs. Born in 93 & I played baseball from peewee to HS before social media & smart phones & I swear in nyc kids my age we loved baseball. Practice after school, games all throughout the week, my boys put me on to backyard baseball 03 lol I had triple play & ASbaseball 03 wit Jeter my fav player ever was my first ever baseball game. I remember watching Boston come back from 3-0. I seen some insane games at SHEA Stadium, Puljos hit 2 HRs wit like 6rbis one game on us & Beltran still hit a walk off homer that night. id never forget that game 🥹 What a time to be alive. I worked at Citi field one season as an adult & that shit ruined my love for my Team & the game lol I still love the game today & trying to attend as many games as possible to bring back that old feeling I used to get as a kid just watching my fav sport.

[@JabroniBaseball]

glad you enjoyed it! definitely feel like a lot of people from our generation felt the same way!

[@jimmyplenderleith9471]

2003 - 2004 ALCS saga was the best 2 year story to see the underdog, the one who always got put down by the evil umpire, triumph finally. It started by seeing the underdog blow an 8th inning lead in 2003 and lose game 7 to the empire in heartbreaking fashion. The next year, they fought hard and made it back to the ALCS seeking redemption. 6 days later, they are down 3-0 after getting destroyed in game 3. The underdog was going to be stomped out by the empire again, and this time with authority. Then it happened......the bottom of the ninth in game 4. The underdog finally said enough is enough and took a victory away from the empire when it seemed all was lost. Now the underdog knew it could overcome and over the next week it would do exactly that, exacting revenge, tying the series at 3-3 and then finally going to the home of the evil empire and destroying them in game 7. The underdog had finally become the champion. Ever since that series in 2004, the underdog has become the lead dog...defeating the evil empire in every series they've played since then. F the Yankees....Go Sox!!!

[@JabroniBaseball]

The wildest ALCS redemption arc baseball has seen

[@veritasinvicta8128]

The 2009 Yankees are the fly in the soup. If not for them you could have claimed a reverse curse. The rivals have only played in one series since and that was the 2018 Sox, who were the best of the four to win. Unfortunately, it seems they're back where they started. I feel for Sox fans now because bad ownership can doom a franchise. It ruined my Islanders for a couple of decades after the early nineties. Yankees aren't much better with Cashman but at least Hal spends.

[@rogermoses3785]

God I love the fox mlb theme. And McCarver may he rest in peace.

[@alexstone4729]

How come these smaller youtubers are always so good but never have high subscriber count? this guy needs more credit

[@jzajzz]

Dont forget Baseball 2night with Karl Ravech, Tim Kukjoan, Peter Gammons , and Harold Reynolds

[@JabroniBaseball]

Such a solid show!

[@chrisschaeffer9661]

As a Mariner fan I totally agree. The Ms were basically a Minor Leagie team in the 70s and 80s. Then in 89 Griffey, Edgar, Jay Buhner and Randy Johnson were inserted into the Lineup and DAMN!!! The 90s Teams were fun as hell to watch.

[@charlesmurphy1840]

Analytics have you watched one minute of your video as a 51-year-old. The timeline is right.

[@ihateRobbieK]

Great channel name, great profile picture, great video. 90’s baseball was the bees knees

[@JabroniBaseball]

Thanks bro! Digging your channel as well! Just hit ya with that subscribe 🤙🏼

[@ihateRobbieK]

⁠​⁠@@JabroniBaseball appreciate the support brotha! I hit ya right back. We’ll have to rock a collab one of these days.

[@ThadtheHobo]

"Power surge" love it

[@JabroniBaseball]

😂

[@GameDayonYT]

Baseball as a national sport, peaked in 2004. Outside of a couple of anomalies like cubs/Indians, the sport just hasn't had the iconic feeling with megastars going against each other. It's like a TV show having a fantastic series finalie, but getting renewed for more seasons and being unable to keep the magic.

[@a3rdrightwing972]

The biggest issue is its own media hates the sport. Baseball media loves to Bash the sport at every turn. Soccer doesn't do this nor does the NFL. Baseball Mainstream Media is s cancer. Not enough to make legitimate criticism. Have to make yourself and your hot negative take the headline, not the actual events going on.

[@matthewjohnson9199]

I still watch and follow baseball and remain a fan, though, not as big as I used to be (though I just chalk it to just becoming an adult and not having as much leisure time). Having grown up in the Tri State Area, the late '90s/early '00s Yankees - Red Sox rivalry, for me, is still the best period of my sports fanhood. Two excellent teams. Legends on both sides. And clubs that really disliked each other. It was so fun to watch!

[@GarretMartinn]

9:22 I was at the Jeter game. Only game I’ve ever been to at the stadium. Great memory. Great game.

[@user-hr1gw3qr8w]

For me it's 75 to 90 ...you had the Big Red Machine, tge great NY vs LA world series , and great parody in the game in the 80s almost a different champion every year except for the Dodgers winning twice .

[@gophlunsford7238]

First time on channel. Great vid but The bluebird outro earned you this sub!

[@JabroniBaseball]

Thanks for the sub haha! Only the real ones know about blue bird

[@54raynor]

The problem with referring to this era as the “steroid era” is that it gives the impression that steroids weren’t used in MLB prior to this time period when in fact they were widespread in MLB clubhouses as early as 1973 according to the Mitchell Report. The actual change that happened in this era was in weight training and conditioning, both of which were understood like never before. Teams went from not even having weight training facilities on the premises to having every player on every team on a dedicated training program. This remains the case to this day, which is why home runs have continued to rise even after the implementation of PED testing.

[@JabroniBaseball]

This entire comment should be framed at the entrance of the hall of fame

[@antboogie3550]

Also not to mention that was around the time ESPN changed from covering all sports to only covering basketball and football. Now they’re to the point they only cover a few teams in the NFL and nba smh

[@luisurena9955]

I love baseball more than ever but I also feel it has to do with how hard it is to access games now with all these streaming services.

[@premo2k781]

Baseball was my first love. Ironically, this is when I started to transition to paying attention to NBA more. Wild how production fell off as well. You're right about baseball missing mystique now. BTW MLB on FOX is ELITE!!!!

[@JabroniBaseball]

the fox baseball theme was *chefs kiss*

[@Jeschitown]

we saw 2 of the longest WS droughts broken in back to back years 2004 Boston 2005- Sox

[@tybaltyrant1]

Great stuff!

[@JabroniBaseball]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rdavis001315]

It’s actually sad when you watch a Sunday night game with Jon miller and Joe Morgan and compare it to the garbage ESPN we have now

[@PhilDavis122]

I still love baseball, and still love to watch it. I stopped paying attention to the game because I couldn't afford satellite TV or tickets to the games.

[@veritasinvicta8128]

As a Yankees fan at 52, I'd say 1994 through 2003 was my favorite decade.

[@JabroniBaseball]

It was a pretty good decade for the Yanks haha

[@veritasinvicta8128]

@@JabroniBaseball Yeah, even 1993 was ok, first year contending in a while and gave the Jays a run for their money. 94 was just sad.

[@ItsWickked]

2004 was my favorite year ! Im a Red Sox fan

[@brianb7423]

@@ItsWickkedI enjoyed the beatings the Yankees gave the Red Sox over the years as well

[@ryantrent2114]

Sounds like you burned out early. I'm here for you, chief.

[@reseirs]

I agree it was a great decade. It's sad , though, that the best players from that era will never be in the Hall of Fame.

[@themotherfdude8891]

MVP baseball 05. Goat

[@iamjuice101]

Nice content!

[@JabroniBaseball]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! Make sure to check out part 2 if you havnt already!

[@joshuapatrick682]

I was one of those guys that stopped watching baseball when Bonds was vetoed. I started watching again in 2019.

[@brandonfarr6740]

@joshuapatrick yeah it’s a shame bonds and other greats from his era have been basically blackballed . he might be a prick and a juice head but he also may have been the best player ever. i say the babe is the greatest and always will be.. but bonds may have been the best.

[@Milordvega]

I'm in my late 50's and 1970's was my fave decade. 1980's was great too. And 1995-2004 was epic for the reasons you cited.

[@veritasinvicta8128]

I'm 52 and just missed recalling the 70s. Yankees had those two teams at the end of the decade. The 70s was the dynasty decade. The As, Reds and Yankees.

[@gameover74]

Great video thank you

[@logandetwiler4483]

When Fox broadcasted their game of the week at 1 PM and 4 PM with this week in baseball before the games started. Used to love watching Jeannie Zelasko and Kevin Kennedy when I was younger.

[@JabroniBaseball]

when that theme hit though, it was perfect

[@logandetwiler4483]

@@JabroniBaseballohh most certainly indeed. So happy the theme is back permanently.

[@kaveondublin5781]

This video was perfect. The points you made were spot on and I’ve been saying some of the same things for years. HR Derby needs to go back to the old format, players should wear their team jerseys in the ASG, and I loved that the ASG determined home field advantage for the WS. None of my friends agree with me on the last point but it made the game unique and added soooooo much to competition and stakes of the game.

[@JabroniBaseball]

Thanks! Hopefully they go back to the old ASG and Home Run Derby formats. They really broke something that didn't need fixing whatsoever

[@BrutusJrThe3rd]

They absolutely had no reason to change anything! 😡 The home field advantage element guaranteed the ASG would be competitive & it was.

[@TyrannoJoris_Rex]

@@BrutusJrThe3rd People are bitching and whining about a an extra day off ruining the postseason because it "makes the regular season meaningless". What makes you think that the better record not counting for anything in the end will help?

[@mmksd81]

class of 99, I got to see the best in all sports IMO. Grew up in Chicago with Jordan. Even got to see Bo play for the Sox.

[@charlesbird2897]

I’m a giants fan so I may be a bit biased but I gotta give some love to Jon Miller. All time GREAT announcer. His voice is gold and he paints a vivid picture in your head of what is happening on the field

[@brandonfarr6740]

@charlesbird yeah miller and morgan together were gold

[@mattthompson9005]

I met Steve Karsay. He said that the greatest moment in his baseball career was giving up that HR to Piazza!

[@Toasty_Llama]

This was about the era that I was watching. I also like watching basketball around these years as well. Now it's a bit harder with all the rule changes and just names that you knew leaving the game.

[@Retrievinggold]

Call me crazy but in post season here in Philly, glimpses of the 90s and 00s still happen with the Phil’s and the intensity and camaraderie they play with

[@robertjohnson9756]

You really skiped over the event that saved baseball, cal ripkens streak i was a kid in the 90s, granted living out side of baltimore and my family had seasons tickets until my dad canceled them because of the strike i couldve been there if he wasnt so short sighted, but i digress people everywhere came back to watch baseball again cus cal's streak was at its core a person going to work everyday no motter the circumstances and people respected that . I will say that though cal's streak saved baseball but the homerun race brought the game to a different level

[@JabroniBaseball]

Oh don't worry, this is a two part video series. In the next video Cals streak is talked about in length as the spring board to saving baseball from itself

[@jmob007]

Regional sports networks, tv blackouts, and carousel rosters collectively killed the public’s interest in MLB

[@AJice1980]

I miss Baseball Tonight so much. It's a shame the MLB network replaced it.

[@RAtMW88]

I haven't watched baseball since the mid 2000's. I guess I'm not the only one.

[@JabroniBaseball]

a common theme unfortunately

[@lockmat9]

Growing up all road games were on regular TV (FREE).We didn’t have cable so never got to watch home games. Cable these days is too expensive just to watch baseball.

[@omarbahrour]

I’ve never been a huge baseball guy, but I think for me, baseball KZbin easily has the best creators

[@ShantyIrishman]

Streaming services give different entertainment options during the Summer, back then the only broadcast options were reruns or baseball.

[@joeyvalentino7]

First off, great job on the video! I must be about the same age as you and I’ve also asked the same question as of “how did baseball lose its popularity?” I find it amazing that 25 years ago, Ken Griffey Jr was arguably as big of a household name as Michael Jordan. (And he didn’t even play in a major market) Fast forward to present day and Mike Trout could probably walk down every Main St in America and not be recognized. I do have one theory, and it has to do with Camden Yards. When it opened, it immediately became one of the best ballparks in MLB and in turn pretty much had every team want to build their own version of Camden Yards. And with that, baseball tickets went for being $10 to $50 and I’m sure priced out a lot of Dads with potential future fans. I always feel baseball is a sport you have to like when you were young and rarely will someone get into the game post 30 years old. And yes, a kid can still watch baseball on TV but almost every baseball fan I know can tell you about going to the ballpark when they were younger.

[@joel8692]

Michael Jordan was not only t he most famous athlete he was probably t he most famous person in the world at t he time. Griffey was popular but Jordan, Tyson, Jackson were another level

[@CakesTv1337]

Some of my friends that were never into baseball recently got into it given the new rules, mainly the sped up game. We're how many games into this season and they're starting to complain that the games just fly by. Mmmmmmmm

[@JabroniBaseball]

It’s a fair criticism for sure. Going to games you feel it more since you have to make it to the park and all the money you spend for the game just for it to be over in about 2 hours.

[@Ramblinrabbit24]

I’ll tell ya what made me not watch baseball anymore. The dang TV contracts. When I was a kid you could watch every Texas rangers game on fox sports southwest. I remember watching every game with my dad when I was in high school. When I went to basic training right out of high school my dad put a letter in my bag that I found when I got on the plane where one of the things he said was “I’ll miss watching rangers games with you at night.” Pretty sure that was the last time I watched like 99% of games.

[@dvbagnasco]

Great job with this video. You forgot the 1997 or 1998 Cubs playoff loss to the Marlins, though. Man I felt so bad for that fan.

[@Milordvega]

2003 NLCS!

[@JabroniBaseball]

Oh yeah there’s a lot of missing stuff on this video for sure. This is part one of a two part video series so I’ll be talking about the Steve Bartman incident among other things in part 2!

[@vidvad]

The Eric Gagné save streak from 2002 to 2004 was amazing as well. 84 consecutive saves. People chanted Game Over when he left the bullpen, it was crazy. I still watch that Gagné vs. Bonds at-bat where Bonds hit a monster home run. Peak baseball! I was a Montreal Expos fan and when they left in 2004, I stopped watching.

[@TstanDa-Man]

Being from Boston and turning 20 yrs old in 2000 I can totally agree. What a time to be a Red Sox fan

[@ItsWickked]

I was 8 in 2004 . Was finally really falling in love with baseball during the regular season. I stayed up with my grandfather every night watching us come back to force game 7 . I’ll never forget those late nights and seeing how much this meant to him who had been a die hard Red Sox fan since the 50’s . I think I slept all day in school each day . What a time for Baseball

[@MonsturoCapone801]

86, 87, series 7 game gems. 88 dodger upset the A's, 89 quake series, 90 Reds mollywop the A's. 91 Classic Series, 92-93 Blue Jays run a forgotten squad in history, 95 Braves, 96 Yankees, 97 Marlins, 98-00 Yankees dynasty, etc

[@Jack3dBrett]

I dont know who you are but bro we couldve been best friends. This whole vid was too spot on

[@JabroniBaseball]

thanks glad you enjoyed it! check out part 2 if you havnt already!

[@bagelobo]

The height of the steroid era was the final nail in the coffin for me although my interest was already in decline ever since the 1994 strike.

[@nopenope2550]

Last year's WBC channeled this decade of baseball so hard and was the first time I've seen any genuine excitement surrounding baseball since then. Who could have guessed that "let the guys play baseball" was a winning strategy to draw an audience. (Seriously, the WBC is all the proof anyone should need to prove that analytics have ruined the game entirely).

[@lukeschroter9389]

As a Red Sox fan 2004 was the best year ever in baseball

[@JabroniBaseball]

Watching that a non Red Sox fan was nuts. I can’t even imagine the stress being a Red Sox fan watching that lmao

[@richardsparrow9545]

I think baseball is making a comeback 🎉

[@JabroniBaseball]

hoping so!

[@youknowlesthisman1928]

It’s simple, glavine and Maddux said it best “chicks dig the long ball”

[@TheMoviePro]

It is rumored that Piazza told the AL hitters what pitches were coming in that All Star Game as revenge for 2000

[@Roy_270]

Hamilton going off in the 2008 HR Derby in the Bronx 🔥