Posted by: Richie Bernardo
What does it take to be a true baseball fan? Mostly a lot of patience and sometimes a lot of dough, depending on how closely you want to follow the sport. In this slow-paced ballgame, hits and home runs are less frequent than strikes and misses. Yet more than 52 million U.S. adults are willing to put in the time to watch the drama unfold.
Fans are willing to pay top dollar to see a game, too, especially during the highly anticipated World Series that kicks off every October. Of course, tickets are kinder to the wallet during the regular season. But to see Game 1 of the 113th World Series on Oct. 24, for instance, the cheapest seat at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles would cost $1,060, according to TicketIQ. For Game 7 on Nov. 1 at the same stadium, the damage would range from a starting price of $1,328 all the way to a whopping $139,667, as of Oct. 20. That doesn’t leave much room for peanuts and cracker jacks. And that’s not mentioning the hundreds of millions of dollars wagered by the betting market every year.
But it’s more fun — and cheaper — to love on baseball in certain parts of America, so which cities would fans consider a home run? WalletHub crunched the numbers to find out, comparing more than 360 of the largest U.S. cities with at least one professional or college baseball team, grouped by division. In each city, we looked at 31 key indicators of baseball fan-friendliness. They range from performance level of team(s) to average ticket price per game to stadium accessibility. Read on for the winners, a ranking by city size and a full description of our methodology.
Below the rankings, you’ll find commentary from baseball experts about the challenges facing the sport, advice on enjoying the ballgame on a budget and more. Make sure to also check out WalletHub's 2017 World Series Facts – Dodgers vs. Astros infographic for fun and interesting stats about the matchup.
Main Findings Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/12864/geochart-baseball.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2gHwOjL;Best Baseball Cities
|
Rank (1 = Best) |
Large City (Score) |
Rank (1 = Best) |
Midsize City (Score) |
Rank (1 = Best) |
Small City (Score) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis, MO (54.41) | 1 | Cincinnati, OH (43.92) | 1 | Cullowhee, NC (19.85) |
| 2 | New York, NY (53.67) | 2 | St. Petersburg, FL (33.96) | 2 | Johnson City, TN (17.64) |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA (51.43) | 3 | Durham, NC (18.09) | 3 | State College, PA (17.47) |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA (46.46) | 4 | South Bend, IN (17.98) | 4 | Binghamton, NY (16.89) |
| 5 | Arlington, TX (46.35) | 5 | Birmingham, AL (17.78) | 5 | Fort Myers, FL (16.80) |
| 6 | Boston, MA (45.09) | 6 | Richmond, VA (17.75) | 6 | Orem, UT (16.78) |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA (44.07) | 7 | Greensboro, NC (17.66) | 7 | Oxford, MS (16.05) |
| 8 | Pittsburgh, PA (42.84) | 8 | Dayton, OH (16.95) | 8 | Clemson, SC (16.01) |
| 9 | Chicago, IL (41.33) | 9 | Eugene, OR (16.94) | 9 | Asheville, NC (15.86) |
| 10 | Kansas City, MO (40.88) | 10 | Charleston, SC (16.27) | 10 | Champaign, IL (15.15) |
| 11 | Detroit, MI (39.55) | 11 | Spokane, WA (16.04) | 11 | Hanover, NH (15.05) |
| 12 | Baltimore, MD (39.04) | 12 | Springfield, MO (15.99) | 12 | Allegany, NY (14.64) |
| 13 | Cleveland, OH (38.40) | 13 | Baton Rouge, LA (15.55) | 13 | Coral Gables, FL (14.49) |
| 14 | Oakland, CA (36.26) | 14 | Columbia, SC (15.29) | 14 | Pullman, WA (14.40) |
| 15 | Minneapolis, MN (36.11) | 15 | Knoxville, TN (15.18) | 15 | Daytona Beach, FL (14.03) |
| 16 | Milwaukee, WI (32.55) | 16 | Stockton, CA (14.33) | 16 | Lynchburg, VA (14.00) |
| 17 | Washington, DC (32.14) | 17 | Buffalo, NY (13.68) | 16 | Annapolis, MD (14.00) |
| 18 | San Diego, CA (31.15) | 18 | Reno, NV (13.52) | 18 | Cookeville, TN (13.98) |
| 19 | Philadelphia, PA (30.56) | 19 | Norfolk, VA (13.43) | 19 | Charlottesville, VA (13.90) |
| 20 | Seattle, WA (30.21) | 20 | Gainesville, FL (13.42) | 20 | Fairfield, CT (13.88) |
| 21 | Houston, TX (30.14) | 21 | Cambridge, MA (13.35) | 21 | Starkville, MS (13.88) |
| 22 | Denver, CO (29.51) | 22 | Winston-Salem, NC (13.11) | 22 | Kingston, RI (13.88) |
| 23 | Phoenix, AZ (28.74) | 23 | Columbia, MO (12.87) | 23 | West Point, NY (13.81) |
| 24 | Miami, FL (26.90) | 24 | Mobile, AL (12.78) | 24 | Radford, VA (13.78) |
| 25 | Nashville, TN (19.31) | 25 | Norman, OK (12.62) | 25 | Buies Creek, NC (13.66) |
| 26 | Austin, TX (17.51) | 26 | Montgomery, AL (12.30) | 26 | Conway, SC (13.52) |
| 27 | San Antonio, TX (17.51) | 27 | Rochester, NY (12.27) | 27 | Cape Girardeau, MO (13.27) |
| 28 | Louisville, KY (17.13) | 28 | Peoria, IL (12.20) | 28 | Elon, NC (13.22) |
| 29 | Corpus Christi, TX (16.91) | 29 | Murfreesboro, TN (12.14) | 29 | Morehead, KY (13.11) |
| 30 | Tulsa, OK (16.84) | 30 | Salt Lake City, UT (11.97) | 30 | Stillwater, OK (13.02) |
| 31 | Tampa, FL (16.18) | 31 | Toledo, OH (11.96) | 31 | Athens, OH (12.98) |
| 32 | Albuquerque, NM (15.87) | 32 | Fort Wayne, IN (11.88) | 32 | Mount Pleasant, MI (12.95) |
| 33 | Lexington-Fayette, KY (15.78) | 33 | Provo, UT (11.79) | 33 | Highland Heights, KY (12.93) |
| 34 | Charlotte, NC (15.52) | 34 | Wilmington, NC (11.50) | 34 | Trenton, NJ (12.91) |
| 35 | New Orleans, LA (15.36) | 35 | Beaumont, TX (11.42) | 35 | Muncie, IN (12.88) |
| 36 | Jacksonville, FL (15.33) | 36 | Clarksville, TN (11.25) | 36 | New Britain, CT (12.84) |
| 37 | Memphis, TN (15.24) | 37 | Hartford, CT (11.07) | 37 | Kent, OH (12.81) |
| 38 | Indianapolis, IN (15.07) | 38 | Lubbock, TX (10.98) | 38 | Kalamazoo, MI (12.80) |
| 39 | Columbus, OH (14.82) | 39 | Ann Arbor, MI (10.98) | 39 | Kennesaw, GA (12.78) |
| 40 | Las Vegas, NV (14.80) | 40 | Huntsville, AL (10.75) | 40 | Smithfield, RI (12.68) |
| 41 | Fresno, CA (13.08) | 41 | Tempe, AZ (10.65) | 41 | Rochester, MI (12.64) |
| 42 | Tucson, AZ (12.24) | 42 | Fullerton, CA (10.40) | 42 | Princeton, NJ (12.62) |
| 43 | San Jose, CA (11.73) | 43 | Athens, GA (10.31) | 43 | Stanford, CA (12.55) |
| 44 | Dallas, TX (11.56) | 44 | Lafayette, LA (10.25) | 44 | Normal, IL (12.49) |
| 45 | Colorado Springs, CO (11.35) | 45 | Billings, MT (10.22) | 45 | Iowa City, IA (12.43) |
| 46 | Fort Worth, TX (11.23) | 46 | Little Rock, AR (9.64) | 46 | Greeley, CO (12.41) |
| 47 | Long Beach, CA (11.18) | 47 | College Station, TX (9.45) | 47 | Hamden, CT (12.37) |
| 48 | Wichita, KS (10.20) | 48 | Tallahassee, FL (9.30) | 48 | Hammond, LA (12.33) |
| 49 | Portland, OR (9.84) | 49 | Irvine, CA (9.25) | 49 | Greenville, SC (12.32) |
| 50 | Honolulu, HI (9.68) | 50 | Berkeley, CA (9.19) | 50 | Valparaiso, IN (12.30) |
| 51 | Omaha, NE (9.59) | 51 | Evansville, IN (9.05) | 51 | Tuscaloosa, AL (12.25) |
| 52 | Raleigh, NC (8.14) | 52 | Davenport, IA (8.84) | 52 | Statesboro, GA (12.23) |
| 53 | El Paso, TX (7.72) | 53 | Cedar Rapids, IA (8.72) | 53 | Harrisonburg, VA (12.22) |
| 54 | Sacramento, CA (7.53) | 54 | Macon-Bibb County, GA (8.64) | 54 | Corvallis, OR (12.19) |
| 55 | Oklahoma City, OK (7.13) | 55 | Lincoln, NE (8.48) | 55 | San Luis Obispo, CA (12.06) |
| 56 | Bakersfield, CA (6.95) | 56 | Modesto, CA (8.32) | 56 | Terre Haute, IN (12.04) |
| 57 | Riverside, CA (6.73) | 57 | Akron, OH (8.30) | 57 | Richmond, KY (11.96) |
| 58 | Syracuse, NY (8.28) | 58 | Charleston, IL (11.95) | ||
| 59 | Boise City, ID (8.12) | 59 | Huntington, WV (11.86) | ||
| 60 | Fargo, ND (8.04) | 60 | Hackensack, NJ (11.84) | ||
| 61 | Jackson, MS (8.03) | 61 | Williamsburg, VA (11.80) | ||
| 62 | Lowell, MA (8.00) | 62 | College Park, MD (11.79) | ||
| 63 | Everett, WA (7.96) | 63 | Huntsville, TX (11.77) | ||
| 64 | Midland, TX (7.90) | 64 | Easton, PA (11.71) | ||
| 65 | Frisco, TX (7.78) | 65 | Bowling Green, KY (11.70) | ||
| 66 | New Haven, CT (7.77) | 66 | Ruston, LA (11.66) | ||
| 67 | Chattanooga, TN (7.74) | 67 | Moraga, CA (11.59) | ||
| 68 | Port St. Lucie, FL (7.63) | 68 | West Lafayette, IN (11.59) | ||
| 69 | Round Rock, TX (7.63) | 69 | Greenville, NC (11.58) | ||
| 70 | Orlando, FL (7.62) | 70 | Troy, AL (11.58) | ||
| 71 | Waco, TX (7.52) | 71 | Martin, TN (11.48) | ||
| 72 | Lakeland, FL (7.49) | 72 | Hempstead, NY (11.47) | ||
| 73 | Lancaster, CA (7.47) | 73 | Lawrence, KS (11.29) | ||
| 73 | Clearwater, FL (7.47) | 74 | Fishkill, NY (11.23) | ||
| 75 | Grand Rapids, MI (7.43) | 75 | Jonesboro, AR (11.15) | ||
| 76 | High Point, NC (7.43) | 76 | Granville, WV (11.04) | ||
| 77 | Worcester, MA (7.40) | 77 | Fayetteville, AR (11.01) | ||
| 78 | Des Moines, IA (7.37) | 78 | San Marcos, TX (10.79) | ||
| 78 | Augusta, GA (7.37) | 79 | Elizabethton, TN (10.77) | ||
| 80 | Lansing, MI (6.95) | 80 | Bluefield, WV (10.73) | ||
| 81 | Erie, PA (6.91) | 81 | Natchitoches, LA (10.71) | ||
| 82 | Allentown, PA (6.88) | 82 | Lake Charles, LA (10.57) | ||
| 83 | San Bernardino, CA (6.84) | 83 | Orono, ME (10.47) | ||
| 84 | Visalia, CA (6.80) | 84 | Thibodaux, LA (10.45) | ||
| 85 | Santa Clara, CA (6.78) | 85 | Hattiesburg, MS (10.42) | ||
| 86 | Las Cruces, NM (6.74) | 86 | Monroe, LA (10.29) | ||
| 87 | Manchester, NH (6.68) | 87 | Great Falls, MT (10.17) | ||
| 88 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA (6.68) | 88 | Boone, NC (10.16) | ||
| 89 | Tacoma, WA (6.62) | 89 | Emmitsburg, MD (10.15) | ||
| 90 | Savannah, GA (6.51) | 90 | Zebulon, NC (10.09) | ||
| 91 | Newark, NJ (6.02) | 91 | Malibu, CA (10.08) | ||
| 92 | Providence, RI (5.94) | 92 | Farmville, VA (10.04) | ||
| 93 | Jersey City, NJ (4.25) | 93 | Jacksonville, AL (10.02) | ||
| 94 | Auburn, NY (9.91) | ||||
| 95 | Chapel Hill, NC (9.84) | ||||
| 96 | Morgantown, WV (9.67) | ||||
| 97 | Nacogdoches, TX (9.55) | ||||
| 98 | Edinburg, TX (9.54) | ||||
| 99 | Manhattan, KS (9.39) | ||||
| 100 | Pulaski, VA (9.38) | ||||
| 101 | Papillion, NE (9.31) | ||||
| 102 | Auburn, AL (9.27) | ||||
| 103 | Norwich, CT (9.26) | ||||
| 104 | South Orange Village, NJ (9.26) | ||||
| 105 | Troy, NY (9.25) | ||||
| 106 | Idaho Falls, ID (9.25) | ||||
| 107 | Itta Bena, MS (9.13) | ||||
| 108 | Davidson, NC (9.06) | ||||
| 109 | Ogden, UT (9.03) | ||||
| 110 | Storrs, CT (9.02) | ||||
| 111 | Salem, VA (8.93) | ||||
| 111 | Eastlake, OH (8.93) | ||||
| 113 | Kingsport, TN (8.92) | ||||
| 114 | Stony Brook, NY (8.92) | ||||
| 115 | Woodbridge, VA (8.90) | ||||
| 116 | Lexington, VA (8.87) | ||||
| 117 | Danville, VA (8.78) | ||||
| 118 | Newark, DE (8.70) | ||||
| 119 | Lewisburg, PA (8.70) | ||||
| 120 | Bloomington, IN (8.51) | ||||
| 121 | Reading, PA (8.51) | ||||
| 122 | Appleton, WI (8.45) | ||||
| 123 | East Lansing, MI (8.44) | ||||
| 124 | Spartanburg, SC (8.40) | ||||
| 125 | Princeton, WV (8.39) | ||||
| 126 | Keizer, OR (8.34) | ||||
| 127 | Batavia, NY (8.30) | ||||
| 128 | Bristol, VA (8.27) | ||||
| 129 | Helena, MT (8.27) | ||||
| 130 | Burlington, VT (8.24) | ||||
| 131 | Boiling Springs, NC (8.22) | ||||
| 132 | Greeneville, TN (8.16) | ||||
| 133 | Myrtle Beach, SC (8.15) | ||||
| 134 | Burlington, NC (8.12) | ||||
| 135 | West Long Branch, NJ (8.11) | ||||
| 136 | Boca Raton, FL (8.11) | ||||
| 137 | Pensacola, FL (8.06) | ||||
| 138 | Portland, ME (8.05) | ||||
| 139 | Altoona, PA (7.96) | ||||
| 140 | Santa Barbara, CA (7.95) | ||||
| 141 | Bowling Green, OH (7.94) | ||||
| 142 | Hillsboro, OR (7.93) | ||||
| 143 | Hickory, NC (7.92) | ||||
| 144 | Scranton, PA (7.92) | ||||
| 145 | Palm Beach, FL (7.91) | ||||
| 146 | Harrisburg, PA (7.91) | ||||
| 147 | Frederick, MD (7.90) | ||||
| 148 | Pasco, WA (7.88) | ||||
| 149 | Missoula, MT (7.87) | ||||
| 150 | Fairfax, VA (7.86) | ||||
| 151 | Princess Anne, MD (7.84) | ||||
| 152 | West Sacramento, CA (7.80) | ||||
| 153 | North Little Rock, AR (7.80) | ||||
| 154 | Clinton, SC (7.79) | ||||
| 155 | Williamsport, PA (7.77) | ||||
| 156 | Burlington, IA (7.70) | ||||
| 157 | Port Charlotte, FL (7.68) | ||||
| 158 | Wilmington, DE (7.66) | ||||
| 159 | Niles, OH (7.62) | ||||
| 160 | Rock Hill, SC (7.60) | ||||
| 161 | Fayette, MS (7.55) | ||||
| 162 | Grand Junction, CO (7.54) | ||||
| 163 | Dover, DE (7.52) | ||||
| 164 | Rome, GA (7.51) | ||||
| 165 | Conway, AR (7.51) | ||||
| 166 | Dunedin, FL (7.50) | ||||
| 167 | Albany, NY (7.50) | ||||
| 168 | DeLand, FL (7.48) | ||||
| 169 | Clinton, IA (7.42) | ||||
| 170 | Springdale, AR (7.41) | ||||
| 171 | Aberdeen, MD (7.36) | ||||
| 172 | Pawtucket, RI (7.33) | ||||
| 173 | Salisbury, MD (7.33) | ||||
| 174 | Ypsilanti, MI (7.33) | ||||
| 175 | Hagerstown, MD (7.32) | ||||
| 176 | New Brunswick, NJ (7.31) | ||||
| 177 | Brookings, SD (7.30) | ||||
| 178 | Pearl, MS (7.29) | ||||
| 179 | Blacksburg, VA (7.25) | ||||
| 180 | Grambling, LA (7.24) | ||||
| 181 | Oxford, OH (7.24) | ||||
| 182 | Beloit, WI (7.23) | ||||
| 183 | Lewiston, NY (7.20) | ||||
| 184 | Carbondale, IL (7.19) | ||||
| 185 | Bethlehem, PA (7.16) | ||||
| 186 | Jackson, TN (7.12) | ||||
| 187 | Davis, CA (7.07) | ||||
| 188 | Lake Elsinore, CA (7.06) | ||||
| 189 | Lakewood, NJ (7.05) | ||||
| 190 | Bradenton, FL (6.94) | ||||
| 191 | Pine Bluff, AR (6.88) | ||||
| 192 | New Rochelle, NY (6.84) | ||||
| 193 | Poughkeepsie, NY (6.78) | ||||
| 193 | Murray, KY (6.78) | ||||
| 195 | Towson, MD (6.78) | ||||
| 196 | Edwardsville, IL (6.75) | ||||
| 197 | Kannapolis, NC (6.71) | ||||
| 198 | DeKalb, IL (6.68) | ||||
| 199 | Prairie View, TX (6.67) | ||||
| 200 | Jupiter, FL (6.57) | ||||
| 201 | Amherst, MA (6.52) | ||||
| 202 | Biloxi, MS (6.50) | ||||
| 203 | Ithaca, NY (6.49) | ||||
| 204 | Charleston, WV (6.49) | ||||
| 205 | Evanston, IL (6.46) | ||||
| 206 | Geneva, IL (6.41) | ||||
| 207 | Bowie, MD (6.40) | ||||
| 208 | Midland, MI (6.13) | ||||
| 209 | Macomb, IL (6.11) | ||||
| 210 | Youngstown, OH (6.07) | ||||
| 211 | Old Westbury, NY (5.71) | ||||
| 212 | Kinston, NC (4.33) | ||||
| 213 | Kissimmee, FL (1.78) |
As baseball grows in popularity in the U.S. and abroad, so will the challenges for those in the industry. For insight into those issues, advice on enjoying the ballgame and more, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:
- What are the biggest issues facing MLB today?
- How has fantasy sports affected fans’ enjoyment of MLB?
- What is your take on the time-based contract structure used by MLB, as well as the various other spending constraints imposed by the league?
- Who are your picks to win the World Series, MVP and Cy Young Awards?
- What is the best way to enjoy a baseball game on a budget?
Michael Mondello Professor of Sport Business Analytics and Sport & Entertainment Finance, and Associate Director for the Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program in the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida
Sol Gittleman Alice and Nathan Gantcher University Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of German at Tufts University
Leon Mohan Associate Professor of Sport Business in the School of Business at Saint Leo University
Karl Lindholm Emeritus Dean of Advising and Assistant Professor of American Studies at Middlebury College
Joe Cobbs Associate Professor of Sports Business at Northern Kentucky University College of Business
Michael K. Brady Carl DeSantis Professor of Business Administration and Chair of the Department of Marketing at Florida State University
Charles Kupfer Associate Professor of American Studies & Humanities and Director of the Center for Holocaust & Jewish Studies at Penn State Harrisburg
Iva E. Deutchman Professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges
What are the biggest issues facing MLB today? I think baseball has to face several challenges in the next 3-5 years -- while attendance at the gate for this year was only slightly down, with an average of 201 fewer fans compared to 2016’s season, there are other challenges that will be facing MLB going forward. First is the obvious pace of play -- the games take too long, and are sometimes burdened by too much downtime, making it difficult for people to sit still that long with so much inactivity. The safety of the fans is another issue -- it is hard to believe that so many stadiums lack proper netting to screen foul ball and bats that find their way into the stands. How has fantasy sports affected fans’ enjoyment of MLB? If you include eSports as part of fantasy sports, I do think this is a market that is going to impact all other professional sports viewing habits and participation levels going forward. Ideally, all professional sports leagues would like some semblance of competitive balance; this is what makes the NFL so attractive -- even midway through the typical season, most of the teams still have a relatively decent shot at the postseason. Baseball suffers with just the opposite problem -- more than likely, you can look at the standings at the all-star break and make a pretty good assessment on who has a realistic chance to play in the postseason. What is the best way to enjoy a baseball game on a budget? Many of the major league baseball teams this year have implemented a field pass option, for fans to attend a certain number of games in a given month without an actual ticket assigned for a nominal price -- I think this is the wave of the future, it gets people into the venue and gets ancillary revenue with parking and concessions, even though there is no traditional seat. It may encourage people to come watch part of a baseball game for a short time, rather than go out to a bar or somewhere else for their social interaction. Sol Gittleman Alice and Nathan Gantcher University Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of German at Tufts University 
What are the biggest issues facing MLB today?
- The length of the games;
- Afro-American participation;
- The authority of the Clark family and Baseball Writers’ Association in determining who gets into Cooperstown;
- The lack of historical memory of the sports writers (no Red Smith, Roger Kahn, Roger Angell, Dave Anderson writing for newspapers);
- The fundamental change in pitching strategies, arm endurance, Frankensurgery (Tommy John is just as devious as steroids and hormones), bullpen overuse.
What are the biggest issues facing MLB today? There are two major issues facing baseball today. The first is the slow pace of the game. The average time to complete a nine-inning game has increased over this past season. While the Generation X and Baby Boomers may be more apt to take the time to watch an entire game, the millennials have grown up in a very fast-paced environment in which everything is instantaneous. Therefore, I think the future of the sport, especially regular season games, can be an issue. Since every pitch and every at bat has more at stake in the postseason, I do not see much of an effect on those games. The other issue at stake is the inability to make in-roads on a whole market. Specifically, African Americans are less likely to watch and participate in baseball versus football and basketball. While they are trying, MLB does not do a good enough job of promoting baseball to this group. There needs to be more promotion of the African American star players in MLB that the youth can identify with. Maybe this will entice more participation. How has fantasy sports affected fans’ enjoyment of MLB? While fantasy sports are big business, it is clearly more popular in the NFL. I do think that fantasy sports engage the fan with the entire sport, rather than specific teams. However, since there are so many games and factors involved that need to be considered (stadium, weather, opposing pitcher, even the umpire’s strike zone), I do not think it is as enjoyable as the NFL, which is a one- or two-day fantasy football event. What is your take on the time-based contract structure used by MLB, as well as the various other spending constraints imposed by the league? I think the time-based contract structure is beneficial to the sport. Needing to acquire six years of service prior to becoming a free agent allows the team to best evaluate their players before making a major investment in them. One of the main reasons the NBA has instituted their rule to disallow high school athletes from jumping straight to the NBA is so that they can better evaluate the players, as opposed to the many that were drafted out of high school and failed in the NBA before the rule. As a fan, I would like to see that these contracts are not guaranteed to the level they are. For example, when a player signs a 10-year, $250 million contract, has a really good first two years and performs poorly the next eight, the fans, as well as the team, are affected. Now, as a fan, your team is stuck with a large contract which can better be utilized for other, more productive players. Who are your picks to win the World Series, MVP and Cy Young Awards? My picks may be a little biased as a diehard Yankee fan.
- World Series winner: Yankees -- their starting pitching has come on strong during the postseason and they have a very deep and talented bullpen. Starters do not have to go to deep into a game and pitching wins in the postseason.
- MVP: Aaron Judge -- if you take him off the roster, the Yankees do not make the playoffs. If you take Altuve off the roster, the Astros still have a very competitive team.
- Giancarlo Stanton -- he put up monster numbers that no one other than Judge comes close to. I do think Goldschmidt is a close second, who is one of those players that does not get enough attention and had a great year for a playoff team.
- Cy Young: Kershaw and Kluber. Those are pretty easy choices considering how dominant they were this year.
What are the biggest issues facing MLB today? Length of games and pace of play. Decline of interest in the game by young people, especially African-Americans. Minority representation in front offices and ownership. How has fantasy sports affected fans’ enjoyment of MLB? Fantasy baseball -- positive impact mostly. I do worry about the gambling aspect. What is your take on the time-based contract structure used by MLB, as well as the various other spending constraints imposed by the league? I enjoy baseball despite the enormous salaries the best players make and billion-dollar values of teams. The money in sports generally is astonishing and incomprehensible. Who are your picks to win the World Series, MVP and Cy Young Awards?
- World Series winner -- anyone but the Yankees;
- MVP AL -- Altuve;
- Cy Young AL -- Kluber (don’t follow the NL closely enough to make confident picks).
What are the biggest issues facing MLB today? Soccer. Our professional sports market in the United States and Canada was already crowded before global television/streaming allowed for North American fans to easily follow European soccer leagues. Now we have become much more fluent in the language of soccer, which was translated to growth in our own elite soccer league, MLS. For baseball, this means more competition for sports fans' attention in terms of attendance, television ratings, and merchandise sales -- and I have not even mentioned sponsors yet. How has fantasy sports affected fans’ enjoyment of MLB? Fantasy sports has increased the interest in out-of-market games across professional sports leagues. Fantasy also keeps fans engaged in baseball day-to-day, even when their favorite team is out of contention. What is your take on the time-based contract structure used by MLB, as well as the various other spending constraints imposed by the league? While such constraints artificially inhibit the labor market, the time-based structure is not surprising, given the nature of collective bargaining in baseball. A major incentive for the players' union is protecting the careers of their voting members, meanwhile teams want to lower payroll or enact restrictions to manage costs. Furthermore, baseball wants to continue their efforts to manage the payroll gap between big spending teams and those that minimize payroll. Who are your picks to win the World Series, MVP and Cy Young Awards? I'm originally from Northeast Ohio, so I'll take Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians in the AL, and Max Scherzer of Washington in the NL. For MVP, I live in Cincinnati now, so how about Joey Votto -- give the Reds' fans something to cheer about. Dodgers in the World Series. What is the best way to enjoy a baseball game on a budget? The minor leagues or college baseball offer great options for getting close to the game and seeing some very talented players on a small or even non-existent budget (college games are free at some universities). Plus, the promotions and marketing staff tend to have a bit more fun at the minor league level. However, if you want to see the MLB stars, try a weeknight or day game in your area. With most teams adopting dynamic pricing, those games can offer more affordability along with games during the school year (beginning or end of season). Michael K. Brady Carl DeSantis Professor of Business Administration and Chair of the Department of Marketing at Florida State University 
What are the biggest issues facing MLB today? Now that the steroid era is officially over, the biggest problem facing MLB has to do with the next generation on both sides of the league's value equation. On the fan side, MLB is faced with an environment where kids have far more options in which to invest their emotional energy. In addition to increased popularity of other sports, like soccer, lacrosse, and a variety of games, there are video games and social media to contend with. Baseball is no longer an obvious choice for millennials. On the player side, MLB has to contend with the fact that baseball in the U.S. is now more expensive than ever, which limits the talent pool to the upper end of the socioeconomic scale. Scouting is done at expensive showcase tournaments that preclude many kids from participating. I fear that the U.S. talent pool will continue to shrink, unless something is done to bring the game to a wider talent base. How has fantasy sports affected fans’ enjoyment of MLB? My opinion is that fantasy baseball has done far less than fantasy football. It's unfortunate, really, because the game really needs a wider audience. What is your take on the time-based contract structure used by MLB, as well as the various other spending constraints imposed by the league? I think it's the best thing to happen to the game, outside of cleaning up the steroid mess. Teams like Kansas City, Cleveland, and now Houston are relevant for the first time in a long time. This is good for the game, and I believe revenue sharing and some of the salary constraints are very much responsible for it. Who are your picks to win the World Series, MVP and Cy Young Awards? I used to play for the Dodgers, so I'm pulling hard for them. I'll take them to win it all. I’d like Arenado and Altuve to win the MVP, and I'm especially thrilled about Altuve. He's great for the game. I think Kluber and Kershaw will win the Cy Young. What is the best way to enjoy a baseball game on a budget? I once got a ticket to a Braves game for $1 outside the stadium. It was a midday, midweek game and they were essentially giving away tickets. I recommend looking for those games, if you can afford to take a day off from work or school. Charles Kupfer Associate Professor of American Studies & Humanities and Director of the Center for Holocaust & Jewish Studies at Penn State Harrisburg 
What are the biggest issues facing MLB today? Baseball always faces the need to balance demands for modernizing -- changing rules like catchers covering the plate, or runners sliding into second, or not actually pitching for an intentional walk -- with the demands to remain true to the game's past. There are always critics who carp that the game is too slow, needs a clock, has to incorporate more whiz-bang to cater to the fast-moving digital generation. But this is usually only partly true. The fans who care about being able to compare statistics and performance across eras thanks to the game's consistency over the last century are denigrated by “change-now” types as “purists,” but they are also the people who love the game the most. In business, that's called the core customer base, and anyone who thinks that having millions of customers with discretionary income to spend on a product they care rabidly about is a problem, needs to reconsider. So, finding the way into the future without cutting off from its past is baseball's challenge. The game is pretty good at meeting that challenge. A second challenge is coming to grips with the limits of quantification. The renaissance in sabermetrics is a great thing for the sport, but it's a truism that not everything in the universe is easily quantifiable; also, that even if something can be rendered statistically, numbers are not always the best measurement. I can describe the level of moonlight and the time of the tidal shift in clinical terms, but the romance of a moonlit evening along the water needs a bit more than number-crunching. Baseball is the same way. How has fantasy sports affected fans’ enjoyment of MLB? All it has done is increase fan interest. There are no negatives. I know some fans grumble that fantasy produces fans obsessed with players rather than being loyal to teams, but this is nuts. In a competitive sports market where fans have plenty of options for entertainment, anything that brings people together and immerses them in the game's abundant and seductive details is a major value-added. What is your take on the time-based contract structure used by MLB, as well as the various other spending constraints imposed by the league? 2018 will tell us a lot. There are plenty of players coming off of contracts, and while most speculation is who will go where and for how much, the question of how long is just as important. There may be chances for teams not accustomed to maxing out to offset a slightly lower salary with added time. I think, for example, of the Orioles with Manny Machado. The Orioles had problems holding on to important free agents in the past, but if they are smart, they will look at a franchise guy and try to sell him not just with money, but with length of time. Who are your picks to win the World Series, MVP and Cy Young Awards? Looks to me like the Dodgers have finally figured out this postseason thing. Cory Kluber and Clayton Kershaw for Cy Youngs; Jose Altuve and Giancarlo Stanton for MVPs. What is the best way to enjoy a baseball game on a budget? For all the complaints, baseball is the easiest big-league sport to enjoy on a budget. All it takes is two things: planning, and willingness to stop harping on the fact that 30 years ago, you could get in for $3 on a student ticket. There are reasonably priced seats, and some clubs offer lower prices for purchasing online. Peanuts are cheaper outside the park, so are hot dogs and sodas. Drink up, fill up before you go in. As for gear, hit Target before the game and spend $9.99 on a discount T-shirt, instead of $29.99 in the stadium shop. Iva E. Deutchman Professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges 
What are the biggest issues facing MLB today? The best city for baseball depends on how you are asking the question. In other words, if you live someplace (or someplace close) to a ballpark, it’s one issue. If you have to travel, it’s another. Frankly, in terms of travels, we loved Minneapolis (the new stadium is wonderful), San Diego (the city itself is what heaven looks like, I’m sure) and Kansas City -- another wonderful city. But the love of those cities has a lot to do with budgets. Obviously, if we have to fly to Cleveland, stay in a hotel, go out to dinner and then go to a game, that’s one budget. When I lived in Philadelphia, a long time ago, we would often go to games any time we wanted, and usually get very inexpensive seats and have a hot dog at the stadium for dinner and that was wonderful. Of course, I was younger than. Now my needs and preferences are different. I am sure that the number of professional sports makes the whole industry more competitive. So, that has to be a big issue facing baseball -- but then it also faces basketball, football, tennis, you name it. Here’s an interesting question: are fans sports fans in general, or baseball/swimming/basketball fans in particular? I am only a baseball fan (so another long winter is starting today) -- but are most fans also fans of other sports? I think that would matter a lot. Who are your picks to win the World Series, MVP and Cy Young Awards? Baseball picks for 2017 -- Dodgers win the World Series, MVP is Altuve for the AL. Not sure about the Nats. Cy Young: anyone who pitches for the Astros.
Methodology
In order to determine the best cities for baseball fans, WalletHub’s analysts compared 363 of the most populated U.S. cities based on 31 key metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for baseball fans. For our sample, we chose cities with at least one Major League Baseball (MLB), Minor League Baseball (MiLB) or college baseball (NCAA) team.
We then grouped the cities by division and assigned weights to each divisional category according to its popularity among fans. Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its total score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.
For the ranking by city size, we grouped and ranked the cities based on the following population-size guidelines:
- Large cities: More than 300,000 people
- Midsize cities: 100,000 to 300,000 people
- Small cities: Fewer than 100,000 people
- Number of Teams: Full Weight (~8.24 Points)
- Performance Level of Team(s): Full Weight (~8.24 Points)Note: This metric was calculated by dividing the number of wins by the total number of games played.
- Number of Championships Wins: Full Weight (~8.24 Points)
- Number of Division Championship Wins: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)
- Number of Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)
- Franchise Value: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)Note: This metric measures the team(s) estimated value in millions of dollars.
- Average Season Ticket Price per Game: Full Weight (~8.24 Points)
- Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~8.24 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of Twitter followers and Facebook “Likes” per capita.
- Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2007–2008 to 2016–2017.
- Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Stadium Capacity / City Population.
- Attendance: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Average Home-Fan Attendance / Arena Capacity.
- Popularity Index: Half Weight (~4.12 Points)
- Number of Teams: Full Weight (~1.33 Points)
- Performance Level of Team(s): Full Weight (~1.33 Points)Note: This metric was calculated by dividing the number of wins by the total number of games played.
- Number of Championship Wins: Full Weight (~1.33 Points)
- Number of Regular Season Championship Wins: Half Weight (~0.67 Points)
- Number of Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~0.67 Points)
- Minimum Season Ticket Price per Game: Full Weight (~1.33 Points)
- Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~1.33 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of Twitter followers and Facebook “Likes” per capita.
- Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~0.67 Points)Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2007–2008 to 2016–2017.
- Attendance: Half Weight (~0.67 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Average Home-Fan Attendance / Arena Capacity.
- Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~0.67 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Stadium Capacity / City Population.
- Number of Teams: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
- Performance Level of Team(s): Full Weight (~2.86 Points)Note: This metric was calculated by dividing the number of wins by the total number of games played.
- Number of Championship Wins: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
- Number of Regular Season Championship Wins: Half Weight (~1.43 Points)
- Number of Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~1.43 Points)
- Minimum Season Ticket Price for a Game: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
- Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of Twitter followers and Facebook “Likes” per capita.
- Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~1.43 Points)Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2007–2008 to 2016–2017.
- Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~1.43 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Stadium Capacity / City Population.
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Team Marketing Report, ESPN, MLB, Minor League Baseball, The Harris Poll, Sports Reference, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, The National Collegiate Athletic Association and each team’s website.
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