MLB: Three Reasons Why Baseball Is Not for the Casual Fans

Baseball is not for everyone. When non-baseball fans question the appeal of baseball, a response is hard to come by. It has a long season, games are slow and players change teams frequently. With the lack of parity, teams can go decades without making the playoffs and giving fans a glimmer of hope.

This is why it takes a lifetime to be a fan of a team.

As Terence Mann said from Field of Dreams, “The one constant through all the years has been baseball. America…has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.”

Even if your team is in the middle of the worst season in history, it is easy to believe that “There is always next year.”

This allows baseball to be a more rewarding experience for the diehards. Many fans use the terms “we” and “us” when referring to their favorite team. They do this because they are a vital part of the team. True fans have been around earlier and will stick around longer than any players and they are more invested in the long-term success of the franchise.

This is why it is so hard to be a just a casual fan, and it takes a certain level of dedication to make baseball a rewarding experience.

Here are three reasons why:

1. Less Parity

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 11: Manager Bobby Cox #6 of the Atlanta Braves waves to the crowd after the Braves were defeated by the San Francisco Giants 3-2 during Game Four of the NLDS of the 2010 MLB Playoffs on October 11, 2010 at Turner Field in Atlanta, Geor

Only eight teams make the playoffs each year. That is equal to half the amount of teams in the NHL or NBA that reach the postseason. Not only are more teams given a chance to compete for a championship, but also those 16 teams are given a sense of accomplishment and are rewarded for a successful season.

In Major League Baseball, it is a much tougher accomplishment to keep playing into October. Last season the Boston Red Sox finished 16 games over .500, but were still six wins away from winning the Wild Card spot. This is why people underrate how impressive the Braves run of 14 straight division championships was.

Unfortunately while there are successful runs, some teams have had some terrible runs. The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the midst of 18 straight losing seasons, and most analysts believe this will be No. 19.

It is streaks like this that lets baseball fans truly appreciate a good team. They don’t come around often, but it’s important to stick with the team as they go through rough patches.

2. Championships Aren't Won Overnight

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NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 07: Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on April 7, 2011 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Many will argue, but championships aren’t won through free agency, at least not in one year. As much as general managers and fans alike love getting an impact player with over a $100 million contract, the best players in the league will only add less than 10 wins per season.

Even teams that spends a lot of money in free agency only use it add pieces to the puzzle. The New York Yankees might have paid for Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, but they have retained homegrown Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada for 16 seasons.

Also, unlike the NBA or NFL, there are no impact draft picks to take in the offseason. Major League Baseball has teams select their future players in-season, since most will not make an impact for a few years, if ever.

The MLB minor league system is unlike any other sport. One might watch college football or basketball, hoping the best players end up with your team. But in baseball, fans know exactly which players are under team control and they can follow them as they grow.

It takes years for a franchise to build into a championship contender. Although the casual fans might not enjoy watching a losing team, part of the fun is seeing young kids grow up into elite players.

3. The Whole Team Is Involved

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ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 01: World Series MVP Edgar Renteria of the San Francisco Giants receives his MVP trophy in the locker room after the Giants won 3-1 against the Texas Rangers in Game Five of the 2010 MLB World Series at Rangers Ballpark in Arling

In baseball, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link. A great lineup will lose without great pitching, and even with the two combined, a weak bullpen could destroy any hopes for a World Series. Therefore a real fan will need to know every player on the team to get ready for a playoff run.

In the NBA, you can count on the team’s best player to take every important shot down the stretch. But in baseball, players like Aaron Boone often become the team’s hero. The last two World Series MVP’s, Edgar Renteria and Hideki Matsui, were hardly as expected as Aaron Rodgers or Kobe Bryant to win MVP of their championship games.

Even in football, with 22 starters plus many other impact players, you might never need to name the players outside of the skill positions. However, if someone becomes a Cardinals fan to cheer for Albert Pujols, what are they going to say when Allen Craig is at the plate with two outs and the winning run on second?

It is fun to root for the flavor of the month team in the playoffs, and many might even be excited if they win the World Series. However, a small percentage of people will enjoy the victory even more. The ones who sacrificed through the losing years, and gained hope as the team became a competitor. Only then will they appreciate how hard it is to win, and how hard it is to be a fan.