Bush League Draft

Bud Selig, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, will do anything to make sure baseball gets back to the top of the American spectator sports food chain. Once America’s game, football has slowly overtaken baseball in terms of fan enthusiasm and loyalty. Sure, NASCAR draws more fans to each event, but football has a much broader appeal. That once was true of baseball. Bud Selig would like to see it happen again.
Major League Baseball has always had a rather elitist attitude toward the status they maintained in the American sports psyche; taking a pro-active approach toward changes when that status was threatened. In order to generate more fan interest, and establish additional credibility, Bud Selig thought it would be a good idea to televise on his new MLB Network, baseballs amateur draft. A noble endeavor for sure, but was it a successful venture?
The fraternity of Major League Baseball has always been adverse to change, throughout history steadfastly adhering to the status quo. When radio was invented, baseball owners and executives resisted broadcasting game coverage being of the mind attendance would go down if people could stay at home and listen to the games. The powers that be never believed radio broadcasts would increase attendance, bringing those who never considered attending a game would be drawn to ballparks by the excitement conveyed via the airwaves. The same reactionary attitude held true years later when games were aired on television.
The baseball establishment fought tooth and nail to keep games from being broadcast. They never foresaw the revenue that could be generated. All they saw was fans staying away from parks in droves. It’s a wonder baseball became the success it did with these narrow minded pinheads running things. Today, TV revenue is all that keeps some clubs afloat financially. The only forward thinking baseball ever did was developing the All-Star game concept in order to make more money when fan turnout was down due to the Great Depression. When interest in professional sports all-star games waned, new innovations were added to make the event more appealing in an effort to expand the customer base.
When the NBA ALL-Star game wasn’t enough, the Slam Dunk and Three Point Shootout, and later Skills, and Rookie All-Star competitions were added. Major League Baseball lagged again. The success of these attractions caused baseball to add the Home Run Derby, which proved to be a huge hit, no pun intended. However, what the NBA and NFL had that MLB didn’t that appealed to its fans was a draft. After yesterday, the reasons why are clear.
Granted, it’s difficult to bring credibility to anything when you’re wearing a dead animal on your head, but Bud Selig did his best. However, unlike the NFL Draft, who stage their extravaganza at Radio City Music Hall, and the NBA, who rotate their location, MLB’s first ever televised draft took place in that baseball hub and cultural center, Secaucus, New Jersey, at the MLB Network Studios, Studio 42 to be precise. There were a couple of drawbacks to this.
First, unlike the NBA and NFL drafts, there wasn’t any room in the studio to accommodate fans. So when a draft choice was announced, scouts, team representatives, employees of the MLB Network, for all I know the cleaning staff, had to cheer and applaud the choice. After the first couple of selections, it seemed that the designated cheerleaders like a sitcom laugh track, had to be prompted at the appropriate moment. Being in such close quarters, this allowed for everybody in the studio to hear what the analysts had to say. It made for a certain level of awkwardness. Speaking of awkward…
…so mired in remaining stagnant, Bud Selig had forgotten what century we’re in, declaring the draft pick for 19-uh, 2009. He almost allowed himself to grin at his faux pas, but that would have meant he could laugh at himself, and shit, if he can’t laugh at that thing on his head when he looked in the mirror, he obviously couldn’t laugh at a verbal faux pas. Not to be outdone, one of the MLB Network baseball experts, I know he’s a household name, but it escapes me right now, and no, it wasn’t Harold Reynolds. Harold Reynolds wouldn’t ever refer to Josh Johnson, the anchor of the promising young starting rotation of the Florida Marlins, Jonathan Johnson.
Perhaps he meant Jonathan Papelbon. That’s understandable, since Johnson is a starter, while Papelbon is a closer. Maybe he meant Randy Johnson, since he recently faced the Marlins. Besides, Josh is only about half Randy’s age, while Josh is only four years younger than Jonathan. This whole explanation makes about as much sense as televising the draft.
Televising a draft is predicated upon fan interest. The casual fan may tune into either the NBA or NFL drafts because they are familiar with who is being drafted. For the most part, players have been followed throughout their collegiate careers, not so with the baseball draft. The names called yesterday and today are unfamiliar to all but the most dedicated baseball fan. Also, many of the players selected have been chosen directly out of high school. Almost all of those players have yet to receive any national recognition. So unless you’re a teammate, friend, coach, or family member, the name called isn’t going to mean anything. In addition, are the variables to consider. Can a team sign the player drafted? Is he going to go to college if we don’t offer the right money? Will he ever make it to the Majors, that’s important when investing millions.
The NBA draft is two rounds, short and sweet. The money for these young men will be pretty substantial. Some will have an impact, some won’t. The NFL draft is seven rounds. Many of the players drafted will also have an impact, but some won’t. However, the money doled out in the higher rounds will bear fruit. Sure, there is the normal share of busts from the first round, but many will still see considerable playing time even if they’re cut loose when they don’t pan out. Baseball it’s a horse of a different color.
The draft is fifty rounds. The first round draft choices command crazy money and the likelihood they will ever play in the Major Leagues is remote. Some succumb to injuries; some never make it out of the minors. Since the draft’s inception in 1965, on average less than one quarter of first round draft choices ever see playing time at the Major League level. This was why we were supposed to be riveted to our television sets yesterday? This was the next big idea to come out of the league office?
There was a surreal feel to the whole thing; from the obscure names being announced very ceremoniously, to the locale, to the coverage. Televising the draft had to be the brain child of team owners; because Bud Selig couldn’t have thought this up on his own. He doesn’t fart without the owner’s permission. There hasn’t been a bigger toady since Grover Dill, Scott Farkus’ sidekick in A Christmas Story. If you ask me, the whole thing was very bush league, from the top of the commissioner’s head to what’s inside of it. Maybe the NBA or the NFL can come up with something else that Major League baseball can use to promote their sport.