FOX, New Fans, and Freaks

Jason Michael Barker

Having just finished watching the Mariners-Orioles game on FOX, it occurred to me that watching a baseball game today isn't the same as it was, say, five years ago. And yes, Rupert Murdoch and his band of merry producers are partly responsible for these new quirks. Whether you find these changes good, bad, or just plain ugly (or a little bit of each), it's clear that things are different, my baseball-watching friends.

By now you've probably figured out what's going on here. Is FOX marketing their games to white males between the ages of 25 and 45? Nope. They're definitely looking toward a younger crowd, one who needs "catcher cam," "hot zone" charts for hitters, and flashy graphics that go "whoosh" as pop up. The same younger crowd who tunes in to watch "In the Zone," a half-hour program which airs before the Saturday game of the week.

This targeted marketing continues on into the game as well. Young people love excitement, and what's more exciting than the home run? In case the chance to see Griffey and Rodriguez go deep wasn't enough for you, the people at FOX cut away to show Sammy Sosa's at-bats against the Mets. That's all well and good, but when the M's have two runners on and Sosa has fouled off six consecutive pitches in the longest at-bat in recent memory, I'd much rather see the game I tuned in to see, full screen.

This next point has been touched on before and is fairly old news, but I must comment. As you may know, Jay Buhner is my favorite player. But when FOX felt it necessary to turn his at-bats into some sort of rock video, they crossed the line between "hip" and "freakish." Fortunately it seems they've gotten the message, and Buhner took his cuts today accompanied by normal play-by-play.

Yet despite all this, FOX is doing something right. Several somethings, actually. First, they're televising a baseball game on free TV every Saturday, and anytime you can put an extra baseball game on the tube, I say go for it. For fans without ESPN who don't get to watch the Wednesday double-header or Sunday Night Baseball, that's a big deal.

Second, it is important to market toward the younger fans. Baseball's fan base is getting older, while kids are being drawn to the flash and glitter of the NBA, Kobe Bryant and Shaq. In order for baseball to continue, it's vital to develop a young fan base, one who can keep the game going for the next fifty years. If the occasional flashy graphic and turn-ahead-the-clock uniform are what it takes, then that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Serious, long-time baseball fans are not likely to be turned off by these changes. After all, they've put up with the DH, expansion, and the Wild Card. But if young people need these things to be swayed into becoming baseball fans, so be it.

Finally, the merits of "In the Zone," the aforementioned half-hour show. In addition to being aimed at a younger audience, it features a woman host who also happens to be a minority. Baseball's front offices and, to a lesser extent its fan base, are dominated by white males, and it's about time that come to an end. It's a small step, but if having a female minority host attracts more young girls and minorities to baseball, then it's certainly a step worth taking.

Jason Michael Barker has some ideas for spicing up baseball on TV, none of which include a glowing blue baseball which streaks red during a line drive. He'd be happy to share his ideas with you, provided you e-mail him at jmb@strikethree.com and promise not to laugh at the thought of a dancing pig.