Screentime
Baseball Whiffs on Two Counts: Labor Peace and Speeding Up Games
- Long shutdown may put loyalty of even die-hard fans at risk
- Average 3 hour-plus game is long for today’s web-savvy viewers
Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves hits a solo home run against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning in Game Six of the World Series in Houston, Texas, on Nov. 2, 2021.
Photographer: Carmen Mandato/Getty ImagesMajor League Baseball’s three-month lockout is no longer a theoretical threat to the coming season. The league has begun canceling games and is risking the loyalty of even die-hard fans.
“I’ve never turned my back on baseball -- I love it too much,” said James Digini, 42, an insurance salesman and longtime San Francisco Giants fan who lives in Northern California. “But I probably won’t go to any games. I probably won’t watch any games.”