If this were a few years ago, Karl Ravech would be willing to discuss the possibility that there would be some pressure on the Aaron Judges and the Shoehi Ohtanis of the world to “save” the game of baseball.
But that was years ago. The ESPN broadcaster shared on Awful Announcing’s Short and to the Point podcast that he does not think the game needs saving like it once did.
“I think the game was in trouble,” he told host Jessica Kleinschmidt. “And I don’t mean it was ever going to go away, but it was in trouble when it took four hours to play a Yankees-Red Sox Sunday night game. That wasn’t good. The product wasn’t good. The product is really good on the field. The players, the young players, are phenomenal, whether it’s Bobby Witt (Jr.) or Gunnar Henderson.
“So, the focus is not just on one guy. I don’t think Shohei Ohtani is responsible for saving baseball, partly because I don’t believe baseball currently needs to be saved. I think what baseball has to acknowledge is we live in a football society; we live in a football world. So, the grand ‘ol pastime is no longer present No. 1. It’s not. It’s very easy to see. Football rules the roost.
“Baseball absolutely has a huge place on the Mt. Rushmore of sports, but it’s shifted. In the 1950s and 60s, baseball was it. And all of a sudden, football and college football and all that have passed it. Now, baseball fits somewhere between the NBA and the NHL, and that’s where it is right now. But the changes they made, I think, helped immensely.
“And there’s no individual that’s being asked to save the game. The game is in good hands. The game is in great shape. There are young players who are superstars, so it’s easy to look at and be, ‘I want to invest in them.’ The Orioles, the Mariners, the Reds. I want to invest. Like Elly De La Cruz, sign me up all day long. O’Neil Cruz? Thanks very much. The Mariners’ pitching? Sign me up; I’m watching all that stuff.
While baseball may not reign supreme anymore, Ravech sees a sport thriving on its exciting young talent. Fans have plenty to look forward to, with future stars like Witt and Henderson showcasing their power in next week’s Home Run Derby, which Ravech will be calling for ESPN.
Short and to the Point with Jessica Kleinschmidt is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
