St. Louis Cardinals, MLB stirring up angry birds nest broadcasting duo of games on Facebook

The St. Louis Cardinals and MLB are stirring up a nest of angry birds, broadcasting a duo of upcoming games on Facebook. Is this a good idea?

The St. Louis Cardinals recently announced that a duo of live-games are broadcasting on Facebook, stirring up the angry birds in the process — a ploy in attracting the “younger crowd” of MLB fans.

Initially, just one St. Louis Cardinals game was projected to broadcast via social media, this Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, but they decided to double their trouble by adding another Facebook-live game on May 30th in Milwaukee.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch describes how this duo of games will go down:

"The streaming productions are being carried on Facebook’s Watch MLB Live page and produced by MLB Network. They are available on smart TVs (ones hooked to the internet), which account for a small percentage of television sets, as well as smartphones and other connected devices. There is no charge to access the coverage."

The worst part for St. Louis Cardinals fans is that the broadcasts will not be available on Regional TV, striking a blow to the wallet of paid customers. Instead, MLB should cater to the die-hard fans more than a generation who could care less about the greatness of America’s pastime. I’m all about reaching a new generation of baseball fans, but not at the expense of the current ones.

St. Louis Cardinals fans took to Twitter, voicing their displeasure, and right on them for doing so.

Jake, you make an excellent point. If you’re paying for a game via a particular channel, you shouldn’t be forced to do so on another platform. Good on you, brother. Keep fighting the good fight.

Others poked fun at the situation, with humor always a good dose of medicine to cope.

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Earlier in the week, MLB’s attempts with this endeavor were disastrous, with a slow game feed and numerous complaints from angry fans in the process. Also, the graphics displayed by Facebook blocked much of the action, hindering a pleasurable viewing experience.

What a complete and utter disaster. Rob Manfred strikes again with another terrible idea — in attempts to sway the younger crowd.

Naturally, the MLB Commissioner provided his thoughts on the matter

"“Major League Baseball’s greatest responsibility is to ensure that today’s youth become active participants in our game as players and fans.”"

What a WONDERFUL way of doing so, Commish. Once again, an epic fail. Manfred is spreading the love, with an estimated 25 MLB games projected to launch on Facebook this season, including three Philadelphia Phillies games — good luck with that angry mob of fans, Bob.

Why don’t you focus on promoting your product in traditional ways? Showcase them on ESPN, Fox, and all the current venues. Provide the younger fans with free tickets to their local baseball game, while including free meals and beverages.

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It’s more than just a terrible idea, but the Facebook method of gaining the younger crowd’s MLB approval is a lazy way of doing so. Put your money where your mouth is, Bob, and pay for the youngsters to go the MLB games on your dime. Nevermind. I’m sure you’d rather use such money to buy another yacht or do whatever you rich elites do with all that cash.