The MLB season is starting to head into the summer and while some teams are still battling it out for the pennant, other fanbases have already begun marking their calendars for April of 2020.
162 MLB games for a lot of fans seem to last 5 years when their teams are rebuilding so there will be times when impatience, as well as frustration, takes the forefront.
What keeps fans going amidst rebuilding? What do fans of teams that are climbing out of futility have to deal with? What keeps fans going when there really is nothing much to look forward to?
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL
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So your team is 10-50 by the time mid-June rolls around. So what’s the point of continuing on?
While some fans contemplate that thought, others quickly grab a ticket and drive down to the yard for the purpose of potential talent for the future. Fans of teams that suffer the slings and arrows of empty chairs and 1000 people crowds know a thing or two about prospects and wanting to see youth.
Players tearing up the minors will have the chance to get the call-up and a lot of fans want to remember where they were when the next Cal Ripken Jr, Pete Rose or Brooks Robinson took to the grass and dirt.
THE LOVE OF THE GAME.
Rebuilds tend to have a way of bringing out the fans who thirst for the game. The crisp grass, the vividness of the clay on the warning track, or the goosebumps of the 7th inning stretch will bring out those who just love the game.
No matter what you will always have fans that will go because they’re passionate about the game of baseball. The die-hard enthusiast travel with scorecards, baseball gloves and peanuts and they pay zero attention to the wins and losses.
Although losses are frustrating, you have to respect these types of fans. Amidst the futility are able to explore the little things of America’s pastime.
MIGRATION TO MINOR LEAGUES
Baseball is a game of patience so when your MLB team tanks, you have to find somewhere else to go. Most fans will turn their attention towards minor league options.
The vast majority of MLB teams that are in a rebuild will have their future held in the minors. As a result, fans will find themselves heading to minor league ballparks to look at the potential talent that will be getting a call to the show. Lower ticket prices, more fan involved events and numerous amounts of child-friendly options.