quote:the quality of baseball is declining very rapidly.
I think the quality of play has improved dramatically, at least in the "world I live in." A more competitive early enviornment, better coaching, great facilities, more games played ... etc, all contribute to better skills at earlier ages.
A sub-plot sprang up in this thread about the number of participants declining. Most all the reasons have been touched on; the competitiveness "outing" kids early, many sport and leisure activities to choose from, a general decline in fitness, TV and video games and so on.
You do see an early emergence, in youth baseball, of two groups; those wanting to just have fun (many times they are there for their parents who are looking for a physical activity for them to get involved in), and then the "I really want to excel and or get better group." I think Travel Ball was the natural by-product of the need for that more competitive outlet for those players.
Another factor plays in to how long a player stays involved or in which sport they choose. I think it's a Risk vs. Reward scenario for many. If I know I can't play in a competitive arena, then they drop-out. Additionally, baseball is a skill sport and thus, requires a disporportional amount of practice time (compared to football and basketball) to excel. For that reason alone, many athletes choose an easier sports path. Not that excelling in football, basketball, s****r, etc, isn't hard, because it is. But baseball is alone, I believe, in the diverse skills needed to succeed AND that doesn't even take in to account the mental fortitude needed to deal with the failures inate in the game.