Does your son like watching baseball?

He watches MLB Network or baseball highlights on Sports Center, or Angels games non-stop (except for the occasional break to watch Modern Family). Not nearly as interested in watching HS or college games (UCI and Fullerton are within 20 minutes, go figure).  

Hello JP24,

My son and I seem to watch more college ball on espnu than mlb...

we do watch some mlb when we get a chance but college ball what gets him to sit down 

and watch more games...  

Being at the park is always so much better in real life than TV... I think that its that way 

for all sports.  just like Litlle league world series fun to be there but not watching on TV.

My son wants to go out to watch the CWS next year...

Joe

The older my son got and the more baseball he played the less likely he became to watch baseball. He does check out the highlights almost every day. He's more likely to watch football, basketball and hockey. But he doesn't have a lot of time to watch entire games.

When he was younger we watched a lot of Red Sox, Phillies and Vanderbilt baseball. He wanted to be the next Ryan Flaherty at Vanderbilt. I played summer ball with Ryan's dad. That was a great era of Vanderbilt talent with Flaherty, Alvarez, Price and Minor. We would also go watch Villanova games. One of his thrills as an early teen was sitting with a couple of Louisville pitchers charting pitches. That was the Chris Cates era. Since my son hadn't grown yet he liked Cates.

My son watches every single A's game and Giants game. DVR's them if he can't watch them live.  Switches back and forth between the two if both are on simultaneously.   Watches MLB network constantly.  If he can't play baseball for a living (that's his real dream) he wants to work in baseball in some capacity.  

I think "like" is the key word here.  My oldest son will watch just about any game.  CWS and MLB playoffs, he'd watch every second he possibly can just like his Mom & Dad.  He and his Mom stayed up late last night to watch the UVA/TCU extra-innings game.

My two younger son's (who also play baseball) would rather watch Duck Dynasty or Pawn Stars or some stupid show with zombies or vampires than watch a whole game.  They'll catch bits and pieces of a game but rarely will watch the whole game.. However, they will watch most of the MLB playoffs or World Series.

He can go to a Cardinal game and sit at Busch and watch the whole game. If he is at home, he will turn it on but not pay as much attention to it.  It's more like background music for him while he does other things.  If there is a pitcher he really likes he will pay attention to him, I guess to see how he attacks hitters, etc.  Like others have said, he will watch more playoffs and world series games.

He has always liked college baseball more, and will watch that for hours.  Now that he is at a JUCO, he will watch and see how he compares.  It's funny when I get a text and he tells me to turn on ESPNU or whatever and tell me he is better than the guy pitching a certain game.  Whatever motivates him, I guess.

I thought mine was the only one who didn't watch much baseball.  When he was a kid he never spent much time watching games on TV, other than a few minutes here and there.  We were at the field virtually every day.  And we took in a fair number of live games.  But he never was much into sitting in front of a TV and watching for 2--3 hours.  He much preferred to spend his spare time reading and playing the guitar. 

Is there another cable channel other than MLB network? Sometimes when my kid goes to bed I get to watch something else.

I had to screen which cable company we went with by whether they carried it or not...

Some of his teammates are the same as him. Many are not.

I think when my son is at school with his teammate roommates, they will watch.  I only know that because I'll text him about a play or what's going on and he'll text me back that he's watching it.  Very rarely will he sit at home and watch a full game.  He knows all the highlights though.  Like jp said, he'll show me stuff on his phone or already know about some big play when I bring it up.  

My son absolutely loves to be on the field and loves his teammates, but I think when he's not around that, his escape is to be with non baseball people.  Almost all his friends away from his teammates are non baseball people.  That may just include watching whole baseball games.

I meant to reply to this topic last night, but my son kept calling me out of my office to come see the UVA / TCU extra inning game !  He would watch any game at anytime. These past few weeks with NCAA's have been his equivalent of March Madness.

ESPN and the MLB network are like a soundtrack in our house.

Son never really liked to watch baseball on TV, he has now become a big Angel fan but still never watches the whole game unless he is their. I was the same way as a kid.

Interesting question, I've wondered about this before. Like MTH, I thought my son was out of the norm by not watching much baseball on TV. He'll catch the highlights on MLB network and also on the ESPN app on his phone... But he's not too interested to sit and watch a full ballgame.  Loves to go to a game, but I suspect this is as much about getting to scarf down lots of junk food which he doesn't get much of otherwise.  I've asked him about this over the years and his answer is that he likes playing... Not watching.  It makes sense really... playing 6-8 games a week through much of the summer... Plus bullpens, hitting, weights, camps, showcases, etc on the side... it's a LOT of baseball activity.  Truth be told, it's probably too much.  Like MTH mentions, I think son feels like he doesn't get many extended pockets of time to play the guitar, ping pong, swim, play station, etc.  There's usually some sort of baseball going on for him every day.  WATCHING baseball with dad most every night?  I can see why this isn't usually what he wants to do with his free time.

My son (16) really only gets into the highlight shows for MLB (every night like an addict), will watch most of a college game if its meaningful. Him not really "getting into" watching baseball was difficult for me early on since i love the game so much and i extrapolated his disinterest in not having a love for the game. I was wrong, its just digested differently these days compared to me growing up listening to the Mets on AM under my sheets each night while he is getting live updates and highlights on his phone throughout the day. But somehow through all this he has learned a respect for the game which makes me very proud. 

Whats disheartening though is the lack of baseball history knowledge he has along with all his friends. To them history is what happened last week. 

Great thread. So glad to see my avid baseball-playing son (2017) who does not watch much baseball is not alone. He's a little more into CWS and will watch if I'm watching, but he does not go out of his way to watch baseball, live or on TV. And he definitely has no interest in watching little leage WS or his former LL's  all-star games (as I've been known to do). He does like highlight/best of shows and will watch clips on youtube.

Ours is the same way; we are far removed from the road, in a large wooded parcel, so that means both kids grew up without any cable or satellite TV, and til we upgraded a TV antennae some years ago, only got 2-3 channels anyway. Kids managed to grow up without influence of cable/satellite (even internet introduced only after they were older, for childrearing reasons) in  their early years. But, son is a do-er especially with baseball. He has lukewarm interest in watching a game - he just wants to play it.

   A few summers ago his dad took him to a local college league game, thinking it would be fun and inspiration for him. After chasing foul balls for a while behind home plate, son left his seat and got up an impromptu game off on the side of the field, with several other like-minded kids. They all preferred playing to watching.

   His father is the same way - years ago, had a vintage sports car, and I'd offered a few times to help with any restoration he wanted to do on it, and he finally said "I can pretty it up or I can drive it. Which do you think I'm going to do?" Point taken. 

#1 watched content in the House of SoulSlam. MLB games constantly, College when on. 

Every morning in kitchen, TV is tuned to Quick Pitch. 

My son watches SC and Quick Pitch, but will only sit for a few minutes of a baseball game. What really kills me is college football. He won't sit and watch. Strangely, more than once I've caught him in his room watching an X-box version of the very game on TV! Drives me nuts. He's not playing the game, but rather letting the computer play while he watches.A couple of years ago, I'm watching the LSU-Arkansas game on TV. he leaves and I find him in his room playing that very game on X-box. His version worked out better for Arkansas than the real thing, so maybe he's on to something.

My son does not really watch baseball on TV except he'll watch a highlight if he happens to be passing through the room and sports center is on. He would watch if the team was watching a game before his games. Now if it's the X games or anything to do with cross fit he'll watch that for sure. Strangely, I don't watch a lot of ML games myself any more--figured out it was my son's or their teams that I really liked watching. But I will tune in to watch Darvish, Trout, or someone who interests me for a few innings. I am more interested in the numerical/statistical aspects of the game while my sons enjoyed the actual playing.

I couldn't get enough baseball when I was growing up. I'd wager a bet that once MLB Network came out, the television in my room (I was in college) only saw a channel change for A) games on another channel or B) the few times when a movie was on that I liked.

Nowadays I watch far less MLB action on television. Truthfully, being that baseball is now my job, my time at home is largely spent relaxing and enjoying other things. I still read articles daily about the game and heavily involve myself into the analytical nuances in an attempt to learn more, but when the game is a job it's a far different perspective. I don't mean that in any negative way - I still absolutely love the game - it's just the truth. It's different.

If my son could figure out how to watch MLB while sleeping, he would do it.

My son and I watch college and MLB. We toggled between CWS and Braves the other night. He stops and rewinds and watches different aspects of the game. He likes when there a former players announcing and giving real world explanations of plays. I think he is a student of the game, more so than I was at that age, 14. I am just glad we get to spend the time together.

from the age of 6-23, baseball was his favorite thing to watch on TV..........but it came with a price....he could never watch the whole game....his desire to play would overwhelm him and he would want to go outside to play catch/hit

In college years I would hear the game on the radio from the basement while he hit balls off the tee into the net.....  

My son now plays MABL (25+) and he can watch full games...lol....and we have MLB network,,,etc..there are so many resources now, that baseball is viewable at will...he will watch, but if playing is an option, viewing is an afterthought...