I went to a Minnesota Twins game last week. This was my first MLB game since June of the 2023 season, a two year break.
What struck me most was how loud it was. Not from the crowds, but from the make-believe cheers of the cartoon characters on the multiple screens or the piped in cheers of fans dancing to some tune I do not know or the imaginary spectators cheering the shirtless fat guy doing his version of the Makarena in section 346. It is like you have been inserted into a TV. One long sensory bombardment.
Scorekeeping has been dumbed down to a shameful degree. A double play is no longer a simple "6-4-3" on the screen, but something like "double play, ground ball to SS to 2B to 1B.
MLB is not as fun as it once was. Now that pitchers don't bat in the National League, there is no difference between any of the games. Nothing unique about the Cardinals and how they approach a given situation vs the Twins. Nothing unique to the strategy of any given team.
Granted, the stadium dazzle means that the number of bored little kids has decreased. I suspect the number of bored adults has gone up.
I used to say that the neat thing about baseball, was that it was the only sport that I could enjoy as a solo spectator. Football, basketball I would never consider going to a game by myself. Baseball, I would, and have. Not so sure that this is true anymore.
Change.