Baseball purist, is a nice way to describe old miserable people who don’t want the game to grow and evolve with the times. They are also oblivious to the fact that baseball is dying a slow, painful death.

Welcome to another edition of Ray’s Useless Rant, and today baseball purists have caught my attention.

The Toronto Blue Jays have done a fantastic job putting a good roster together that’s going to hit home runs, steal bases, make electric catches, and put on a show for the rest of the season. 

Toronto has also decked out the Rogers Centre with a new scoreboard and lighting system that has brought a little excitement to a product that has the potential to be a snore fest on any given day. 

But not everybody likes it.

This has nothing to do with the game. 🙄 Baseball is entertaining. It doesn't need to become an obnoxious circus. It just needs to be easily seen and affordable.

— Jane ن 🇺🇲⚾ (@TheLadyJane) April 16, 2022

Take a seat Jane. The baseball purists are allowing baseball to die a long painful death and they’re fucking oblivious to it.

The young players of the game are dancing in the dugout, flippin bats, hitters showing up pitchers, pitchers showing up hitters, and I fucking love it. Baseball can turn boring very quickly, so having a little bit of personality makes things fun.

Purists would rather see robotic, emotionless players, “playing the game the right way” 

A little light show before the game just increases the fan experience, which should be the goal of every professional sports league in the world.

Unless you’re a purist.

baseball shouldn’t be a rave. this is bastardizing the sport

— KC Hams (@feetOFFtheTABLE) April 16, 2022

First of all, there’s no way this fucking guy ever went to a rave if that’s what he thinks this light show is. The next point is obvious, baseball shouldn’t give two shits about the older crowd. If baseball doesn’t start attracting a younger audience there’s going to be no league in thirty-years. I’m not sure why I need to explain this, but the economics of baseball is reliant on attendance and viewership. 

With viewership steadily falling compared to the other four major professional sports leagues in North America, Major League Baseball needs to make the game sexier, and light shows will do that. 

Very few people attend a sporting event strictly for the game. I have a big screen 4K television in my living room, another in my office, and three devices I can get the ball game on, and it doesn’t cost me $500 to watch. I go to the ballpark for the experience and the memories. 

My kids love going to Toronto FC games. My oldest daughter begs me to take her to Raptors games. Neither of my kids could really care if they go see the Blue Jays or not.

THAT’S A FUCKING PROBLEM! 

Baseball needs to evolve. Baseball needs to attract a younger audience. Baseball needs to do things like this.

Jyushin Thunder Liger throws out the first pitch at a baseball game and ends up fighting one of the mascots! pic.twitter.com/TVio0eSlr7

— Ciarán (@CiaranRH93) April 9, 2022

I need every baseball purist to go to a Toronto Raptors game. Take in the experience. See how Mark Cuban recognized that when attending, the basketball game is secondary. 

Hey boomer, if you want your beloved game to still be around for the next generation, stop your fucking whining, and let baseball grow.