SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Spring has arrived, at least here in the desert, and baseball fans are reveling in what might be for their chosen team. ‘Tis the feel-good season for our national pastime.
There is plenty to celebrate. Nearly 3.4 million people bought tickets to spring training games last year, an average of 7,673 fans per exhibition contest. The average number of tickets sold per date in the 2016 regular season was 30,169. The beloved Chicago Cubs are coming off their first World Series championship in 108 years. It’s a good time for baseball.
But there are dark clouds building on the horizon and baseball needs to deal with a big problem before the deluge strikes.