Opening Day & Ballpark Tech
Rule Changes, The Ballpark App, and... NFTs?
I went to Opening Day last week at Wrigley Field for the Cubs first game of the 2023 season (thanks Nick for the tix). Most importantly, we (yes, we) beat the Brewers 4-0. I’ve been to countless Cubs games, but this was a new experience for a number of reasons. Major League Baseball (MLB) implemented a series of rule changes this season and my experience was more tech-enabled than any game I’ve been to previously.
Rule Changes
The most important rule change in MLB this season is the Pitch Clock, enacted to encourage a quicker pace of play and, if you buy it, more viewership and interest in the sport.
The Pitch Clock rule states that a pitcher must deliver a pitch to home plate within 15 seconds if the bases are empty and within 20 if there are runners on base. I was initially a skeptic for two reasons: 1. I don’t buy that faster games will grow the audience or increase interest in the sport (a topic for another post). 2. I have a bit of experience pitching and I think it’d be exhausting to throw a pitch every 15-20 seconds. (Are baseball players athletes? Who's to say…)
But, my tune has changed after attending Opening Day.
The Pitch Clock rule has made a significant impact across baseball through just the first few days of the season. According to ESPN baseball writer Jeff Passan1, through the first four days of the 2023 MLB season, baseball games are 16% faster, batting averages are 6.5% higher, and the success rate of stolen base attempts is up 16%.
Baseball games are averaging 2 and a half hours compared to over 3 hours last season!! My Opening Day experience didnt *feel* shorter, but the game lasted just 2 hours and 21 minutes2, faster than the average (now shorter) MLB game this season and one hour faster than the Cubs’ opener in 2022! Though the game didn’t *feel* faster, Nick and I certainly felt more engaged in the game. It felt like near constant action compared to the usual lethargy of a baseball game. The faster pace didn't translate necessarily to more offense, which is what I think is needed to appeal to more fans, but I think it’s good for the game and juuuuust might entice more fans to tune in, especially on TV.
In short, I’m here for the Pitch Clock.
Ballpark Technology
The MLB Ballpark app is the primary way fans can purchase and manage digital tickets to attend MLB games. It’s not the only way, but the MLB pushes it heavily and, in my experience, it’s a great product. The app makes managing tickets a breeze and also includes access all sorts of in-game experiences like Jumbotron games, the 50/50 raffle, and, most importantly, mobile concession ordering. I experienced mobile ordering via the Ballpark app for the first time at Opening Day and boy was it a great experience. We had two beers and two dogs arrive at our seats in ~5 minutes and even ordered after the 7th inning, which is, if I remember correctly, after the stadium stops alcohol sales at concession stands. The speed at which our food arrived at our seats was almost certainly an outlier, but I’m not complaining.
After reading way too many app reviews of the Ballpark app, it’s clear my experience with the product was (and has been) atypical. There are countless reviews of people who’ve had issues managing tickets, ordering concessions, and experienced general bugginess with the app. I’ve never had anything less than a 10/10 experience with the product, but I imagine I’ll eventually run into an issue as my goal is to attend ~20 Cubs games this season. We shall see.
The negative reviews of the app have lead to a discussion online about whether or not fans should be required to use an app to attend a game (even making Hacker News). Again, as far as I know, the app is not *required* to attend a game. One could purchase a physical ticket from the ticket office. But, I don’t know anyone doing that these days, so let’s assume most fans are using the Ballpark app. I think understand why some might feel trapped or wronged being forced to use an app, which is heavily pushed and clearly a marketing ploy by MLB, to walk through the gates of the Friendly Confines (aka Wrigley Field), but I don’t have a problem with it nor a strong opinion on the topic.
Why not? If the app actually works as intended, it’s a great experience. It’s super simple to buy and mange tickets. Fans can easily access in game experiences. And I can’t imagine anyone is opposed to mobile concessions ordering (the lines at Wrigley are a nightmare). It’s also a neat way to keep a record of the games I’ve attended.
I grew up with a large painting over the (non-functional) fireplace in my bedroom. Back in the early 2000’s paper tickets were still a thing and I’d stick ticket stubs in the frame of this painting after every game I attended. The collection of worn, relish-stained tickets became more a work of art than the painting itself. I had dozens of them and took pride in displaying tickets from the games I attended.
Mobile tickets don’t allow for this sort of record keeping or nostalgia, but the Ballpark app is a nice consolation. The app even allows you to purchase a commemorative paper ticket, which is kinda cool:
But, it doesn’t stop there! After the game, I received an email from the Cubs reminding me to redeem my “Cubs Home Opener Digital Collectible.” I thought, “huh… interesting. What the hell could this be?” Turns out, the digital collectible was none other than an NFT powered by Candy. Cool I guess? I appreciate the effort:
All in all, Opening Day was a 10/10. It remains to be seen if the rule changes will draw more fans, but they seem to be making the intended gameplay-related impact out of the gate and I’ve been converted to a fan of the Pitch Clock rule. The tech-enabled fan experience is legit, too, and, in my experience, the Ballpark app is a great co-pilot for attending a game. When do we get Stories?
- JB
https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-win-their-fastest-opening-day-game-35-years