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Just kidding. I don't know about the rest of Canada, but it certainly has lost popularity in Toronto, where the only Canadian MLB team is based. I remember when the Jays were HUGE in TO, even before they started winning pennants and the World Series. I remember going to the parade after they won the championship for the first time - there were tens of thousands of people there. My pops used to get tickets from the company he worked at at the time, so I got to see them win the pennant once, and the Dome was just electric.
I am not entirely sure of the reasons why baseball has taken a hit in TO, but I know there are still lots of serious Jays fans out there. Coming from a family of Americans, pretty much all my relatives are baseball crazy. But I do believe the lockout was a big blow. It happened just after the Jays reached their highest heights and it really angered Toronto fans. Things were never the same after that. I know that's when I stopped watching MLB baseball. Now, when I go to the Dome (I'll never call it the Rogers's Centre), there isn't that same buzz and excitement that there used to be. Like I said, I think a lot of factors have hurt baseball's popularity in Toronto and the rest of Canada, but I think it all started with the lockout.
As for little league and adult leagues, they're still popular in the GTA. There are a bunch of diamonds near my place and I hear the crack of bats and the cheering of fans most summer evenings. However, when I was younger the crowds were bigger than they are now. As a kid, me and my brothers were all in little league, along with just about every kid I grew up with. These days, soccer seems to be a lot more popular - probably more popular than baseball among young kids. So baseball is still popular, but it has lost ground to other summer sports. Speaking of which, some Americans seem to think that hockey is the only sport Canadians play, but hockey is a winter sport and also a sport for families that are at least middle-income because it can be VERY expensive. Canadians also like to play sports in the summer, and the families who cannot afford hockey still want their kids to play something. A lot of kids play indoor soccer in the summer and winter. It seems like soccer is becoming the most popular summer sport for kids and youth, where it was baseball in the 80's and 90's. So baseball and softball are still very popular in the GTA, but that popularity has declined considerably.
^^I was excited about the Jays this year, but its been hard to watch them lately.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joke Insurance
Which of these cities would you say has a more of a following for baseball: Calgary, Edmonton or Vancouver?
Wishful thinking but if the Oakland A's ever decide to relocate, they could go to one of those cities.
Good question. I remember hearing something recently about how a minor league team didn't do to well in Calgary, not sure though. I would really like it if ANY of those cities got a MLB team.
Do Canadian schools offer any sports besides hockey? In the U.S., they definitely offer football, basketball, baseball, and softball for the girls. Some will even have swimming, golf, tennis, and track.
Do Canadian schools offer field hockey for the girls?
None of my son's schools offered much in the way of sports, but every community has a
Sports and Recreation service. My son played soccer and baseball in the summer and hockey in the winter. I was a struggling single mom, so there was some financial help through the borough, as hockey is very expensive.
My neighbourhood just built a massive 10 million dollar Sports Center, so yeah, kids play sports, but not necessarily through school.
University sports scholarships are a rare thing compared to the USA.
Do Canadian schools offer any sports besides hockey? In the U.S., they definitely offer football, basketball, baseball, and softball for the girls. Some will even have swimming, golf, tennis, and track.
Do Canadian schools offer field hockey for the girls?
With the exception of baseball, softball, and field hockey, my high school had varsity teams for all of the above. Note that the football we played was Canadian (i.e. CFL) rules, but the skills involved are the same as in the US game, and some players attracted scouts from US universities.
Good question. I remember hearing something recently about how a minor league team didn't do to well in Calgary, not sure though. I would really like it if ANY of those cities got a MLB team.
I remember reading an article that Edmonton has a good baseball history. But I don't know if that equates to popularity.
Well I had Great hope for the Jays this season but like most Sports news Media said "You can not buy a winning team you have to build one" and that sure came true.
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