Dear MLB,

I have a problem.  I know you are busy...it's All Star Week.  I get that, but hear me out, huh?

My family loves baseball.  In fact, I'm listening to a game right now.  My Cleveland Indians are winning. Yeah!

Is this a problem with the name change for the Indians?  Nah.  I get it.  Should have been changed years ago probably.

My 13-year-old daughter loves baseball because her Mom loves it because her Grandma loves it.  It's a long standing family love of the game.  My mother used to deliver cakes to players on their birthday.  Can you believe that in her lifetime she could get in the gate with a cake and hand it to a player?  Is this a "players are out of touch" complaint?  Hell no.  No one should be able to hand food to players, that's just dangerous...and gross.

Look again, my daughters, myself, and my Mom are all HUGE fans,  Is this a baseball is sexist problem?  Nah, well, it IS a problem but that's a whole different post.   I'm letting you slide on that one, take the win.

We have gone to different games for many years.  Milwaukee, Cleveland, Minneapolis, and even Spring Training in AZ.  I was even lucky enough to snag All Star tickets when they were in Cleveland, a once in a lifetime experience for my family.  Is this a tickets are too expensive post?  Nah, I get it.  Inflation and contracts are expensive.

 

I went to a game last Saturday night, and we had a great time.  Sure, my niece couldn't eat because the lines were too long. Am I just a Karen who wants to complain about food lines and prices?  Nope.  This year has been mad and I'm sure it's a problem across the board getting staffed and product into stadiums.  I totally get it. COVID sucked.  So grateful we can actually watch a ballgame live this year!  Can't complain about that.

What I don't get is one specific problem I have.  It's incredibly specific to me and my area.  But MLB, I don't get it AT ALL.  There are many reasons I could be mad (please see above), frankly it's hard to be a fan anymore!  Please don't make it any more difficult.

But specifically, here it is.  I live in the middle of nowhere.  The nearest MLB ballpark from me in Iowa is 3 hours away (not counting the Field of Dreams which will host their first game in a month...can't wait to watch on TV!)  My daughter (and I) would love to watch MLB games and talk to Grandma about them.  I tried to get MLB Network and here's the issue.

Are you kidding me?  I don't live ANYWHERE near these places!  I get a blackout in your hometown but a one/two punch of 1) No parks within 3 hours of your house and 2) My blackout region which includes 6 teams including 4 AL Central teams?  I repeat, are you kidding me?!?!  Even if I paid MLB for TV I'd only get the Tribe once in a blue moon.  Is this fair?  KC is a 6 hour drive, STL is 5.  This is CRAZY for FAN who WANT TO PAY YOU MONEY & keep the younger kids interested in baseball.  You're killing me Smalls!

I'm usually a 'find a solution instead of just present a problem' gal but I don't have the slightest.  Fix this or you bleed young fans, no?  Or is it just a fly-over state problem??  They call it the heartland for a reason!  Seriously, how is this helping the game?  Who designs regional areas?  Please fix this.  Please.

My team just won the game I can only listen to, so I'm gonna go.   Wish I could have watched that walk off tho.  Any thoughts MLB??!!