Baseball is filled with traditions, hot dogs and loud fans and is noted as America’s pastime. It has survived numerous economic down hauls in America and has continuously stood as a major sport. While it is labeled as our pastime, many fans and players alike believe it is stuck in the past. So why is this an issue? 

The game is said to have origins dating all the way back to the 18th century in America. Variations of the game were being played throughout the century and even during the American Revolution. In September 1845, a group of New York City men founded the New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club. 

One of the members, Alexander Joy Cartwright, coded a new set of rules that would form the basis for modern baseball. This included a diamond-shaped infield, foul lines and the three-strike rule. 

Now, nobody is saying the game is stuck this far in the past, but Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper isn’t shy in describing how old the game is. 

“Baseball’s tired; it’s a tired sport, because you can’t express yourself,” Harper told ESPN’s Tim Keown. “You can’t do what people in other sports do.” 

Every year, legends are retiring and new players are entering the field, bringing a new sense of culture to the game. This, along with the progressive nature of the United States, has pushed for baseball to adapt to the ever-changing world. 

In baseball, if you flip the bat or take too long running the bases after a long home run, you or your teammates are almost guaranteed to be hit by a pitch next at-bat. As a result of this, pitchers help to hold the culture of the game in their hands. 

The world is changing, and baseball needs to catch up before it is too far in a hole in which there is no chance of ever climbing out. 

In 2014, the average length of an MLB baseball game was just more than three hours. That is an average of 45 minutes longer than your typical NBA game. And fans’ viewership of the NBA continues to increase as it learns to adapt to the world around it. 

Drawing fans to a stadium to watch a team that doesn’t know how to win for three long hours is getting harder and harder. The solution is simple: Do whatever you have to do to trim the time of games, and let players express themselves the way they see fit. 

A prime example in another sport is Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. He was known this past season for his MVP performance, but what he was also known for was his infamous dab and touchdown dances. In doing this, he brought culture back to the game. While he ticked off a lot of people, he also made the game enjoyable for Panther and NFL fans alike. 

Like Newton, all Harper is asking to do is be able to express himself — whether it be through bat flips after a home run, a little bit of dancing here and there or simply taking just a couple of extra seconds running the bases. Whatever the case may be, the idea certainly can’t hurt the game. 

“We’ve romanticized the game’s past so much that we’ve forgotten about its future,” Astros shortstop Carlos Correa told SoleCollector.com. “Since its beginnings, baseball has been guided by an invisible hand. A set of unwritten rules that all players are expected to adhere to.”

The message is clear: Professional players want the game to change, but in doing this, is there a certain line that still shouldn’t be crossed? 

In 2012, at 19 years of age, Harper was selected to the All-Star team and chose to wear golden cleats. Many baseball fans and announcers looked down on this type of thing because he was so young and had not spent enough time in the professionals to earn that honor. 

Announcers even said during the game that veteran Chipper Jones should’ve been in Harper’s ear before the game demanding he take the cleats off because he was “out of line.” 

In the minds of these players, baseball is about more than just a game they play, it’s their lives and their careers. 

In basketball you can dunk on someone and then yell and flex your muscles. In football, a defensive lineman can sack a quarterback and then get up and mock their dance. So, a baseball player flipping a bat after crushing a home run shouldn’t be an issue. 

The officials of the league are scared to let the professionals express themselves because they don’t want to lose control of the game, and fans know how certain officials like their control. 

America’s pastime is in trouble, and the only way to improve the situation is to embrace today’s culture and allow that to impact how the professionals play.