The Women's Professional Baseball League Is a Balm For What's Ailing MLB Fans

The first two games of the Women’s Professional Baseball League — last night’s debut between the New York Heights and the Los Angeles Queens, and tonight’s matchup between the Boston Hunters and the San Francisco Firebells — are now in the books. So far, so good. Mostly.

The frankly insane weather for the first game should have led to a rain delay, but what were they going to do, really? It’s not just the league’s first game, but something they have been billing as historic. They had 99-year-old Maybelle Blair of the AAGPBL in town to throw out the first pitch, and fans traveling from all over the world for the moment.

The weather led to an exciting game — offense exploded as pitchers struggled to keep a grip on the ball and outfielders routinely missed catches they should have made because the wind and rain were unforgiving variables. The Queens came from four runs down to win the game 10-8, with the tying and winning runs scored in the seventh and final inning.

Offense was the name of the game today, too, as the Firebells put 11 runs on the board. An 11-3 loss couldn’t be what the Hunters were hoping for, but the game “felt” closer than it was, because seven of those San Francisco runs were scored in the third inning. Without one big inning, the remaining runs on the board would be 4-3.

And, while as a former pitcher I appreciate the beauty of a low-scoring game, it’s likely most casual fans tuning in out of curiosity were delighted to see some crooked numbers on the board in both games. The seven-inning duration of the games in WPBL will likely help retention, too. After all, many of the changes MLB has made over the last few years were aimed at tightening up and shortening the games.

There were some problems with the broadcast, for sure — they don’t have the budget, the facilities, or amenities that Major League Baseball has (despite some confusion online, the two are not officially affiliated).

The product on the field is professional and enjoyable. Behind the scenes, some elements feel a bit more slapdash.

Both games have had problems with the onscreen scoreboard, making it difficult to keep accurate count of outs and runners. On-field interviews have been painful, with a sideline reporter who doesn’t seem to understand the art of interviewing and, on day one, cameras that kept drifting in and out of focus because the interview was happening in a covered space while the camera lens kept getting rained on. And the play by play announcers, both talented in their own right, haven’t settled into a rhythm yet. I’m looking forward to next week or next month, when the commentary can be a bit less about how important the League is and more about the players, the teams, and the storylines of the WPBL season.

Even with some shortcomings in presentation, though, the WPBL gives fans something they sorely need right now: enthusiasm about baseball’s future.

Where Major League Baseball is failing