America's pastime is broken.

Yes, I am referring to baseball, though, baseball really is not America's pastime any longer.

There are many factors into why baseball has taken a backseat in the American sports scene as of late, but the consensus from the casual viewer is that baseball is too boring.

Personally, I love baseball, it is one of my favorite sports, and there are few things more enjoyable than taking in a ballgame on a warm summer night. The American public used to share this view as well, but we have seen baseball fall out of the graces of the everyday fan.

So, why is baseball boring?

Many people would say that it is the lack of action. Over the last few years especially, there has been a huge decrease in time with the ball in play. This is widely contributed to the record setting number of strikeouts, and home runs being registered each year. Each of the last two years, the league wide strikeout record, and home run record have been shattered, with the major leagues being on pace again this year.

It seems as though the league has adopted a mentality of boom, or bust. Meaning swing for the fences, or don't swing at all.

This is why baseball is broken.

You see, what made baseball great for so long was that exhilarating feeling you get when a player knocks a ball into the outfield, and sprints for a double, or risks his baserunning status for a triple. Maybe the baserunner gets caught being greedy with his base running, but you still applaud their effort as they take that trot back to the dugout.

Maybe it was the defense that makes baseball great. There's always merit in an outfielder making a diving catch or rocketing a ball to home to try and get a tagging runner out. Or, maybe it's the classic rundown of a runner who is jammed between bases and seeing who prevails.

What I just mentioned is what makes baseball great, but these are the plays that baseball has begun to lack, and has lost the interest of the casual fan because of it.

With this new boom or bust mentality, these plays will continue to decrease, and viewership will continue to drop.

While the pace of play issues are very real, they are not the main problem. The lack of action is what has hurt baseball, and sadly, there is no remedy for this right now.

But maybe, there's nothing wrong with baseball. Maybe there is no remedy needed.

Could it be that as Americans we just decided that we don't have the time to take in a ballgame anymore? Or could it be that we are constantly looking for the new sports trend, and baseball is just waiting for us to come back to it?

No, baseball does not involve a one-handed Odell Beckham Jr. catch, a LeBron Tomahawk dunk or a bone rattling hit from an NHL defenseman. But, if you look for the game within the game of baseball, there are many little things that make it one of the most enjoyable sports in the world.

Baseball has always been America's pastime, and should continue being just that. The problem is whether or not we are willing to slow down, and enjoy the game at hand for what it is, and embrace the continuing evolution of the sport.