# Cricket vs. Baseball: What's bigger? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 15, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594 "2006-02-15T04:24:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/41 "2006-02-16T07:13:54Z")
> [@gouda](#): > > Thats’s not a fair comparison. 90 million dollars in India is not the same as 90 million dollars in the US - there’s way more bang for the buck in India. Um…the OP said $90 million (US) which should take into account exchange rates. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/42 "2006-02-16T07:20:48Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I mean, I can get into the drama of a movie about a sport I don’t necessarily play, but a lot of sports movies involve the game itself as a drama. I have a slightly foggy notion of how cricket works (you try to knock down the wicket, right? something like that?) but I’m not sure I could really follow a movie about a tense game of cricket. You’d figure the basic idea out pretty quick, since they’re conceptually pretty similar games - like chimps and humans {I’ll let you decide which is which}, they share a common ancestor. Essentially you’ve got two wickets instead of three bases, and instead of running aound the bases the two batsmen run back and forth between the wickets. The bowler chucks the ball at the batsman, who tries to hit it; apart from the bowler hitting the wicket, the batsman can get out in pretty much the same ways as in baseball: either caught out by a fielder or run out. The finer points might escape you, but you’d soon catch on to what the players were trying to _do_: I picked up baseball pretty quick. Following movies about baseball works pretty much the same way: we’ve been pretty well exposed to at least the general idea of how most American sports work via TV and movies, although the quasi-mystical reverential regard in which baseball is held in American movies is somewhat baffling: I’d be hard pressed to name a single cricket movie. Actually, movies about team sports seem to be a pretty much American phenomenon: I’ve never quite figured out the appeal myself, since any movie about a game is invariably less exciting than a real game itself. Kevin Costner, however, remains an unfathomable cultural mystery. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/43 "2006-02-16T07:23:47Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > Pakisatan Tee hee. Your prejudices are showing. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/44 "2006-02-16T07:42:27Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Tee hee. Your prejudices are showing. Must be a [fan of India](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/15/cricket_rumpus/). > [@](#): > > A BBC cricket message board has been temporarily pulled after banter between Indian and Pakistani fans degenerated into out-and-out abuse, Reuters reports. Insults hurled included references to 9/11 and Hitler and general Hindu and Muslim bashing. It’s just not cricket! ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/45 "2006-02-16T07:50:17Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > It’s by no means a simple comparison, but just to be complete that $90 million mark would make India’s team the [second lowest](http://www.forbes.com/lists/results.jhtml?passListId=33&passYear=2005&passListType=Misc&searchParameter1=unset&searchParameter2=unset&resultsStart=1&resultsHowMany=30&resultsSortProperties=-numberfield5%2C%2Bnumberfield1&resultsSortCategoryName=Revenues&category1=category&category2=category&passKeyword=) revenue team in the U.S.'s MLB. Not so compelling when you’re considering the supposed audience of cricket in a nation that nearly quadruples the US population. Again, a massively western-oriented argument. You’re basically saying that the popularity of a sport can only be measured in the potential revenue it can generate, which skews it towards a small wealthy audience. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/46 "2006-02-16T07:51:37Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Again, a massively western-oriented argument. You’re basically saying that the popularity of a sport can only be measured in the potential revenue it can generate, which skews it towards a small wealthy audience. Agreed. Completely ridiculous argument. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/47 "2006-02-16T07:52:06Z")
With regard to media: All I know about baseball, I learned from Disney’s version of “Casey at the Bat”! OK, I lie, I played the baseball game on Mattel’s Intellivision system in the early 80s, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/48 "2006-02-16T07:53:44Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Um…the OP said $90 million (US) which should take into account exchange rates. I’m pretty sure he/she didn’t mean Singapore dollars 🙂 The point is, things in India are a lot cheaper than they are in the US. You can’t simply equate incomes and costs in India and the US. For example, a dollar can get you a full meal in most of India. In the US, I don’t know if you’d get more than a can of Coke. I’m sure someone will come up and explain it better in economic terms (ppp per capita GDP or whatever). That aside, India is international cricket’s biggest money generator by far. The link provided above says more than half the revenue is sourced out of the country. What it means is that despite India’s much lower per capita GDP, it spends (and earns) a hell of a lot more than countries significantly richer that it, like Australia and England. Put that into perspective when judging Indian cricket’s capacity to earn. For cricket in general, I accept your position that international cricket is economically much smaller than MLB. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/49 "2006-02-16T07:56:25Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Um…the OP said $90 million (US) which should take into account exchange rates. Exchange rates can be misleading. The same amount of cash will buy a lot more in India than it will in the U.S. This is the main reason that so many American jobs are being outsourced to India - almost everything is cheaper there, including labor. ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/50 "2006-02-16T08:01:20Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > Pakisatan _snerk_ 😃 > [@gouda](#): > > For cricket in general, I accept your position that international cricket is economically much smaller than MLB. That’s 'cos the US has a lot of money to fling around on silly bat and ball games. We cricket-playing nations have better priorities, man. 😉 But seriously, my point in including that cite was to show that despite a lot of the cricket-playing countries being non-first world, there’s still money being put into the sport. There’s no way in hell these countries can compete with the US economy, but it’s still not a complete washout. And what **GorillaMan** said. Especially that. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/51 "2006-02-16T08:04:59Z")
> [@gouda](#): > > I’m pretty sure he/she didn’t mean Singapore dollars 🙂 The point is, things in India are a lot cheaper than they are in the US. You can’t simply equate incomes and costs in India and the US. For example, a dollar can get you a full meal in most of India. In the US, I don’t know if you’d get more than a can of Coke. Well, I’m sure that the statistic that **aankh** quoted was originally measured in Rupees. By converting it to USD all this you cite above was accounted for. You’re basically applying the exchange rate twice with your argument. > [@](#): > > For cricket in general, I accept your position that international cricket is economically much smaller than MLB. This is pretty much all I was saying, like I said initially it’s not a simple comparison. > [@GorillaMan](#): > > Again, a massively western-oriented argument. You’re basically saying that the popularity of a sport can only be measured in the potential revenue it can generate, which skews it towards a small wealthy audience. You’re misrepresenting what I said. I was simply putting **aankh** ’s monetary citation into perspective, you’ll note that a cricket supporter brought money up initially. By no means am I claiming that $$$ is all that matters when measuring which is “bigger”. Though, the implication that it doesn’t matter at all is wrong. It’s one of probably a dozen factors you’d have to weigh when you compare and contrast the two sports. Revenues do matter, though I wouldn’t pretend that it’s all that matters. ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/52 "2006-02-16T08:08:21Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > This is pretty much all I was saying, like I said initially it’s not a simple comparison. > \ > By no means am I claiming that $$$ is all that matters when measuring which is “bigger”. Though, the implication that it doesn’t matter at all is wrong. Noted and noted. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/53 "2006-02-16T08:13:16Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Well, I’m sure that the statistic that **aankh** quoted was originally measured in Rupees. By converting it to USD all this you cite above was accounted for. You’re basically applying the exchange rate twice with your argument. Even if the statistic was originally measured in Rupees, unless the conversion was made taking into account ppp per capita, you’re making an unfair comparison. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/54 "2006-02-16T08:16:26Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > I’d be hard pressed to name a single cricket movie. [Lagaan](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169102/) - a Bollywood film about cricket, and colonialism, and betrayal. With great songs! ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/55 "2006-02-16T08:22:44Z")
> [@gouda](#): > > Even if the statistic was originally measured in Rupees, unless the conversion was made taking into account ppp per capita, you’re making an unfair comparison. It wasn’t my cite, so I have no idea what criteria was used in arriving at the USD value. I acknowledged off that bat that it wasn’t a simple comparison, but it’s the best that anyone’s likely to find. I gather neither of us have the international financial acumen to really dig too deep into the comparison, but if we’re in agreement that baseball is significantly more lucrative than cricket, for whatever reason, the details are essentially moot. ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/56 "2006-02-16T08:26:21Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > [Lagaan](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169102/) - a Bollywood film about cricket, and colonialism, and betrayal. With great songs! And another one. It was about the Ashes. The ‘villain’ was…hmm…the chap who played Elrond. I think the movie’s name was _Bodyline_. Anyone remember it? But yeah, sports movies do seem a Hollywood thing, as **Case Sensitive** mentioned. The only ‘cricket’ movie in Indian cinema I can think of (other than _Lagaan_) was some hokey show about a ghost that helped a hero to win a match, find buried treasure and get the girl. Or something. And they all sang songs and danced along the way. Pretty nice songs too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/57 "2006-02-16T08:40:46Z")
> [@aankh](#): > > And another one. It was about the Ashes. The ‘villain’ was…hmm…the chap who played Elrond. I think the movie’s name was _Bodyline_. Anyone remember it? Harold Larwood, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/58 "2006-02-16T09:14:16Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > Harold Larwood, maybe? Larwood wasn’t the villain, he was the poor working class laddie induced by even-more-evil-than-Hitler Douglas Jardine, to bowl “leg theory” to nullify the brilliance of Don Bradman. Larwood emigrated to Australia after he retired and no one ever blamed him for being the actual hitman, however no Aussie would ever have pissed on Jardine if he was on fire. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/59 "2006-02-16T09:15:22Z")
And it was a mini-series in the days when they were king. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594/60 "2006-02-16T09:21:37Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > Larwood wasn’t the villain, he was the poor working class laddie induced by even-more-evil-than-Hitler Douglas Jardine, to bowl “leg theory” to nullify the brilliance of Don Bradman. Larwood emigrated to Australia after he retired and no one ever blamed him for being the actual hitman, however no Aussie would ever have pissed on Jardine if he was on fire. Yes, I know. I was just trying to work out who **aankh** might have meant by > [@](#): > > The ‘villain’ was…hmm…the chap who played Elrond. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cricket-vs-baseball-whats-bigger/344594.md?page=4)