IMO, the problem lies with the casual fan's mind set with baseball. Most sports fans are stimulated by offence and offensive plays. Baseball has so much more to appreciate where the casual fan is unable to grasp. When a casual fan is watching a traditional extra inning game where there are a few clean innings played, they turn the game off and check the score later (if they even last a few innings). The runner on second rule keeps casuals attached, which Manfred feels it's good for the game, but more importantly good for sponsorship.