56 percent of fans say Aaron Judge is the ‘rightful’ record holder, not Bonds;
Fans approve of expanded wildcard format
South Orange, NJ October 14, 2022 –
Aaron Judge’s pursuit of Roger Maris’ American League record of 61 home runs in a single season was well supported by sports fans, according to a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this this week among 1,579 adults across the country. The poll, which also measured approval of baseball’s new playoff format, featured a national representative sample weighted on U.S. Census Bureau figures for gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and geography and has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percent.
Asked if they were rooting for Judge to break the record, 61 percent of avid fans, 49 percent of sports fans, and 35 percent of the general U.S. population said that they were.
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 35% | 49% | 15% | 61% | 45% |
| No | 28% | 24% | 32% | 22% | 25% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 37% | 27% | 53% | 17% | 30% |
*Sports fans = Avid + Casual fans
Judge vs. Bonds
Weighed against Barry Bonds’ major league record of 73 home runs in a single season during baseball’s so-called “steroid era,” 49 percent of U.S. adults said they recognized Judge as the “rightful” record holder, not Bonds (just 17 percent said Judge was not the legitimate record holder). In addition, 56 percent of sports fans and 58 percent of avid fans said they considered Aaron Judge the rightful single season record holder.
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 49% | 56% | 41% | 58% | 55% |
| No | 17% | 21% | 12% | 25% | 19% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 34% | 23% | 47% | 17% | 26% |
*Sports fans = Avid + Casual fans
“It would appear that in the court of public opinion Aaron Judge is the single season home run record holder,” said Daniel Ladik, Methodologist for the Poll. “It would also appear that in the minds of the public, and sports fans in particular, there is a mental asterisk next to the name of Barry Bonds.”
Are More Wild Card Baseball Teams and Games Good?
This Major League Baseball [MLB] playoff season features additional teams and games. Asked if they approved of the new three-teams from each league wild card format, 49 percent said they did, with 14 percent opposed. Sports fans (62%) and avid fans (70%) were more enthusiastic about the extended team playoff format.
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 49% | 62% | 33% | 70% | 58% |
| No | 14% | 16% | 10% | 18% | 16% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 37% | 22% | 57% | 12% | 26% |
*Sports fans = Avid + Casual fans
In addition to more teams, the MLB playoffs also feature more games with a best-of-three series instead of the single game elimination. Asked how they felt about the expanded wild card round, 73 percent of avid fans, 63 percent of sports fans and 51 percent of the U.S. population approved.
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 51% | 63% | 35% | 73% | 58% |
| No | 13% | 16% | 10% | 15% | 16% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 36% | 21% | 55% | 12% | 26% |
*Sports fans = Avid + Casual fans
“Playoff baseball is the most exciting part of the season,” said Professor Charles Grantham, Director of the Center for Sport Management within Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business, which sponsors the Poll. “This is a win for everyone starting with the fans, but also the players, the teams, the owners and the League itself.”
# # #
Questions with charts below.
ABOUT THE POLL
The Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted regularly since 2006, is performed by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. This poll was conducted online by YouGov Plc. using a national representative sample weighted according to gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and geography, based on U.S. Census Bureau figures. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of all U.S residents. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to CNBC, NPR, Yahoo Finance, Fox News and many points in between.
Media: Michael Ricciardelli, Associate Director of Media Relations, Seton Hall University
michael.ricciardelli@shu.edu, 908-447-3034; Marty Appel, AppelPR@gmail.com
October 2022 Seton Hall Sports Poll Results
This SHSP was conducted October 7th through October 11th and includes responses from 1,579 US adults with a margin of error of 2.5%. The sample mirrors the US Census percentages on age, gender, income, education, ethnicity, and region.
Q1. Which of the following statements best describes you?
- I am an avid sports fan 17%
- I am a sports fan 39%
- I am not a sports fan 43%
Aaron Judge, a baseball player for the New York Yankees, is having an excellent year and recently broke the American League record for the most home runs [HR] in a season (62 HRs).
Q8a. Aaron Judge’s pursuit of the American League single season home record attracted significant media and public attention. Were you rooting for him to break the record?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 35% | 49% | 15% | 61% | 45% |
| No | 28% | 24% | 32% | 22% | 25% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 37% | 27% | 53% | 17% | 30% |
*Sports fans = Avid + Casual fans
Q8b. According to the Major League Baseball record book, Barry Bonds holds the MLB record of 73 HR, although many consider his record questionable because of allegations of steroid use. Mark McGwire (70 HR) and Sammy Sosa (66 HR) also faced allegations of steroid use. Aaron Judge has never failed a performance enhancing drug test nor is suspected of using them. Do you consider Aaron Judge the rightful single season HR record holder?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 49% | 56% | 41% | 58% | 55% |
| No | 17% | 21% | 12% | 25% | 19% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 34% | 23% | 47% | 17% | 26% |
*Sports fans = Avid + Casual fans
Q10c. For the first time in MLB playoffs, there are three wildcard teams from each league. This gives two more teams the opportunity to compete in playoffs. Do you approve?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 49% | 62% | 33% | 70% | 58% |
| No | 14% | 16% | 10% | 18% | 16% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 37% | 22% | 57% | 12% | 26% |
*Sports fans = Avid + Casual fans
Q10d. Instead of a one game playoff for wildcard teams, this year wild cards teams compete in a best of three game series. Do you approve?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 51% | 63% | 35% | 73% | 58% |
| No | 13% | 16% | 10% | 15% | 16% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 36% | 21% | 55% | 12% | 26% |
*Sports fans = Avid + Casual fans