Official MLB Discussion Thread

[BHK1978]

You live in St. Louis you're obligated to be a Cardinals fan its the law

 

Yep, one of my friends is a Cubs fan, he hears about it constantly from us. For whatever reason he has always hated the Cardinals....makes me question my choice in friends.

 

I does not matter where you live. I am a Yankees fan and I live in Rhode Island. Heck the Red Sox's AAA club is just ten minutes from my house.

[The Final Countdown]

You live in St. Louis you're obligated to be a Cardinals fan its the law

I like the Cards too. I'd root for them over any team except the Dodgers. But my loyalty to the boys in blue came halfway across the country with me when I left SoCal and moved out here.

[Imarevenant]

I am now a member of the Official Brooks Conrad Fan Club

[Stennick]

Its not like the Reds had a prayer anyway they would have been better off staying home.

[BHK1978]

Colored me shocked! In no way, shape, or form did I expect the Ranagers to get the win. Not that I am complaining because I think the the Devil Rays would have been a tougher match-up for the Yankees just for the sheer fact that they have played each other so many times this year.

 

Also, I am not keen about the Yankees being 1-4 in Texas this year. That is not a number I like to see. Should be a good ALCS and NLCS.

[The Final Countdown]

Wow. How dominant was Cliff Lee tonight? I expected him to give the Yanks trouble, but not to just completely shut them down the way he did. If their bullpen can avoid another implosion like the one that cost them Game 1, the Rangers just might be able to win this thing.

[BHK1978]

Wow. How dominant was Cliff Lee tonight? I expected him to give the Yanks trouble, but not to just completely shut them down the way he did. If their bullpen can avoid another implosion like the one that cost them Game 1, the Rangers just might be able to win this thing.

 

Very true, the Yankees have looked like complete and utter crap in this series and I do believe the Rangers could very well take it in five. This is like the World Series with Arizona all over again. One dominate pitcher leads a team to the upset victory (and yes if Texas wins, I would consider it an upset).

[BHK1978]

Well I have to say hats off to the Rangers! They were the better team and they deserve to be where they are. They out played the Yankees competely. I guess whatever Nolan Ryan did to change the culture down there is working. Although I still consider it an upset.

[BHK1978]

Giants vs. Rangers, who would have thought that? Should be a good Series, I think I want the Giants to win. Not for the obvious reason (they beat the Yankees), I want them to win because it will piss off Barry Bonds.

[GatorBait19]

I think it will come down to match-ups

 

Lee will pitch the first game, do you want Lin. to go up against him or hold him for the second game at home and give him a couple extra days rest? I say let sanchez pitch the first game since he only pitched 2 innings yesterday. He'll have I believe 2 days rest so you could just act as if it was a bullpen session.

[BHK1978]

I love how Selig is trying to sell this World Series as being great for baseball's mid-market teams (although Dallas is hardly a mid-market region), when you know he was probably praying for either the Phillies or the Yankees to get into the World Series. This is not a knock against the Giants or the Rangers but I have a funny feeling that this is going to be a bad World Series ratings wise. However, game wise this might be one of the best to be played in recent years.

[Stennick]

I'm not really a fan of either team but I still have residual hate for San Francisco stemming from Barry Bonds so I hope Texas wins.

 

I'm just glad the Phillies are out of it. The whole time they were making their run I kept rooting for them to lose. My only reasoning was the Cards won an NL Pennet, played in the NLCS and won a world championship in a three year span this decade. The Phillies had done it backwards but won a championship, won their pennet and now I needed them to lose in the NLCS so they wouldn't have a run better than my precious (if misguided) Cards did.

[BHK1978]

I'm not really a fan of either team but I still have residual hate for San Francisco stemming from Barry Bonds so I hope Texas wins.

 

I'm just glad the Phillies are out of it. The whole time they were making their run I kept rooting for them to lose. My only reasoning was the Cards won an NL Pennet, played in the NLCS and won a world championship in a three year span this decade. The Phillies had done it backwards but won a championship, won their pennet and now I needed them to lose in the NLCS so they wouldn't have a run better than my precious (if misguided) Cards did.

 

My Giants hate left the moment Bonds left. I want the Giants to win because it would have to piss Bonds off. This is a guy who if he would have stayed in Pittsburgh, might have won a World Series with the teams they had (or maybe not because they seemed to choke all of the time.). Instead he went West and did not manage to do anything out there championship wise.

 

Also, I do not want the Rangers to win because my friend has a friend who I cannot stand, and the dude happens to be a Rangers fan. He was a Red Sox fan for the longest time and then last year this guy became a Rangers fan because he hates Terry Francona. He chose to become a Rangers fan because he went down there and liked the state.

 

This same guy was a "die-hard" Patriots fan but turned his back on them because he hates Robert Kraft. He then became a Saints fan.

 

So now this dude thinks he is a kingmaker because every team he chooses to follow ends up in a championship game the next year...

[The Final Countdown]

As a Dodgers fan, I am obligated to root against the Giants at all times. I didn't really care whether they won the NLCS or not, since I was also bitter at the Phillies for knocking LA out in the NLCS the two previous years. But now, I can support Texas fully.

 

I do have to say that it would've been very interesting to see Cliff Lee pitch against the Phillies in the World Series. Especially if he'd been matched up against Halladay. That would've been fun.

[BHK1978]

I usually always want the American League team to win (unless of course it is the Red Sox, then I want their asses swept:D). However, for reasons stated above I have to go with the National Leauge.

[Imarevenant]

I love how Selig is trying to sell this World Series as being great for baseball's mid-market teams (although Dallas is hardly a mid-market region), when you know he was probably praying for either the Phillies or the Yankees to get into the World Series. This is not a knock against the Giants or the Rangers but I have a funny feeling that this is going to be a bad World Series ratings wise. However, game wise this might be one of the best to be played in recent years.

 

Truth be told, the Bay Area really isn't a small market either. SF is ranked 12th in the U.S. in terms of population (it's like the 6th largest TV market in the country as well).

 

But you are right, it will be a badly rated world series still. I'm sure the CA and TX markets will be watching but those on the east coast aren't going to care at all.

[GatorBait19]

hmmm,

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5729471

 

That might take the Yankees out of the running for Lee. I don't care how much money you throw at someone, that was wrong and plain stupid of the fans if they even thought about wanting him to play for their team.

[GatorBait19]

Truth be told, the Bay Area really isn't a small market either. SF is ranked 12th in the U.S. in terms of population (it's like the 6th largest TV market in the country as well).

 

But you are right, it will be a badly rated world series still. I'm sure the CA and TX markets will be watching but those on the east coast aren't going to care at all.

 

I think we will have to wait and see. It's not LA vs Yanks, but it is still a potential good series. I also believe that moving the times up would help. 7 o'clock start times would help for weekday games. It would put the West Coast at 4 and I think companies could be okay with letting employees watch it for just one week.

 

Problem with baseball is to lure new fans in you have to focus on the kids (like the WWE in a way) by having your baseball at 8 o'clock then kids on the East Coast are looking at 11:30 to 12 ending times with school the next day.

[BHK1978]

I think we will have to wait and see. It's not LA vs Yanks, but it is still a potential good series. I also believe that moving the times up would help. 7 o'clock start times would help for weekday games. It would put the West Coast at 4 and I think companies could be okay with letting employees watch it for just one week.

 

Problem with baseball is to lure new fans in you have to focus on the kids (like the WWE in a way) by having your baseball at 8 o'clock then kids on the East Coast are looking at 11:30 to 12 ending times with school the next day.

 

That is very true, I mean I understand having late night game because you can charge primetime rates. However, they need to make the game more kid accessible. If they have a Sunday night game, maybe put it on in the afternoon. Or even a Saturday night game, I mean it works in the regular season.

[GatorBait19]

That is very true, I mean I understand having late night game because you can charge primetime rates. However, they need to make the game more kid accessible. If they have a Sunday night game, maybe put it on in the afternoon. Or even a Saturday night game, I mean it works in the regular season.

 

couldn't agree more. Why not have the weekend games during the day? I mean there was once a time when night games didn't happen. I think trying to schedule the games to make it viewer friendly for everyone would help.

 

But in the end I believe the reason no one really watches the world series anymore like they use to is a couple of reasons.

 

1) If it's not the Yanks or Red Sox the ratings are instantly not the same.

 

2) That's because MLB is horrible at marketing other teams and players. Could you predict what the rating would be for a KC vs MIL or PITT? Say they both all of a sudden out of no where which will never happen, turn it around next year and make it. Could you think of the amount of people who would watch that? I think 3 million total.

 

3) The Scheduling for the games are horrible. 1st it's will be played in November this year for the first time ever, 2nd who wants to stay up till 12 o' clock just to watch two uninteresting teams go at it?

 

4) Baseball has gotten really boring. I mean the main reason I watch the superbowl year in and year out is because of the comm. and halftime show. Baseball honestly offers no dazzle to it. As much as I love baseball and playing it, I refuse to go to games (unless I have to) or watch on T.V. I could listen to that crap on Radio though, cuz man those two guys know how to put on a show.

[Stennick]

So the Rangers have made a series of it and I know the Rangers pen is been in shambles but seriously I think Ron left Lewis in too long tonight.

 

When Ross hit that homerun I would have started warming someone up and when the second homerun was hit I would have pulled him. Instead he let the tying run come to bat before calling to the pen.

 

I know he was trying to get as much as he could out of Lewis and I know he won but seriously Ron Washington in my opinion has been out managed in this series.

 

You're not going to get eight plus innings out of your starters in this series and if they can't hold a 4-1 or 2 lead for two innings then you're not going to win period.

 

That being said the Rangers STILL have not shown they have the offense to win this thing. Where is the team that was destroying the Yankee's pitching? I know the Giants have better pitching than the Yankees but its not like the Twins were destroying the Yank's pitching and its not like the Yanks didn't win ninety something games with that pitching.

 

All I'm saying is if Texas doesn't get more runs than four their not winning many more games. Their starters are shaky at best (I love how Cliff Lee was mentioned along Bob Gibson and Sandy only to go out there and get destroyed you can't annoint these guys have six or seven games.)

 

Even in Game 1 their bats didn't come alive until they were losing by what six or nine runs I forget. I truly think them scoring 7 runs is like in Football when you have a big lead in the fourth quater a team will come back and get some points in garbage time.

 

You had a six plus run lead and it wasn't possible to stay sharp with that big of a lead for over half the game so you let them back in it a bit for the final innings. Then game 2 they had no offense and even tonight four runs is not an offensive onslaught if they don't get some bats going better than that they won't make it out of Texas.

[BHK1978]

I did not get a chance to see the game tonight (I went to see Saw 3-D). However, I was really wanting a sweep. I guess that is out of the cards now...

[slack]

If baseball is so worried about low ratings, let America see all the teams! Good Lord, my Reds were barely on National TV. What if we went? If Joey Votto played on TV more than twice before the All-Star Break, he would have been higher than a 25th man vote for the All-Star game. I'm sure that a lot of teams have good players that nobody out of their region knows about, who's fault is that?

 

Quick, name me an Outfielder on every MLB team without Google.

 

Now, name a WR on every NFL team without Google.

 

Which was easier?

[Stennick]

Not even close to every NFL team gets a national game. There are only truly a handful of teams that get national games.

 

The Rams haven't had a national game in years, its usually Jets, Pats, Steelers, Giants, Vikings, Packers, etc that get national gigs.

 

The biggest difference is that that baseball doesn't have a game on NBC on Sunday night during prime time.

 

Baseball doesn't have a game on at noon or three on either CBS or FOX on Sundays.

 

Baseball gets one game on Fox on a Saturday afternoon. Baseball's exposure mostly comes from cable with TBS, ESPN, Fox Sports, etc.

 

Baseball is not a television sport, its just not. There are too many games and you can't possibly market 162 different games as being life or death.

 

There just isn't the parity in the MLB that there is in the NFL. The Pirates, Royals, Oriels, etc are out of it before they start.

 

Now look at the NFL's worst teams from last year, Chiefs, Rams, Bucs are all .500 or better. While the Vikes and Cowboy's two playoff teams last year are both at one or two wins on the season.

 

When was the last time the Yankees just blew up in the middle of the season and got handed last place.

 

Baseball is just much more difficult to market but all this talk of ratings and what not are dumb. Baseball is a much different sport than football and as others have mentioned the people in this nation are more fast paced, less patient than they used to be and they want results now.

 

The NFL gives them that better than any other team in the league. Its everything we like about sports and they have it down to basically ONE day. You can't really say "ok its Friday night I'm going to sit here watching baseball all day" like you can with football.

 

I'm from St. Louis so obviously I love baseball but I recognize that there is a large amount of the population that doesn't.

 

Baseball is suffering somewhat in the same way pro wrestling is. Those people that used to be wrestling/baseball fans are now mma/football fans because it offers them more of what this generation wants to see.

[BHK1978]

Well I thought I posted in this in here before but I guess I did not, Bud wants to add two more Wild Card teams and yet keep the season at 162 games. That is beyond overkill, it is bad enough that the World Series is now being played into November, if they add two more teams we might be looking at mid-November.

 

I understand why the do not want to make the season shorter and why they want to add more teams. It of course comes down to money. How would they even structure the tournament? They would probably have to do something like what the NFL does. However, if the opening round is say three games, that kind of puts the two teams that get the bye at a huge disadvantage.

 

In baseball it seems too much time off seems to hurt a team more then it helps.