2009 MLB Playoffs

[SandraC]

Comparing football to any other of the 4 major sports is like comparing apples to oranges. Football plays 16 games a year and once a week. The playoffs are 1 game. Of course they are going to have more viewers since their are fewer games to watch and every game is more important than it is in any other sport.

You can also add the fact that between straight betting, office pools, elimination pools, fantasy leagues, etc., almost everyone who watches football has a financial stake in the result of the games they're watching. Pretty sure I'm the only one who doesn't.

Also explains some of the success of March Madness.

Not so much with baseball, people watch it less because of gambling and more for the sport.


Sandra

 

[DodgerKing]

You can also add the fact that between straight betting, office pools, elimination pools, fantasy leagues, etc., almost everyone who watches football has a financial stake in the result of the games they're watching. Pretty sure I'm the only one who doesn't.

Also explains some of the success of March Madness.

Not so much with baseball, people watch it less because of gambling and more for the sport.


Sandra

I would agree with that.

 

[televisionarchives]

Attendance has risen every year in baseball (this year down a little due to the economy, but the Dodgers still had their second best attendance season).

Ratings are up this year

Ratings are still #2 of our 4 major sports

It is not as bad as you are making it sound

Comparing football to any other of the 4 major sports is like comparing apples to oranges. Football plays 16 games a year and once a week. The playoffs are 1 game. Of course they are going to have more viewers since their are fewer games to watch and every game is more important than it is in any other sport.

Oh yes it is. It's really bad. Check this out.
SBJ: Lack of races chases baseball TV ratings down - By John Ourand, SportsBusiness Journal - MLB - Sporting News
And with this ecomomy you would think if people don't go to the games they would stay home and watch it. But that's not happening

 

[DodgerKing]

Oh yes it is. It's really bad. Check this out.
SBJ: Lack of races chases baseball TV ratings down - By John Ourand, SportsBusiness Journal - MLB - Sporting News
And with this ecomomy you would think if people don't go to the games they would stay home and watch it. But that's not happening

Irrelevant. Of course fewer people will watch end of the season regular season games when their teams have already clinched or already out of it. Even I stopped watching the Dodgers last year once they clinched with a few days left. This does not prove your point or discredit any point I made:

1. LCS had the highest ratings ever - fact
2. TBS had their highest ratings ever - fact
3. Attendance has risen every year for the last few years (only down slightly from last year) - fact
4. Baseball is the most watched sports within a season - fact
5. Baseball has the second highest ratings of all of our major sports - fact
6. Baseball has the second highest post season ratings of our major sports - fact
7. The baseball package is the #1 purchased pro sports package on all TV providers and #2 behind ST on DirecTV (ST would probably be #1 if more providers offered it). This shows that more people want to watch out of market baseball than they do hockey and basketball (which are available on more providers).

Try to show me where I am wrong. Everything I posted indicates that people are not turning off baseball.

 

[televisionarchives]

Irrelevant. Of course fewer people will watch end of the season regular season games when their teams have already clinched or already out of it. Even I stopped watching the Dodgers last year once they clinched with a few days left. This does not prove your point or discredit any point I made:

1. LCS had the highest ratings ever - fact
2. TBS had their highest ratings ever - fact
3. Attendance has risen every year for the last few years (only down slightly from last year) - fact
4. Baseball is the most watched sports within a season - fact
5. Baseball has the second highest ratings of all of our major sports - fact
6. Baseball has the second highest post season ratings of our major sports - fact
7. The baseball package is the #1 purchased pro sports package on all TV providers and #2 behind ST on DirecTV (ST would probably be #1 if more providers offered it). This shows that more people want to watch out of market baseball than they do hockey and basketball (which are available on more providers).

Try to show me where I am wrong. Everything I posted indicates that people are not turning off baseball.

I'm saying that Baseball has had a drop in the ratings including the world series. Overall Baseball has not increased the number of fans like Football has. MLB even has admitted it and that's one reason you saw Interleague play started years ago. I still believe that Baseball is losing it's popularity with the younger population

 

[boomer69]

You can blame the November World Series dates on two things: The league stretching out the division and league championship series NBA-style, and the late start to the season because of the World Baseball Classic.

Actually the WBC has not affected the start of the regular season. It has started on the first Sunday of April (and a few times even the last Sunday of March) for many years now. Opening Day (Monday) has coincided with the NCAA Basketball Championship game (with one exception) for many years now.

I have attended every Opening Day in Cincinnati for over 30 years.

You may be confused with the start of Spring Training, or the dates some players are required to report to ST because of the WBC!!!...

 

[SandraC]

Actually the WBC has not affected the start of the regular season. It has started on the first Sunday of April (and a few times even the last Sunday of March) for many years now. Opening Day (Monday) has coincided with the NCAA Basketball Championship game (with one exception) for many years now.

I have attended every Opening Day in Cincinnati for over 30 years.

You may be confused with the start of Spring Training, or the dates some players are required to report to ST because of the WBC!!!...

Opening day for the Reds:

2008: Monday, March 31
2009: Monday, April 6

One week difference. Not confusing at all.


Sandra

 

[Ramy]

Opening day for the Reds:

2008: Monday, March 31
2009: Monday, April 6

One week difference. Not confusing at all.


Sandra

You are going from one extreme to the other. The 31st is the earliest a season will start and the 6th will be the latest. It has nothing to do with the WBC. Next year opening day will be April 5th, 2011 it will be April 4th.etc........

 

[KCK_Halo]

From the L.A. Times:
Rain could push Game 1 of ALCS to next week

October 15, 2009 | 8:48 am
The National Weather Service is predicting an 80% chance of rain at the scheduled start of the American League Championship Series on Friday night at Yankee Stadium, which could throw the series into serious disarray.

If Game 1 can't be played Friday night, when temperatures are expected to drop to the low 40s with a wind-chill near freezing, the start of the series could be pushed back to Saturday. But the forecast is basically the same. In fact, the forecast doesn't have the skies clearing until Tuesday.

But there are other obstacles in rescheduling any rain-outs. If either Game 1 or 2 is postponed by weather, the teams could play on Sunday, which is currently listed as a travel day. But since the ALCS is being televised on Fox, it's unlikely the network would agree to a schedule that would include a Sunday afternoon game because it would clash with the network's NFL schedule.


Game 3 is currently scheduled for Monday afternoon in Anaheim. If the teams have to play Sunday night, it's unlikely they would be asked to fly across the country and play the next afternoon. The game could be moved to Monday night or could simply be moved to Tuesday by the commissioner's office, which is in charge of scheduling postseason contests. That would compact the schedule by having the teams play on three consecutive days.

Wednesday is now scheduled as a day off.

Under any scenario, however, the series is scheduled to return to New York for Games 6 and 7, if necessary, next weekend when the forecast calls for -- wait for it -- more rain

 

[pro96]

From the L.A. Times:
Rain could push Game 1 of ALCS to next week

October 15, 2009 | 8:48 am
The National Weather Service is predicting an 80% chance of rain at the scheduled start of the American League Championship Series on Friday night at Yankee Stadium, which could throw the series into serious disarray.

If Game 1 can't be played Friday night, when temperatures are expected to drop to the low 40s with a wind-chill near freezing, the start of the series could be pushed back to Saturday. But the forecast is basically the same. In fact, the forecast doesn't have the skies clearing until Tuesday.

But there are other obstacles in rescheduling any rain-outs. If either Game 1 or 2 is postponed by weather, the teams could play on Sunday, which is currently listed as a travel day. But since the ALCS is being televised on Fox, it's unlikely the network would agree to a schedule that would include a Sunday afternoon game because it would clash with the network's NFL schedule.


Game 3 is currently scheduled for Monday afternoon in Anaheim. If the teams have to play Sunday night, it's unlikely they would be asked to fly across the country and play the next afternoon. The game could be moved to Monday night or could simply be moved to Tuesday by the commissioner's office, which is in charge of scheduling postseason contests. That would compact the schedule by having the teams play on three consecutive days.

Wednesday is now scheduled as a day off.

Under any scenario, however, the series is scheduled to return to New York for Games 6 and 7, if necessary, next weekend when the forecast calls for -- wait for it -- more rain

Wow that would be too bad..

But then again After 2 days of rain in L.A it has become a beautiful sunny day for some NLCS game today.. That's why there is no better weather anywhere then Socal.. this weekend gonna be in the 90's

 

[SandraC]

Wow that would be too bad..

But then again After 2 days of rain in L.A it has become a beautiful sunny day for some NLCS game today.. That's why there is no better weather anywhere then Socal.. this weekend gonna be in the 90's

Better leave for the game now, though. The 110 is already a parking lot!!!


Sandra

 

[pro96]

Better leave for the game now, though. The 110 is already a parking lot!!!


Sandra

My office is in the valley.. so my drive is about 30min with no traffic.. ama leave at 3pm ... see how long it takes me

 

[BillD1984]

Thursday- NLCS Game 1 on TBS/TBS-HD

Phillies (Hamels) at Dodgers (Kershaw)- 8:07pm ET/5:07pm PT

 

[DodgerKing]

My office is in the valley.. so my drive is about 30min with no traffic.. ama leave at 3pm ... see how long it takes me

I am 40 miles away and it usually takes about 1 hour to get to Dodger Stadium (there is always a little traffic at least). With traffic it can take over 2 hours. I will be leaving at 3:00 when I get off of work and will probably get there in the 2nd inning

 

[CharlesO]

My LDS Predictions:

Cardinals over Dodgers in 4-MLB gave the Cardinals a gift in scheduling Game 2 in LA in the daytime, Dodger Stadium plays much different in the day than at night. Other than Wolf the Dodger starters are a coin toss but the Dodgers do have a better bullpen. Dodger offense especially Either and Manny need to produce.

WRONG!!!

Red Sox over Angels in 4- Whatever the reason are, the Angels just have problems playing the Red Sox and while the Angles have played very consistent all year seem more like a team built for the regular season and not post-season success.

WRONGER THAN WRONG!

Yankees over Twins in 5- So the Twins are tired, had to basically win every game in the last week to get here, they still have the biggest x-factor(The Metrodome), they also have players who have shown to be "clutch" while the Yankees key players(a-rod, Jeter, Posada) have struggled in the post-season.

Right team, but not quite the predicted result. Maybe the New Yankee Stadium is Magical after all.

Phillies over Rockies in 3: Worst possible matchup for Rockies-a team that can hit the ball out of the park and with the Rockies hurting pitching wise equals a quick exit for the Rockies.

Minus Cole Hamels rough outing in Game 2, had this about right.
:cough: Thankfully :cough:

Now it's on to the LCS:

Yankees over Angels in 7-Like I said maybe New Yankee Stadium is more a home field advantage than we think it is for a-rod and Jeter. Pitching has been huge in all playoff game so far, and I'll take my chances with Mariano Rivera over Brian Fuentes.

Dodgers over Phillies in 6- Cole Hamels needs to pick it up for the Phillies and in late game situations the combo of Broxton/Sherill is huge for the Dodgers...If the Dodgers get a good start out of Kuroda, Kershaw continues his late season hot streak and a a steady performance from Wolf the Dodgers could even close it out in 5.

 

[AntAltMike]

MAN-NY! MAN-NY!

Bump!

 

[SabresRule]

Hell of a first game.

Lot of offense and momentum shifts.

P.S. Forgot to make my predictions- Phillies in 7 and Yankees in 6. I'll give the details a bit later.

 

[pro96]

Just got home from the Dodger game.. it was a good game, too bad local team lost.
When manny hit that... the place went nuts.. had a great time overall.

 

[HD MM]

Rain, rain go away!

Word of caution to the MLB. You better hope to God tonight's game isn't rained out.

If game 1 of the ALCS gets rained out, Game's 1 & 2 will be moved to Saturday and Sunday. 3 problems with this....

1. The ALCS games are being broadcast on FOX. On Sunday's, the NFL has 1pm and 4pm games also broadcast on FOX. You can be certain the NFL will NOT budge in their contractual agreement to broadcast their games if baseball has to move to Sunday. This will force the ALCS to wait until football is done at apx. 7-8pm...

2. If game 2 of the ALCS is delayed until 8pm on Sunday, this will conflict with both the NLCS on TBS AND Sunday Night Football on NBC!

3. By having a rain out, the schedule is shortened for the ALCS. A travel day will be lost. This will have a serious effect on the Yankees starting staff since they already came out and declared a 3-man rotation.

 

[Ramy]

They will just have to live with whatever happens. They could also show the game on FX, but I doubt they will do that.