Home Run Derby

Do you like those cute little Elmer Fudd ear-flapped baseball caps the Phillies and Rays have been wearing in Philly for the World Series?  Get used to them – they”ll be back next year.

I’ve heard a lot of griping about late-October baseball this postseason, brought on by the rain-induced suspension of Game 5 of the World Series and the subsequent postponement of the last 3.5 innings of that game yesterday – and it’ll be in the low 30’s for the replay tonight.

If the makeup innings get postponed again (doesn’t look likely – the Philly rain is expected to let up by gametime) – Game Seven would be scheduled for November 1.  Last season, November baseball would have happened if the Rockies would have shown up and the Series went seven games.

Get used to it.

Next season, if MLB sticks to its recent ludicrous playoff schedule (no doubt designed by FOX and TBS) there will be at least one World Series game played in November … and possibly four games.

Why?  Don’t blame it on the rain – blame it on the World Baseball Classic.  Because of Bud Selig’s desire to see Cuba and Japan face off for a title in his made-up little baseball tournament, the WBC will push the start of the 2009 MLB regular season to April 6 – a full week later than in previous years.

Well, starting the regular season late implies you start the postseason late (unless there’s a rash of doubleheaders and less days off – try to sell that to the Union), and as a result, there will be November baseball in 2009.  If the Series begins on October 28, 2009 – World Series Game 4 will be scheduled on Sunday, November 1st.

Playoffs

Just think if those games are being played in New York, Chicago, Boston, Philly, Cleveland, Denver, or Minnesota with its new open-air stadium. With First Pitches thrown at 8:30 or 9:30 local time, long after the sun has set – even if it doesn’t rain …. brrrr.

On a related note, why do the Divisional and League Championship Series have more days off than the World Series? Does FOX not want the chance to see a team’s best pitcher throw three times in a seven-game series?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 at 1:09 pm and is filed under 2008 MLB Playoffs, Baseball Business, Bud Selig. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.