tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post4708018275893691375..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: The Play-offs are hereBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23999252163326874442017-10-16T18:26:08.728-07:002017-10-16T18:26:08.728-07:00In reverse order on this very late comment:
1) M...In reverse order on this very late comment: <br /><br />1) MY team is the Seattle Mariner's - it was great to see them have their best we'll get 'em NEXT YEAR! <br /><br />1A) Related to the Mariner's in 2018, Ken - pester your agent to get you in the M's booth as guest announcer for an Angels game. I'd do it - but I have no clout. <br /><br />2) I argee that WS games in/near November is a bad idea. The worst I recall was freezing rain - Yankees at Philly - but the Nov 4 finish was caused by "the start of the season being pushed back by the 2009 World Baseball Classic in March" <br /><br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_World_Series<br /><br />Unlike the NBA, where the best team wins 90% of the time, Baseball is a relative crapshoot. Going for shorter series makes that even worse. <br /><br />A combination of things would shave a week off the late World Series: <br /><br />A) Start the season a week earlier. Imclement weather in late March can be made up with summer double-header (remember double-headers?) <br /><br />B) Schedule a few more double-headers - the owners probably wouldn't go for 2-for-1 but why not try 2-for-1.5 (games/dollars)? <br /><br />Jose Altuve - 2 games into ALCS - is 5 for 8 this series after a hot-hitting division series. He's the hottest post-season hitter I can remember. <br /><br />Interleague games are terrific - perfect for those regional rivalries that otherwise would be "settled" four or more decades apart. Nothing "waters down" the World Series - except seeing AL pitchers try to hit, bunt, and run bases - and already know how to solve that. Jahn Ghaltnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43907104541019648032017-10-12T19:03:58.273-07:002017-10-12T19:03:58.273-07:00>>It’s ridiculous that the World Series prac...>>It’s ridiculous that the World Series practically ends at Thanksgiving.<<<br /><br />Ain't it? During the 1960s, when I was a kid and still gave a shit about major league baseball, the WS was done by the first or second week in October. ScottyBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45052781252793954002017-10-12T16:32:36.910-07:002017-10-12T16:32:36.910-07:00I think the Indians would second your motion for a...I think the Indians would second your motion for a three-game division series retroactive to 2017.MikeKPa.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43719883808038345662017-10-10T01:49:57.017-07:002017-10-10T01:49:57.017-07:00Interleague play doesn't have the excitement a...Interleague play doesn't have the excitement anymore, but as long as there are 15 teams in each league, it's inevitable. I still hate it, but I also hate the DH and that's not going anywhere either.<br /><br />154-game season. <br /><br />1/3/5/7 games sounds good to me. Roger Owen Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05298172138307632062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73339680256248380262017-10-09T13:36:18.245-07:002017-10-09T13:36:18.245-07:00The baseball playoffs are totally moot. Since I d...The baseball playoffs are totally moot. Since I don't have Spectrum cable or satellite I don't get to watch any of the games. I can't afford to go to a sports bar except occasionally. And you can only impose on your friends so many times. While I much prefer capitalism to the alternative, the unrepentant greed of Major League Baseball really pisses me off!! These "cable-only" deals the are a big, fat, middle finger to all of us who grew up watching sports for free on broadcast T.V. The saddest irony of all is that the one year when it looks like the Dodgers could to all the way, Vin Scilly is retired. If he were still calling the games then at least I could listen to them on the radio. (No offence to Rick Monday, but...come on)Mike Bloodworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04755626259169126800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32462340571956585702017-10-09T10:12:33.372-07:002017-10-09T10:12:33.372-07:00Holy Cow, where to start?
1. Anonymous, I've ...Holy Cow, where to start?<br /><br />1. Anonymous, I've been a White Sox fan for over half a century. I will take your "we" as the royal "we" as I think Hawk Harrelson has been great. After years of listening to Bob Elson (imagine a classical music announcer calling baseball), Red Rush ("Gonella is swella, fella") and Jack Brickhouse (a fine man, but...), starting with Hawk and Don Drysdale all the way to now, he's been great. Benetti and Stone are fine, but let's not pile on Hawk.<br /><br />2. I know I'm going to get killed on this one, but nationally, I like Joe Buck and Tom Verducci, and John Smoltz is great. Give that man a 10 year contract. Dan Shulman is good, but is leaving ESPN. ESPN is too damn stupid or proud to give an old guy like John Miller a call.<br /><br />3. Get real. For various reasons (primarily MONEY and player's union, and did I say MONEY?) you are not getting afternoon World Series games, you are not getting an end to inter-league play, and you are not losing the DH.<br /><br />4. And you're not getting kids back watching baseball because the kids who are playing MLB right now, can't get their act together enough to stop scratching themselves and play the damn game. Pace of play is a serious issue. And call the strike zone, why don't you. In fact, go back to the zone being letters to the knees. How is it most games in the 50's and 60's were played in just over two hours? It ain't the commercials fault, kids. It's pace of play.<br /><br />Ken, FWIW, I love your non showbiz posts equally.bensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-2895149554695820702017-10-09T07:35:41.520-07:002017-10-09T07:35:41.520-07:00Bud Selig really messed up current baseball by 1)t...Bud Selig really messed up current baseball by 1)turning his back on HGH use, 2)instituting the wild card system (I despise the WC system), and 3)instituting interleague play. HGH was ignored because "everyone loves the long ball". Wild card was established because "it keeps the regular season more exciting" since a team doesn't even have to bear the four teams in their division to wind up in the playoffs. Interleague play is strictly in place so that the New York teams can play each other (all other 28 teams be damned). Each reason is complete BS. At least they stopped making the All Star Game the determining factor for home field in the World Series.<br /><br />If the big wigs at MLB really believe that these three Selig bastardizations are good for baseball they should go all in and completely destroy the 148 years of baseball history as follows --<br /><br />1)Play regular season to Labor Day (the way the minors do it)<br />2)Regular season is played strictly to establish seeds irregardless of league.<br />3) Seed #1 plays seed #30 in one game playoff, seed #2 plays #29, etc. This way EVERYONE is in the playoffs thereby giving hope to a .300 team that happens to get hot in September.<br />4) Last two teams play five game World Series. And yes, the last two teams can come from the same league. <br /><br />I would love to see two teams with losing records from the same league play in the World Series just to see the TV ratings (oh, the excitement of a Philly - San Diego series this year). Perhaps something like that might convince the powers that be that constantly changing the structure of the game still does not attract new fans and alienates devoted ones.Bruce P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76281585723673235932017-10-09T07:21:54.331-07:002017-10-09T07:21:54.331-07:00Hi Glenn, I understand what you are saying about m...Hi Glenn, I understand what you are saying about making the season 150 games, but you are talking about losing 180 actual games. Assume the teams make about $500k per game and you are talking about losing $90M. It is not going to happen.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11777496001166356949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-91491060957175189592017-10-08T09:59:56.874-07:002017-10-08T09:59:56.874-07:00"When I watch a male sport I don't want a..."When I watch a male sport I don't want a woman piping up with her breathless observations."<br /><br />Poor little you. Take another sip from the testosterone cuplet, mannikin, and change the channel.<br /><br />"Male sport," indeed. I hang out on several baseball boards where I, as a male, am outnumbered by female fans of the game. And, you know what? They generally know more than I do about the game, too!<br /><br />Although, I'll admit. The Infield Fly rule generally eludes them. It's a left-brain thing, I suspect.Dr Loserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12717234136006844887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86637492940747581192017-10-08T09:10:29.995-07:002017-10-08T09:10:29.995-07:00Dan Schulman is one of the best announcers I'v...Dan Schulman is one of the best announcers I've ever listened to. He should be doing the world series.Alan Gollomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06182300402128985496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9861449938902746282017-10-07T16:47:25.787-07:002017-10-07T16:47:25.787-07:00My pet peeve is the sideline/dugout chicks. First ...My pet peeve is the sideline/dugout chicks. First off, I don't want to cut away from the game for a useless dugout interview with the manager. Has anyone said anything original since 1920? When I watch a male sport I don't want a woman piping up with her breathless observations. One of the opening games had an airhead narrating every play that was rerun, like a swing and a miss on a pitch, like she was adding something to the game. Spare me. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12889319460053676432017-10-07T16:19:37.482-07:002017-10-07T16:19:37.482-07:00Amen for your shout-out to Jason Benetti. We White...Amen for your shout-out to Jason Benetti. We White Sox fans love him and can't wait until he (finally) has the job full-time with Ken Harrelson's merciful retirement. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54050073648671170742017-10-07T16:10:09.438-07:002017-10-07T16:10:09.438-07:00Since my Tigers dealt away players, my game tonigh...Since my Tigers dealt away players, my game tonight is in Ann Arbor.<br /><br />Absolutely agree about Jon Miller and Tom Hamilton (so good) and Chris Berman (so...something). Although, for the hell of it, I'd listen to Beeman and Sterling call a few innings, just for the weirdness of it.Charles H. Bryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73047665899464146532017-10-07T13:53:29.992-07:002017-10-07T13:53:29.992-07:00Boston is probably done. But I think Fox would wan...Boston is probably done. But I think Fox would want Cubs Yankees or Cubs Boston. Dodgers vs Yankees. sanfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06580867647162091670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15784438853896837562017-10-07T11:41:59.136-07:002017-10-07T11:41:59.136-07:00If Harold Reynolds needs something to do, maybe Fo...If Harold Reynolds needs something to do, maybe Fox News could use him as an expert analyst for their coverage of the Harvey Weinstein story.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01459282375722752317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-18002656902586666282017-10-07T11:22:01.388-07:002017-10-07T11:22:01.388-07:00I was listening to Berman yesterday and it was imp...I was listening to Berman yesterday and it was impossible to figure out what was happening on the field.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11848845718430473534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45234482990693129522017-10-07T11:19:03.277-07:002017-10-07T11:19:03.277-07:00Obviously more show business people than baseball ...Obviously more show business people than baseball people on this blog.<br />Mike Trout - not that close.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-13679287634644574812017-10-07T11:13:21.423-07:002017-10-07T11:13:21.423-07:00Way back in the old days, NBC used to bring in a l...Way back in the old days, NBC used to bring in a local announcer for the World Series to work with their crew. It made things more interesting.<br /><br />Thanks for the tip on Tom Hamilton in Cleveland. I haven't listened to him yet, but I'm always looking for good announcers to listen to - so many are awful. The announcing team is about the only thing keeping me a Mets fan; they have the best.<br /><br />Jon Miller calls games for the Giants, and he's great as always.Mike Schryverhttp://otrcomedy.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16110910993020277652017-10-07T11:11:48.443-07:002017-10-07T11:11:48.443-07:00Go Dodgers!Go Dodgers!tbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32717027833052331812017-10-07T10:29:21.894-07:002017-10-07T10:29:21.894-07:00Dr Loser: Not a bad idea, as long as Yankees hack ...Dr Loser: Not a bad idea, as long as Yankees hack John Sterling is prohibited from participating. He's dreadful, an insult to Mel Allen, Red Barber, Frank Messer and others who have inhabited that booth. (Even Phil Rizzuto, no one's idea of a great announcer, had a daffy-uncle charm about him. Sterling's bombast is charmless.)VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31755719479275263142017-10-07T10:21:02.158-07:002017-10-07T10:21:02.158-07:00I see Kelsey got in first with the "home comm...I see Kelsey got in first with the "home commentators" thing. (Apologies.) I do, honestly, think this would massively improve the post season coverage.<br /><br />Allowing the two teams involved to nominate a booth guest for home games would be icing on the cake. It would have been wonderful to have, say, Vin Sculley guest in 2004, 2007, or 2013.<br /><br />And also something for Ken to aspire to ...Dr Loserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12717234136006844887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90148164788393680582017-10-07T10:06:09.437-07:002017-10-07T10:06:09.437-07:00Y'know, sooner or later, all the old folk comp...Y'know, sooner or later, all the old folk complaining that interleague play somehow "diminishes" the WS will have drifted off into the disregarded past, and a good thing too. It's not a proposition that makes any sense. Nobody has ever tuned in to the World Series to watch "one league" play against "the other league." You watch it because it pits the best against the best. It so happens that the leagues, and the post season, are constructed in such a way as to make that as realistic an outcome as possible.<br /><br />There are probably people out there who mourn the good old days when it was "special" to watch an AL pitcher be forced to waft a bat, or to watch whatever the complement of this might be in an NL park. Clearly this should only ever be allowed to happen four to seven times a year. Clearly. <i>If you are a loony.</i><br /><br />Now, that said, I do agree with your point about dragging the post-season into November. Anything to avoid this, please. Your 1/3/5/7 game sequence would be an improvement, although it would mess with starting rotations. The idea floated before the 2017 CBA to reduce the number of games from 162 to -- what was it? -- the prior 154 or something: that would be good too. My personal preference would be to throw away the All Star carnival and just use that week for meaningful baseball. None of this will happen. Because all of it will "lose revenue." At least, according to the bean counters.<br /><br />One small thing I would like, and this is never going to happen either, is for every single post season game to have a commentary booth staffed by one guy each from the regular season team commentator pairings. No more Buck. No more Morgan. No more ... pick and permute any from Fox, ESPN, TBS, whichever.<br /><br />Home games: play-by-play guy from the opposing team. Color guy from the home team. Away games: the other way around. (Obviously.)<br /><br />This makes such perfect sense that I will happily conceive that it will never happen.Dr Loserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12717234136006844887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75392269718991446152017-10-07T10:00:57.511-07:002017-10-07T10:00:57.511-07:00Jon Miller, Jon Miller, Jon Miller!Jon Miller, Jon Miller, Jon Miller!blinkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284135060900752329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30534813187055678052017-10-07T09:52:01.468-07:002017-10-07T09:52:01.468-07:00My broadcast "holy trinity" is either re...My broadcast "holy trinity" is either retired (Vin Scully) or no longer with us (Harry Kalas, Ernie Harwell). <br /><br />Houston is a team whose appeal could blossom in light of the city's recovery from Harvey. And Jose Altuve is phenomenal -- incredible talent in a small package. I call him the Kristin Chenoweth of baseball.VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56289802263428778112017-10-07T09:44:36.043-07:002017-10-07T09:44:36.043-07:00The only reason the playoffs run so late is becaus...The only reason the playoffs run so late is because the regular season takes forever. Lose 12 games and go from 162 to an even 150. It's sad that postseason games might have to be moved or postponed because of snow.Glennnoreply@blogger.com