MLB 2011 Regular Season (1 Viewer)

[TonyD]

For the long games Mike, you're watching American league four hour games and more specific Red Sox games that are even longer then usual, typically I think around 3.5 - 4 hours I usually see games that are under or around 3 hours on average. Besides the length of a game never bothers me. I like long games.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Tony: I love the occasional long game myself.


But, as you note, so many games are upwards of four hours that they become a big commitment to daily follow your team on a pitch-by-pitch basis.


I think more replay would make them even longer.

As an aside, here are the lengths of the seven games of the 1968 World Series between the Cardinals & Tigers:


#1 2:29

#2 2:41

#3 3:17

#4 2:34

#5 2:43

#6 2:26

#7 2:07


How possible do you think it might be to have a 2:07 World Series in this century?!? Pretty tough, I'd say.

I'm not trying to deflect attention from Carl's question about replay...but I think the question about game length is important and that replay would just be another reason for games to be be prolonged.

 

[TonyD]

Nearly impossible these days, including all the commercial timeouts that it'll never happen again.

 

[Walter C]

Better hope the NL Central does not involve the Pirates losing by 1 game, or else the outcry for replay will be a lot bigger than it is now! Too bad for the Pirates, as they are having a very good season for the first time in a long time. It will be interesting to see how the rest of their season will go.


Funny how it happened in the same city as Game 7 of the '92 NLCS.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Ex-Yankees pitcher Hideki Arabu found dead of apparent suicide. (Can't embed link).

 

[Mike Frezon]

So sad.


Irabu found dead.

 

[Walter C]

I always remember him for how he came into MLB, when he was signed by the Padres, but said that he would only play for the Yankees.


RIP, Hideki Irabu!

 

[TonyD]

Hunter Pence will be in a Phillies uni for tomorrow's game.

 

[Walter C]

Nice to see them get a bat, as the 2 losses against the Giants did have me worried a bit.

 

[Walter C]

Also, if the Phils win another World Series, I would say Ed Wade has been a great GM for them. And it should solidify the city as a baseball town.

 

[EricW]

Also, if the Phils win another World Series, I would say Ed Wade has been a great GM for them.

unless of course, Bourn and the Braves beat the Phillies in the NLCS

 

[TonyD]

The Pence trade has turned out very good so far for Phils. Bourne hasn't made any significant difference for the Braves yet. I think the Giants are 2-6 or so since getting Beltran. One other observation that I only noticed because of the Phils/Giants game after it ended. Lst three Phils game times... 2:17, 3:02 and 2:14 Last three Red Sox games.....3:22, 3:26 and 3:25 The last two being With the Yankees and the Saturday game on Fox both the Phils/Giants and the Sox /Yanks were national games. When the Phils game ended, fox showed about 3 minutes of commercials then went right to bonus coverage of the Sox/Yanks game I. Which the sixth inning just ended and was into the top of the seventh one runner on no outs. Is it the DH or is somethg else going on over in the AL making these game run so long?

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by TonyD



Is it the DH or is somethg else going on over in the AL making these game run so long?

I think it's a combination of many things: the amount of time pitchers take between pitches being one of them. Another major factor is the length of TV time outs (especially in nationally televised games). There are usually more hits/runs in AL games, I suppose, because of the DH. And in terms of the Yankees and Red Sox, they DO tend to score a lot of runs in their games. And batters tend to get out of the batter's box between every single pitch (it might not be up to Nomar proportions...but when's the last time you saw a batter stay IN the box between pitches?!?).


I'm afraid I don't get to see enough NL games to size up what the difference between leagues might be.


But games definitely NEED to be shorter. They have become a huge time-sucking thing out of my life. I can never give up baseball...but to be paying attention to games that are daily up-to-four hours is near impossible.

 

[Patrick_S]

Well the first positive news for the Cubs this year, they fired Hendry. http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/6876743/chicago-cubs-fire-general-manager-jim-hendry

 

[Ockeghem]

Well, I think the BoSox will make the post-season, if only because Tampa Bay can't defeat New York. The Red Sox are 11-4 thus far against the Yankees, but can't defeat Tampa Bay very often. Odd how baseball (and other sports) works that way sometimes. I read that Buchholz -- whom the Red Sox need badly if they make the post-season -- is planning to be ready should they make the playoffs. I could live with a starting rotation of Beckett, Lester, and Buchholz. And I would love to see Wakefield have a couple of chances to pitch in the post-season. But Bedard, Lackey, Miller, and Weiland? No thanks. I don't want to see any of them in the post-season, unless the Red Sox have at least a double-digit lead when they are called on to pitch. And even then...

 

[Mike Frezon]

I was thinking of this thread during last night's game...


At one point, hoping that the Sox would be able to turn around their current fortunes, I was thinking that this could be an excellent come-from-behind win for them and give them a bit of a lift and a kickstart. Instead, it turns into another horrible loss.


Scott: Even I am no longer on the Wakefield bandwagon. He has been horrible most of the second half. It seems to me his body just isn't up to the task any more.

And, I'm not so sure the Sox make the playoffs. If they do, we seem to be stuck with "Bedard, Lackey, Miller, and Weiland." Bedard was absolutely great last night--for two innings. The Globe is reporting today that:

He (Bedard) was also dealing with personal issues after reportedly being served papers in a child support case hours before taking the mound.

Buchholz? Even if he's able to start a game between now and the end of the postseason, I cannot imagine him going more than three innings.

Aviles has been a nice surprise subbing for the ailing Youk. Scutaro has surprised as well...batting nearly .300.

The Sox currently have five everyday players hitting .295 or better (four over .300). And Aviles, in his 33 games, is batting .353 (a little lightning in a bottle). These guys have too much talent to be playing this badly--although it shows the importance of pitching in the game of baseball. In Lackey's start against the O's a couple of nights ago the Sox won by scoring 18 runs...but, remember, they also gave up 9! That's awful.

"These guys have too much talent to be playing this badly." I'm sure I must've written that same line about this team after the first few weeks of the season.

 

[Ockeghem]

Mike, I think the news regarding Buchholz is encouraging, but we'll see. I think the Wakester still has a bit of magic in him, provided he is 'on' -- but if he's not, then I'm afraid I will have to agree with what you said above. Can we pray for wind on the days that he starts? I don't see him being one of the 'big three,' but I think he could be used in a seven-game series. Aceves could be a starter, but as I'm sure you know, he's been too valuable in middle-to-early late relief to take him away from that spot. I'm sure Ortiz had the best of intentions. My pick to win it all? Detroit. I don't have any evidence for making that prediction, just a feeling that this is their year.

 

[Ockeghem]

The Red Sox continued their losing ways again tonight, yet they still gained a half-game on Tampa Bay, as the Rays lost twice to New York today. Don't look now, but the Rays are tied with the Angels -- 2.5 games behind Boston. I had kind of forgotten about the Angels. The BoSox have six games left, all on the road. This could get a bit interesting!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Ockeghem I'm not really sure what to make of things right now. This team is in one major funk.

Of course, the Yankees clinched the AL East tonight...so maybe they'll be trotting out the bottom half of their 40-man roster...

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon I'm not really sure what to make of things right now. This team is in one major funk.

Of course, the Yankees clinched the AL East tonight...so maybe they'll be trotting out the bottom half of their 40-man roster...

Not likely, I think Girardi will try to win this series and HFA then rest his guys against Tampa.








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