World Series 2018--Red Sox vs. Dodgers
- Thread starter DJnVa
- Start date
If you’re walking off to end an inning expecting a strike call, you better be sure.
Like Joe and Vazquez were very sure on this one.
https://www.mlb.com/video/c-2517701283
So much for the theory that a Red Sox /dodgers WS would do well ratings wise...
Game 1 was the lowest ratings since 2014
Gams 2 was the lowest ratings since 2015
https://sports.yahoo.com/ratings-red-sox-dodgers-world-series-fall-four-year-low-202615341.html
MLB is going to have a major problem on its hands when the older viewers die and are not replaced by younger viewers.
Game 1 was the lowest ratings since 2014
Gams 2 was the lowest ratings since 2015
https://sports.yahoo.com/ratings-red-sox-dodgers-world-series-fall-four-year-low-202615341.html
MLB is going to have a major problem on its hands when the older viewers die and are not replaced by younger viewers.
I was there too having season tix, and you’re right. The Sox hung around but the sense was that the A’s we’re a juggernaut and they proved it compared to the 88 and 90 Sox.
Christopher Russo has raised the same concerns and suggests various remedies, including tv contracts that mandate playoff games be shown on channels that can be easily accessed by the casual fan (also to build momentum for the WS), earlier start times, as well as the usual pace of play ideas.
MLBN currently doing a live studio from Dodger Stadium with Cafardo.
And the weather looks fabulous - game 3 might literally be 35 degrees warmer than game 2.
The BrooksBaseball charts show four Boston pitches in the zone that were not called strikes -- zero for LA.
Flat excepting Cubs and Yankees.Ratings trends since 2008
Not the trend you’d want but hardly disastrous.
The whole baseball world viewed them as monumental upsets at the time. I wonder if the analytics crowd would say the same thing. Quick lookup...
1990 Reds: 19.0 oWAR, 0.5 dWAR, 26.7 WAR pitching = 46.2 WAR total
1990 A's: 29.4 oWAR, 9.9 dWAR, 14.6 WAR pitching = 56 WAR total
Hm, I guess good pitching beats good hitting? The total difference is arguably that 9.9 dWAR, which maybe you toss out in a short series, in which case they were pretty even.
Seems more like baseball needs to create people who can become national or international stars. I might watch a random game with LeBron, Curry, Mahomes, or Cristiano Ronaldo even though I'm not a fan of any of the teams they are on. Even Mike Trout, I don't recall ever watching a regular season game with him that didn't involve the Red Sox.
Are you also going to change the rules so Trout has more at bats than anyone else on the team?
Yeah, if there are going to be must watch stars, they're probably going to have to be starting pitchers.
Probably a few of the lots. Maybe the little ones down the road too.
Doubt that matters. It's more a promotional/celebrity status thing than how often they appear on screen.
Pederson
Bellinger
Turner
Machado
Muncy
Puig
Grandal
Taylor
This is the Dodgers best lineup. Roberts should throw it out there every game for the rest of the series, regardless of opposing pitcher. They can make this a series again.
Bellinger
Turner
Machado
Muncy
Puig
Grandal
Taylor
This is the Dodgers best lineup. Roberts should throw it out there every game for the rest of the series, regardless of opposing pitcher. They can make this a series again.
I don't think they can afford Grandal's defense with the Sox aggressive baserunning. I'm also not convinced that Pederson is any better than Hernandez.
funny graph. the 7.6 in 2012 is clearly below the 7.5 line. The 9.2 in 2008 looks lower than the 8.90in 2010; the 8.6 in 2013; the 9.0 in 2015; and the8.7 in 2017. And the 8.7s in 2011 and 2017 look to be different heights compared to 7.5 line.Ratings trends since 2008
So about the same as parking close to Fenway during a regular season game?
Better, not much better.
Against lefties, Pederson is much, much, much worse than Hernandez.
Your premise was to play that lineup regardless of opposing pitcher. If you're going to do that, you play Hernandez, not Pederson.
MLB has it covered. See, they've been worried that the games took too long and ended so late that they were losing younger viewers, so during the regular season they tried a couple things, like a pitch clock and counting mound visits, that shaved a pinch of time off. Nothing major. But for the playoffs, they really went all in to grab the kids, with the Migos spot and the "Let the Kids Play" commercial. Then they decided to start the games later, ignore every single way to keep the pace up and in fact allow way more latitude than ever (thus ensuring games that are four hours on average and end on a different day than they started), and sweeten the pot by forcing viewers to tolerate in-game commercials for the first time. It's like it was MLB's goal to alienate the young viewers they covet as well as the eyeballs they already have. Incredible. I want to sweep because I hate the Dodgers and also get off on postseason runs where the Sox just push people around, but mostly I want to sweep so I only have to deal with these in-game commercials two more times. They enrage me.
Sorry for the rant--GO SOX!
Just heard on Colin Cowherd's show that Dave Roberts was essentially forced to sit his big leftie bats by the front office analysts for Games 1 and 2. It would be interesting to find out how much he protested this decision.
Some hubris in this here thread. I'm a big proponent of "jinxes are for dummies, it's fine to say 'no-hitter' if a potential one is in progress, and what we say here has no effect on the field"...but acting like the Dodgers are cooked is nonsense. They win a couple games in LA (they're a good baseball team!) and this Series is a SERIES again.
That said, I'm beginning to believe it will not come back to Fenway. We'll just see how tomorrow goes.
That said, I'm beginning to believe it will not come back to Fenway. We'll just see how tomorrow goes.
J.D’s ankle worries me in the outfield. How come the idea of him just playing 1st base hasn’t been explored by the team?
Wouldn’t playing first base be worse on a sore ankle? You’re involved in many more plays, running to cover the bag on every ground ball, stretching for throws etc...
Rewatching game 2. I highly recommend it. Price’s 2 run 4th was actually a great pitching performance. Yet it is statistically his worst inning in his last 12 IP.
Also Lebron. or Tom Brady will o a few great things, even in their worst game.
I took my kids to see Lebron when he was with the Heat. It was objectively the wosrst game of two year period. But he did some things, had some moments where it was worth the money. I saw Bobby Orr play twice. Once the Bruins tied a crappy Cannucks team and he had 1 point an assit where he shot it up the boards and Sanderson carried in and set up some scrub I don't remember. But I saw him skate, and he was a god. I tool my kids to see Ortiz and the 2016 Sox. He walked struck out twice and hit into a double play. Travis Shaw went deep though.
Baseball is long season and even the best postion players will be boring to watch half the time.
My opinion is everything is becoming Nascar. The technical aspects of what it takes to win are fascinating to the hard core fan, and bore the channel flipper. I am not sure that is bad. Many MLB teams have a core of devoted hard core fans that watch local broadcasts and buy tickets.Look at this fucking place. I used to watch the world series, because it was the world series. Shit I don't even watch the Superbowl if the Pats are not playing, and the second I retire from coaching I will stop watching any hoops but Celtics games.
I am not sure the TV rating are what matter. My kid is a baseball player and a borderline college prospect. He knows infinitely more about pitching that I will ever know. But, he like almost all his teammates don't watch games on TV. But, he follows five different Mookie Betts feeds on instagram, and watched Benintendi's catch fifteen different times. I coach high school hoops and it drives me nuts because 20 years ago kids could tell me how Jordan forced Dumars away from the ball screen the previous night, while now all they know is a few sick highlights.But, they buy what the NBA is selling. Baseball can compete in the online world. The exit speed, HR distance stuff is really cool to young people, and unlike slam dunks makes each homer unique. Maybe the end is nigh, but I just think being fan will be different.
The bar height represents viewership and the blue line is ratings.
Never thought I'd experience something more infuriating than ESPN's major league broadcasts.
I agree. The in-game advertisements are the final straw. MLB has sold its soul.
(Imagine ads during football huddles. Imagine ads during foul shots. Imagine ads all over your interne...oh, wait...)
I agree. The in-game advertisements are the final straw. MLB has sold its soul.
(Imagine ads during football huddles. Imagine ads during foul shots. Imagine ads all over your interne...oh, wait...)
It seems like Puig has a lot of balls drop in front of him for singles. I've read he's playing deep, but he's not making plays, is he?
Yes. Specifically the stopping and pivoting after sprinting to the bag to cover it on an infield grounder. There isn't a lot of that type of movement in the outfield, particularly the abrupt stop and turn motion. Generally, once you get moving in the outfield, it's more or less in a straight line. No change of direction required and rarely is there an abrupt stop.
First base has the rep for being the "easy" position, and it is when you are accustomed to the responsibilities. But it's more than just fielding grounders and catching throws from infielders. Like any position, there are subtleties that don't come easy, especially if you're dropping into the spot with no practice or experience. Wash in Moneyball wasn't wrong. Martinez at 1B at this stage is a non-starter.
I am surprised at how so many have written this series off before a game is even played in LA. The games will have a completely different feel in LA with their home crowd and better line up. I would bet this goes back to Fenway, hopefully with the Sox up, not LA.
Speaking for myself, I'm not 'writing off' the Dodgers - I just believe that the Red Sox are the better team - in talent, coaching and preparation - and that their dominance this October is no fluke. I have a high level of confidence that they can win two games this weekend.
Does any Fenway area lot offer any discount, let alone 1/3 off, to pay in advance?
I wonder if, purely from an ad revenue point of view, the way to combat declining ratings is to encourage longer games? In other words, if I can only charge $3 per ad instead of $4, wouldn't it make sense to run 40 ads instead of 30? (Math for illustrative purposes only.)Ratings trends since 2008