One way or another, I do feel like having a season even under restrictive circumstances doesn't make a mockery of the game. Was watching a doc on the Smithsonian Channel last night that included impacts to MLB during WW2. Even though they lost so many of their stars to the war effort, they played ball. You play games under the circumstances you're stuck with and with the guys you got. But, as I was discussing with my aunt the other day (who was alive during the war), this is different than that. If it can't be done relatively safely, that's the tipping point.Seems like they need to go to hubs like the NHL and NBA. Perhaps they could do divisional hubs and play solely within divisions.
The thing I'm surprised NOBODY (at least that I've heard) is talking about is playing playoff series and the World Series in neutral-site, warm-weather or indoor venues. Not sure if there are going to be spectators anyway, so there's really little or no home-field advantage, and NFL teams don't seem to mind that the Superbowl is a neutral-site event.
I feel strongly that this should be the model going forward. I hope this is a trial balloon and not just a one-off. I personally think that a multi-team, multiple-elimination, warm-weather, neutral-site league championship series similar to the College World Series would be a huge hit and that fans would travel for it. The World Series would be the traditional 7-game series but held somewhere that there won't be a sneet storm during the game. Imagine traveling to Los Angeles and watching your team play for the championship in Chavez Ravine after checking out Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier during the day. I would do that.Good call on this one.
Amazing, I knew some crazy stuff would be possible in a 60 game schedule but Marlins IN and defending Champs, Nationals OUT, never would have thought that daily double was possible. Especially, not after the Marlins outbreak.
Kudos to Jeter and Mattingly.
I feel strongly that this should be the model going forward. I hope this is a trial balloon and not just a one-off. I personally think that a multi-team, multiple-elimination, warm-weather, neutral-site league championship series similar to the College World Series would be a huge hit and that fans would travel for it. The World Series would be the traditional 7-game series but held somewhere that there won't be a sneet storm during the game. Imagine traveling to Los Angeles and watching your team play for the championship in Chavez Ravine after checking out Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier during the day. I would do that.
One way or another, baseball at night in early November in the north is not baseball.
Agreed. If they stay with 6 play-off teams, they are already on the edge making the regular season meaningless. Take away home field and it truly would be. You'd have teams in coast mode by August 1st. The 7 inning double-headers seemed to work well. Tell each team to schedule 3-4 per summer. If they're worried about their lost gate, they can charge more for them. You could also make the WC and Divisional Rounds all at the higher seed and eliminate travel days if you want to shorten the play-off schedule.This year it makes sense, but going forward I feel strongly that the play-offs should still be at home venues. Home field advantage should mean something and fans (especially season ticket holders) should not have to pony up additional bucks to travel for such an event.
There are other solutions to avoid November baseball such as:
- Start earlier (they were going to do that this year)
- Shorten the schedule back to 154 games,
- Pre-determined double headers
- Reduce travel days during the post-season