Nationally televised games

[Lokais]

Looks like the Indians are starting to get some attention.

We're on ESPN 2 tonight, then MLBN 5/28 against the Rays (this was there awhile ago) and TBS on 6/12 against the Yankees.

[Am I Here Again?]

Cynic me says if tonight's game were against anyone other than the suddenly hot Red Sux we wouldn't be getting a sniff of ESPN2. After all don't their call letters stand for "Everything Sux Plus Newyork"? I don't care WHAT prompts the TV powers-that-be to put the Tribe on though - it's about time the rest of the nation got a look at us.

[aclayman]

I have MLB Network, and it's exceedingly annoying that the Red Sox are also their national game seemingly 3 times a week. It feels like 3/4 of Red Sox games are on ESPN/TBS/FOX/MLBN.

[Adverb Harry]

Yeah, TBS's coverage has pretty much become "whoever the hell the Yankees are playing." Take this weekend, for instance. Perfectly good chance to show the Indians/Reds game...the best team in baseball versus a team that was only a game or so out in their division and that made the playoffs last year, to boot. What do we get? The Yankee$ and their cross-town rivals, the lackluster Mets with their sub .500 record. You can pretty much count on a nationally-televised Yankees game at least once per week, if not more, and those chances go up to 100 percent if they play the Red Sox or Mets.

Let's put it this way: the Yankees and Red Sox would be nationally televised on these upcoming dates if they were playing the Twins. That they're playing a first-place team is simply coincidental.

Just sad.

[Lokais]

Guys, it's a business. Just take what you can get.

[peeker643]

Guys, it's a business. Just take what you can get.

Yep. NYC is home to ~20x more people than Cleveland and Greater Boston has ~10x the number of people.

The math is quite simple when it comes to reaching more people with ads.

Sucks, but that's the name of the game.

[motherscratcher]

Guys, it's a business. Just take what you can get.

Yep. NYC is home to ~20x more people than Cleveland and Greater Boston has ~10x the number of people.

The math is quite simple when it comes to reaching more people with ads.

Sucks, but that's the name of the game.

But, it's not fair! Vee though vee getting million dollars!

[bookelly]

If market size is the argument then why don't we get more Chicago, LA, and Texas games? I think it's because there is a horrible bias towards teams that start games EST. The west coast is all but ignored because of this. MLB better wake up and realize there are more than two teams.

[Spanky]

Doesnt have to do with the number of people in the city so much as the number of fans nation wide. They wouldnt show it if they didnt pull in an audience

[Adverb Harry]

I get WHY the big media outlets focus so much on those two teams. I just don't get why they don't try to expand their coverage to more teams and embrace the "national" part of the national past-time. Football is pretty well covered nationally...baseball would be well served to try the same formula. They might actually find it helps revenues when the "casual" fan finds new players in different markets to follow.

If you think about it, almost every team has at least one star player (or up-and-coming prospect) to rally behind. Make that a jumping off point and get the fans to notice. Hell, some of these small-market teams are actually doing pretty well...often better than the big boys. Show some Rays games. Throw on the Reds once in a while. The Indians have the best record...maybe they should get some coverage at times other than Red Sox and Yankee visits.

It might actually serve the networks well to acknowledge the fact that there are 28 more teams that routinely go un-noticed. And if those teams are winning (like the Indians), it's inexcusable to ignore them.

[Dnthateonthepronk]

I get WHY the big media outlets focus so much on those two teams. I just don't get why they don't try to expand their coverage to more teams and embrace the "national" part of the national past-time. Football is pretty well covered nationally...baseball would be well served to try the same formula. They might actually find it helps revenues when the "casual" fan finds new players in different markets to follow.

If you think about it, almost every team has at least one star player (or up-and-coming prospect) to rally behind. Make that a jumping off point and get the fans to notice. Hell, some of these small-market teams are actually doing pretty well...often better than the big boys. Show some Rays games. Throw on the Reds once in a while. The Indians have the best record...maybe they should get some coverage at times other than Red Sox and Yankee visits.

It might actually serve the networks well to acknowledge the fact that there are 28 more teams that routinely go un-noticed. And if those teams are winning (like the Indians), it's inexcusable to ignore them.

I agree.


Baseball seems to be the only sport that doesnt get it.... but then again that is because the sport is run by 3 or four owners, 1 puppet, and the agents