MLB as an organization can sometimes do the most frustrating things. For some reason, they seem dead set on ensuring that they never create any new fans. They have accomplished this goal in a variety of ways: putting a stranglehold on their footage which makes it nearly impossible to find clips of classic games (try to YouTube Joe Carter's World Series Winning HR and see if you can find a clip that wasn't just recorded by someone off their own TV); utilizing an insane blackout policy that, most notably, blacks out games for 6 teams in Las Vegas, which is home to a grand total of 0; and consistently dropping the ball on Opening Day.
Opening Day is fantastic and every baseball fan in America looks forward to it with the same zeal and excitement of Christmas. In previous years, MLB has started the "Opening Night" which I believed to be the previous years World Series champion in a one game showcase for the sport followed by Opening Day for everyone else (though, if memory serves, I think the Nationals had this honor once when their new stadium opened). Not a bad idea. Stealing a page from the NFL, MLB had created "an event" to bring people in.
So, one would assume the Giants would be playing in "Opening Night" this year, no? Wrong. Yes, the Giants did play a night game and yes it was on Opening Day, but it was at the end of a day full of games in the middle of the week. The first slate of MLB games for the 2011 season took place while most of America was at work. Nothing creates new fans like showcasing your sport at a time that no one can watch it. Brilliant.
To that end, the Padres opened their 2011 campaign in St. Louis at a 1:00pm start here on the West Coast. No chance to watch this while at work, so I set my DVR to record the nationally televised game on ESPN. Even tacked on an extra hour, a veteran move for anyone trying to record live sports (won't tell you how many last second drives, overtimes or 9th innings I've missed by not doing this).
Full disclosure: I live in Riverside, CA; outside the San Diego television market and outside the blackout radius for the San Diego Padres per MLB. Since moving up here more than a year ago, I have seen the Padres on MLB Network, Fox and ESPN without an issue.
Except for Opening Day. After watching the final inning of the Tigers vs Yankees game, I settled in for Tim Stauffer and the new look Padres. What I got was ESPNNews. 4 hours of ESPNNews.
I was less than pleasant to be around at this point.
After some cursing and venting via Twitter, I had to face reality. I wasn't going to be able to see the game. Therefore, might as well left the "information embargo" I had begun since 1:00pm and find out who won.
What I saw was stories of the Cameron Maybin Show. Diving catches, a game tying, down to their last out, HR in the 9th and an overall display of the potential that made him worth the relievers it cost to get him. It was a thrilling game and was reminiscent of so many of the 90 wins from 2010.
The Padres opened the 2011 campaign by winning in dramatic fashion against a team and in a city where they notoriously struggle.
Or so I'm told. Since I couldn't see it. Congratulations MLB.tv, you just got yourself a new customer.
Showing posts with label Albert Pujols. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Albert Pujols. Show all posts
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Friday, May 23, 2008
Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night
I return today after an 11 day hiatus to finish finals, begin an internship and entertain out-of-town guests. So, what have I missed?
- Jake Peavy was placed on the DL and the optimistic approach appears to be about 6 weeks on the shelf. This is devastating obviously but that devastation is tempered somewhat by being 12.5 games back. Essentially what I'm saying is, its not as if the Padres need him right now. And if this thing doesn't get turned around (and quickly) there is no reason to rush him back. I posted here a few weeks (months?) ago that Peavy's pitch counts I thought were abnormally high for this early in the season. Now he has a sore elbow. Maybe it's connected. Maybe whatever Prior has is contagious. Either way, Peavy is out.
- And now, so is Chris Young. If you watched or were at the game on Wednesday, the scene was something out of a horror movie. I saw the ball hit off CY, but wasn't sure where. His back was turned to the camera on Channel 4 and when he turned around a stream of blood was running down his face. Very Wes Craven. It appears he fractured his nose and will miss at least one or two starts.
- 10 minutes later, Josh Bard was knocked out with a high ankle sprain. The culprit in both incidents? Albert Pujols. I must say though, Pujols was pretty classy regarding the CY incident, saying in the paper that he "would have rather grounded into a double play then to have that happen."
- This obviously necessitated some moves by the front office which meant FINALLY Chase Headley would be brought...wait...what? Oh, no Chase is still in Portland. It's not about his salary though...no way...definitely not.
- The Padres find themselves 12.5 games back yet in the last two weeks have shown some semblance of competitiveness which I imagine is encouraging. What isn't is having the top two pitchers knocked out and having no catcher with big league experience.
- Trade rumors abound and the thought is that absent a major turn around, major trades will be made. Brian Giles contract ends at the end of this year so one would have to think he is on the block.
- Did I mention that Chase Headley is not up with the club yet?
- Ever the optimist, I can say that the NL as a whole is not exactly lighting the world on fire. Also, there is recent precedence for teams turning it around in the second half (Astros, Mariners, etc). It's possible. So I say, do not go gently into that good night...yet.
* Apologies to Dylan Thomas
- Jake Peavy was placed on the DL and the optimistic approach appears to be about 6 weeks on the shelf. This is devastating obviously but that devastation is tempered somewhat by being 12.5 games back. Essentially what I'm saying is, its not as if the Padres need him right now. And if this thing doesn't get turned around (and quickly) there is no reason to rush him back. I posted here a few weeks (months?) ago that Peavy's pitch counts I thought were abnormally high for this early in the season. Now he has a sore elbow. Maybe it's connected. Maybe whatever Prior has is contagious. Either way, Peavy is out.
- And now, so is Chris Young. If you watched or were at the game on Wednesday, the scene was something out of a horror movie. I saw the ball hit off CY, but wasn't sure where. His back was turned to the camera on Channel 4 and when he turned around a stream of blood was running down his face. Very Wes Craven. It appears he fractured his nose and will miss at least one or two starts.
- 10 minutes later, Josh Bard was knocked out with a high ankle sprain. The culprit in both incidents? Albert Pujols. I must say though, Pujols was pretty classy regarding the CY incident, saying in the paper that he "would have rather grounded into a double play then to have that happen."
- This obviously necessitated some moves by the front office which meant FINALLY Chase Headley would be brought...wait...what? Oh, no Chase is still in Portland. It's not about his salary though...no way...definitely not.
- The Padres find themselves 12.5 games back yet in the last two weeks have shown some semblance of competitiveness which I imagine is encouraging. What isn't is having the top two pitchers knocked out and having no catcher with big league experience.
- Trade rumors abound and the thought is that absent a major turn around, major trades will be made. Brian Giles contract ends at the end of this year so one would have to think he is on the block.
- Did I mention that Chase Headley is not up with the club yet?
- Ever the optimist, I can say that the NL as a whole is not exactly lighting the world on fire. Also, there is recent precedence for teams turning it around in the second half (Astros, Mariners, etc). It's possible. So I say, do not go gently into that good night...yet.
* Apologies to Dylan Thomas
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