MLB - 2007 Season

[Arrian]

I wouldn't mind if they were *good* teams, two first place teams or some of the best teams in the league... but the NYY are 8-11...

A couple things. First off, if you think the NYY are going to finish the season with a losing record, I have a bridge to sell you. In other words, they're better than their current record. Further, unless I misunderstand how these things work, they pick the teams for the national broadcasts way in advance - so they're looking at 2006 results as well as projections of how they will do this year (along with the obvious "how many people want to see this team). Hence Yanks, Sox, Tigers, Mets, Cubs, Cards. Typically, every year some team that was supposed to be good isn't, and you get a national broadcast of a bad team. Ya'll can hope that it's the Yanks this year. I mean, really, are you asserting you don't want to see the Yankees lose?

So that part of your post is pretty funny. As for the rest, my point wasn't that E.C.B. doesn't exist. I was just yawning at more whining about it. It exists and exists for a very simple, if irritating (to you) reason.

As for the no-no... I remember there being lots of coverage of that. Maybe I tuned into Sportscenter or Baseball Tonight at a different time, and got the Buehrle coverage. What ARod's been doing is pretty insane too, so it's not like they led with "random Yankee hits a single!"

Finally, who the **** doesn't know the White Sox won the WS in 2005, and why do you care if some (obviously) casual fan doesn't know who won 2 years ago?

-Arrian

[Arrian]

If you go on Yankee blogs/boards you will find ESPN referred to as "NESPN" because there is a belief that ESPN loves the Red Sox and hates the Yankees. Seriously.

Then go to a Sox blog/board and you will find that they whine about ESPN dissing the Sox and loving the Yankees...

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

Hell, I personally know Yankee fans who believe ESPN is biased against the Yanks.

[Arrian]

This is what I'm saying. They are wrong, as are the Red Sox fans, and so on and so forth.

Now there *is* "east coast bias" in that ESPN knows where the money comes from and you can trust them to follow the money. So NYY, NYM, BOS will always get more coverage than their "fair share" if all fanbases & markets were the same. The same thing is true to a lesser extent with the Cubs (and will be for the ChiSox if their fan base builds up). But then that's an old story, isn't it?

-Arrian

[snoopy369]

The national broadcasts aren't decided that far in advance... except that they'll show nearly every BOS/NYY game.

For example, there's a reason that MIL is shown on one of those broadcasts, and it's not that they were expecting the Brew Crew to be any good prior to the season. They also haven't decided beyond where I cut off the list, I presume (they aren't announcing it anyway).

I wasn't suggesting that people don't know the Sox won the series two years ago ... but that, two years ago, people didn't expect them to have a chance to do so, when folks here rather expected it given how good the team was.

My point is, ultimately, that they're primarily a regional sports network. Sure, more fans are in NY/NE than any other one location, but that's true for (non-sports) news as well; and you don't see ABC World News focusing primarily on local New York news, do you? It's the difference between professional News and a business that runs after the nearest dollar.

[Arrian]

The Brewers were a popular pre-season pick for a "surprise" team, but ok, perhaps I'm wrong about when they decide on which games to show.

And "professional news" does run after the nearest dollar, which is why you get endless coverage of Britney Spears' haircut and hear very little about what's going on in some ****hole in Africa. Or, for that matter, things that are happening in Europe, the Far East, or even in our relative backyard.

-Arrian

[Arrian]

I wasn't suggesting that people don't know the Sox won the series two years ago ... but that, two years ago, people didn't expect them to have a chance to do so, when folks here rather expected it given how good the team was.

Actually, most analysts, including those who do not work for ESPN or any "east coast media" missed the White Sox. Just didn't see them coming, because nobody realized their pitching (and defense - so run prevention in total) would be that good. And be fair - it was a year where everything went just right for them. In 2006 there was some regression and thus a 3rd place finish (in a TOUGH division, though - they won what, 90 games?).

Point being people didn't miss the White Sox because they're midwestern. They missed them because, frankly, nobody had reason to believe their pitchers were going to be that good. Nobody - not just ESPN.

I don't even LIKE ESPN. Why am I doing this?

THE END.

-Arrian

[-Jrabbit]

Actually, the best indication from the schedule is the amazing paucity of west coast teams. One each for SF (Bonds) and SEA (Ichiro). No Oakland, and none of the 3 teams from SoCal.

But as the saying goes, it's a long season. A 5-week schedule listing is far from conclusive proof of anything.

[Arrian]

So Phil Hughes, the much-touted Yankee pitching prospect, made his debut last night.

His final line looks pretty ugly (4.1IP, 4ER). He pitched better than that, though, and the stuff is clearly there (5ks, 1BB). Two of the runs scored after he was pulled - one of which reached base (leading off the 5th) on a blown call by the ump. The fact that the play was even close was due to Miguel Cairo playing SS. Jeter isn't a great defender, but he at least has a major league SS's arm. Oy. So had the ump got it right, it most likely would've been 4.2-5IP, 2 ER (because the sac fly that scored the other guy woulda been out #3), which obviously looks better. None of that really matters anyway, because the Yankees were shut out (Burnett can be *nasty*).

Anyway, it was fun to watch the kid pitch. First, because he works reasonably quickly. Second, because he was throwing strikes. Third, because he's 20 years old and it's fun to project a rosy scenario going forward. It's a helluva lot more fun than watching guys like Kei Igawa - a finished product with little room for growth - scuffle (and walk the ballpark).

Pettitte - Matsuzaka tonight (weather permitting) should be good.

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

Ouch... The BoSox, who chased Pettitte, sure have Rivera's number, don't they?

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Arrian
The Brewers were a popular pre-season pick for a "surprise" team, but ok, perhaps I'm wrong about when they decide on which games to show.

And "professional news" does run after the nearest dollar, which is why you get endless coverage of Britney Spears' haircut and hear very little about what's going on in some ****hole in Africa. Or, for that matter, things that are happening in Europe, the Far East, or even in our relative backyard.

-Arrian

Real news - and I'm talking the major nightly newscasts - do not chase dollars, but try to put forth meaningful stories. That's why you don't see endless Britney stories on ABC World News Tonight or the equivalent.

And to your other point - lots of folks in the midwest (where I live...) saw the White Sox in 2005 winning the series, or at least as a strong contender. It wasn't just the pitching (which was amazing) but the hitting 1-9 also was strong, even without a single superstar hitter.

Even setting aside the preseason picks which of course will be local teams, by the end of the season you'd think someone would consider the Sox having a good chance to win - they did win a rather large number of games that year

[Fistandantilus]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Ouch... The BoSox, who chased Pettitte, sure have Rivera's number, don't they?

Oh well Marco Scutaro showed us the way

Mo hasn't got a save yet.. it's scary.

[MichaeltheGreat]

The entire bullpen doesn't have a save yet.

I *almost* felt a tiny twinge of sympathy in between whoopin' and cheering, but then the Sox had to eat it last year, with worse pitching injuries, while the Bronx *******s chanted "season's over" repeatedly in the final series in the toilet. So that brief moment of weakness passed and it was back to torpedo the troop ship, machine gun the lifeboats, then machine gun the survivors in the water.

Late in the game, Torre looked like he'd had some really bad pasta. Hope he's got plenty of Pepto in the dugout. I heard the announcers last night say it's been 50 years since a team had gone eight straight games where the starters hadn't gone more than five innings. (or was that just the MFY? - since it was local announcers, would they be aware of any other teams in the majors? )

Now we get to see if Kartens can save Torre from the longest losing streak of his tenure. Sunday is probably a gimme, with Tavarez against Wang, but Lester will make one more rehab start with the PawSox, then rejoin the Sox' rotation in place of Tavarez.

[Arrian]

but the hitting 1-9 also was strong

Not particularly, no. The hitting was a weakness, but they had such good pitching & defense that they won anyway.

Scored 741 runs (9th out of 14 in the AL), Allowed 645 (3rd in AL - though they ranked #1 in ERA... must be the unearned runs?).

Point being the team was below-average offensively. That's a simple fact.

The offense was a major reason cited by those who didn't believe in the '05 White Sox. The other reason was that the pitching, while good, wasn't gonna stay THAT good. Well it did, and then got even better in the playoffs. Then last year it regressed back to more predictable levels, and thus even with a major offensive upgrade, the team won 9 fewer games.

Now if you think the "pythagorean record" (wins/losses based on run differential) has merit, their pythag wins in 2005 "should" have been 91, as opposed to the 99 they actually won. They played great in tight games (likely due to that good pitching & defense, IMO).

People didn't overlook the White Sox because they were from Chicago. They overlooked them because the team looked flawed and, unlike a team like the Yankees, it was unlikely to go make a big trade to plug a hole mid-season.

The analysts were wrong, but many of them were wrong based on sound reasoning. Or flawed reasoning, for that matter, but reasoning nonetheless.

-Arrian

[Arrian]

As for the Yanks...

I'm pissed Torre took Wang out at 84 pitches. I don't know that it would've effected the outcome, but it might've saved the bullpen from further overuse. Wang wasn't pitching all that well, but he wasn't pitching all that badly either, and certainly didn't look tired.

So "everyday" Scottie Proctor got to pitch again, as did Bruney. Stupid.

Thankfully Igawa got it done with smoke & mirrors on Saturday, so it wasn't another sweep. The pitching situation is fugly right now, and I can only hope that it will improve as Mussina comes back and Wang is allowed to throw more than 80 friggin' pitches.

-Arrian