ALCS game scheduling.

[buildingmaint]

Has any one else ever heard of splitting up games 3 and 4 or games 4 and 5 like they did this year in the ALCS ? Did MLB do this deliberately so the American league could set up their pitching rotation so only their best pitchers would start ? What happed to the days when some one like Jim Rooker could come in and start an important game . I guess that would not sell a lot of tickets.

[jkrdevil]

Has any one else ever heard of splitting up games 3 and 4 or games 4 and 5 like they did this year in the ALCS ? Did MLB do this deliberately so the American league could set up their pitching rotation so only their best pitchers would start ? What happed to the days when some one like Jim Rooker could come in and start an important game . I guess that would not sell a lot of tickets.

They had an off day between game 4 and 5 (I believe one was schedules in the NLCS as well but it didn't get that far) because of television. It was so the World Series could start of Wednesday and thus only have 1 Saturday night game instead of the usual two. Saturday night is the worst television night and Fox wanted to avoid having multiple games on Saturday in order to help boost ratings.

[Burning River]

I think it was for TV. They alternated off days. Then, each League would have a prime time TV spot to them selves.

[infrared41]

In order to improve ratings they keep making start times later, they spread games out to avoid certain nights, they make sure The Sox and Yankees are always in primetime and still the ratings keep dropping. Ratings were up across the board on local broadcasts. TBS kept their playoff games on local time for the most part and their ratings were higher than ESPN's were last season; despite the fact that ESPN does sports full time and TBS airs Friends and Everybody loves Raymond reruns. Anyone notice a pattern here?

Baseball has set attendance records four years in a row yet we're supposed to believe that come playoff time no one wants to watch it? Media "experts" want us to believe that a sport at the peak of it's popularity suddenly becomes uninteresting because The Rockies made The World Series and The Cubs didn't. Call me crazy but I think TV is it's own worst enemy here. Start the games at 7:30. Play all the series as soon as both teams are set. Stop with the late starts and off days for no reason and I guarantee that ratings will improve. A lot.

Just a thought.

[goalieboy82]

they need to bring back afternoon World Series games (during the weekday). they can start the games at 1:30pm EST. if it is on the west coast, 3:30pm EST.

[BaltimoreFan]

I agree the scheduling is stupid. Its rediculous that the Rockies have to wait 8 days because they sweept their LCS opponent. For the second straight year we're seeing the rest isn't a good thing. Its almost like a punishment for being significantly better than the other teams in your league. I think there are better ways to schedule the games so that they avoid two Saturday nights.

[CC97]

they need to bring back afternoon World Series games (during the weekday). they can start the games at 1:30pm EST. if it is on the west coast, 3:30pm EST.

Yeah good idea, that way nobody watches instead of just some people.