Major League Baseball 2018 Season Thread

[Joker]

Attendance is Down Across Baseball. Is it the awful weather? Or something Else?

I went to opening day. I skipped Jackie Robinson day due to rain, and I always go to J.R. Day when the Mariners are in town. I might go to the Thursday matinee, since the weather should be nice. I do think the weather is a big factor, but maybe not the only factor.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Attendance is Down Across Baseball. Is it the awful weather? Or something Else?

I went to opening day. I skipped Jackie Robinson day due to rain, and I always go to J.R. Day when the Mariners are in town. I might go to the Thursday matinee, since the weather should be nice. I do think the weather is a big factor, but maybe not the only factor.

Don't forget kids are still in school which curtails attendance numbers on weeknights. But yeah, the weather has played big time havoc in the Midwest and northeast, resulting in cancellations, 24 the last time I checked. It's been a mess in the early going.

[Joker]

Sure, but this is just raw numbers vs previous years. And it's not good. Weather will certainly be a factor in March/April, but there's got to be other reasons.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Sure, but this is just raw numbers vs previous years. And it's not good. Weather will certainly be a factor in March/April, but there's got to be other reasons.

More people staying home to watch baseball I guess. Between local telecasts of hometown teams, ESPN's extensive slate of games, offerings on MLB Network, and viewing packages via MLB Extra Innings, why go to the park at all at all when it's cheaper and easier to watch at home? Speaking just for myself, I barely manage to attend more than ten Phillies home games a year, if that. Weeknights are out of the question because I have to get up early in the morning for work, and my weekends are often busy, so squeezing in games is difficult, especially when I can kick back in my living room in front of a 65 inch hi-def TV to watch the action. In a way, TV can be seen as the bane to attendance numbers at ballparks these days.

[The Whovian]

Harper hit a broken bat HR last night. Unreal

[Joker]

I'd love for Portland to get a baseball team, but I wonder if it'll happen unless there's more expansion teams.

Also, do we need more teams?

I'd like Portland in the AL West so we could have a genuine rival. I'd like Houston out of the AL West. But I don't know where you'd put them.

[MRP]

I'd love for Portland to get a baseball team, but I wonder if it'll happen unless there's more expansion teams.

Also, do we need more teams?

I'd like Portland in the AL West so we could have a genuine rival. I'd like Houston out of the AL West. But I don't know where you'd put them.

Well they were in the NL central before they switched to the AL and went into the west, but were in the west back when there were only 2 divisions. But I doubt you will see MLB expand any time soon, especially with attendance down currently.



-M

[Hiromi]

Pre wild realignment you had a lot of teams in grossly out of date divisions, like the Braves in the NL West

It honestly still feels weird thinking of the Astros as an AL team and no NL Texas teams

[Joker]

I don't see expansion happening immediately, but they've talked about it. I think they'd probably expand to six team divisions, if they expanded. Don't seem to want lopsided divisions anymore, hence the AL West Astros.

[MRP]

Mookie Betts greets Ohtani with a lead off homerun in Betts first gameback after hurting his foot on Saturday.

-M

[MRP]

I don't see expansion happening immediately, but they've talked about it. I think they'd probably expand to six team divisions, if they expanded. Don't seem to want lopsided divisions anymore, hence the AL West Astros.

If they expand, it won't be 6 teams at once. Talent dilution is a problem with expansion, and there's no way to have an expansion draft for 6 teams without stripping some teams rosters, so if they do expand, it will likely be only 2 teams (at a time if they add more) so there will be uneven divisions if they do expand, which is another reason I think it is unlikely. I also don;t think there are 6 markets capable of supporting a MLB team that don;t currently have teams. In addition, scheduling to accommodate divisional matchups, AL-NL matchups mostly one at a time, required off days, etc. is difficult as it is without adding more teams to the mix. All those things will have to be factored in along with the upcoming CBA that will have to deal with things like pace of play etc. before they even consider approving an expansion bid. With all that in mind, I doubt you will see any expansion for at least 6-8 years, more likely longer.

-M

[MRP]

Well Ohtani only lasted 2 innings against the Sox. He gave up 3, but by all accounts none of his secondary pitches were working and he couldn't throw any of them for strikes tonight.

-M

PS edit to add: The Angels announced after the 3rd inning that Ohtani left the game because of a hand injury.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

If you ask me, there's already too many teams and not enough major league ready talent to stock those clubs to make any talk of expansion counter-productive. On top of that, cities chosen for expansion without stadiums would have to build them, and with municipalities from coast to coast tightening their belts these days, that would not be well received, especially since the tab for brand new parks would probably START at $1 billion and no doubt go up from there with taxpayers picking up the check.

Meanwhile, weather chaos continues in MLB as the Pirates hosted Colorado in 27 degree wind chill with snow last night as the Rockies won 2-0. Man, this **** has gone beyond ridiculous.

[Joker]

I hadn't really thought about the talent dilution issue.

I certainly don't expect them to add six teams, nor do I know where those six teams would go, or what markets could support them, but I just don't see MLB expanding smaller and having lopsided divisions again.

Well Ohtani only lasted 2 innings against the Sox. He gave up 3, but by all accounts none of his secondary pitches were working and he couldn't throw any of them for strikes tonight.

The hype is real...

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Apparently we fans aren't alone in wanting to see a shortened season:

Cubs' Anthony Rizzo willing to take pay cut for shorter regular season

With so many weather-related postponements already this baseball season, we can add Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the list of those calling for a reduction in the number of games.

In his weekly radio appearance on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, Rizzo conceded players would likely have to give something back to keep from playing in the kind of conditions they've seen this season.

"I think we play too much baseball," he said. "Yes, guys are going to take pay cuts. But are we playing this game for the money or do we love this game? I know it's both, but in the long run it will make everything better."

"I think playing in the cold sucks," Rizzo said.