Ah, the Fall Classic. Baseball in October. As a boy, it was a special time of the year. My first memories of the World Series began in the mid 1950s when names like Ford, Larsen, Berra, Mantle, Stengel, Alston, Hodges, Snider, Campenella, Maglie and Newcombe donned the sports pages. Hell, back in those days, the World Series sometimes began in late September. You know, a time when baseball was played in weather befitting the game.
Not today. Between extending the regular season to 162-games in 1961 (1962 in the NL), and expanding into a playoff system in 1995, the MLB Fall Classic appears more like a Winter Classic. Well, at least on the east coast. Watching recent Angels-Yankees games at Yankee Stadium in 30-degree weather and rain is a travesty. To make matters worse, MLB recently scheduled an afternoon game in LA and a night game in NY on the same day. Go figure. I understand time zones, but I also know it gets much colder on the east coast at night. DUH!
This year the World Series is scheduled to begin October 28th. If the Series goes seven games (and weather permitting) it will end on November 5th. For MLB and warm-weather residents, here’s a bit of meteorology; the East gets markedly colder in late October than in early October.
Maybe MLB was planning on a Freeway Series between the Angles and Dodgers, but that scenario doesn’t appear likely. With the Yankees up 2-0 at the time of this writing, I see no chance for the Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim beating the Yankees 4-times in 5 games. For the record, I also don’t see anyone in the NL beating the Yankees more than once, never mind four times.
So thanks to MLB greed, we could be watching the most important baseball games of the year in 20-degree weather and snow. It’s time for all those “brilliant minds” in MLB to figure something out. Leave the games played in cold and snow to the NFL.
It’s just another example of capitalism gone amuck.
I was at game 2 of the Yankees-Angles game. While a great game, it was miserable watching it. After paying thousands of dollars for tickets during the year, we fans deserve better.
Comment by NYY4ever — October 18, 2009 @ 10:22 am
Who cares? It’s football season. Go NY Giants!
Comment by giants24 — October 18, 2009 @ 11:34 am
Hey Mr. Gilbert? Though I agree that MLB has sold out to mutant games like the World Baseball Classic, do you think our national sport would fare better in a socialist country? Oh, wait, we ARE a socialist country now. After Obama has fixed the auto, banking, insurance and health care industries, maybe one of his czars will go fix baseball. I can’t wait.
Comment by John — October 18, 2009 @ 11:58 am
John–see Capitalism-A Love Story, and tell me how THAT
system has been working out for you. And, oh, get a life.
I read an article about baseball and you insert your petty
Obama grievances into it.
Comment by Martin Pal — October 18, 2009 @ 12:20 pm
Capitalism seems to be working out great for 20 million criminal aliens who have broken into the country like thieves in the night…and broad daylight too.
Comment by John — October 18, 2009 @ 2:22 pm
Today they’re playing an afternoon game in LA and a night game in Philly. …to your point. Foolish!
Comment by D.Blue — October 19, 2009 @ 11:53 am
So, it looks like Yankess v Phillies. Get your winter gear ready!
Comment by NYY-7 — October 24, 2009 @ 8:07 am
nice post and very informative
Comment by sports betting bonus — January 27, 2010 @ 4:21 pm