Baseball sells its soul for television

[Fenway]

columnists on both coasts are saying enough is enough

Oakland
http://www.insidebayarea.com/sports/ci_6056487

There were the A's on Sunday afternoon, eating a postgame meal while on the clubhouse television screens the Red Sox were getting ready to play against the Yankees, 2,600 miles away at Fenway Park. The same Red Sox who tonight, jet-lagged, sleepy, will face the A's in Oakland.

Boston
http://www.boston.com/sports/nesn/wilbur/sports_blog/blog/2007/06/04/ratings_drive/index.html
It is TV that drives the game, and what billion-dollar investors Fox and ESPN say, goes. Red Sox-Yankees bring the ratings, so both networks leap at the chance to show the teams at every chance they get. Which is only part of the reason the other 42 or so states hate the Red Sox or the Yankees. The poor Angels, Tigers and Indians are like the pimply-faced genius in the back of the classroom, still waving his hand for some attention.

[tebman]

Baseball's deference to television has been true for years. I think it was 1974 when the World Series was scheduled at night so that MLB could collect the prime-time money. During the pre-game ceremonies Commissioner Bowie Kuhn was introduced and was roundly booed by the crowd that was bundled up in parkas and gloves -- Kuhn was officially responsible for moving the games to night, and it was a lot colder at night.

Somewhere on tape I've got a copy of an old Bill Veeck interview (1980?) where he was talking about TV's influence. He said that TV already determined when the games are to be played; the next logical step would be that TV would determine who played. If there's some more handsome dude available, he would get more game time even if there's a better ballplayer on the team who didn't look as good because the TV producers and sponsors would demand it.

[Chicken Dinner]

I sure the reason the White Sox-Yankees game is on ESPN tonight has nothing to do with Roger. The whole ESPN/FOX crap is a bunch of BS. Baseball is selling itself like a street corner crack dealer.

[Kogs35]

I sure the reason the White Sox-Yankees game is on ESPN tonight has nothing to do with Roger. The whole ESPN/FOX crap is a bunch of BS. Baseball is selling itself like a street corner crack dealer.

your right about tonight game on espn having nothing todo with roger. this game was picked months ago to be on monday night baseball, same with next week at philly

[IndianWhiteSox]

I sure the reason the White Sox-Yankees game is on ESPN tonight has nothing to do with Roger. The whole ESPN/FOX crap is a bunch of BS. Baseball is selling itself like a street corner crack dealer.

That's the sad part about it. Even in other sports, when ESPN has their bias towards certain teams, at least leagues like the NBA and NFL will just market the stars and teams of almost all cities. Where as only MLB will market teams of the Blow Sawx,Yankmeees, sCrUBS, etc.