Scioscia says playoff schedule is ‘ridiculous’
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on Oct 25, 2009 
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Joe Girardi has been mostly diplomatic about the number of off days that have made this baseball postseason feel like six months instead of one. Mike Scioscia, however, let his true feelings be known yesterday in a session with L.A.-area writers.
“Ridiculous,” Scioscia said when asked for his thoughts. “I don’t know. Can I say it any clearer than that? We should have never had a day off last Wednesday. We should never have three days off after the season. You shouldn’t even have two days off after the season. It just takes an advantage away for a deep team, which everybody feels very strongly is an asset. It takes that advantage away and I think that’s something that Major League Baseball hopefully will consider looking at.”
When Game 6 is played tonight, the Angels will have played nine games in 18 days; the Yankees will have played nine in 19. If the Yankees win tonight, their 10th game of the postseason won’t come until Wednesday – 22 days since they began the ALDS. By comparison, the Yankees’ 12th scheduled off day during the season didn’t come until Aug. 3 (and that’s including the four days off during the All-Star Break).
I know that TV is the mother of all incentives for pro sports, but it sure seems foolish to decide the champion of your sport under such drastically different conditions than the rest of the schedule is played. One of the things that makes baseball great is its consistency; it’s played every day. The playoffs should at least try to approximate that during the games that matter most.
Amen!
And good for Scioscia to speak up. Girardi is still a young’un as far as managers go; he needs to be diplomatic – plus since he’s a Yankee guy, it would seem like he’s whining. Sciosia is not-NY and has some cred based on “seniority.”
Bud Selig doing what is best for baseball? Keep Dreaming!
” has some cred based on “seniority.”
He has some cred based on his resume of beating the Yanks and losing to the Red Sox.
Something me and Scioscia see eye to eye on. Ridiculous is the right word.
Hear, hear. There’s no momentum and no regular schedule. Also, no team should be able to pitch a three-man rotation during the postseason.
Dance with the ones that brung you. The schedule should be such that four-man rotations are automatic.
Bud is doing what the owners – who pay his salary – want. That is, he’s going for the maximum dollars. And if there was a network of domed stadiums or warm-weather sites, they would schedule playoff games in December.
You guys do know the reason why Scioscia is saying this is because he believes the Angels are a deeper team than us. He knows that we would be at a disadvantage not being able to start CC in 3 different games.
He’s 100% correct, good for him voicing his thoughts.
Starting the game past 8 is nuts too. Some of us work for a living and have to get up early. It’s a school night for kids too.
Fox could have put the game on FX and started at a decent hour or even in the afternoon. What a concept!
Total BS!
If we are benefited by having CC go 3 times every 7 game series, I say who cares. If the Yankees are negatively impacted, then I might have a problem with it.
Glad someone of his stature spoke up on this disgrace.
More head games from Scoscia.
“This disgrace” has allowed our ace, one of the best pitchers in the league, the ability to pitch 3 times in a 7 games series, if necessary. Our bullpen is struggling a bit. Mariano has been worked quite a bit. I would think you guys would be happy that our bullpen would get some rest too.
Another issue is that MLB does not have any plans in place for when teams sweep the ALDS like the Yankees and Angels did this year. If they did there would not have been a 4 days off between the ALDS and ALCS.
Hey, maybe we can go back to the good ol’ days before there was tv…and the Angels.
He’s 100% correct, but jeez Mike. Sounding a bit whiny there.
Double Amen. Of course there is zero chance it would happen, but going back to a 154 game regular season should have been done when they first added the wild card ‘division series’ third playoff round. It is an insult to the sport to be playing in such cold weather. The very least they could do is start each series with only one day off after the previous one.
CR9– yes we have been fortunate to have our ace lined up for a game 7 if that becomes necessary but there is no argument to support all the days off as being a positive unless you are a stockholder of Faux or TBS. hitters lose their rhythm…the weather plays more and more into the equation.
Whoever pays the monster bucks for the rights, in this case FOX or TBS, etc. gets to decide when the games are played and the higher the ratings especially in prime time, the more money
baseball has a right to ask for when the bidding comes up again. That as they say is the ballgame. So no matter how much the public screams for more day games or earlier games or less days off, it won’t matter, kind of like the healthcare public option. What the public wants and what will benefit the public no longer matters. Welcome to the world 2009!!
Well, Seligula, the owners and players could all get together and decide to, you know, take less money from FOX and TBS in exchange for more control over when the games are played. I’m just saying.
Completely agree. The schedule is ridiculous.
The owners might as well make David Hill of FOX the next Commissioner. Everything that happens with this sport is run through him anyways…might as well make it official and give him the title.
What’s the weather like? Any pictures from the stadium? (hint. hint.)
i does really kill the momentum for fans, too.
Yeah but you never heard him complain when the Angels beat the Yankees as a WildCard in a 5 game series in 2002. Sounds like he is making excuses for being down 3-2 and CC being able to pitch 3x’s. All season long Angels have been a bunch of cry babies. Just play the game and stop crying.
It kills the momentum of everyone,players and fans alike. A scheduled November 5th Game 7 of the World Series is an embarrassment for the game. Bud Selig isnt embrrassed though. He’s just a pimp for Fox.
road and others are right, mlb has to be prepared to take less or to to another network to gain back control of its postseason.
pushing the world series into november so fox can show ‘house’ or some such dreck during the season is preposterous.
mlb needs to go back to only taking travel days off. and the postseason needs to go back to starting the tuesday after the last day of the season. if there’s a playoff to settle a tie, then those teams’ losing thier off-day is what should happen.
weekend playoff games should be day games regardless of what the nfl does, and night games should start no later than 7:10, so everyone can watch the whole game.
each successive round should start 2 days after the second team clinches it’s berth, again giving an advantage to teams that clinch early.
this may bring in less money at first, but it would expand the fanbase so that in years to come the whole package will be worth more and generate even more revenue than it does now.
Professorg: clearly a socialist!
and while im commissioner, we go to a 150 game schedule with 6 scheduled split admission doubleheaders. only one game on monday night broadcast nationally, (plus rainout makeups. where nessesary).
this way the season starts one week later and ends the 3rd weekend in september. even if the world series goes 7 games, it would be over by today.
Not sure if anyones mentioned this but the last time Chuck Mangione played the national anthem at Yankee Stadium was in 1983 and Dave Righetti threw a no-hitter against the Red Sox.
Give it a rest Scioscia! While the schedule leaves much to be desired, so does your pitching depth. Your #4 Kazmir gave up 9 earned runs. Your closer blew one save and almost blew another. Your middle relief cracked in game 5. As a whole your pitching depth has not looked anymore impressive than our pitching depth.
Despite the criticisms of Girardi’s aggressive pitching changes, it has done 1 good thing for the Yankee relief core, their pitch counts are low. And its too bad that your pitching depth does not include a closer that you feel comfortable with in tight situations. The schedule has nothing to do with that!
ham fighters – you’re theory that this would result in a greater fanbase and revenue stream down the road would take an attack of originality and risk taking by the TV suits. So you know it would never happen. Risk taking is not in their genes. That’s why we get the same drek recylced umpteen times on network TV.
Now, if MLB really wanted to control it’s product, it could use it’s own MLB Network, sell to advertisers directly, and cut out the middle man (FOX). They could then schedule when they wanted. I would think the threat of this was on MLB’s mind when it created the MLBNetwork. I wonder when the current TV contract expires.
anybody know when pettite’s last home playoff loss was? was it the 03 world series when beckett dominated?
Joe,
“if MLB really wanted to control it’s product, it could use it’s own MLB Network, sell to advertisers directly, and cut out the middle man (FOX). They could then schedule when they wanted.”
What a great idea, one that never occured to me. It seems like the perfect way to go! You have my vote as the next Commish!
4 hours and 45 minutes until Game 6!!!!!!
Erica
is there GTLU today?
Shut up Scioscia. Both teams are affected. So the Yankees aren’t a deep team? They have more depth than the Angels everywhere except maybe starting pitching, and CC on short rest or regular rest- it doesn’t matter. Is he going to blame MLB for the rainout last night also? Quit whining and get read to go home tonight bro
Upstate Kate-
Sorry, I cancelled it on account of Girardi saying it would be the same as yesterdays and I wasn’t sure if I would be home
oh,OK. I didn’t know he got as far as posting a line up yesterday.
our lineup has been coming around the last couple of games- 16 runs in their last 18 innings. They still need to do a better job of a being methodical against the starter… take the borderline balls against Saunders and be patient…. I hope they crush him early and get into the their bullpen in like the 3rd inning and all the suspense is taken out
Is Kazmir is the Angels’ supposed depth in pitching? He didn’t fare well against the Yankees or the sox either.
upstate kate
October 25th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
oh,OK. I didn’t know he got as far as posting a line up yesterday.
****
Yes, the line up got posted. I had 6 winners. I just couldn’t justify having another game today. And I was being rather selfish cause I didn’t want to worry about being home
Out dated Selig in his quest to give small markets teams an added advantage as follows:
-CRAZY postseason schedule all the extra games.(division play)
-Punish the team with the most season wins,by playing only 2 games AT HOME first off.
-Luxury tax(Just because you run a successful franchise,and make money,you get punished for you efforts.)
-Revenue sharing(suppose to help with player development and acquisitions)instead goes in owners pockets,along with the yearly 30 mm from MLB.
-Cut some of the meaningless summer games,season is too long.
-Selig’s love of ski-mask wearing,long sleeve,turtleneck,and fall/winter baseball has to cease.
-What benefit is it to win the most regular season games,if Selig has the schedule set to win,in another teams stadium.
Why not the most winning team get 3 at the start at,2 away,1 back at home,a day off between games 6 and 7
-Why shoot for the most wins in regular season,to have Selig(and his bias to small mkts) try to equalize it all out in postseason?
Scioscia is upset he might have to stare down the barrel of a reloaded CC on 6 days rest after going on 3 days rest
….. poor baby!
-I also forgot cut out the stupid interleague play how many more pitchers need to be lost for the season(or their career) having to bat and navigate the bases in the AL?
Boooo hoooo scioscia u loser
anybody going today?
We have nothing to complain about – the extra days off is the only reason we’re up 3-1 with only 3 starting pitchers!!
all these off days are ridiculous and unnecessary
haiku
you make a lot of good points. Baseball is a summer game, the most important games of the season should not be played in the worst conditions. And why not have some afternoon games, when it is warmer? Which would make it easier for those of us who get up early for work or for kids to watch.
I totally agree w/ interleague play. Not only for injuries, but look how many games your DH has to sit.
This schedule sucks for fans, especially those with kids, jobs, or
er…a life? So basically everybody.
I’m sure the players are being driven crazy as well. I don’t care who it benefits in the short run, everybody’s gonna pay for this absurdity in the long run.
there aren’t too many games in the regular season. that’s what is so great about baseball. there are so many games, it’s such a “long run” sport even in one season. the best teams ALWAYS come out on top in the end.
yes, there are too many off days in the playoffs. that can be fixed. but the “most important” games should be in October, because that’s when the weather starts gettin’ cold and that’s when the playoffs are. October baseball. That’s the way it’s been for ages and that’s the way it’s staying. It shouldn’t stretch into November at all though. That part is lame.
As for day games, that’d be fine for weekends, but they suck for weekdays. Too many people miss weekday day games due to work or school
It seems like the only “people” to benefit are the “people” who make money on this set-up.
And Scioscia is not whining, to me. Have you seen the quote from Teixeira saying how he has renewed respect for utility/role players who have to stay fresh and ready to play on such an irregular schedule? He’s having a tough time adjusting to not playing everyday. it is very parochial to think that Scioscia is only talking about how this affects his own team.
Sewage Man, I beg to differ. A Gaudin vs. Kazmir match up in game 4 would have been interesting. But I think Gaudin’s chances would have been pretty good in the light of the fact that we put up 10 in that game.
Yankees have the best record in the MLB.
I for one don’t want them to limp into the WS,like some Cinderella story.THAT JUST MADE IT,Win in 6 was always the the professional sports projections.
The Phillies had a much easier pennant race,Dodgers were motivated to beat the Cardinals only.
They quit after game 1 in the NLCS.
Start the regular season two weeks earlier….
KO
I was thinking of day games on the weekends, not the week days, you are right, that would be hard on fans.
I also agree w/ you on the Oct basball. It can provide a HFA, as we saw. Its the stretching it out to Nov I have a problem w/.
new thread
Baseball didn’t always have 162 reg season games,knock off 10,and they finish in OCT.
“Cheap Seats
October 25th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Professorg: clearly a socialist!”
Not as clear as the Angel manager – he’s clearly a Scioscist.
I’m not a Selig defender by any stretch. Whereas Giamatti was a traditionalist caretaker of the game, Selig is ever the used car salesman. He’s crass and reeks of greed. But he’s managing the business of baseball, not tending the spirit of the game, so it’s no surprise that the Magnates chose him.
The NFL stretched its season to exploit the fans’ addictive craving for a more bloodthirsty, faux-combat game and it worked to perfection. I don’t hear anybody complaining that the NFL season is too long (other than me, of course). Selig may be just aping the footballers. But Pro football had a lot more room to grow than pro baseball does. Selig needs to consider the relative in-elasticity of the market for an even longer baseball season.
If your team isn’t in the race at this point, IMO there’s a very high probability that these extra days off will stamp out any lingering interest in following the rest of the season. Beyond that, the East Coast bias of a Yankees-Phillies World Series would pretty much guarantee lower than low ratings this year. Phillies-Angels would be a better product, TV wise.
The greatest day in baseball history will be the day Selig leaves office.
About the MLBNetwork – is it really an alternative? How many people get the MLBNetwork in their homes (compared to FOX, TBS etc.?). And secondly, even in a good advertising market I have a hard time believing the revenue would approach anything the stations are currently paying, so the teams better be ready to accept less TV money.
I hate the current scheduling as much as the next guy (especially the lack of day games), but I don’t see it changing anytime soon.
Bravo Scioscia and boo Girardi. Of course this stupid schedule is ridiculous. It’s said that FOX “requested” this schedule. Sure, all to do with their ratings system.
Can’t MLB stand up to FOX?
This extended playoff schedule is BS…completely unnecessary.
What is worse is this: the fact that the MLB playoffs…the PLAYOFF!!!!…are playing second fiddle to not even midseason NFL games. What a joke.
The playoff games yesterday and today should have been scheduled for a 12 or 1pm EST start time. Who, in the middle of the day on a Sat. or Sun. doesn’t have time to watch the Yankee game because it starts in the middle of the day instead of the evening? Answer: NO ONE!!!!
Arrgghhghg
DT wrote: “Not as clear as the Angel manager – he’s clearly a Scioscist.”
You are right, of course. May he Suckcist tonight.