Why do MLB teams play each other so often vs spreading it out to play more teams or interleague play? (coaches, strategy)
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I'd enjoy either of those games even if they were in Spring Training. I find all 30 MLB teams easily interesting enough to justify the price of admission. I enjoy minor league games as well. It's all baseball, after all.
I like watching the best and most talented teams. Minor league games and spring training games aren't doing it for me. Currently, in general, I find Boston vs Baltimore much more interesting than, say, Oakland vs Kansas City. I want to see the best players ... that's not to say I don't enjoy seeing the highlights of two bad to mediocre teams playing an exciting game, but I'm not going to seek out a game like that at first.
when scheduling a seasons worth of games, the league puts the emphasis on division play first, giving the divisions tie breakers. say two teams ended the season with the same record, but one team did better against the division than the other did. lets also say both teams are in the playoffs, so it just becomes a matter of seeding at that point. this way the team that owns the tie breakers wins the division.
Pre second wildcard that was the case. Say both the Cubs & Cardinals finished tied for the NL Central, and each team was leading the Wildcard, whoever won the season series would be the division champ, and the other would be the wildcard. However, with the advent of a second wildcard this is no longer the case as ALL division ties (even if 1 team is 19-0 against the other) will be broken in a tiebreaker game.
I like watching the best and most talented teams. Minor league games and spring training games aren't doing it for me.
All well and good, but it's actually the same teams and players at different times of the year and points in their careers. Spring Training is a whole different dimension. Having been half a dozen times, I'd encourage any fan to go experience that sometime.
You wanna talk about playing too many games against 1 team.
The Nationals will play the Phillies 12 times in their first 38 games (while the Phillies will only be through game 35). The Nationals will next play the Phillies in game 139. So they would've played 12 times in the first 38 games and then go 101 games without playing each other (104 for the Phillies). I know you play 6 series and 19 games but can you get better placement for Christ's sake?? I know with interleague play, reducing teams travel schedule and having an odd number of teams in divisions its impossible to play all divisional games at 1 time but it shouldn't be THAT difficult to play 2 series the beginning of the year (Opening day to Memorial day weekend), 2 series during the "Summer" (Memorial day to August 5) and than 2 the end of the season (August 6 to end of the season).
I vote at the next collective-bargaining agreement: No more than 10 games against a divisional opponent BEFORE June 1 or AFTER August 15. If you want to play 3 series during that time frame that's perfectly acceptable as most teams tend to play 3 series against 1 divisional team by the middle of May, but 4 is way to many.
Edit: Also, for what it's worth: The Nats play the Marlins (also a divisional team) only 6 times through the first half of the schedule meaning they play 13 times the second half of the season. Was it really to much to ask to replace one of those Phillies series with a series against the Marlins??
I wonder if the frequency of how many teams play each other has factors such as distance. Every time I turn on ESPN, it seems the Yankees and Boston are always playing each other.
Also, I honestly do not like interleague play. Maybe a series or two throughout, but the frequency is a bit too much for my taste.
I vote at the next collective-bargaining agreement: No more than 10 games against a divisional opponent BEFORE June 1 or AFTER August 15. If you want to play 3 series during that time frame that's perfectly acceptable as most teams tend to play 3 series against 1 divisional team by the middle of May, but 4 is way to many.
Edit: Also, for what it's worth: The Nats play the Marlins (also a divisional team) only 6 times through the first half of the schedule meaning they play 13 times the second half of the season. Was it really to much to ask to replace one of those Phillies series with a series against the Marlins??
It would be interesting to see the criteria for the computer system that sets up the schedule. But remember that a lot of teams have to play several teams in a particular area of the country while they are there. I.e. Dodgers played Indians & Cincy the same week because it just made sense geographically.
If you're Seattle and you're on the East Coast it makes sense to play as many games as you can while you're there.
Other things that effect when teams play are concerts & other pro sports teams.
I wish there were more Interleague games. It would be better for the MLB. There are enough MLB regular season games to support more interleague play. It would be especially great for MLB fans in the Northeast region. It would strengthen interleague rivalries like Nationals-Orioles, Phillies-Yankees, and Mets-Red Sox.
I wish there were more Interleague games. It would be better for the MLB. There are enough MLB regular season games to support more interleague play. It would be especially great for MLB fans in the Northeast region. It would strengthen interleague rivalries like Nationals-Orioles, Phillies-Yankees, and Mets-Red Sox.
My problem with interleague play is this: If the NL goes to the AL, the NL pitchers can't bat which ticks me off because I do not like the designated hitter rule. However, if the AL comes to the NL, the AL pitchers get to bat which I like.
It would be interesting to see the criteria for the computer system that sets up the schedule. But remember that a lot of teams have to play several teams in a particular area of the country while they are there. I.e. Dodgers played Indians & Cincy the same week because it just made sense geographically.
If you're Seattle and you're on the East Coast it makes sense to play as many games as you can while you're there.
Other things that effect when teams play are concerts & other pro sports teams.
I think they had a different scenario to add in where, if possibly, a team doesn't play more than 3 series straight on the road or at home. If your the Dodgers, it would work to play games in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York & Washington all on 1 trip since they are all within 400 miles of each other, but with that added scenario, they'd only play at most 3 of the 4.
Other factors to include:
The Nats always play at home on July 4
The Red sox always play at home on Patriots day
The Reds always have the first series of the year at home.
It's not always the case, but if possible, MLB will try to put the Jays at home on Victoria Day (3rd Monday in May), Canada day (July 1), and the Bank Holiday (first Monday in August). I know they are home on Canada day, but they had both Victoria day & the bank holiday off.
They try to limit the 2 city teams (Mets/Yankees, Cubs/White Sox) as much as possible, so when 1 team is on the road the other team is at home. There will be some overlap where 1 team might spend a weekend both at home or both on the road, but they try to limit to it as much as possible.
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