Playoff schedule, and it Sucks for the Twins

[terrydactyls]

I will watch the Twins' playoff games the same way I watched games all season.  I'll record each one and watch it commercial-free when I have time later in the day.  As long as I avoid the media (which is not that difficult), the game is a "live" game for me.  And I can watch the entire game in about 90 minutes.

[adjacent]

21 hours ago, SoDakTwinsFan said:

Does anyone else just hate with a passion playoff baseball games being played during the early afternoon?  Or is it just me?

I have a solution: Declare a National Holiday for every MLB playoff date.🙂

[TopGunn#22]

As a youngster in the mid 60's I vividly remember running home from school for lunch (that my Mom had all laid out and ready for me) to see games in 1966, 1967 and 1968.  We moved in 1969 and school was too far for me to run home at lunch time for any of those Mets v Orioles games.

Games moved VERY quickly in those days, so while I didn't get to see the entire game I saw enough to see Baltimore's young pitching staff totally shut down the Dodgers in 1966 and Koufax actually LOSE a World series game.  I saw Lou Brock get two of his 4 hits in a game in the 1967 Series and Bob Gibson strike out about 8 of his 17 Tigers in 1968.  

I'm retired now so I don't mind if the Twins play at noon or 3pm.  But I can sympathize with everyone who still has to work and doesn't have any opportunity to WATCH the games.  You can still sneak a look at your phone to update you on the score though.  

[wabene]

20 minutes ago, terrydactyls said:

I will watch the Twins' playoff games the same way I watched games all season.  I'll record each one and watch it commercial-free when I have time later in the day.  As long as I avoid the media (which is not that difficult), the game is a "live" game for me.  And I can watch the entire game in about 90 minutes.

I'll second that, avid DVR'r here, I watch all games on my schedule. It's easy to not see scores and FFing commercials is the only way to fly. The only drawback is not being able to participate live in game threads. 

[terrydactyls]

16 minutes ago, wabene said:

I'll second that, avid DVR'r here, I watch all games on my schedule. It's easy to not see scores and FFing commercials is the only way to fly. The only drawback is not being able to participate live in game threads. 

My typing is so bad that by the time I can make any comment, several innings may have passed by.

[Fat Calvin]

15 hours ago, Mai.K said:

I am S.Korean and I will watch the postseason in S.Korea.
No matter what time the game is, it's dawn in Korean time.
So I have two days off from work!!!

Same for me.  I'm in Japan.

[Original_JB]

Thursday's schedule won't be set until they know how many games are to be played. 

You don't think they'll have a preset schedule? It's asking a lot for people to commit to a game that they have no idea when it will be played, literally within the next 12-15 hours or so. I've got a feeling that the scheduled start times will be identical for all 3 games of each series, just to have some sort of consistency. Since they all have their own 'window', you wouldn't need to change anything. Are the ratings 'really' going to be that different? It'd be one thing if there was even one day between games, but here, not announcing game 3 start times until after all game 2s are played, giving people almost no time to make/change arrangements, seems ludicrous.

[IndianaTwin]

2 hours ago, adjacent said:

I have a solution: Declare a National Holiday for every MLB playoff date.🙂

And Opening Day. 

Seriously, the best date ever for MLB playoff watching was in 2020, when because of COVID, there were 16 teams in the playoffs, so the second day had four AL Wild Card game 2s and four NL Wild Card game 1s. I told people it was the closest MLB had ever come to the first two days of the NCAA men's basketball tourney as a TV event.

The next day would have been similar, except that only one of the AL Wild Card series went to three games, so there were only five series still in play. 

(Some of you may be aware that the Twins were one of the AL teams that lost two straight. That comes up from time to time around here.) 

[IndianaTwin]

26 minutes ago, Original_JB said:

Thursday's schedule won't be set until they know how many games are to be played. 

You don't think they'll have a preset schedule? It's asking a lot for people to commit to a game that they have no idea when it will be played, literally within the next 12-15 hours or so. I've got a feeling that the scheduled start times will be identical for all 3 games of each series, just to have some sort of consistency. Since they all have their own 'window', you wouldn't need to change anything. Are the ratings 'really' going to be that different? It'd be one thing if there was even one day between games, but here, not announcing game 3 start times until after all game 2s are played, giving people almost no time to make/change arrangements, seems ludicrous.

"Logic" dictates these decisions, but each person has their own understanding of what's logical. 😀

I agree with you in principle that the consistency would be nice, but if the only series that goes to three games is the that started at 2 p.m. Eastern (11 a.m. Pacific), they aren't going to leave it there. They will want to move it to prime time.

It's always that way during the "if necessary" parts of series. On the day that the ALCS has a potential Game 7 and the NLCS has a potential Game 6, for example, they won't make the announcement until after they know which game(s) are needed. The Game 7 would get the best ratings time slot, but the Game 6 would move to that slot if Game 7 isn't necessary.  

[JD-TWINS]

On 9/27/2023 at 9:52 AM, Brock Beauchamp said:

It all depends on opponent, just like every other game. If the Twins draw Seattle or the Blue Jays, it's probably not the first game. If the Brewers draw the Marlins, that's probably the first game. If the Brewers draw the Cubs, that's not the first game.

Too many variables in play to say anything for certain.

Not sure how you rationalize the West Coast Mariners & the East Coast Jays games with Twins would be played at the same time? You must have some reasoning - not sure where the symmetry comes into play?

[Original_JB]

1 hour ago, IndianaTwin said:

"Logic" dictates these decisions, but each person has their own understanding of what's logical. 😀

And I agree with a lot of what you said, but as someone who's languished with the never ending 'late' starts when the Wild are in the playoffs just so it fits the broadcaster's 'window', I like to p&m  about it.  

[IndianaTwin]

38 minutes ago, Original_JB said:

And I agree with a lot of what you said, but as someone who's languished with the never ending 'late' starts when the Wild are in the playoffs just so it fits the broadcaster's 'window', I like to p&m  about it.  

I get it -- I live in Eastern time, so even the regular season 7:10 CDT home starts become 8:10 starts (and 10:45-ish ends!) for me. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

On 9/27/2023 at 12:01 PM, SoDakTwinsFan said:

Does anyone else just hate with a passion playoff baseball games being played during the early afternoon?  Or is it just me?

I don't mind. I just close my office door and tell my secretary to hold my calls because I am in conference for 3 hours. 

[nicksaviking]

I know it wasn't that long ago, but I do remember watching one of the ALCS games in 1987 in class.

I suppose teachers don't need to do that these days since any kids who still like baseball (very few, good work dissuading interest MLB) just watch it on their phone under their desks.

[Brock Beauchamp]

4 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

Not sure how you rationalize the West Coast Mariners & the East Coast Jays games with Twins would be played at the same time? You must have some reasoning - not sure where the symmetry comes into play?

The Jays cover Canada, they’re not purely an east coast team. They’re also a huge market as a result, which means they probably don’t play at 10am or whatever ridiculous time MLB starts the first game. 

[Dave Borton]

On 9/27/2023 at 3:39 PM, Nine of twelve said:

Good thing you weren't born 50 years earlier. The first World Series game played at night was in 1971.

 

On 9/27/2023 at 4:25 PM, Boswell said:

 ...fall of 1965, the schoolteacher wheeled in a TV for the class to watch the Dodgers and Twins (at least for one of the games). 

 I remember running over to my friend's house (~1955) after elementary school.

He was the only one of 3 of us who had a TV.

[Parfigliano]

On 9/27/2023 at 10:01 AM, SoDakTwinsFan said:

Does anyone else just hate with a passion playoff baseball games being played during the early afternoon?  Or is it just me?

Retired so doesnt matter to me.  If I was still working and TC was playing day games I'd be sick to my stomach and wouldnt want to risk my co-workers health.

[joefish]

I wish the video coverage of the playoff games was as good as the regular season on my mlb subscription. Instead I bitch about Ron Darling and choose your own camera angle that is operated by no one. Just random camera angles that don't zoom or follow the flight of the ball. 

But now that it's getting dark at night here I get the real feel of night baseball. I love that. I loved playing under the lights.

GoTwins. 

Goffense

GoBats

WSBOUND! BOOM!

[AlwaysinModeration]

On 9/27/2023 at 7:10 PM, Nine of twelve said:

My sixth grade teacher also did the wheel-the-TV-into-the-classroom thing in 1966. Even though it was black-and-white TV and poor picture quality I still remember seeing Brooks Robinson on the screen against the hated Dodgers.

My sixth grade teacher wheeled the TV into our classroom for the Challenger launch.  😱

[AlwaysinModeration]

I would have preferred WS games.

[AlwaysinModeration]

On 9/27/2023 at 4:00 PM, IndianaTwin said:

….He said Tuesday's games are currently set for 2, 4, 7 and 10 p.m. Eastern, though sometimes they get shifted a bit.

 

According to the spreadsheet on your son’s site you linked to, the MLB playoff games are scheduled for 2pm, 3pm, 6pm and 9pm eastern time on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Current matchups are

Hou @ Min

Tor @ TB

Mia @ Milwaukee

Ariz @ Philly

If I were scheduling those four games, I’d throw my hands up in the air.  Maybe…

Milwaukee 2pm

Tampa 3pm

Minnesota 6pm

Philly 9pm

I’d really guess MLB and the networks are hoping the Cubs and the Mariners sneak back in.

[Original_JB]

24 minutes ago, AlwaysinModeration said:

Philly 9pm

You think they'd start the game at 9 pm in Philly? I get that it makes the game more palatable for the D-Back fans... Nope, with 2 Eastern and 2 Central time zone games and 1 of the Central ones containing an Eastern team (Miami), I think Twins/'Stros would get the late start game.

[Reptevia]

It will be crazy. I’ll have to just turn on my TV!  No VPN ‘s. No sketchy internet links. No closing a million pop-up tabs linked to porn or gambling sites. A small break before I return to all of the above for the Wild season. 

[IndianaTwin]

57 minutes ago, AlwaysinModeration said:

According to the spreadsheet on your son’s site you linked to, the MLB playoff games are scheduled for 2pm, 3pm, 6pm and 9pm eastern time on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Current matchups are

Hou @ Min

Tor @ TB

Mia @ Milwaukee

Ariz @ Philly

If I were scheduling those four games, I’d throw my hands up in the air.  Maybe…

Milwaukee 2pm

Tampa 3pm

Minnesota 6pm

Philly 9pm

I’d really guess MLB and the networks are hoping the Cubs and the Mariners sneak back in.

I didn't talk to him last night, but that's an example of a shift. The four host teams are now settled and with two Easterns and two Centrals, I was hoping they'd slide forward at least a bit, which they seem to have done. 

I'd guess that one of the Central games will be in the 9 p.m. slot, which would make it 8 p.m. local time. I'd agree that I'm guessing MLB is particularly hoping the Cubs get in. If so, I'd guess Cubs at Milwaukee would get the 8 p.m.

 

[Nine of twelve]

As IT said, he four host teams are set. However, the possible visiting teams are all over the map (literally). And with yesterday's Miami/Mets game being suspended with completion to take place on Monday it's very conceivable that the NL teams and pairings won't be known until then. I don't think MLB will want to wait until less than 24 hours before gametime to announce Tuesday's schedule. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[Fatbat]

The radio broadcast is better anyhow. Just flip on 102.9FM if you are in the mpls metro area. 

[Nine of twelve]

Speculation on my part: If the NL visiting teams and pairings are not going to be known until after the completion of the Marlins/Mets game on Monday they may use the two latest Tuesday time slots for the NL games. That would give the teams involved a little more time to travel on short notice. Or depending on what happens this weekend there may be no problem at all.

[AlwaysinModeration]

6 hours ago, Original_JB said:

You think they'd start the game at 9 pm in Philly? I get that it makes the game more palatable for the D-Back fans... Nope, with 2 Eastern and 2 Central time zone games and 1 of the Central ones containing an Eastern team (Miami), I think Twins/'Stros would get the late start game.

You might be right.  I’d certainly prefer the Twins - Astros land in the 9pm spot.

[jkcarew]

Baseball was meant to be played in daylight. Despite the fact that modern ballpark lighting may make that moot, I LOVE afternoon games. I don’t necessarily need to watch a playoff W to enjoy it immensely. Just win, baby.

[Twodogs]

On 9/27/2023 at 7:52 AM, Brock Beauchamp said:

It all depends on opponent, just like every other game. If the Twins draw Seattle or the Blue Jays, it's probably not the first game. If the Brewers draw the Marlins, that's probably the first game. If the Brewers draw the Cubs, that's not the first game.

Too many variables in play to say anything for certain.

I don't care about any of it.  I'm just hoping the Twins can break their losing streak, if they accomplish that, I'm hoping they can pull out the first series, if they get that, etc........  it's the time of the season to hope for the best!!!  Maybe we can all re live touch em all!!!!