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Otto von Ballpark

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Everything posted by Otto von Ballpark

  1. Otto von Ballpark
    Another thing worth noting is that the Dodgers, while they are in a large market, have notably cut off many viewers in that market with their exclusive local TV deal since 2014. Many LA viewers have probably learned to live without watching them, or have found alternate means to do so. Maybe that keeps them from achieving the NY/BOS/CHC "large market" cachet in terms of 2018 TV ratings? Plus the series was less competitive than 2017 -- the Dodgers came home down 2 games to zero, as pretty large underdogs by that point, and didn't climb back much. Aren't Dodger fans notorious for showing up late, and leaving early anyway?
  2. Otto von Ballpark
    2016 was pretty special because of the epic Cubs situation, and I think 2017 benefitted from that tailwind boost. Those clearly seem to be the outliers. If you check the graph I posted above, there's nothing unusual about 2018 in the context of 2008-2015. The modern media landscape is very different now than it was before. I'm not convinced TV ratings are particularly meaningful for judging much of anything anymore, particularly for sports programming. I know you believe that these ratings are another example of baseball failing to gain young fans which portends doom for the sport, but there's a whole host of other factors at play with these ratings that make it pretty difficult to demonstrate that connection.
  3. Otto von Ballpark
    Here's another take: http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2018/10/world-series-ratings-decline-third-lowest/ They seem to be surprised and sounding a bit of an alarm, but again it seems they were expecting higher based on 2016 and 2017. They say "among the lowest on record" but it's ahead of 2012 and 2014 by ratings, and as I mentioned before, right in line with those years and others since 2008 in numbers of viewers.
  4. Otto von Ballpark
    Well, it can, if games 6 and 7 generally draw more viewers, which would increase the average. (EDIT TO ADD: Here's a link that says the overall series viewership is down 25% from 2017 -- but just down 14% based on the first 5 games: http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2018/10/world-series-ratings-decline-third-lowest/ ) I got hung up on this line a bit: "the overall average-minute audience of 198,000 is up 9% from 2017’s seven-game average of 182,000." But it's in the paragraph about streaming, so maybe that is just streaming numbers? But, a drop from 2016 and 2017 isn't a great barometer of anything, because 2016 and 2017 were recent high points. An average of 14.3 million viewers puts 2018 right in line with 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, according to this chart: We all know modern TV ratings are down for all kinds of things, including MLB. There's nothing in this 2018 data that suggests MLB's ratings are continuing to sink lower, much less sinking lower at a faster rate than other programming.
  5. Otto von Ballpark
    Did you read Yahoo's source artice (from Variety)? Sure sounds like this year's ratings "drop" is entirely due to the shorter series and increased streaming: https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/world-series-ratings-2018-1202994171/
  6. Otto von Ballpark
    Yes. See the discussion above. Berardino also confirmed Alcala's status back when we acquired him: https://twitter.com/mikeberardino/status/1023235490491891714
  7. Otto von Ballpark
    You are correct. Graterol was first assigned to the DSL Twins (albeit not until 2015, but that doesn't matter), and the DSL season was already over by Sep. 1st in 2014. Hypothetically, had he first been assigned to a full season minor league in 2015, he could have been eligible this winter.
  8. Otto von Ballpark
    It definitely could have been worse. But I would have liked to see the Dodgers put up more fight -- they were pretty punchless the last 2 innings of game 1 (after the Nunez HR), and the last 5 innings of game 2 (last 16 batters went in order, when 1 baserunner would have at least brought the tying run to the plate). Game 3 was obviously a classic, and that probably redeems the series enough historically over most other 5-gamers, although it was a bit difficult to fully digest given the extreme length! Game 4 was pretty good but it got rather sloppy in the 9th, and of course the end result was putting the Red Sox in a commanding 3-1 series lead and game 5 played out rather predictably after that. Dodgers batted .180/.249/.302, .550 OPS for the series, and too often it didn't feel like it was because the Red Sox were pitching well. Other than Turner and Freese (and that one AB from Puig), it was frequently painful to watch them bat. Felt like I was watching the Gardy-era playoff Twins at times. Although Machado's heel turn softened the convincing Red Sox victory a bit.
  9. Otto von Ballpark
    Hill was already most of the way through the order for his 3rd time. Started that in 5th, and the Sox were 0-5 with a walk in their 3rd trip. Leadoff walk of Bogaerts (on a 3-2 pitch), followed by a 3 pitch strikeout of Nunez, last 3 lineup spots due up, 4-0 lead, spent pen. I think it is pretty clear Hill should have had more of a leash, at least 2-3 batters more.
  10. Otto von Ballpark
    I later clarified that link was wrong about Graterol (and Alcala): http://twinsdaily.com/topic/30946-article-twins-daily-roundtable-prospect-promotions/?p=782620 I think Roster Resource is probably based on signing year, but ignores if it came before or after the end of the season?
  11. Otto von Ballpark
    I started watching late via DVR, and caught up to the live broadcast in the 7th inning. Then I went to bed listening to the Gameday Audio on an earbud, but quickly fell asleep. Woke up in the middle of the night, and could faintly hear sound from the earbud, which implied the game was still going. At that point, I couldn't get back to sleep, so I got up and picked up the DVR broadcast where I left off. It was a fun watch, although it cut off around the 14th inning because the recording reached its 6 hour limit! Had to experience the last few innings via highlights.
  12. Otto von Ballpark
    Game 3 only went 9 innings, and ended in a 1-1 tie. Then they immediately started Game 4 for some reason, which the Dodgers won 2-1 in the 9th inning.
  13. Otto von Ballpark
    I'd guess the former, judging by his interaction with the fielder after the play.
  14. Otto von Ballpark
    FWIW, position-wise, Freese was the guy in the lineup for Muncy, and he had a pretty good year himself -- 126 wRC+. Roughly equal production in 2018 vs LHP as Muncy. Combined with early SP exits and a willingness to deploy pinch hitters, (plus Muncy probably being an over-achiever in 2018), I think it's a fair gambit. Pederson doesn't obviously displace anyone in the game 1 or 2 lineups. Dozier is clearly the hardest one to justify. 82 wRC+ vs LHP this year, effectively replacing Bellinger (via Hernandez) who posted an 88. Hernandez at 113 may have still been the best option at 2B, although Dozier has out-performed Hernandez through 2 games, with 2 walks and a near-double if not for a fantastic catch by Benintendi, so who knows. Kind of like Counsell's reliever usage, I think the Dodgers got this far in part because of their mixing and matching lineups, so I'd hesitate to blame that tactic too much for their current struggles. The whole team is OPSing just .462 this series, and Freese is the only guy to break .700. Despite not starting, Muncy/Bellinger/Pederson have still combined for 9 PA through 2 games -- they're just 1-for-9 with 4 Ks...
  15. Otto von Ballpark
    I don't think I scolded. I agreed with you, I wouldn't have trusted Jeffress in that spot either! I just thought it was a fairly standard managerial blunder and it was unfairly getting lumped in with more extreme criticism of "bullpenning". Roberts seems to be making a similar error with Madson right now? Similarly here, I don't think Roberts is necessarily taking platooning too far to the point that it is dooming the Dodgers, although one can certainly disagree with the lineups.
  16. Otto von Ballpark
    Postseason stats: Pederson .233/.303/.367, .670 OPS Muncy .194/.370/.361, .731 OPS Bellinger .128/.227/.231, .458 OPS Considering one of the RH replacements has been their best postseason hitter (David Freese, .400/.444/.667, 1.111 OPS), I am guessing the platooning isn't holding them back too much. They just need to start hitting. And they need to use Jansen instead of Madson (Madson has inherited 5 baserunners in game 1 and 2, and allowed all 5 to score, while Jansen hasn't pitched). RHP Porcello is starting Game 3 for Boston, and possibly RHP Eovaldi for Game 4, so you should get to see your Dodger lefty bats starting anyway.
  17. Otto von Ballpark
    "What’s that? Rose Bowl? Don’t talk about - Rose Bowl? You kidding me? Rose Bowl? I just hope we can win a game!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2R2sH2ScBM
  18. Otto von Ballpark
    Nice! Thanks for sharing.
  19. Otto von Ballpark
    Baseball's back! On free TV, no less. Presumably with real starting pitchers too! Tuesday, Oct. 23 7:09 pm CDT World Series Game 1 Los Angeles Dodgers at Boston Red Sox Clayton Kershaw vs. Chris Sale TV: FOX
  20. Otto von Ballpark
    Not everyone can boil their water with scorching hot sports takes, though!
  21. Otto von Ballpark
    Wasn't trying to troll you, sorry. I don't think you were the only one with the moral victory angle last week. I am just hanging out on the lighter side of the discussion, that's all! (Coping mechanism for sports fandom)
  22. Otto von Ballpark
    I'm not sure pitching changes are the biggest culprit -- idle time between pitches really adds up. And of course, pairing longer games with fewer balls in play is a bad combination.
  23. Otto von Ballpark
    Considering the Brewers only managed one baserunner after that point -- a two-out single by Arcia in the 7th with the pitcher's spot due up -- it probably wouldn't have mattered.
  24. Otto von Ballpark
    I don't get the uproar over that either. It is not remotely against the rules, and it doesn't even appear to be particularly unsportsmanlike -- it's pretty much a variation of platoon matchup pitching changes that already happen multiple times every game. And it didn't even work -- the Dodgers didn't tailor their lineup to Miley, and he walked the only guy he faced. (Although it didn't blow up on Counsell either.) As a mostly neutral fan, it made the game a bit more interesting than if he had simply started Woodruff.
  25. Otto von Ballpark
    He got 3 innings out of Hader. What does it matter they were innings 3-5 rather than, say, 6-8? His starters have been pretty marginal, the other relievers aren't as good or as rested. Maybe he could have stretched Hader to 4 innings, but they also needed runs and he didn't have the luxury of the DH. I agree I would have gone to Woodruff instead of Jeffress tonight. But that is pretty standard manager criticism, and it feels like the charges being leveled at Counsell here are a bit stronger.
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