Selig Creates Another Big Game Debacle

The only problem I see with this is that a rain-aided title for Philly would be just as tainted and awful. They couldn’t stop the game. You’re right, the obvious solution was to play in the daytime, with a 3pm start, or something, but NOOOOOOO! says Fox. Daytime WS baseball would only be the most trafficked event on the internet that day, but TV rules all, so no daytime ball.

Given the scope of the entire situation, I think Selig handled it perfectly. And yes, it pains me to say that. But it was the most fair way to deal with it, for all parties involved, including FOX.

Perhaps it’s time for major league baseball to look into playing the world series at a neutral site.A warm weather city or a city with a domed stadium would be preferable.Since the cost of tickets does not take into account of the budget of the ordinary fan, this should be no problem to fans of the teams involved.

yeah, because nothing says successful handling of a situation like hastily pushing a start time up 5 hours so that a possible DECIDING GAME OF THE WORLD SERIES is played to a TV audience of the unemployable and stoned college kids before a 2/3 empty stadium so they can avoid… a knee-jerk article by some angry Phillies fan that doesn’t mind an asterisk next to his title?

As stated by someone above, this situation was handled about as well as it could’ve been, given the circumstances.

No asterisk, of course not. At the point at which I thought that a called game would result in a Phils victory, I was glad the Rays had tied it, because after waiting this long, the last thing Philly needs is a tainted championship.But Selig has stated today that there was no way that he was going to let that happen, that even if it had been stopped as an official game with the Phils ahead, he would have deemed it a suspended game and picked up the action later. He said he would have done this as an executive decision because a called game would be no way to end the World Series. We’re all in agreement on that much at least. But if that was the case, why not call the game earlier and avoid the circus that it became? To save face, to NOT have to make that decision, I imagine, which is the type of craven leadership he’s shown for years.And MSG, if you really think that the Bank would have been 2/3 empty for a 3:00 p.m. start then you don’t know Philly. As for the TV audience, the same nobodies who are watching it in prime time would have watched it at 3 – this thing is getting outrated by Top Chef – so who the hell cares about ratings? 

Actually, Large, Top Chef doesn’t premiere until Nov. 12th. Trust me, I’d know.

I think you, and others, are using some revisionist history here. It wasn’t a "circus" and the field only got really unplayable during the Rays half of the inning in which they tied it, after which it was immediately delayed. Before that, it was just miserable and sloppy, but nothing that out of the ordinary.

Based on their reports, the players for both teams seem to disagree with you, CMott.

And as we all know, the opinions of the players is far more important than those of the fans.

cole hamels…. "I put my curve ball in my back pocket…thats not my best pitch anyway…but when i couldnt grip my change up i had to resort to throwing just my fastball"

what would of happened if he just walked off the mound an said i cant pitch….what would of happened? get thrown out?

doesnt matter phils are ending it tonight…an unlikely hero will hit a homer….chris coste maybe? either way wind is blowing hard still here see scattered blue skies, but it is raining on an off too

Selig is a weasel, and he drove this series into a tree, but playing the game at 3:00 PM would have pissed some people off, too. I would be none too happy if I was a Philadelphia fan stuck at work during a Series clinching game. Granted, that never entered Buddy’s mind. He was just concerned with making sure that all 48 people that watched the first few games will watch the rest of this game.

When it comes to the conditions on the field? Yes, every single time, players’ opinions more relevant than fans.I’m not sure the 3:00 p.m. start was the answer either, to be honest, but looking at a weather front rolling in like there was, starting the game in a pretty solid rain with the pretty certain knowledge that it’s going to get worse and just saying, well, let’s see what happens – that was stupid.Chirs Coste hasn’t looked to hot at the plate this Series, egg. Maybe Stairs again. Maybe Taguchi. Haven’t seen his face in a while.

"Starting the game in a pretty solid rain with the pretty certain
knowledge that it’s going to get worse and just saying, well, let’s see
what happens – that was stupid."

The weather report they were given was incorrect. That’s been well documented. And it was not raining when they started the game. Did the conditions on the field suck by the end? Yes. Is that MLB’s fault? No. It was raining, dude. They called the game when the field became unplayable. Not one thing that happened on that field in the final half inning they played wouldn’t have happened on a perfectly dry surface. There were no crazy, sloppy field induced plays.

It wasn’t an ideal situation, but in the end, it was 100% fair for both teams. That’s really the bottom line.

Bud Selig is a idiot! From the extra innings at the Allstar game a few years ago to this years world series. MLB should be embarresed that have a STUPID JERK running things. He needs to go away and never return.
MLB wonders why raitings and attendence is down.

cmottram…
were you at the game?
i was
it wasnt raining for the start maybe some drizzle here an there….by the 4th inning it was rediculous.  For any player to have to look up an make a catch in those conditions would be a heck of a task.  Im 26 years old…ive been waiting for that game(world series clinching game) in genreal waiting for a championship in philly all my life.  Im a HUGE philly fan in genreal and a major sports fan…by the end of the 5th inning i had enough i had to leave my seats an get out of the rain.  it should of been stopped earlier……..THATS THE BOTTOM LINE
it should of been suspended in the 4th not mid 6th.

ha if Taguchi is the hero that would be amusing, hes been awful off the bench for us this year…just never really clicked.  Coste gets his bat on the ball thats the only reason i really said him….Jenkins would be nice too but like taguchi he never really clicked either…what a story it would be for stairs

man im excited…thank god i didnt lose my ticket stub

Cmot -

Not sure what game you were watching, but your assessment of things as they were, when they were, is completely inaccurate…Perhaps you were watching an old Braves rain-delayed game…

I, personally, would appreciate it if you’d either stfu OR, at least, go back and review the facts before you spout your BS again…

Thanks.

PK

Oh man. So that explains why Terry Pendleton was batting clean-up all game. I was so confused. Thanks for the head’s up Katzie. I was sooo watching a ’93 Braves game on VHS. How embarrassing.