Winter baseball—no, no, not the Puerto Rican league, I’m talking about the practice of baseball related activity in the off season. You know, that’s the process of scouring newspapers and now, the Internet for anything related to baseball.

 

Speaking of the Internet, years ago, when I was a kid, there was no such thing. There were no TV channels dedicated to baseball teams. There were no channels dedicated to sports for that matter. Once the season ended, the diehards suffered through the cold months (at least in the northeast) hoping for something, anything, in the daily papers reporting on baseball.

 

If you were lucky, you might find a single paragraph devoted to the sport. More often than not however, there would be nothing earth shattering in the article. Baseball articles in the winter were generally found in the Sunday papers. There might be one devoted to the Mets and one for the Yankees. But other than that, there were not many sources of information.

 

Back then, during the sixties and seventies, I think I watched football just for the chance to see the ball fields where the game I love so dearly, baseball, was played. Unlike today, most baseball stadiums were used for football too. And the infield dirt was not covered up. I always thought it was cool when the NFL warriors were doing battle with the ball marked on the pitchers mound or a tackle was made at home plate. There was nothing like the traditional Lions game at Tiger Stadium on Thanksgiving. The game was usually played in horrendous condition but it was played on a baseball field. That’s all changed now.

 

The lack of baseball information during the winter made the arrival of ballplayers and the articles telling about them that much more anticipated. There was nothing like opening up the New York Daily News in the middle of February and seeing Mets players in their uniforms with palm trees in the background. At that point you knew the summer game wasn’t that far away.

 

Those days are gone. Today, at least in New York and some other cities, baseball has become a twelve month a year sport. I now take Mets Classics on SNY for granted. If there was something like that on the TV when I was fourteen years old, I would have been ecstatic. We have hot stove shows for both the Mets and Yankees on their respective networks. Sports nightly highlight shows always have a story or two on baseball. And of course we have the Internet.

The web has given fans access to baseball 24-7, 365 days a year. There are countless web sites and blogs to peruse and keep your baseball fix going through the holiday season and the winter months that follow. With the internet, you can actually follow baseball played in the Caribbean. Why, it has even helped me improve my Spanish.

 

Then of course there are the winter meetings that begin this Sunday evening in Las Vegas, Nevada. This coming week will be baseball’s biggest of the off season. We will hear stories and rumors daily about what free agent is signing with whom and who is being traded where. Most of what we hear will be rumor and hearsay. Some will predict a busy week but nothing will happen. Others will predict quiet meetings then block busters will prevail. The point is, the winter meetings are very unpredictable.

 

Whether the Mets sign K-Rod, Orlando Hudson, or Manny Ramirez is not that important. The real exciting thing is that for four days next week, baseball will dominate the sports headlines. And for that, all of us diehard baseball fans should be grateful. Play ball! (or at least talk about it)

It's November in the northeast and it's getting cold. But in other parts of the world it's still warm, even hot. Professional Baseball is played almost the entire year and to prove it, here are links to six professional leagues currently in action.

Two of the leagues are in the United States and four are in the Caribbean. To access winter baseball information, use the following links.

Arizona Fall League http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/winterleagues/?league=afl

Hawaiian Winter Baseball League http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/winterleagues/?league=hwb

Caribbean Winter Leagues http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/winterleagues/?league=car

En Espanol

Liga Dominicana http://www.lidom.com/

Liga Mexicana http://www.ligadelpacifico.com.mx/cms/content.asp?company=180

Liga Venezolana http://www.lvbp.com/scripts/home/index.asp

Liga Puerto Rico http://www.hitboricua.com/

The AFL and HWBL will conclude before Thanksgiving. The Caribbean leagues will play through December, have their playoffs in January and then play the Caribbean World Series in February.

Mets players can be found on the rosters of the Peo Saguaros and Honolulu Sharks of the Arizona Fall League and the Hawaiian Winter Baseball League respectively. Mets players can be found throughout the Caribbean during the winter months. Click here to find the winter Mets.

 

I was impressed with a fan’s remarks in Marty Noble’s latest Mailbag feature at Mets.com. The fan was defending the idea of not forgetting the 2008 season because to him, there were many memorable moments. This fan has a good outlook and is getting more out of the baseball season than many of us.

 

I share this fan’s attitude and am often puzzled by so many fans anger and frustration with the Mets. Something has changed drastically since the 1960’s in terms of rooting for a baseball team. It used to be that if your team was playing above .500 and in the mix, fans were happy. Perhaps it has a lot to do with the never ending banter on sports talk radio and the myriad of baseball blogs on the internet. But one thing is certain, unless the Mets (or the team you root for) win the World Series, the season is now thought of as a complete failure.

 

This attitude is complicated by the fact that players often say the same thing. I have heard Derek Jeter claim many times that the season was a failure because the Yankees did not win the Series. This was during seasons when the Yankees were in the playoffs. If the Yankees were a failure for getting to the playoffs, what does that make all the other teams that did not?

 

What gets lost in all this is that it is very hard to get to the playoffs. It is even more difficult to get to the World Series much less win it. If a fan can only obtain satisfaction from their team winning the World Series, why even bother rooting? The odds are always against. Even the favored team is given good odds at the season’s outset to win the Series but no team ever gets one to one odds.

 

A friend of mine who is a numbers wizard ran some stats. He compiled a list of every team to play in the Major Leagues since 1903, the year the World Series began (except 1904 and 1994). He discovered that the average number of times a team wins a World Series is once every 20 years. The results compare the anticipated number of Series wins to the actual. For example, if a team has been in existence for 100 years, they should have won the World Series five times, once every 20 years. Obviously some teams, like the Yankees, are ahead of that curve while some are behind. But most fall smack in the middle or are off by one actual win either way.

 

Based on this formula, the Mets have won the number of World Series that is expected. In 47 seasons, they have won the Series twice. Because 1986 is now twenty-two years ago, the Mets are starting to fall below the curve. However, at least by average, they have won their fare share of World Series. In comparison, the recently crowned Philadelphia Phillies lag behind the curve because they have only won two World Series since 1903. The expectation is they should have won five championships by now. The point being, it is very difficult to win a championship. Again, if winning it all is the only thing a fan can find gratification in, why not find another pastime?

 

I often wonder if Cubs fans have as bad an attitude as many Mets fans. After all, the Cubs have not won a World Series in 101 years. Up until recently, a Red Sox fan was in the same boat. But now that Boston has won a couple of World Series in the last few years, do their fans start expecting a championship every season too?

 

The goal of any organization should be to put the best team on the field with the goal of winning the World Series. That is all we, as fans, can really ask for. However, that effort is no guarantee it will happen. Realistically, the Mets have fielded a winning team for the past four years. Yet because of disappointments by not getting to the Series in ’06, the collapse in ’07, and falling short in ’08, based on fan reaction, you would think these Mets are the same team led by Art Howe. I have been tough on Omar Minaya the last year and a half but in fairness, he turned the team around and made it competitive immediately after taking over the club. The best laid plans are often thwarted by injury, unanticipated poor performance from key players, and even bad luck. 

 

The complaining in regards to 2009 has already started. At the GM meetings in southern California, not much has happened and we are starting to hear criticism from the media that the Mets will not do enough to change their fortunes for next season. It’s as if we need a guarantee in writing today that the Mets will win it all in ‘09. I would hope that someone who could give that guarantee could write down some lottery numbers for me too.

 

The fan in Marty Nobel’s article was simply pointing out that the journey was exciting. And indeed it was. In 2008, the Mets floundered in the beginning, changed managers and found themselves becoming competitive again reaching and occupying first place for quite some time. Injuries and poor relief pitching took their toll and the dream of winning a World Series was not fulfilled. Shall we return to the days or the Roman Empire and feed the team to the lions or should we be more civilized and relish the fact that our team was competitive and came close. Or would we prefer that the Mets become a basement dweller as they were for so many years of their existence when they were out of the race by Memorial Day?

 

The ending of the last two seasons were disappointing, make no mistake about it. But when the Mets finally get back to the playoffs and win it all, and I believe they will soon, the gratification will be that much more enjoyable. Wild ideas of breaking up the core by sports talk loud mouths is reactionary and would only serve to take steps backward. Fixing the obvious is what is needed and that is what Omar and company seem prepared to do as they look for pitching.

 

As the Mets get ready to move into beautiful Citi Field, they will do so with a chance to win the World Series. Whether the Mets do or not is why we follow them. The journey is long and many things can happen along the way. If we continue to spew our disapproval of a team that spends more money than most, tries hard to win at all costs, and keep their product competitive, then our griping says more about us, the fans, than it does about the Mets.

The 2008 baseball season is finally over. The Philadelphia Phillies are the world champions. The wackos on the radio will soon begin to spew the garbage. Craig Carton already started this morning on WFAN radio. He was ranting that the Mets should sign Manny Ramirez, Orlando Hudson, and Derek Lowe.

 

Did Craig not recognize that the Phillies strength was their bullpen? They won with a closer, Brad Lidge, that did not blow a save the entire season? They had strong setup men who were able to protect leads, getting the game to Lidge. Yet, in his wish list for the Mets, he never mentions any solution for the bullpen. I promise this is the last time I will write this. The Mets must improve their bullpen and find a closer. That’s it. Any other moves they make will be gravy. If the Mets bullpen was able to save games instead of blowing so many, the talk of guts and having a Shane Victorino type of player would never have been uttered. If the Mets had a bullpen rivaling the Phillies, they would have won the division. What needs to be fixed is what caused them not to win, not bringing in more high priced aging free agents.

 

The good news is that with Omar Minaya’s contract extension, he will not feel it necessary to make rash decisions and blowup a team that simply needs some tweaking. Not that rebuilding the bullpen is an easy task but spending absurd amounts of money on Manny Ramirez is not the approach the Mets should take. The Phillies won the World Series last night and interestingly enough, they did so without Manny Ramirez.

 

The Mets do not need Manny, they need bullpen help, perhaps a corner outfielder, and depending on what happens with Oliver Perez, possibly a starting pitcher. Fifteen days from now, eligible players will be able to file for free agency. The general managers meeting will start next week and I’m sure the trade rumors will begin. The hot stove league is about to start.

 

Major League Baseball ended last night but the baseball season never ends. As I mentioned above, the hot stove will warm up. Plus, the Arizona Fall League, the Hawaiian Winter Baseball League, and the Caribbean Leagues are in full swing (the Puerto Rico League starts up next week). The AFL and HWBL will end before Thanksgiving but the Caribbean leagues will play through the end of December. They will have their league playoffs in January followed by the Caribbean World Series at the beginning of February. Pitchers and catchers will report in the middle of February then in March, the second World Baseball Classic will begin.

 

Following the WBC, spring training continues and will be extended one week. The 2009 season will start on April 6th for the Mets at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati followed by the Citi Field opener on April 13th. It will be here before you know it.

Last week I wrote about how cold and wet weather can affect the outcome of the World Series. Unfortunately, we got a first hand account last night as the weather in Philadelphia was simply horrible.

 

When all is said and done, the right things will be said about how baseball can improve the situation, or how they have handled bad weather appropriately. They may even talk of modifying the schedule so the post season can be played in better conditions. Don’t bet on it. Baseball is a business and the business rules will come first. Nothing will likely be done to change where or when the World Series can be played.

 

In some years, the weather will not matter when teams playing in the NLCS, ALCS, and World Series are from warm weather climates or whose homes are in ballparks with roofs. But when you have good teams in the northeast, on the Great Lakes, and Minnesota come 2010, chances are one or two teams will find themselves in the same position as the Phillies and Rays found themselves last evening.

 

Frankly last night’s game should have been stopped earlier. It was a travesty watching players stumbling, almost dropping balls, and sliding in the wet conditions at Citizens’ Bank Park. This was a crucial game for both clubs. For the Phillies, it was a chance to win the World Series and not have to return to Tampa. For the Rays, it was a must win game or their storybook season would be over. The most important game of the year for a sport that proclaims to be the greatest game, to be played in such conditions can only be described as a disgrace.

 

I realize there is not much MLB can do. The games must be played. There are three levels of playoffs forcing baseball to play almost into November. Fox and TBS are paying huge dollars to televise these games and need maximum return on their dollar. That requires the games be played during prime time. Is there a solution or do we just accept that a sport requiring good weather conditions, that allows its athletes to play at the best of their ability, simply will not be able to in the most crucial games that matter most?

 

Baseball athleticism requires finesse. The feel of the baseball to a pitcher, who throws two to three different pitches, is extremely important and is compromised greatly when pitching in cold and windy weather. Fly balls can become problematic adventures when ballplayers have to track down in cold stiff wind, especially with rain blowing all over the place. These are not sights we typically think of when enjoying the summer game.

 

The solution is simple but requires a change in business philosophy and compromise. It’s not feasible to move the season forward. Starting in the middle of March will only move the problem of bad weather to the beginning of the season instead of the end.

 

However, the best solution, I believe, is to shorten the season, with the playoffs starting in the middle of September.

 

Prior to 1961, the regular season schedule was 154 games. With eight teams in both the American and National Leagues, each team played the others 22 times. The season started in mid April and concluded at the end of September, typically before October began. The World Series was completed the first week of October. There were no playoffs then. The pennant winners immediately advanced to the World Series.

 

After expansion in ’61 and ’62 in the AL and NL respectively, the schedules were expanded to 162 games. The 10 teams in each league played each other 18 times. Prior to divisional play, each team played each other an equal number of times with equal numbers of games home and away. It made sense for the number of games on the schedule to increase when more teams were added.    

 

When divisional play began in 1969, two more teams were added to each league. However, the number of games on the schedule did not change. Initially both leagues adopted an unbalanced schedule. Teams played each other 18 times within each division but outside the division, teams played each other 12 times.

 

Through two additional expansions over time by both leagues, the number of games has not changed. They tried balanced and unbalanced schedules to enhance competition but as if it were handed down on stone tablets, the number of games for the season did not budge. Plus, due to revenue, doubleheaders, a common occurrence on Sundays in the old days, went the way of the dinosaur.

 

Today, a doubleheader is only played when a rainout forces the issue. And even then, the games are usually day-night affairs so revenue can be maximized. Combine the 162 game schedule, with no doubleheaders, and the expanded playoff format and you have the mess we saw last night. A crucial game played in the worst conditions. Rainouts can happen any time of the year but the cold and windy conditions destroys the integrity of the game. And that’s what needs to be focused on, the integrity of baseball.

 

The success of the playoff format and the wild card should not be changed. It is a formula that works well and insures more interest down the stretch of the regular season. What should be changed, and will have the least impact on the game itself, is the number of regular season games played. A 148 game schedule would allow the baseball season to end in mid September. The first and second rounds would be played during the final two weeks of the month with the Worlds Series completed by the end of the first week of October. In the northern regions, even during the first week of October, temperatures are reasonable for baseball.

 

Revenue would suffer to some degree by removing 14 games from the schedule. That’s only seven home games per ownership but the game’s integrity would greatly benefit. Major League Baseball is the highest level of the sport in the world. For that status to remain, something must be done to insure that the sport’s most important games are played in an environment that allows its athletes to perform at their best.

 

At some point, Major League Baseball must consider reducing the number of regular season games for the longevity of the sport. Otherwise they may kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

Very likely, Barry Zito will be toiling that brilliant curve ball of his next year and for several years after that in Arlington, Texas. It’s a simple matter of money.   more »

Consider that the St. Louis Cardinals are on the verge of winning their first World Series since 1982 and are doing so with the worst regular season winning percentage for a world championship team in baseball history.    more »

The idea of playing the World Series in a neutral site has come up before and like the SuperBowl, a warm weather city or stadium with a roof would be chosen. It makes sense until you begin to look at all the intangibles.   more »

Sure the World Series is still going on but my heart is not into watching this year.   more »

Before the first round even begins I have a beef and it’s with the first round and the wild card in particular. The Mets won 97 games this year and could easily get bounced out in the first round. Anything can happen but it’s the “easily” part that bothers me.    more »