Disparity in cubs vs white sox spring training games

by JonH on Feb 26, 2006 4:20 PM CST

Can anyone explain the difference in number of games shown on TV for each team?

Cubs: 7
White Sox: 7

I know some will say because they are world champions but I still think the cubs have a better TV draw than the sox.

Does anyone know what kind of coverage if any mlb.tv will have?

Also in order to fill out my 300 character limit :) I noticed the A's are playing the South Africa WBC team during spring training as well as their AAA affiliate. Do the cubs play the Iowa cubs at any point? Seems like a fun idea.

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No...

... the Cubs don't play Iowa during the spring.

I think you've got the TV numbers wrong, too. The White Sox have, IIRC, 20 games on TV.

This started last year when CSN was looking for filler programming to replace hockey and the White Sox were willing to fill the empty time (I cannot remember who approached whom here). Apparently the games did well enough that, considering the world championship, they decided to do it again.

I don't know about MLB.TV during spring training, but in past years, MLB Audio has carried virtually every game. Not sure whether there will be a charge for spring games this year or not.

by Al Yellon on Feb 26, 2006 4:24 PM CST reply actions

Whoops on the numbers :)

yeah the sox number was a typo.

by JonH on Feb 27, 2006 8:58 AM CST up reply actions

Games on CSN

I could be wrong but I think there's more than meets the eye here. As Al said, this began last spring. IIRC, last year was the first full year for Sox marketing guy Brooks Boyer. I think that this was some type of marketing decision when CSN offered the opportunity. I'd have to guess that the Sox are shouldering some of the production costs here. Last year it would have made a lot of sense to give Kasper and Brenly some extra spring games together. I think that this was an opportunity offered to both teams but there was probably some added costs, too.

DmL

by dmlichte on Feb 26, 2006 4:53 PM CST reply actions

Correct

I believe both teams were given the option of broadcasting a bunch of ST games, since comcast is technically a joint venture between the Sox and Cubs. (Though the Sox have a greater stake in it.)

What killed it was the broadcasters not wanting to give up part of their vacation time. -- The Sox got around it last year by tossing a few former players and a few newbies into the booth with one of their regulars for many of the games.

Visiting from...South Side Sox

by The Cheat on Feb 26, 2006 9:12 PM CST up reply actions

does anyone have

the cubs spring training tv schedule? i couldn't find it on google. i know al posted it once, but i couldn't find which diary it was in,.

by tomas21 on Feb 28, 2006 6:55 PM CST reply actions

Here is...

... the Cubs' March schedule.

Games listed as TV games are:

3/5 vs SF, WGN, 2:05 CT
3/13 vs Col, CSN, 2:05 CT
3/18 vs Sox, WGN (Sox announcers), 2:05 CT
3/25 vs Oak, WGN, 2:05 CT
3/27 vs Sox, CSN, 2:05 CT
3/31 vs SD, WGN, 9:05 CT
4/1 vs SD, WGN, 2:05 CT

Looking at that link, the 3/12 game vs Milwaukee says it's on FSN -- that might be FSN Milwaukee. Brewers schedule seems to confirm this.

The Cubs are not scheduled to be on ESPN this spring; here is their schedule. 13 games, eight of which involve either the Yankees, Mets or Red Sox. No big surprise there.

by Al Yellon on Feb 28, 2006 7:05 PM CST up reply actions

Also

All of them are from the Florida league not the Cactus.

by JonH on Mar 1, 2006 3:10 PM CST up reply actions

And here is the radio schedule

WGN Radio will broadcast 11 games this spring, beginning with the Cactus League opener on March 2 against Oakland. Pat and Ron also will be on the air on March 4-5 vs. San Francisco, March 11 vs. Kansas City, March 12 vs. Milwaukee, March 18 vs. the White Sox, March 19 vs. Texas, March 25 vs. Oakland, March 26 vs. Arizona, March 27 vs. the White Sox, and April 1 vs. San Diego.

It does not appear that mlb.tv will be carrying any games that are not already available in the chicago area. Unfortutely most of the teams in the Cactus League don't seem to have their own TV coverage that WGN or mlb.tv could pick up

by JonH on Mar 1, 2006 3:08 PM CST up reply actions