From CNNSI.com:

The start of the World Series is being pushed back an extra day to Oct. 24, meaning Game 7 is scheduled for November for the first time. Because of extra off-days during the postseason, a team sweeping the NL championship series would have eight days off before its World Series opener.

MY THOUGHTS:

I think this is a lousy idea, and it's all about pleasing TV advertisers (they want the World Series to start in the middle of the week, when viewership tends to be higher.)

So to make the advertisers happy, the World Series is more likely than ever to be played in inclement weather. Let's assume (just for fun) that the Cubs are in the 2007 World Series. And let's assume (because I don't know yet) that Game Seven is a home game for them. And let's assume it occurs Nov. 1 (though since baseball hasn't specified, I suppose it could be as late as Nov. 2).

The average high in Chicago on Nov. 1 is 53, and the average low is 40. But on some November firsts in recent Chicago history, the temperature has failed to climb out of the 30s, and has fallen into the 20s at night (and of course, games would be played at night, this being the World Series). Even with average temperatures for that time of year, November is far from an ideal time to be outside in Chicago trying to decide the seventh game of the World Series. Snow is a distinct possibility.

I'm not saying the weather in Chicago 10 days before Nov. 1 would necessarily be a picnic, but the odds are worse as you get further toward winter, obviously.

It's a shame that with all the extra layers of playoffs, and all the extra off days for TV, the World Series has now become a November event (50 years ago, it was usually over before mid-October.)

It's also a shame that a team might have an 8-day gap between post-season games, as this article stated. I don't think anyone (besides the advertisers and perhaps the fat cats who run baseball) can believe this is good for players (or for fans, who'd be forced to twiddle their thumbs for so long waiting to see another game).