It's Fox-TV roulette again today! I have not been able to find the coverage map for this afternoon's game, but here are some of the larger markets that are carrying the Cubs/White Sox affair, in approximately 26% of the USA:
Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Louisville, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, St. Louis
While the Phillies and Red Sox, sent to 73% of the USA (where's the other 1%?), are going to these major cities:
Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Denver, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Houston, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Tulsa, Washington DC, West Palm Beach
That ought to give you a pretty good idea of the coverage areas. I know a fair number of BCB'ers live in Iowa -- it would appear you're getting the Cubs game, though "check local listings". Think of it this way: if you're watching the Cubs game, you do NOT have to listen to Dick Stockton, who has been enlisted by Fox to announce the other game.
This gives me another opportunity to write about this 1960's anachronism. I realize Fox pays a metric buttload of money to get the rights to the postseason, and that money helps fund the massive contracts we now see in MLB. But in the year 2010, there is absolutely no reason, even if Fox insists on "regionalizing" as if they're televising college football, that you couldn't allow people anywhere to watch the game they want to. For example, you could make these Saturday afternoon games available free of charge online outside of the markets where they are carried on free television (or even for a nominal charge, say $3.99 for each Saturday game). Here's a real-life example: say you live in New York and you wanted to watch the Cubs game today. It is not carried by the NY Fox station. However, the commercials from the NY Fox station would be inserted into your online broadcast based on your local IP address (meanwhile, you'd also see the national Fox commercials that are seen by everyone). There is already-existing technology that can do this.
It happens all the time with online advertising. I have noticed that even on this site, where I do not control the ads. When I've traveled, I have occasionally seen ads on BCB for businesses/broadcasts in the region where I am located. It's not that difficult, and that's the point of the regionalization -- to get eyeballs for the local ads. The problem with that is that teams like the Cubs have a national fanbase. Ignoring the fact that there are Cubs fans in New York, California, Florida and many other places is costing these stations money. Rather than watch the Phillies and Red Sox in New York (to continue that example), the Cubs fan will simply turn the Fox station off.
I have consistently stated here that anyone who is willing to pay to watch a baseball game (whether online or via cable/satellite) should be able to watch it, whether they are in Chicago, Iowa, New York or anywhere else in the world. It's time for baseball's moguls to reject this Dollar Bill Wirtz approach to television and realize they are costing themselves and their TV partners money.
| Today's Starting Pitchers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In 25 starts since his perfect game last July (13 last year, 12 this year), Mark Buehrle is 5-13 with a 5.07 ERA and 185 hits allowed in 149 innings. He's still not walking people -- only 38 walks in those innings -- but he has been pretty well pounded most of the time. He is 4-4, 4.58 lifetime in 11 starts against the Cubs, including one last June 27 in which he didn't pitch that well, but the Cubs were worse, and the White Sox won anyway. The Cubs struggle against soft-tossing lefties like this.
Carlos Silva has a long history against the White Sox from all his years in Minnesota, and it's not a good one: 4-10 in 19 appearances (17 starts) with a 5.52 ERA. This is a new year and a new Silva, and he has not faced the Sox since September 7, 2007; he threw pretty well that day and most of this Sox team is new to him. He has faced Paul Konerko for 43 AB and held him to 1 HR and a .279 average. Current Sox are hitting .246 (34-for-138) against Carlos.
Today's game is on Fox. It's going to only 23% of the USA. Maybe that's a good thing. Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation White Sox site South Side Sox.
Today's first pitch thread will be up at 3 pm CDT, and the overflows will post at 4:15, 5:15 and 6 pm CDT.
Discuss amongst yourselves.