Posts filed under 'Sporting Events'
Red Sox blogger Allan Wood has recently complained about not being able to see about $300 worth of games that he legally purchased online after MLB.com changed their DRM and stop supporting previous acquisitions. The blogger’s complaints were heard far and near. His story was picked up by popular technology sites, which is likely what prompted MLB.com to reach out to Allan Wood inviting him to take part in a conference call last night.
November 8th, 2007
The Cleveland Indians are still waiting on new information that regards starting pitcher Byrd, his use of human-growth hormones, as well as MLB’s decision on whether or not Paul Byrd is going to face a suspension. With the clock ticking on the player’s 2008 team option, which would have expired Wednesday, we had nothing in mind but baseball. In the end, Cleveland decided Byrd, a 15-game winner last season, is worth keeping around. The same goes for AL saves leader Borowski and left-handed reliever Fultz.
November 7th, 2007
Under Bob Melvin, the Arizona Diamondbacks won the NL West despite getting outscored 732-712. It helped the team to lead the majors with thirty-two one-run wins. Webb pitched forty-two straight scoreless innings, closer Valverde led the MLB with forty-seven saves and a flock of homegrown talent emerged. The major focus is starting pitching, the one who will accompany Webb, the staff ace, and lefty Davis and someone at the back end as insurance for Johnson coming off back surgery.
November 6th, 2007
As expected, John Russell will be hired today as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Several sources have confirmed that John Russell, the Philadelphia Phillies’ manager, has won out over a field, which included the White Sox 3B coach Trent Jewett, Joey Cora, manager of Pittsburgh Class AAA Indianapolis affiliate, the LA Dodgers bench coach Dave Jauss, and Cleveland 3B coach Joel Skinner.
John Russell’s hiring may be an unpopular choice among the baseball fans. John Russell spent 3 years as Pittsburgh 3B coach. He was fired following the 2005 season along with the rest of the coaching staff after Lloyd McClendon, the team’s manager had been let go 3 weeks earlier. However, it would look like Pittsburgh is bringing back a retread.
John Russell, however, has a much better reputation among those who work in the league.
Russell, 46, could not be reached for any comments the past 2 days though he expressed great interest in Pittsburgh job 2 years ago, when it came open after McClendon left.
During the final week of the 2005 season John Russell said that there was no doubt that the Pittsburgh Pirates could be a winning organization.
Apparently, not everyone in the league believes the Pittsburgh Pirates can win. John Farrell, Boston pitching coach, turned down the opportunity to interview for the manager’s position this past week. Assistant general manager Chris Antonetti of Cleveland and Rick Hahn of the Chicago White Sox declined chances to interview for the General Magager opening that eventually went to Neal Huntington in October.
John Russell played in the MLB from 1984-93, primarily as a catcher, with Philadelphia (1984-88), Atlanta (1989) and Texas (1990-93). He hit .225 with thirty-four homers and 129 RBIs in 448 matches. Russel was the Phillies’ 1st-round draft pick in 1982 from the University of Oklahoma.
November 5th, 2007
The rooster changes are continuously coming across the league. The new York Yankees have experienced the greatest transition so far. One manager is out and another already in. The team’s 3rd baseman chose to opt out of the final 3 years of his contract. The MLB season concluded on Sunday with the Red Sox winning their 2nd WS championship in 4 years. Though it already seems as if that’s old news, and the league has started heating up with several player and managerial moves.
November 2nd, 2007
Adam Dunn became the Reds’ highest-paid player after the club picked up his contract option for $13 million next season. Cincinnati answered that their most expensive offseason question by keeping their top hitter, the only one in the history of the franchise to have forty homers in 4 consecutive seasons. Adam Dunn wanted to stay with the club that drafted and developed the player. The owner of the franchise Bob Castellini was consulted about this decision. A couple of days ago, Bob Castellini stated he wanted Adam Dunn to stay, even if it cost $13 million.
November 1st, 2007
It is very difficult, not to say impossible, to get back to the World Series for a team that keeps most of the roster together in the era of the 3-tiered playoff. A team must perform up to a similar level for a 2nd consecutive year, and moreover, it must stay healthy and enter the postseason with the roster at full strength. The Tigers came out of 2006 as a popular pick that were supposed to at least win their division. However, despite adding a major piece in Sheffield, the team’s young pitching was not able to build on its success of the previous year, and so the team missed the playoffs with a respectable 88-win season. While Detroit will remain contenders for the next few seasons, their task has only become harder with the rise of the Indians and the arrival of some impact bats in Kansas.
October 31st, 2007
It was a banner year for MLB. We could witness record attendance and gross revenues, dynamic pennant races, and a great feeling that all is well despite the fact that the WS ended in 5 or less matches for the 4th postseason in a row. Even the disappointing news of the pending report from the Mitchell Committee concerning MLB’s steroid era could not darken the enthusiasm. The attendance records were broken for the last 4 years, and the gross revenues of baseball have now gone over six billion. Baseball has never been more popular.
October 30th, 2007
MLB’s sales will surpass six billion US dollars for the 1st time this year. This amount has doubled in comparison with 2000 putting baseball closer to passing the NFL.
Usually, when it comes to sales, the NFL used to dwarf the MLB like a defensive lineman towers over a batboy. No more. The MLB will finish this year with just over six billion US dollars in revenue, according to Major League Baseball’s president and chief operating officer Bob DuPuy.
Considering the numbers, that will put baseball right on the heels of the more than six billion US dollars in revenue reported by the NFL last year.
And in fact, the MLB has a lot more games from which to generate sales than the National Football League, but that has always been the case. To put it simple, the MLB has done a much better job in the past years of boosting its revenues beyond traditional sources, like TV broadcasting and ticket sales.
MLB’s sales have increased fifty per cent percent from 2004 and have since doubled 2000. The National Football League’s sales grew at roughly half of the MLB’s pace during the same period.
Even DuPuy and Commissioner Bud Selig were surprised by the level of growth this year. DuPuy attributed the gains to more competitive balance in the game that helped improve attendance for teams in smaller markets like the NL champion Rockies and Brewers, which was in the race for a division title up until the very last week of the season.
The rapid growth of the online ticket resale market has spurred more season ticket sales, which helped cut down on the number of no-shows.
October 26th, 2007
The fact that the World Series were held in Boston allowed MLB to put its interview on hold with the most recent baseball player, who was accused of using human growth hormone. Major League Baseball’s chief operating officer Bob DuPuy said yesterday that because Cleveland did not win the ALCS, the Indians’ pitcher Paul Byrd did not need to be interviewed until after the WS. Last week Paul Byrd said he took hGH via prescription because he suffered from a pituitary gland problem. Commissioner Bud Selig and Bob DuPuy declined to comment on other steroid issues.
October 25th, 2007
Next Posts
Previous Posts
