Out of Continent Scoreboard

[Frayed Knot]

The trouble with trying something like this in-season (as many of the non-baseball mediots are suggesting as the "solution") is the jet lag caused by the quick turn-around time (remember Mussina crying about such stuff the year the Yanx began their season there?). At least this way the two teams have nearly a week to get re-acclimated before diving back into the season. So if they're going to play games in Japan for all the marketing reasons they seek, this particular set-up, while hardly ideal, is probably the best.

btw, when they do re-open it'll be with a two game series of Oakland at Seattle. 7 of the first 10 games for these two teams are against each other.

[Ceetar]

There is nothing more repulsive then football mediots who so smugly think Football is the only sport worth caring about trying to 'fix' baseball.

yeah, Jet Lag would be a killer I guess. Although Verducci's trying to say that it kills them now anyway.

There good facilities out there? Maybe an interesting solution would be to have 6 teams, 1 from each division, just do a full Spring Training out there.

[Edgy MD]

Not for nothing, but it isn't baseball that we're spreading. Japan has been baseball-mad since the 1930s, probably earlier, in many ways to a degree that would shame us. What we're spreading is MLB's affiliated brands.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Edgy DC wrote: Not for nothing, but it isn't baseball that we're spreading. Japan has been baseball-mad since the 1930s, probably earlier, in many ways to a degree that would shame us. What we're spreading is MLB's affiliated brands.

Excellent point.

And as for jet lag, I think they're making more of it than necessary. I've flown to (and from) Europe many times, and I've been to Japan as well. Sure, you arrive exhausted, especially when flying east, but you go to sleep and the morning after your arrival, you're fine. It may (or may not) be different for the elderly, but I can't imagine that a young athlete would need five days to recover from jet lag.

And returning from Asia is easy. Your first day back, you'll wake up about three hours earlier than usual, but after that, you're fine.

[Ceetar]

jet lag hits everyone differently though I do agree that it's not a big enough deal to do or not do something because of it. Some people barely notice, some people need days to recover. Farthest I've flown is Hawaii, 6 hours. It's the only time I've felt seriously jetlagged, and it lasted 2-3 days. Of course, there was an emotional aspect to that as well.

But we're not athletes. Feeling just a tick off in your internal body clock could mean a big different in a swing or reading a ball off a bat.

Ultimately though, it's probably the player union/teams perception of the effect that actually matters.


Yeah, in Japan it's mostly about spreading MLB brand. Maybe they should be opening in the Carribean (where they love baseball AND there are so many locals in MLB already.) Hell, why don't a couple of teams hop over there and do Spring Training _there_?

[Edgy MD]

$$

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: $$

Mega Million's half a billion!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I was reading where the new planes Boeing is building can reduce jetlag by making the cabin more humid, or something.

[Ceetar]

I was reading where the new planes Boeing is building can reduce jetlag by making the cabin more humid, or something.

interesting. I googled:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/news/our-sneak-peek-at-the-dreamliner-plane-of-the-future/story-e6frezi0-1226196606099


They pressurize the cabin for 1800m instead of 2400m and apparently that makes all the difference. Also, you simply press a button and the windows dim. no manual shades. ooooh, aaah. futuristic.

sounds cool though.

[MFS62]

Edgy DC wrote: Not for nothing, but it isn't baseball that we're spreading. Japan has been baseball-mad since the 1930s, probably earlier, in many ways to a degree that would shame us. What we're spreading is MLB's affiliated brands.

The local sports doofus on one of the CT stations introduced the game highlights by saying something like "We're trying to bring baseball to Japan". I came thisclose to calling the station and questioning his qualifications.
Also - If they play these games in the US in July or August, about eleven fans show up - in either city.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

MLB: we want to play reg season games in Europe

[Ceetar]

MLB: we want to play reg season games in Europe

interesting.

also interesting is a line about the first qualifying round for the WBC being in September in Germany.

I'm going to be in Germany in September.

hmm..

[Benjamin Grimm]

MLB: we want to play reg season games in Europe

That, I think, would be a lot easier to pull off, jet-lag-wise, than Japan. A flight to Europe from the East Coast isn't that much longer than a flight from the West Coast to the East Coast, especially if you're only going to the UK. (Flying further, like to Rome or Vienna, would add a few hours to the trip.)

The worst thing for me about flying to Europe is that every flight seems to be a red-eye. You arrive exhausted, and when you get to your hotel it's only about 9:30 or 10 a.m. local time and your room isn't going to be ready for at least an hour or two. MLB could have more pull with the hotels, and they could arrange a charter flight that would depart at a more reasonable time. And returning from Europe is very easy as far as jet lag goes.

They could even do this in-season, I think. Have the two teams depart from the East Coast to London. Give them two days off on either end of the trip and they should be fine. Maybe fly Wednesday morning, play games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, then fly home and resume playing in the U.S. on Wednesday. They could possibly even play on Tuesday.

[Ceetar]

you know what would help with the scheduling for some these international series? Doubleheaders! Instead of playing Saturday AND Sunday, play both on Saturday and give yourself an extra travel day.

[Edgy MD]

Nobody takes Sunday off in baseball. It's $unday.

[Benjamin Grimm]

In England it would be �unday?

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Nobody takes Sunday off in baseball. It's $unday.

Makes cents though doesn't it? Isn't that why they played DH on Sunday to begin with anyway? for Travel?

[Frayed Knot]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: They could even do this in-season, I think. Have the two teams depart from the East Coast to London. Give them two days off on either end of the trip and they should be fine. Maybe fly Wednesday morning, play games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, then fly home and resume playing in the U.S. on Wednesday. They could possibly even play on Tuesday.

The problem with two days off at either end of a Euro-series is that it takes away four of the precious few off-days those teams have which in turn means you're bumping up against the mandate of no streaks of more than 19 w/o an off day and other related kinks.
A pre-season season opening series - like the just concluded Ms-As deal - would take care of the off-day snafu but getting the weather to cooperate in March anywhere other than maybe Italy would be a problem.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: And as for jet lag, I think they're making more of it than necessary. I've flown to (and from) Europe many times, and I've been to Japan as well. Sure, you arrive exhausted, especially when flying east, but you go to sleep and the morning after your arrival, you're fine.

Yeah, this. The Super Rugby competition has teams from South Africa, Oz and NZ. That's a 14 hour difference. Soon it will expand into Argentina, in which case teams will cross every time-zone on the planet.

[Ceetar]

Travel is wearying, sure. But then these teams are frequently leaving NY at like midnight-1 am and playing the next day in say St. Louis at 7pm. There's no way they're arriving at their hotel before 6-7am and even attempting a full nights sleeping after that and still getting to the park on time is iffy.

I can't imagine a Europe trip being much worse.

[Frayed Knot]

Saint Louee is one time zone and maybe two hours in the air.
England is a much longer flight and five zones away, most of the continent is six.
Plus, it's not like you're going to stay in that zone for a week the way the Mets might then go to Chicago or Houston after StL. They'll just have to turn right back around and do it all again 3 or 4 days later.
There's a significant difference.