BASE-BALL

[gonealookin]

I hope there's a learning curve with the fake crowd noise, because in the game I watched tonight (A's-Giants) the "crowd" didn't react the way a real crowd would.  I found that mostly distracting.  We'll see how that evolves/improves over the next couple weeks, but my initial thought is I'd rather just hear the announcers and the crack of the bat.

[NWI_Irish96]

One of the fun things about pre-season baseball are the teams can do pretty much whatever they want. In tonight's Phils-Yankees game, the Phillies wanted to keep their starting pitcher out there even though there were 3 outs. He gave up a home run and it counted. And the result of the game...a 2-2 tie. While ties aren't terribly unusual when in pre-season, usually the broadcast team is told if they will end the game or continue on...

https://www.thegoodphight.com/2020/7/20/21332155/everythings-made-up-and-the-points-dont-matter-phillies-2-yankees-2

Similarly, after the White Sox' 8th batter of the 1st inning against the Cubs, the inning was ended with 2 outs.

[nexus73]

Why watch a bastardized version of sports when you can play a really good game!  I got involved with Forge Of Empires last March.  102 days later I am still having a blast with it.  Most people who like roads are going to have a decent level of intelligence.  FoE will fit well with them. 

Yes, you can build roads in FoE!

Rick

[ilpt4u]

MLB Network was reporting that PNC Park would not be able to host all the Blue Jays home games -- would host 21 games, with 9 games to be played elsewhere. Cleveland or Philly would be the "easy" answer alternate sites, if the schedule and the Indians and Phillies would accomate

I find it odd that Pittsburgh is in the running. I thought the whole idea of basically "geographical" divisions was to keep all the East teams within their own bubble, Central teams in theirs, and West teams in theirs. PNC would be a crossover for East and Central

MLB Network also mentioned the AAA Charlotte Knights (White Sox affiliate) park in North Carolina is under consideration. I would normally say it would be good for Charlotte to experiment with a MLB team, but with no fans, who knows

Also am curious if there would be any differences in TV Rights for Blue Jays games. Does Rogers SportsNet have a full-time US-based crew? Would the Blue Jays contract out the use of another RSNs crew, like AT&T Pittsburgh, assuming games do go to PNC? Also what about "home" TV rights in whatever park the games are played in?

I would have thought MLB would have planned for this contingency when making the shortened schedule, already

[NWI_Irish96]

MLB Network was reporting that PNC Park would not be able to host all the Blue Jays home games -- would host 21 games, with 9 games to be played elsewhere. Cleveland or Philly would be the "easy" answer alternate sites, if the schedule and the Indians and Phillies would accomate

I find it odd that Pittsburgh is in the running. I thought the whole idea of basically "geographical" divisions was to keep all the East teams within their own bubble, Central teams in theirs, and West teams in theirs. PNC would be a crossover for East and Central

MLB Network also mentioned the AAA Charlotte Knights (White Sox affiliate) park in North Carolina is under consideration. I would normally say it would be good for Charlotte to experiment with a MLB team, but with no fans, who knows

Also am curious if there would be any differences in TV Rights for Blue Jays games. Does Rogers SportsNet have a full-time US-based crew? Would the Blue Jays contract out the use of another RSNs crew, like AT&T Pittsburgh, assuming games do go to PNC? Also what about "home" TV rights in whatever park the games are played in?

I would have thought MLB would have planned for this contingency when making the shortened schedule, already

While Pittsburgh plays in the Central divisions it isn't all that far from the eastern teams, and has the added benefit of not being the home park of any of the Jays' opponents where they would be playing home games in their opponent's home stadium.

I've never been to Charlotte but I know that their park is newer so maybe it's more suited than the other AAA parks being mentioned.

I would imagine that wherever the games are played, the TV rights would still work the same as if the team was in Toronto. As for the TV crew, I imagine that the camera operators would have to be based in whatever city they're playing in, and the announcers still based in Toronto. I know that the White Sox TV announcers are doing all the away games from their home stadium's TV booth.

[SEWIGuy]

I believe their are connections between the front offices of both teams and that's why Pittsburgh is in the running.

[ilpt4u]

I believe their are connections between the front offices of both teams and that's why Pittsburgh is in the running.

It is Major League Baseball. Are there any 2 Front Offices that do NOT have connections?

[SEWIGuy]

I believe their are connections between the front offices of both teams and that's why Pittsburgh is in the running.

It is Major League Baseball. Are there any 2 Front Offices that do NOT have connections?

Yes.  But anyway, the current GM and assistant GM in Pittsburgh were both in the front office in Toronto.

[ilpt4u]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/pennsylvania-department-health-wont-allow-blue-jays-play-pnc-park/

The Blue Jays will NOT be making PNC Park their temporary home away from home this season

The search is back on

I'm thinking a AAA park is getting more and more likely, but that is a gut feeling. Either that or the Blue Jays don't have a "home"  stadium and play all games on the road at the opponent's stadium. The only difference for "home"  games will be the Jays batting last and white pants instead of gray pants

[tdindy88]

I'm guessing sites like Rochester or Syracuse are no good? I know Buffalo's been ruled out. Also, if the Blue Jays were to play on the road all season long but have several games be designated the "home team" would that also flip the order of the national anthems, American first and then Canadian?

[ilpt4u]

Unless Rogers SportsNet usually airs the anthems as part of their broadcast, I doubt the Canadian anthem will even be played

Baseball isn't usually like a Hockey game, where the singing of the anthem(s) is part of the experience. At least I don't think so, anyway. And with no fans in the stands, why?

I'm sure MLB has a procedure for whether anthem(s) need done this season

[gonealookin]

If I were deciding I'd put the Blue Jays in Chicago, if that city and the state allow it.  Give them a single home city, puts them in major league parks and only adds an extra hour or so to some flights.  I went through the schedules and have them playing 13 games in the White Sox park and 17 in Wrigley Field, without having to split the games in any single series between the two parks and with only one schedule adjustment, a swap of home weekends with the Tampa Bay Rays.

An issue with doing something similar in New York would be that the Yankees would get 7 "road games" in Yankee Stadium.

[ilpt4u]

Part of the issue that Chicago raises (and I think this is the issue that PA DoH raised with Pittsburgh) is, it violates the "zones" /regionalized schedule, as it would then make Wrigley and Guaranteed Rate Fields cross-over points for the "East"  and "Central"  zone teams

If I wanted to lay a wager, I'd bet the Blue Jays play with no home stadium, and play exclusively at their opponent's parks

[NWI_Irish96]

I think they ultimately end up in Charlotte.

[Takumi]

I think either Charlotte or somewhere in New York.

[1995hoo]

Unless Rogers SportsNet usually airs the anthems as part of their broadcast, I doubt the Canadian anthem will even be played

Baseball isn't usually like a Hockey game, where the singing of the anthem(s) is part of the experience. At least I don't think so, anyway. And with no fans in the stands, why?

I'm sure MLB has a procedure for whether anthem(s) need done this season

Not sure what you mean by the text in boldface. Every baseball game I've ever attended, major league or minor league, has included the customary national anthem performance beforehand (including "O Canada" if a Canadian team is playing or, as was the case last July 6, when the Nationals do an Expos throwback day, and for that game "O Canada" was performed bilingually in English and French per the custom in Montreal). The custom for two-anthem games is that the home team's anthem comes last.

With all that said, there doesn't seem to be much reason for the anthems with no fans in the stands unless–and this might be a legitimate concern–there's a desire to maintain as close to normal a routine as possible. A few years ago when Osama bin Laden was killed, I suggested to Ted Leonsis that at the next Capitals game after that they should perform the third verse of the Star-Spangled Banner instead of the customary first verse, but the team decided against that because they thought it would be strange for the players and they didn't want to do something different during the playoffs.

[ilpt4u]

At a Hockey game, there are more fan "traditions" if you will regarding the anthems.

Canadians sing along, usually at least partially in French. The Blackhawks and the cheering, shooting, and howling during the anthem. The Stars, I think, emphasize "stars" almost as a chant, when "stars" appears in the lyrics

And, of course, most/all hockey teams have a dedicated Soloist, often a male Tenor, as the Voice of the anthem(s). And yes teams can and do have a female Soloist as the anthem singer. It is a much more integrated part of the team's identity, their specific Soloist in their arena

Baseball, football, basketball, etc yes all have the anthem, but (imho) it is often sold as more of a PR stunt to support the military and give a local or national Recording Artist some time to promote their voice and talents for an upcoming show in that market or a Single or Album release

That is my point regarding the anthem being "different" at a hockey game

[MisterSG1]

Part of it moreso is the timing of the anthems, at least at games I've been to.

In NBA and MLB, the national anthems (as is the case in Toronto) happen around 10 minutes before the tipoff or first pitch respectively.

In the NHL, as well as CFL and MLS, the anthem(s) happen immediately before the game in question.

I think the NFL does it the same way but I'm not sure, I've only ever been to one NFL game actually in an NFL stadium so I can't remember.


As for O Canada, usually if someone wants to put in French lyrics anywhere in English Canada, they switch to French at the "Car ton bras" portion of the lyrics, and switch back to English at "God keep our land". While at Canadiens games, the anthem would start in French, and switch to English at "God keep our land", I assume this was the case at Expos games as well but I'm unsure.


I assume if the anthem is to be televised, which it probably won't, the approach I've seen when such contests featured solely US clubs playing in Canada, such as the short lived International Bowl, Bills in Toronto, or even the 2012 MLS Cup, they would sing/play The Star Spangled Banner followed by O Canada. I believe this is how it's done at Spring Training games at Dunedin but in the opposite order, the Blue Jays may be a "Canadian team", but the game is being played on US soil, even if it is a "home game" for the Jays.

[SEWIGuy]

Part of the issue that Chicago raises (and I think this is the issue that PA DoH raised with Pittsburgh) is, it violates the "zones" /regionalized schedule, as it would then make Wrigley and Guaranteed Rate Fields cross-over points for the "East"  and "Central"  zone teams

If I wanted to lay a wager, I'd bet the Blue Jays play with no home stadium, and play exclusively at their opponent's parks

That is why I thought New York would be a better option.

But I think you're right.  I think they are on the road for the season.  The players don't want a AAA park.

[1995hoo]

Regarding the anthems, I know the Nats plan to have Bob McDonald (one of the Caps' anthem singers) perform "God Bless America" during the seventh inning tonight, so I assume that means the anthem(s) will be performed as well.

[Henry]

Now the Blue Jays are in talks with their fierce rivals to play in Camden Yards, and this may as well be their last-ditch option:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29512573/blue-jays-players-told-baltimore-option-holding-games

[Roadgeekteen]

Now the Blue Jays are in talks with their fierce rivals to play in Camden Yards, and this may as well be their last-ditch option:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29512573/blue-jays-players-told-baltimore-option-holding-games

They could also play in Hartford.

https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/hartford-mayor-to-toronto-blue-jays-hartfords-ready/2306504/

[Takumi]

It's Buffalo after all.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29530941/source-blue-jays-play-home-games-buffalo

[Stephane Dumas]

It's Buffalo after all.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29530941/source-blue-jays-play-home-games-buffalo

If and it's a big "if", the Jays won the World Series this year at "home" in Buffalo. Will we read as champion title "Buffalo Blue Jays World Series champions"? That would help Buffalo to end a very long sports drought.  

[ET21]

Happy Opening Day everyone, go Sox