Cool Beginnings
Good start for the Yankees in the ALCS…the Arctic League Championship Series…Guys are so bundled up with earflaps and face mufflers, I’m quite sure that, in a couple innings, we’ll see a player take the field wearing a Snuggie!
Ken Singleton in studio with me, saying that MLB should build a retractable roof stadium in Las Vegas…here’s his plan…during the course of every regular season or every other regular season, every team will host a series there, to make sure the stadium is in use. Ultimately, the World Series will be played there…every year. Also, the World Baseball Classic will play the finals there…college games, concerts…Vegas can handle it with hotel space, traffic, etc…(BY THE WAY, the weather in Vegas today is 89 and sunny, 64 for the low)…But what about gambling issues, you ask? Singy says all games played there would be off the board, no betting on ’em. Also, because the All-Star Game already determines who gets homefield advantage, it’s not a problem…that’s already decided anyway.
Now, here’s my question to Kenny…what about REAL homefield advantage? Taking fans from, say the Bronx, and making them travel 1,800 miles to the World Series, if the Yanks get there?
Kenny says when you get down to the 4 teams in the LCS, you offer tickets to the season ticket holders first…and then you offer them to the general public for sale. When a team is having a good year, Kenny says it won’t be a problem getting support to travel there. And the team or MLB could arrange deals with airlines…cheap tickets or even charters for season ticket holders.
Kenny admits this plan is not perfect…there would be a certain amount of lost revenue for each competing Major League city…but memorabilia from all 30 teams would be sold in the Vegas stadium.
So, there ya go, let me know what you think…back with more later.
PS We went Italian tonight for dinner…Kenny and I each went with the Caprese for an appetizer and a chunk of lasagna the size of ur head…and he had a regular Coke…that’s gotta be bubblin’ in his stomach right now…LOOK OUT!
The Blob 
Kenny! I am drinking too! 🙂 It is more fun to think about what is right about that plan, than point out the imperfections. Between the larger fan base and tourist interest, the big market teams would draw attendance for any game played in Vegas during the year. A Pirates/Marlins game would probabably draw . . . the same attendance for a Pirates/Marlins game! 🙂 This could work!
I imagine after tomorrow’s game (if it happens), I will be more on board with a Vegas World Series! Look for me in the stands. I will be the one with every piece of clothing I own on. . and if I can find one. . A Snuggie! 🙂
Why not 2 stadiums (stadia)? One in Vegas, and one somewhere in the southeast? As long as we’re pipe-dreaming, might as well make it a little less of a trip for east-coast fans. 🙂
After last year’s mess in Philly and the brutal cold in NY the last two games, I have to say Kenny’s idea sounds like a nice alternative. And, tonight, Philly and the Dodgers will be contending with the same mess that our Yankees and the Angels had to deal with. It’s just not fun.
There’s definitely something wrong with watching baseball players dressed for winter sports.
I’ve been resisting purchasing a snuggie, but if they came out with a pinstripe version, I might have to reconsider.
Vegas…hmmmm..not sure that Vegas would allow anything to happen there that wasn’t being bet on…but who knows…all in all the idea sucks unless your drunk or full of some type of hallucinatory drug or maybe work for the YES network…what do they put in your water there…
~peter
Outside the Phillies Looking In
http://devilabrit.mlblogs.com
Bob, thanks to you and the entire YES crew for the great pre and post game playoff coverage.
What kind of candy are you guys eating?
I understand the reasoning behind Ken’s idea, but um, no. You absolutely eliminate HFA that way. A better solution is to shorten the season, and I don’t mean reducing the number of games (although I think it should be 154, but that won’t happen). MLB needs to schedule double headers – day/night because the teams won’t want to lost the gate. Maybe one a month starting in May. Then, take out the extra off days that are built in to the playoff schedule (of course, that won’t happen either because the TV networks won’t schedule the games to conflict with their most profitable viewing nights).