Waiting for the Hot Stove to Ignite

As the World Series plays out, I find myself eagerly looking forward to what I hope will be a transformative Hot Stove season for the New York Mets.

I haven't written much for the blog this month. I lost interest years ago in any MLB playoffs that don't include the Mets. Unfortunately, that is an all too common occurrence in my lifetime. Since the Mets fell to the Dodgers in the 1988 NLCS, they've completed 35 seasons, including this one, and made the playoffs only six times. There was a time when I would have some interest in the playoffs, rooting against teams like the Braves and Phillies, but I no longer feel strongly enough about any other team to waste the energy it takes to hate-watch their playoff series.

Local Rules in Baseball Broadcasting

Baseball is at its best when brought to you by local broadcasters — a fact that always seems to elude MLB's "brain trust."

My parents separated when I was very young. I had few memories of my father until I went and found him in my early twenties. I was not close to my grandfather, either. In fact, I had no male role model in my life at all. It was left to me to decide which sports teams I would root for, although the limitations of broadcast television played a significant role. In those days, entertainment still came into houses over an antenna.

Apple TV, Peacock ... Anything for a Buck

Every year, MLB forces its fans to work harder to find where their team's games are broadcast.

Back in olden times, when I first became a fan of the New York Mets, not all games were televised. However, there was one easy way to check if you weren't sure: you walked over to your television and tuned it to WOR, Channel 9. It was easy to keep track of, and — as long as you had an antenna capable of tuning in Channel 9 — you could enjoy every broadcast Mets game for free.

ESPN Is Bad for Baseball

I've been debating with myself on whether to write this post at all since Thursday's game against the Nationals was broadcast by ESPN. I'll admit right at the top that I'm not a fan of either ESPN or FOX baseball broadcasts. Mets fans are lucky because we've been spoiled over the years with our team's exceptional tv and radio broadcasts. From when I first tuned in a Mets game on WOR in 1969 to SNY's coverage over the last few years, I've invariably felt that the game was always front and center. Bob Murphy, Ralph Kiner, Gary Cohen, Howie Rose, or any of the others calling a game, it was obvious that they saw their job as facilitating a fan's enjoyment of the game. The game itself was always the star of the show.