A couple of "general" baseball questions

[JudgeDredd]

Just a few of general baseball questions from someone who knows not alot about it

• How many games does the season hold?
• Why does the draft work the way it works? I saw my team was 17th in the initial draft...I need to read more on the draft, but does that mean all 16 teams go before me in selecting players? How does that work and why does it work like that?
• How long is the season?
• How can you afford to go to so many games (or get the time to...they're upwards of 4 hours long!)?

We actually get a televised baseball game here in the UK on Channel 5 every Monday...but it's 12-1am start in the morning till about 4-5am
That's all for now

Thx

[JWay]

Seasons can have any number of games, but generally modern MLB schedules are 162 games long.

In initial drafts they are usually serpentine meaning if there are 30 teams and you draft 28th, 27 teams will make one choice before you, then you pick, and then the last 3 teams pick, in the 2nd round, you are the 4th team to pick cause the draft order reverses after each round to keep things fair.

A typical season starts in March with spring training, opening day in April, and Playoffs in October.

And tickets to games are usually heavily discounted to season ticket holders, but theres always the cheap seats which cost ten dollars or less (unless your going to the yankees or red sox games) and as for the time, people usually just make time.

[Bluenoser]

Originally Posted by JudgeDredd

Just a few of general baseball questions from someone who knows not alot about it

• How many games does the season hold?
• Why does the draft work the way it works? I saw my team was 17th in the initial draft...I need to read more on the draft, but does that mean all 16 teams go before me in selecting players? How does that work and why does it work like that?
• How long is the season?
• How can you afford to go to so many games (or get the time to...they're upwards of 4 hours long!)?

We actually get a televised baseball game here in the UK on Channel 5 every Monday...but it's 12-1am start in the morning till about 4-5am
That's all for now

Thx

Televised games are usually 3 hours long (provided they don't go to extra innings) so they can get all their commercials in and other highlights.

Going to a live game it's not nearly as long, again depending on extra innings. Of course some games are very long, as an example if it's high scoring with lots of hits, walks, etc.

On Avg though, a game is usually about 2 hours. That's just a rough gestimate of course.

[SSG Troyer]

Initial drafts are as JWay says, mostly. Serpentine, so that they are fair for everyone the first time out. Subsequent drafts are sequential, so that if you draft 17th, you will draft 17th every round. The draft order of sequential drafts is determined by win-loss record the season before...the team with the worst record goes first, the team with the best record goes last. Actually, the World Series winner goes last, the WS loser goes next-to-last, and the team with the best record that's neither of those goes third-to-last. It's done that way to try and maintain parity between the teams. Ideally, the worst teams will get the better players.

[mattshwink]

Originally Posted by JudgeDredd

• How can you afford to go to so many games (or get the time to...they're upwards of 4 hours long!)?

We actually get a televised baseball game here in the UK on Channel 5 every Monday...but it's 12-1am start in the morning till about 4-5am
That's all for now

Thx

The majority of people do not go to all of the games (even if they have season tickets). They either give some tickets to friends/family/coworkers or sell their tickets through ticket brokers or Ebay.

There are also partial season plans where you can buy tickets to several games (usually anywhere from a half season to as few as 10 games) for reduced prices.

My favorite team (the Orioles) season ticket prices range from $48 to $8. This means that a full season ranges from $3888 (for one, $7776 for two) to $648 (for one, two is $1296). Most tickets fall somewhere in the middle. If you are a baseball fan, it's worth it!

Some teams charge more. I live closest to the Washington Nationals (30 minute walk from the office, 30 minute drive from home, close to an hour using public transit from home). But they just built a new stadium, and have more premium pricing. Nationals season tickets range from $10 per game all the way up to $300 per game! So while the cheap seats are about the same as the Orioles, the expensive seats are six times more expensive! Those tickets are usually bought by companies/law firms trying to impress clients and such. There are some rich individuals as well.

As for time, most, if not all, stadiums are located in cities close to large populations and public transit (trains, buses, etc.) So if you work or live in the city (I work in Washington DC). Getting to games is easy. It just extends your day. Affording it is just a matter of priorities and where you sit (for instance, I got a deal on tickets to a game on Friday, $21 for two tickets with seats that usually cost $40). I go to anywhere from 5-10 game per year. This year I traveled to the West Coast, so I have already been to a Mariners game, Giants game, and 4 Nats games! One day when I am retired (many years from now) maybe I will have the time, and money, for some season tickets....

[Edit] Fixed my dumb math errors! 81 home games a year (the O's never make the playoffs anymore )

[umwol13]

Originally Posted by JWay

A typical season starts in March with spring training, opening day in April, and Playoffs in October.

And Opening Day will always be on a Monday. You might have a game before that day but it won't be during the day.

[Mattymo]

Originally Posted by BruceM

Televised games are usually 3 hours long (provided they don't go to extra innings) so they can get all their commercials in and other highlights.

Going to a live game it's not nearly as long, again depending on extra innings. Of course some games are very long, as an example if it's high scoring with lots of hits, walks, etc.

On Avg though, a game is usually about 2 hours. That's just a rough gestimate of course.

How do you figure that televised games are longer than games in person? it's the same exact thing...it's not like televised games aren't in "real time". If a game takes 3 hours on TV, it takes 3 hours in person. When you're in the stadium, even if you aren't watching the commercials you are still sitting through the commercial break. And EVERY game is on TV.

And only the shortest games are 2 hours...I'd say most games are closer to 2 hrs and 45 minutes, somewhere around there.

[umwol13]

Originally Posted by JudgeDredd

How can you afford to go to so many games (or get the time to...they're upwards of 4 hours long!)?

I have 2 season tickets to the Mets and even before they raised ticket prices 20% this year, they were already expensive. Next year they'll probably raise it another 20-30% when the new stadium opens. My seats are in the field box and they range between $74-$36 depending on who the Mets are playing and when they're playing. The weekend games as well as games against the Yankees (and opening day) are the expensive ones.

I split my tickets with 3 other friends so each of us get roughly 20 games. Even then I can't make it to all of them. I usually sell them at face value if I can't go.

The 2 biggest reasons people get season tickets (unless they're Royals fans or fans of other similarly situated teams) is for the right to buy playoffs tickets if the team makes it and to get the same seats for the season with hopes of getting better seats the next year.

[umwol13]

Originally Posted by Mattymo

How do you figure that televised games are longer than games in person? it's the same exact thing...it's not like televised games aren't in "real time". If a game takes 3 hours on TV, it takes 3 hours in person. When you're in the stadium, even if you aren't watching the commercials you are still sitting through the commercial break. And EVERY game is on TV.

And only the shortest games are 2 hours...I'd say most games are closer to 2 hrs and 45 minutes, somewhere around there.

Actually, I think he meant to say that nationally televised games are longer because the network sells certain amount of time to national advertisers and they control when the pitches start every inning. They literally have to wait for all the commercials to be played before the play begins in every inning.

[Sdpm100]

IIRC, MLB games in the regular season last year were 2:51 on average, and I think there was a report a week or so ago that said it was still at 2:51 this season (2:49 in the NL and 2:53 in the AL, IIRC).

[ricko]

Originally Posted by Mattymo

How do you figure that televised games are longer than games in person? it's the same exact thing...

I was wondering the same thing, but perhaps he meant nationally televised games, like the ESPN or FOX games of the week. Don't they add some more commercial time on those broadcasts?

EDIT: Just ignore me, someone above has a better answer to this.

[bleachercreature]

[QUOTE=JW
And tickets to games are usually heavily discounted to season ticket holders, but theres always the cheap seats which cost ten dollars or less (unless your going to the yankees or red sox games) and as for the time, people usually just make time.[/QUOTE]

There are even cheap seats in the Bronx. I'm a season ticket holder, and I pay $12 a game to sit in the bleachers. advanced and day of game sales are $14, not bad to see Major League Baseball if you ask me.

[bleachercreature]

Originally Posted by umwol13

And Opening Day will always be on a Monday. You might have a game before that day but it won't be during the day.

Technically, Opening Day is on a Sunday if you want to count ESPN exclussive nonsense.

[umwol13]

Originally Posted by bleachercreature

Technically, Opening Day is on a Sunday if you want to count ESPN exclussive nonsense.

They can't call it "Opening Day" and can't be played during the day. Hence why it's always (since it started) played on Sunday night and called "Opening night." If you ask me, it's total abomination.

[KevinTMC]

Originally Posted by umwol13

If you ask me, it's total abomination.

Welcome to Seligville, home of the total abomination.

(But then, I would say that...I'm still sore at him for stealing the Seattle Pilots.)

[theasfl]

Originally Posted by mattshwink

My favorite team (the Orioles) season ticket prices range from $48 to $8. This means that a full season ranges from $7776 (for one, $15552 for two) to $1296 (for one, two is $2592). Most tickets fall somewhere in the middle. If you are a baseball fan, it's worth it!

You're either multiplying or dividing by the wrong number. Each team only has 81 home games, 48*162 = $7,776 and 8*162 = $1,296. It should either be $7,776/81 or $96 to $1,296/81 = $16 or $48*81 or $3,888 to $8*81 or $648. After doing a little research I'm fairly sure its the second set.

[umwol13]

Originally Posted by KevinTMC

Welcome to Seligville, home of the total abomination.

(But then, I would say that...I'm still sore at him for stealing the Seattle Pilots.)

It's what happens when you turn a pastime into a business...wait, not business, monopoly.

[mattshwink]

Originally Posted by theasfl

You're either multiplying or dividing by the wrong number. Each team only has 81 home games, 48*162 = $7,776 and 8*162 = $1,296. It should either be $7,776/81 or $96 to $1,296/81 = $16 or $48*81 or $3,888 to $8*81 or $648. After doing a little research I'm fairly sure its the second set.

Sorry!!! You are absolutely right....all those years of calculus taught me to do math with letters and greek symbols...I've lost my way with numbers. I edited the post with the correct numbers!

[gord]

Hehe - think this guy is a little overwhelmed reading this by now? I hope he isn't as lost as I am when I watch cricket highlights on SkySports News.

[__JR__]

Originally Posted by umwol13

It's what happens when you turn a pastime into a business...wait, not business, monopoly.

Thats the idea of it being a "Professional" League though, isn't it?