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If The Al East Needs A One Game Playoff, Who Would Televise It??

J

Joseph_Gallant

Guest
I realize that there is only a very slight chance of this happening, and that the point could become moot, but.......

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees could tie for the American League Eastern division championship, and Cleveland could clinch the "wild-card", meaning that either Boston or the Yankees, but not both, would be able to advance to the playoffs.

This would set-up a potential tie-break game on Monday (October 3rd) in New York.

Although most such tie-break games over the last decade-and-a-half have been shown on ESPN, I could see a Boston/Yankees one-game playoff for entry into the postseason being on Fox instead, and for the game to either air in prime-time (8 P.M. EDT, with an 8:10 P.M. first-pitch) or perhaps "near" prime-time (either 5:30 P.M. EDT with a 5:50 first-pitch, or 6 P.M. ET with a 6:10 first-pitch) if the network wanted to avoid conflict with ABC's Monday-night NFL game.

The reason I think Fox would carry a Boston/New York Yankees tiebreaker is this: The two highest-rated baseball League Championship Series in (at least) the recent history of television were Fox's broadcasts of the 2003 and 2004 Ametrican League Championship Series between Boston and the Yankees. I'm sure Fox would want the ratings, which while probably not at the level of the 2003 and 2004 ALCS, would still be significantly higher than Fox's regular Monday-night schedule.

Do you agree with my view that Fox and not ESPN would carry such a game if it is played??

FYI: The famous 1978 AL tie-breaker between these two teams aired on ABC, and was a day game, but that was in part because it was played on a Monday and ABC was committed to a "Monday Night Football" game that evening.
 
> Any game Monday is obligated to be on ESPN.
>
Unless if you are in the New York area (YES Network) or Boston (NESN).
 
If I remember correctly, prior to the ESPN era, ABC had the rights to all one-game Monday tiebreakers. These were necessary only in 1978 (Yankees-Red Sox) and 1980(Astros-Dodgers). I think ABC also used to have the rights to games on the final Sunday of the sason when a race was undecided(I can remember Detroit's 1-0 win over Toronto being on ABC in '87).
But nowadays, ESPN is the best place for such games. They need to be played in the afternoon, I think, to make travel easier for the winning team should it need to go elsewhere for the following day. And an afternoon playoff game that wouldn't be a huge ratings draw on a broadcast network will still pull in terrific 'cable-size' ratings for ESPN.
Just curious if anybody knows what rating that '78 Yankees-Sox game got on ABC...or where to look up such info, just in case it can't be posted here?
 
> Unless if you are in the New York area (YES Network) or
> Boston (NESN).

Or Cleveland (Fox Sports Net Ohio, I presume)...

-OA <P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
multiple 1-game playoffs???

I don't see the FOX network scrapping their regular programs to shoe-horn any baseball playoffs that they didn't already anticipate having to broadcast. Any 1-game playoffs would probably be picked up by ESPN nationally. I'm not sure whether or not the local TV rights holders would get to do a broadcast as well.

The Phillies and Astros could still wind up tied for the NL wild-card after Sunday's games as well. If this were to happen and the Red Sox and Yankees were to tie, and need a play-off, would they be played simultaneously, or would there be a 1PM Eastern start for the NL playoff and a 4PM Eastern start for the AL playoff?

Heck ... there's still a way that The Red Sox, Yankees, and Indians all end the season with the same record. If that happens, you have two one-game playoffs. Monday's would be Red Sox v Yankees to determine the AL East winner. Tuesday's would send the loser to Cleveland to see who'd be the AL wild card.

Ever since baseball playoffs have expanded, the possibilities for 1-game playoffs have similiarly increased. And pre-wild-card, there was never a need for the 2-game playoff scenario that could become reality in the AL.

Of course, all of this is moot if there are no ties to break after Sunday.
 
> > Unless if you are in the New York area (YES Network) or
> > Boston (NESN).
>
> Or Cleveland (Fox Sports Net Ohio, I presume)...
>
> -OA

I beg to differ, at least in part. I believe those Monday games would be treated like playoff games in the TV sense, meaning that they'd be on the same local over-the-air channels that would pick up the ESPN feeds of later playoff games (if that's YES or NESN, so be it). For example ... in 1998 when the Cubs hosted San Francisco in a one-game playoff to determine the wild card, WGN-TV in Chicago simulcasted the ESPN broadcast but did not show it nationally. TBS does the same thing in Atlanta only when the Braves are shown on ESPN.
 
> FYI: The famous 1978 AL tie-breaker between these two teams
> aired on ABC, and was a day game, but that was in part
> because it was played on a Monday and ABC was committed to a
> "Monday Night Football" game that evening.
>
I could have watched some of it, but I was at the bowling alley participating in my HS intramural bowling league. My mom picked me up afterwards and I was upset when she told me the Yanks won.

ixnay
 
> > > Unless if you are in the New York area (YES Network) or
> > > Boston (NESN).
> >
> > Or Cleveland (Fox Sports Net Ohio, I presume)...
> >
> > -OA
>
> I beg to differ, at least in part. I believe those Monday
> games would be treated like playoff games in the TV sense,
> meaning that they'd be on the same local over-the-air
> channels that would pick up the ESPN feeds of later playoff
> games (if that's YES or NESN, so be it). For example ... in
> 1998 when the Cubs hosted San Francisco in a one-game
> playoff to determine the wild card, WGN-TV in Chicago
> simulcasted the ESPN broadcast but did not show it
> nationally. TBS does the same thing in Atlanta only when the
> Braves are shown on ESPN.
>
You also have to remember that both WGN and TBS are SuperStations. Remember 2003 when the Cubs played the Braves in the first round, WGN (Local) showed the games. WGN (SuperStation) showed movies until the news was on.
 
> Although most such tie-break games over the last
> decade-and-a-half have been shown on ESPN, I could see a
> Boston/Yankees one-game playoff for entry into the
> postseason being on Fox instead, and for the game to either
> air in prime-time (8 P.M. EDT, with an 8:10 P.M.
> first-pitch) or perhaps "near" prime-time (either 5:30 P.M.
> EDT with a 5:50 first-pitch, or 6 P.M. ET with a 6:10
> first-pitch) if the network wanted to avoid conflict with
> ABC's Monday-night NFL game.

Fox can't televise any one-game playoffs. The rights for those
are owned by ESPN. None of the local outlets(like NESN or FSN Ohio)
will have this game if it's necessary.



>
> Do you agree with my view that Fox and not ESPN would carry
> such a game if it is played??

No, you're 100% wrong. If the Red Sox and Cleveland need to settle the
wild card, the one game playoff will be shown on ESPN at 4pm on Monday.
Whoever wins that game would then play in Chicago on Tuesday
night at 8pm Eastern(on Fox). It's still tentative according to MLB,
but Yanks will play Angels in the 4pm window on ESPN on Tuesday.

>
> FYI: The famous 1978 AL tie-breaker between these two teams
> aired on ABC, and was a day game, but that was in part
> because it was played on a Monday and ABC was committed to a
> "Monday Night Football" game that evening.
>
 
> > > > Unless if you are in the New York area (YES Network)
> or
> > > > Boston (NESN).
> > >
> > > Or Cleveland (Fox Sports Net Ohio, I presume)...
> > >
> > > -OA
> >
> > I beg to differ, at least in part. I believe those Monday
> > games would be treated like playoff games in the TV sense,
>
> > meaning that they'd be on the same local over-the-air
> > channels that would pick up the ESPN feeds of later
> playoff
> > games (if that's YES or NESN, so be it). For example ...
> in
> > 1998 when the Cubs hosted San Francisco in a one-game
> > playoff to determine the wild card, WGN-TV in Chicago
> > simulcasted the ESPN broadcast but did not show it
> > nationally. TBS does the same thing in Atlanta only when
> the
> > Braves are shown on ESPN.
> >
> You also have to remember that both WGN and TBS are
> SuperStations. Remember 2003 when the Cubs played the
> Braves in the first round, WGN (Local) showed the games.
> WGN (SuperStation) showed movies until the news was on.

Yep, that's what I said in my post when I wrote "in Chicago" and "in Atlanta."
 
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