The View From Here . . .
By Bob Morgan, Jr.

I will freely admit that this column is a bit repetitive of a few pieces that I have written in the past. But that is because the situation I am addressing has gotten worse rather than better in recent years.

Admittedly the subject is not of earth-shaking importance compared to many other issues of the day. Simply put, why can't baseball postseason games be broadcast at hours that normal people in the Eastern time zone (particularly working people) can watch?

In primeval times when I was young, World Series games (the playoffs did not start until 1969) were played during the day. And it was a big event. In grade school, the nuns who taught at our school, not noted for their tolerance of much, actually allowed kids to listen (discreetly) to the games on portable radios. In high school, I remember last period being cancelled in 1969 so we could watch the Miracle Mets defeat the Baltimore Orioles.

Around 1973, the World Series began to be played at night. Despite the frosty temperatures at many of the games, in many ways it was a reasonable call since people who worked for a living could watch the games once they got home.

In the early years of night World Series baseball, at least in my memory, the games started fairly early in the evening and most people could see the whole event. An important contributing factor, of course, was that games were considerably shorter, with 3 hours considered a fairly long game. Also, many of the playoff games leading up to the World Series were played as day games or in the early evening so that they could be viewed by a diverse audi-ence.

Things have moved very much in the wrong direction in the ensuing years. Most playoff games and all World Series games start at 8:20 or later and are typically four hour affairs, with slow working pitchers, multiple situational pitching changes and, of course, a plethora of commercials. I consider myself a night person, but I have to admit I fell asleep a number of times this year in front of the television.

Obviously in this era of extremely high salaries, the economics of baseball have changed, and no doubt the great thinkers of Major League Baseball have determined that West Coast ratings are crucial to the success of the game. But this seems very shortsighted since fans of the future as well as many dedicated ordinary watchers are largely shut out.

When I was eight, I was a new baseball fan and I watched one of the great teams of the twentieth century, the 1961 Yankees, an overpowering bunch, in a season that included the memorable quest of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle to overtake Babe Ruth's existing record of 60 home runs in a season. (Maris would do it, but in 162 games compared to the Babe's 154, which provoked enduring controversy.) But after following my team all year to the pennant, I was able to watch the team on television as they won the World Series in five games against the Cincinnati Reds. I still remember those games. It's a shame that few new fans today, young or old, would have a similar opportunity today.