MLB Thread 109: Happy Opening Day!

[andrew8798]

Locally, MLB telecasts on FOX-owned regional sports networks are again dominating primetime in many major markets this month. Game telecasts of five teams – the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres - rank as the No. 1-rated programming in primetime since the start of the season in their respective home markets, beating both broadcast and ad-supported cable competition head-to-head. Three other teams – the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays - rank second best in prime time locally. Additional local highlights follow:



- Royals telecast ratings on FOX Sports Kansas City are up +129% year-to-year (through 4/26), while setting household (HH) ratings records three times this season, including the current record (17.3) on Sunday (4/26) in a game vs. the White Sox.



- Padres ratings on FOX Sports San Diego are up +67% year-to-year (through 4/28), and game telecasts have broken or tied a ratings record seven times this season. The current record (7.2 HH) was set Friday (4/24) night in a loss to the Dodgers.



- Diamondbacks ratings on FOX Sports Arizona are off to their best start in 10 years, averaging a 4.5 HH rating, up +36% season-to-date vs. 2014.

[andrew8798]

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly announced Friday that Yasiel Puig (hamstring) would begin a minor league rehab assignment soon.

[andrew8798]

Young has no-hitter through four

[andrew8798]

660 for A-Rod

[andrew8798]

@darrenrovell

The Yankees have said they will not pay A-Rod his milestone bonus of $6M for 660 because they don't consider it a milestone

They sure didn't mind making money off him

[andrew8798]

Royals throwing no-hitter through seven

[andrew8798]

Royals no-hit bid ends in 8th.

[andrew8798]

8th straight for the Astros

[The Captain]

There is something satisfying about A-Rod's 660th homer being in Fenway.

[Urethra Franklin]

Jays send down Dalton Pompey and Andrew Albers; call up Scott Copeland and Ezequiel Carrera.

Everything that everybody thought would be trouble for the Jays so far this year has been trouble.

Who'd have seen that coming?

Oh, that's right. Everybody.

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

The secret to the Cards' success so far:

[Deleted]

Quintana finally pitches a halfway decent game and...the White Sox proceed to not give him any run support at all, losing 1-0 to Minnesota. The one run coming courtesy of a "wild pitch" (many counter "passed ball") in the 5th.

Eh, better than Thursday's disaster.

[HMARK Center]

May 1, 2015 19:31:45 GMT -5 andrew8798 said:

Locally, MLB telecasts on FOX-owned regional sports networks are again dominating primetime in many major markets this month. Game telecasts of five teams – the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres - rank as the No. 1-rated programming in primetime since the start of the season in their respective home markets, beating both broadcast and ad-supported cable competition head-to-head. Three other teams – the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays - rank second best in prime time locally. Additional local highlights follow:



- Royals telecast ratings on FOX Sports Kansas City are up +129% year-to-year (through 4/26), while setting household (HH) ratings records three times this season, including the current record (17.3) on Sunday (4/26) in a game vs. the White Sox.



- Padres ratings on FOX Sports San Diego are up +67% year-to-year (through 4/28), and game telecasts have broken or tied a ratings record seven times this season. The current record (7.2 HH) was set Friday (4/24) night in a loss to the Dodgers.



- Diamondbacks ratings on FOX Sports Arizona are off to their best start in 10 years, averaging a 4.5 HH rating, up +36% season-to-date vs. 2014.

Obviously good regional news for the league, but they've got to start figuring out how to translate that into national ratings. Polls show that +70% of NFL fans will watch games featuring teams other than their favorite...and many of them in fact will ignore their favorite team if a better matchup is on at the same time.

Meanwhile, MLB fans? 50% say they won't watch at all if their favorite team isn't on.

Not good for MLB's long term health and viability on the national stage.

[andrew8798]

@barrybonds

Congratulations @arod on your 660 Homerun. My God Father Willie is very happy for you as well.

[Renslayer]

May 1, 2015 20:54:07 GMT -5 andrew8798 said:

@darrenrovell

The Yankees have said they will not pay A-Rod his milestone bonus of $6M for 660 because they don't consider it a milestone

They sure didn't mind making money off him

oh they're gonna lose this fight

[andrew8798]

Bout to be 9th straight for Houston. Its good to see those moves working out for them. A lot of people thought they didn't know what they was doing

[andrew8798]

9 HR's so far in this game

[andrew8798]

Seems Houston always had a good theme for their teams in the 80's

[Drillbit Taylor]

May 2, 2015 20:19:19 GMT -5 andrew8798 said:

Bout to be 9th straight for Houston. Its good to see those moves working out for them. A lot of people thought they didn't know what they was doing

Thing is, no team had ever done complete scorached earth to rebuild. Astros were the first and are showing that it can pay off.

[andrew8798]

I'm glad it worked out