Last year, a regular season NFL game between the Saints and Steelers outdrew Game 4 of the World Series between Texas and San Francisco. World Series games that just 25 years ago might draw 40 to 50 million viewers a night now struggle to draw a third of that. What was once a celebration of the national pasttime has become almost an afterthought in a season that lasts way too long. Baseball has no one to blame but itself, turning off viewers over the years with late starts, marathon games and cable television that makes it impossible for some homes to watch even if they were so inclined. That's not to say the final night of the regular season wasn't a magical one for anyone who loves the game. The first round of the playoffs was equally as good, with three of the four matchups going to Game 5 and one of those going into extra innings. - http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2011/10/small-market_teams_create_big.html
Doctors say the San Francisco Giants fan who was severely beaten outside Dodgers Stadium has been released from the hospital and transferred to a rehabilitation facility. Bryan Stow's move into rehab is step forward in his recovery after being in hospitals for nearly seven months. Stow suffered serious brain injuries from the March attack in the stadium parking lot after the Los Angeles Dodgers' home opener. Two men have been charged in the beating. Doctors at San Francisco General Hospital have predicted a long road for Stow's recovery, though his family recently reported that the Santa Cruz father of two is speaking and moving his limbs again. - http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/sports/pro/baseball&id=8387781
Theo Epstein seems to be on the brink of making a decision that could place him as the best General Manager in the history of Baseball (ABR). In case you are wondering, ABR stands for After Branch Ricky, the former Dodgers General Manager responsible for signing Jackie Robinson. If Epstein goes through with it and the clubs can agree on compensation, Epstein will try to end the Cubs’ World Series drought. Epstein will be dissected for whatever path he chooses, but the opportunity to transform another long suffering organization should be too much to pass up.- http://thebaseballscribe.com/2011/10/11/random-thoughts-on-theo-popularity-and-playoffs
Branca’s silence, as he points out in the book, was two sided. He has spent much of his life getting reminders of that fateful day. Whether it’s in the form of hate letters or phone calls from upset Dodger fans threatening his life or the livelihood or his family, or the constant thanks he received from Giants fans through standing ovations in completely random settings, for many decades, finding a way to forget, was almost impossible. Many thought Branca may have found some justice in 2001 when it was revealed and confirmed that the Giants were stealing signs from the Dodgers during that game and that Thomson almost certainly knew Branca was throwing a fastball. Even so, Branca stayed quiet on all fronts when discussing this facet of the day as well. As Branca points out, this wasn’t news to him in 2001 as he had been told way back in 1954 that Thomson had been tipped off on his pitch. Branca’s response is typical of his character: that’s’ still no excuse. - http://baseballreflections.com/2011/10/04/a-moment-in-time-a-book-review
So what really happened to the Braves and Red Sox that caused their hard to imagine collapses? On the surface level, we could just very simply say that neither club performed well in September. For the Braves, one could focus on the fact that they did not hit well with runners in scoring position over the last month or that their outstanding relievers, Jonny Vetters and Craig Kimbrel saved their least effective month for September. However, to fully understand anything, it is helpful to look at its origin. In the case of the Braves and Red Sox, their hitter’s swings and pitcher’s motions were not as good in September as they were for most of the season. = http://baseballreflections.com/2011/10/09/the-science-behind-the-collapses
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