2023 Phillies Post Season Discussion

[bkox]

Phillies game times for NL Wild Card Series vs. Marlins:

Game 1: Tue., 8 p.m.
Game 2: Wed., 8 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary): Thu., 8 p.m.*

Game 3 Could change depending on other series

— Paul Casella ( @Paul_CasellaMLB ) October 1, 2023

#Marlins announce Jesus Luzardo will start Game 1 of the wild card series against the Phillies. Braxton Garrett will start Game 2.

— Jordan McPherson ( @J_McPherson1126 ) October 1, 2023

Luzardo was 2-0 against the Phillies this season with a 3.65 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 12.1 innings https://t.co/QtxR3dEyd8

— Jayson Stark ( @jaysonst ) October 1, 2023

[zambonir]

(Puts on nervous/Negadelphian hat)

Let's hope the trade deadline decision to pass on a bigger-name RH bat doesn't haunt us.

Let's also hope they can get to the bullpen quickly. And that Marsh isn't upset if he doesn't get the start Tuesday (which seemed to be where things were heading).

[csnyder]

I’m taking my two oldest sons to game two on Wednesday!

[bkox]

Phillies game times for NL Wild Card Series vs. Marlins:

Game 1: Tue., 8 p.m.
Game 2: Wed., 8 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary): Thu., 8 p.m.

- Could change depending on other series

— Paul Casella ( @Paul_CasellaMLB ) October 1, 2023

[zambonir]

I was just going to complain about how long it was taking for the networks to wrap this up!

[andyb]

I like the 8 PM starts. Phillies are probably the biggest draw by far now with Houston not in the wild card round.

[Lucky_Beagle]

What channel are the Phillies games scheduled to be on?

[bkox]

What channel are the Phillies games scheduled to be on?

ESPN.

The ESPN TV broadcast crew for the Marlins-Phillies playoff series will be the Sunday Night Baseball crew of Karl Ravech, David Cone and Eduardo Pérez.

— Tim Kelly ( @TimKellySports ) October 2, 2023

[zambonir]

After a season of mostly 6:40 games 8pm starts are gonna take some getting used. Fans won't get home 'til midnight, kids asleep etc. It is always thus of course but it would make more sense for the Central time zone game to be the later one (except I'm sure they don't want that one on ESPN proper).

Rangers MSA still bigger than Houston's. But America does love to hate-watch the Astros.

[Aquapong]

It’s the playoffs. Do any kids go to school during the playoffs? Even the teachers stayed up to watch the game

[bkox]

One addendum to this:

If Marlins-Phillies is the only game of the day Thursday, it would move to 7:08 ET https://t.co/U92E5BQUfc

— Jayson Stark ( @jaysonst ) October 1, 2023

[bkox]

Phillies tied for 4th. Interesting that the Jays are ahead of the Os and Rays

2023 World Series odds entering the postseason (via FanGraphs)

1. Braves 20.6%
2. Astros 19.7%
3. Dodgers 17.5%
4. Blue Jays 6.8%
5. Phillies 6.8%
6. Orioles 6.6%
7. Rays 6.0%
8. Rangers 4.8%
9. Brewers 3.8%
10. Diamondbacks 3.3%
11. Marlins 2.1%
12. Twins 1.9%

Thoughts?

— MLB Metrics ( @MLBMetrics ) October 1, 2023

[zambonir]

I think you might have baseball confused with a more popular sport (But I guess so do I.)

[LoneStarPhan]

I can remember the excitement of post season play when I was in elementary school. Many teachers brought in radios to listen to the games. Of course, post season was only the World Series. I have some memories of TV sets set up in school n the late 1950s.

[zambonir]

Oh for sure even in the late '70s and '80. The decline of baseball and the dominance of the NFL and rise of NBA are all more recent (even before you factor in Internet and the like).

Even the '80 series had two day games (both on the weekend) though all the night games started just as late.

I'm sure kids did miss school last year during the World Series but nobody is going to miss school for Game 3 of the Wild Card Series. Unless they are cutting school in Tampa.

[BostonRoss]

Rangers MSA still bigger than Houston's. But America does love to hate-watch the Astros.

They must have better ways of estimating expected viewership than MSA populations. There are undoubtedly a lot of Rangers/Astros fans in other parts of Texas, which is really big. Not to mention Louisiana and Oklahoma.

And of course some fanbases are more interested than others. I'm guessing the Phillies; opponent has a fanbase that is small compared to their MSA population.

[BostonRoss]

My school district (in the 60s/70s) must have been more diligent about education as they never brought in TVs for the World Series. We had to rush home to catch the last few innings (if our moms let us have the TV). Maybe it would have been different if the Phillies were ever in the Series...

My mom knew how to make a sick kid feel better! When I was in fifth grade, I was home sick one day in October, and she brought the TV up to my room to let me watch a World Series game! I remember it pretty well; the Tigers clobbered the Cardinals behind the then-famous Denny McLain, and there was a grand slam. A few years ago, MLB network decided to show a replay of that old game (though it was oft-interrupted by coverage of Phil Niekro's death). They missed the grand slam, but I saw things that would not have registered for me at the time, including an appearance by a young lefthander named Carlton.

[zambonir]

Well, that's true as well. It's just that Houston is significantly bigger than Dallas but DFW is bigger than Houston metro (and of course the Rangers are as much in the FW as the D, though Arlington hates when you say they are in either).

Of course I think andy was also arguing more that the Astros are simply a bigger national brand, for obvious reasons (as well as the hate-watching). Obviously both the reigning champion (had they not won the division) and the current NL pennant holder a little sexier than any of the other teams in this round.

[andyb]

I'm guessing the Phillies; opponent has a fanbase that is small compared to their MSA population.

There is definitely more intensity in the Northeast and Midwest. More fans per capita. Houston and Texas are big, but not especially great baseball markets.

The Phillies are the draw here for all the reasons: pretty big market, intense fan base, good team that people around the country know (from last year and otherwise). Blue collar heroes with $300 million contracts. Only in America.

[zambonir]

Houston and Texas are big, but not especially great baseball markets.

That's the other reason Houston is more intense than Texas of course. Cowboys will always reign in DFW even when they stink. But Texans have never truly had Houston's heart, and they've also been at a nadir during the Astros' peak.

I think last year was the first time it felt, to me, like there was room for both the Phillies and the Eagles, though there are always going to be more people caring about the latter, even when it's a Thursday night game in October vs. a World Series game (I don't recall how that worked out ratings-wise but I remember in '08 the Eagles game had more viewers than the Sunday NLDS clincher against Milwaukee).