The Giants can do no wrong now, even at the expense of their fans, who were systematically screwed by the organization that likes to tout the "Giants way".
Anybody who had tickets to Sunday's sold-out encounter with the Braves had to endure an eight-hour torture-thon, as the rainy day game, originally scheduled for 1:05, went off at 5: 10. Four-hour-plus delay; when the game finally commenced, fewer than 15,000 people were in the stands. Most were probably at home, or in a bar watching. How embarrassing.
The Giants will probably tell you that they merely wanted to get the game in, but there's a reason why the Giants put the lock on their minions. Millions of reasons, like $$. There nothing wrong with that, but Sunday's fiasco was among the all-time screw sessions.
**KNBR outdid itself on Sunday with Mychal Urban doing more "game may be played" teases than a Broadway strip club.
When it was apparent early on that the rain was coming down cats and dogs and the only chance of playing was if there was a roof on AT&T Park, Urban did his usual kiss-a-thon with the Giants and kept insisting that "there might be a chance--blah, blah, blah." I'm not surprised anymore. This goes on every day, it would be like piling on.
The game was eventually played and the Giants won. Yipee. A great day at ATM Park.
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Dave Fleming made mention at one point that the reason for the extended attempt to get it in was that this is the last time this season that the Braves were to be in SF. Couldn't they just play the make up game in August in Atlanta? Ohhhhh right it's about $$$$$$$$$$$.
ReplyDeleteUrban cannot see his way to being crticial of the Giants, can he?
So, Rich, you are criticizing Urban and KNBR for saying "the game might be played." And it was! They were right!
ReplyDeleteThe fans were "screwed" according to you. What is your solution that "screws" fewer fans? Sometimes you just have to play the hand you're dealt.
playing a "home" game in Atlanta - how does that help the fans in San Francisco?
ReplyDeleteRain checks wouldn't work for the majority of games/tickets, especially downstairs where most of the seats are sold as season tickets.
Rain delays such as Sundays are not that uncommon in the east and mid-west but everyone in California goes crazy when it rarely happens out here. What is much worse elsewhere is play 3 innings, delay and hour, play 3 more, another 90 minutes..... on so on.
If it were the Padres, Dodgers, etc. that come in multiple times I am sure they would have called it and scheduled a make-up during their other visits to SF.
endure an eight-hour torture-thon -
ReplyDeletealso not quite sure of your math. Scheduled start 1:05, games started at 5:10,
was a 2 hr. 20 min. contest - total time -
6 1/2 hours, and I don't believe Giant fans, either at the park or elsewhere thought the last 2:20 was torture.
BTW a Giants fan and Dodger fan on the same page?! that has to count for something!
I agree with Barron and Dodgerdog. They, as well as KNBR, mentioned the reasons with the schedule and why they would like to get the game in sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteI trust you'll be equally as critical with the Athletics in the same situation?
RR and all: if you read my posts, I have been critical with the A's and owner Lew Wolff.
ReplyDeleteI know the Braves were only here once and that the game somehow needed to be played; my issues with the Giants is the MANNER in which they dealt with the situation, and KNBR too.
Apparently, I'm NOT the only one.
Fans were calling the local shows today complaining of lack of communications, lack of announcements regarding when/if the game would be played.
Obviously, weather wsa an issue and logistics do play a part, but bottom-line mentaliity, (read: $$) trumped common sense.
It would have been nice, say, if the Giants had offered those who chose to stay, free hot dogs, coffee as a jesture. A nice touch.
You think they were thinking about "the fans"? NO, priority 1 was making sure the game was in so they wouldn't have to lose 40,000 tickets and the revenue with it.
NO, priority 1 is getting the game in. When Atlanta comes west to play LA and AZ
ReplyDelete(6/ 3-10) they do not have an off day to schedule a make-up game. And guess what - they were not going to lose the revenue no matter what - the tickets were sold. There is no refund in baseball, the best you get is a rain check.
Like I said rain delays are a big part of baseball and for the couple times a season (maybe) they happen in CA the reaction is way overblown.
Rich,
ReplyDeleteSo first you write that the radio announcements that the game might be played were a terrible thing; then you post that there was a lack of communications about whether the game would be played. Which is it?
Weather is an inexact science. I didn't watch or listen on Sunday, but where I live, it was pouring rain one minute, and then the sun was shining. Anyone that had a ticket and decided to go knew there was a possibility of a rain-delay or rain-out.
And common sense was not trumped, as you posted. Common sense would have been trumped if they had decided to make up the game in Atlanta, or decided to play it at the end of the season, if the game would have an effect on the post-season picture.
The Giants, I imagine like every other business, do what they can to maximize revenues and control costs, thereby increasing their profits. Most of their revenue for the game was realized- in ticket sales and parking-long before the rain-delayed first pitch. Did they sell more dogs and beer during the delay? I'm sure they did. However, they also had higher costs; all of the stadium personnel- vendors, ushers, security, grounds crew, etc.- got paid for an extra 4 1/2 hours work that they wouldn't have otherwise. I would imagine that's a few hundred people.
I don't know at what point it was decided to delay the game. I believe once the manager gives his lineup card to the umpire, it's the umpire's call whether to play or wait. And umpires are encouraged by MLB to get the games in.