This Year, It’s Phillies, Mets, Sox, Yanks, Everyone Else
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Thu, April 02, 2009 10:20 AM | Comments: 42
Commentary, Posts
Let’s be real, people: Major League Baseball loves its east coast franchises.
They bring ratings. They have large pockets of fans. They can spread the fanbases across the country. They’re competitive. They’re filled with character.
For years it was the Red Sox and Yankees. Everyone else could attempt to earn that type of cache, but none ever neared. Every two weeks ESPN was showing one or the other, or both, on its Sunday Night game of the week. We all yelled, but we can’t deny the power the teams had on not just American culture, but baseball as a global enterprise. Merchandise, foreign-born players, television rights – the Sox and Yankees ruled the world for a reason; they were competitive on the field, they were globally competitive.
Recently the Mets hopped on the Sox and Yankees bus. The other New York team has a built-in advantage: They’re a New York team. They became competitive, and now boast a wealth of popular foreign-born players, a good coin to hold when promoting your brand globally. Moreover they sport a new field, whether tainted by our economic downfall or not.
And just as recently the Phillies have joined the three. You can thank the Commissioner’s Trophy for some of this, but you can also look at young(er) stars Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge. Rollins and Howard, alone, are keeping Dick’s Sporting Goods afloat. Utley is promoting fitness like it’s his job … well, it is. Hamels? He’s just the newest poster boy celebrity in baseball. And Lidge, while not so much a celebrity, has the wonderful privilege of getting face time every couple minutes on ESPN and the MLB Network, because he’s the one who leaped in the air and fell to his knees on October 29, 2008.
There are, of course, other reasons the Phils are now in the elite class of baseball’s marketing genius. They too are spreading out globally, mostly with acquisition Chan Ho Park. Now a good chunk of South Korea will be wearing Phillies red simply because Park will be throwing every fifth day. Panama, meanwhile, loves its Chooch. And while it’s not a foreign nation, the entire island of Hawaii worships at the altar of Shane Victorino. Slowly but surely the Phils are planting seeds in other places – they’re becoming a brand, more than ever.
You saw some of this come alive during the postseason, with Citizens Bank Park standing as the backdrop for some of the biggest moments of 2008. The sea of red waving towels, the green hues of the fences, the old-timey brick and steel holding up the beauty: The ballpark shone during the postseason, lifting it to a level usually held for Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium: The level of postseason haven.
Sure there are other teams casually scraping the level of these four teams. The Cubs attract a lot of attention, the Cardinals have fair presence, and the Dodgers and Angels get ink, as well. But when push comes to shove, the east coast usually wins, for better or worse. For the Phillies, it’s a good thing. More exposure. More big games. More chances to shine. More memories. More fans. More money. And ultimately – if handled correctly – more appearances in the postseason.
Posts: 0 Griffin
I would include the Cubs in this discussion. They are a much bigger national draw than the Phillies.
Posted: 10:31 AM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Cubs and the Dodgers are both bigger draws than the Phillies on a National stage..
Posted: 10:34 AM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
The weather played a huge role, but the 2008 World Series was the lowest rated World Series ever.
Posted: 10:39 AM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Keith
go Phillies!
Posted: 10:46 AM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
It would have been sky-high is it was Dodgers vs RedSox.. but oh well, we had great ratings in Philly I bet, actually I bet the East Coast ratings were awesome, RedSox fans wanted to see if the Rays could really win it.. NY Mets fans wanted to make sure the Phillies weren’t the champs, Yankees didn’t want the Rays to win it..
Posted: 10:51 AM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
I agree that the Cubs and Dodgers are huge draws, but factor in rivarly and geography and the Phils are really in a good place right now.
I should have been fairer to those two teams, esp. the Dodgers, who have a HUGE Asian base.
Posted: 10:53 AM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Jim
who cares how the ratings were for the world series? i sure dont. idont are if some guy in kansas or montana or even new york is apathetic about the series. the world series was for us, for the phils (and i guess the rays, while it was happening) i dont care if no one watched it outside ofthe delaware valley
Posted: 11:03 AM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Pete
not terribly relevant to the article, but thought I’d share. here is a quality breakdown of the NL East’s rotation…
http://www.reclinergm.com/the-reclinergms-2009-nl-east-preview-starting-rotation/
Posted: 11:05 AM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
and the Cubs have the whole “lovable losers” thing going on where everyone wants to see if this is the year they finally win it.
Posted: 11:09 AM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Prior to last season, Ricky Nolasco was pretty bad.. now he’s all of a sudden the 3rd best pitcher in the NL East?? Better than Derek Lowe?? Really??
Josh Johnson could be good if he stays healthy.. Chris Volstad has a total of 84 IP in his Career.. Anibal Sanchez and Andrew Miller are both potential studs… Marlins might be really, really good this year.. until they get to their bullpen
Posted: 11:15 AM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 David W
i like both Nolasco and Josh Johnson, i dont think he’s 3rd best…I actually have Josh on my squad this year. i think one guy who’s going to be a sleeper is jordan zimmerman…if you need a 1B….KENDRY MORALAS….the dude can hit.
Posted: 11:42 AM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 had_my_phil
Does anybody know if Sunday’s home opener will be available on MLB.TV? Or is it only on ESPN because they have the rights to it?
Posted: 12:08 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Gavin
Hey, I just got back from Disney World with the family, and I have to say Phillies Phans were well represented. Everywhere I turned I saw Phillies hats and shirts and shared a kindred hello with strangers that loved my team too.
Great to see. The Phillies brand is growing. I just hope the bandwagon doesnt fill up too much, but if it is…. we know its b/c we’re winning, and thats all that matters anyway.
Posted: 12:28 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Chooch's cooches
Loved the bit about the bank there.
Posted: 12:36 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
had_my_phil, in years past, the only games that are blacked out on MLB.TV are the Fox Saturday games. I don’t know how it’s going to work with Thursday night MLB network games, but you should be able to get the Sunday night game on MLB.TV
Posted: 12:40 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Thursday night games on MLB Network, really?
So Sunday and Wednesday on ESPN.. Thursday on MLB… Saturday on FOX…
So there is no need for my to drop $160 on the Comcast MLB package.. sweet
Phillies bandwagon is just about full… I wanted to see the Orioles this year.. Fri (section 400-something in the nose bleeds).. Sat was STANDING ROOM ONLY.. this was two weeks ago.. the series is in June.. Its impossible to get decent tickets right now.. the wagon is full
Posted: 12:46 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 ryan
the phillies are getting no respect by the baseball world and ESPN. i think they will shock everybody.
Posted: 12:48 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Ryan B.
yeah Sports Illustrated experts mostly picked mets to win division and nl pennant and even the WS. Espn orel hershier says mets gonna win division. Scott Carson picks the phillies in sportsnet. Tsn scott cullen picks mets. Not many giving us a chance again this year. I like it that way when we come from nowhere to kicking the experts’ muts.
Posted: 12:58 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Ryan B.
wow cbs posted their picks. Their “main” guy picked mets to win division and like the usual he picked the cubs over the red sox. It’s headline was time for cubs to get rid of goat. Red Sox vs Cubs is everybods usual pick its bias. For cbs expert picks 2 of the 4 picked phils to win division while other 2 said they’ll finish 2nd with one saying they will win wild card. nobody picked the phils to win nl pennant. one guy picked mets to win nl pennant.
Posted: 01:06 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
It’s not a sexy pick to pick the defending Champs to win it again. So most people will pick the Mets, a non-playoff team from last year, to win the division this year.
If the Phillies had missed the playoffs last year, more people would be picking them to win the division this year. It sounds strange, but like I said, picking the defending champs to win their division again does not get you any headlines.
Posted: 01:09 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
The Marlins are a very scary team… their pitching could be the best in the big leagues if a few of those guys figure out how good they are. Nolasco is only 26 y/o and seems to get it. Josh Johnson is only 24 and is on his way. Volstad is 22. Anibal Sanchez (famous for his no-hitter at age 22) is only 25 and Andrew Miller has the stuff and he’s only 25. They also have a young lefty named Sean West (6’8″) that could be a very good starter in this league if need be… he’s only 22. Combine that with the way they put up runs in 2008… they should in the hunt.
Posted: 01:11 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
AFTER THE REGULAR SEASON but BEFORE THE PLAYOFFS STARTED:
something like 45% of ESPN “EXPERTS” has Cubs vs. Angels in the World Series… neither won their 1st round playoff series..
Experts don’t know any more than you or I.. and nobody knows anything about what the future holds. Zambrano and Harden sound great.. but can they stay healthy? If not, the Cubs are a .500 team at best
Posted: 01:28 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Marlins: It’s a lot to expect ALL of your young pitchers to put it together at the same time though.
If they do.. they’ll make the playoffs.. if not, they’ll either come on strong at the end, or start strong and then fade away.. I’d be surprised if they’re a playoff team this year
Posted: 01:30 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
The more I learn about the 2009 Marlins, the more I fear them… The starting rotation is there, and the offense is great. Cameron Maybin as leadoff. A lot of young guys with nothing to lose. Let’s not forget that they were leading our division for a while last year.
It definitely doesn’t look like it’s gonna be just Mets-Phillies as all the experts are predicting. Add the Braves to the mix, and I’m not feeling that great.
Posted: 01:33 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
I think the Braves are dangerous.. The NL East is a tough division.. I wish we played in either of the other two NL Divisions
Posted: 01:36 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
Don M, I’m just posting a question I saw in a chat with Keith Law of ESPN. I know you’re a big fan of his and I think you’ll like him even more after this:
“H (Philly): The Phillies won 92 games last year with Adam Eaton in the rotation for 4 months, with Kyle Kendrick in the rotation for > 5 months and with most of their lineup having worse regular seasons than they had in 2007. That being the case, if Hamels is healthy – yes, a big if – how many games do you see them winning?
SportsNation Keith Law: (1:38 PM ET ) Fewer than 90. Moyer’s a regression candidate. Utley may or may not be healthy. Ibanez
Posted: 02:16 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Inner Ninja
The Phillies are much more than a corporate, money and prestige-chasing bunch of winners.
They are from the working class city of Philadelphia, built on grit, hard work, and tough times. We are known as a city of beer drinkers with the ultimate in delayed sports gratification abilities.
We are the World Phucking Champions, don’t forget the poetry in that line!
Posted: 02:21 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
sorry, the answer got cut off, here is the rest of it:
“SportsNation Keith Law: (1:38 PM ET ) Fewer than 90. Moyer’s a regression candidate. Utley may or may not be healthy. Ibanez
Posted: 02:22 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
….Ibanez is not as good as Burrell. Bullpen performed at the right tail of expectations. Hamels you mentioned. There’s a lot of downside risk there.”
Posted: 02:23 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
There’s a lot of downside risk for a 25 year old World Series MVP?
I thought when you’ve yet to reach your prime, you still had “upside”?
Is Law picking the Mets because of the upside of Livan Hernandez and Carlos Delgado?
Posted: 02:34 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
I love the fact that Livan is in the Mets rotation. I’m a big fan of his 6.05 ERA in 180 innings last year.
Posted: 02:43 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 David W
i know you guys arent talking smack, isnt your fifth starter chan ho park?? nuff said….
Posted: 03:21 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
Yes, Chan Ho Park and his 3.40 ERA in 95 innings last year is the Phillies 5th starter.
Posted: 03:46 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
Damn the Mets fans really scour the Philies blogs for any mention of their team.
Posted: 03:48 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 David W
good luck with that one man…i’ll guarantee you he wont be the fifth starter by all star break.
Posted: 03:51 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 David W
yea, i like to see what you roaches have to say about my team….
Posted: 03:54 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
stay classy
Posted: 04:19 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Funny, I don’t even care what anyone says on Metsblog… especially since they are probably typing on laptops that fell out of the back of a truck
Mets COULD be good.. but our lineup and bullpen are better.. and both starting rotations have MAJOR question marks.. Pelfrey and Maine have both looked good at time.. so have Myers and Blanton.. Happ and Park both looked great in the spring.. Perez is a wild card for the Mets.
Posted: 04:25 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 David W
mets COULD be good??? dude cmon…The Mets ARE good, see im not going to sit here and talk like you guys have this whole offseason…i’ll let you guys gloat with glee…but the reality is, you guys lost the series against us, but won the world series which at the end of the day is all that matters, so hats off…..but to say the Mets COULD be good…come with something better….The only time you guys dominated the Mets was 07…head to head, we got you guys….and you know it, just scared to admit it….so like i said, talk alllllllllllllllllllllllll you want about your bullpen and lineup being better and starting pitching yada yada yada….but i dont see you guys winning the series this year, not head to head, and the same goes in october.
But Good Luck ROACHES!!!
LETS GO METS…..
Posted: 04:54 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 David W
and the fact that you know “Metsblog” just proves that you do care what the met fans are writing about, beacuase why else would you be on it… : )
Posted: 04:59 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Cause I’ve heard of it means I go on it? Good luck this year..
Lost the season series.. last year, but still won the World Series (which I THINK is more important, but I’m not positive).. do they give Trophies out for winning the Mets-Phillies Season Series each year?
but anyway 19-17 over the past two… including two NL East crowns. and that cool looking World Series trophy. Come look at our flags this year, bring the kids!
Posted: 05:06 PM on April 2, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
hahahaha
Posted: 07:52 PM on April 2, 2009