Bobby Valentine wants a US/Japan championship series

[carter]

what are you guys all talking about ... ?

we send a team of All Stars over there ever year and play them in the winter ... nobody wears a Red Sox or Yankees logo, so the games aren't televised over here, and there fore nobody cares ..

but the point is ... we already play them ....

I'll see if I can't dig up some past records, a little later ...

But isn't that more an exhibition?

What Valentine wants I think is to have the World Series champs from here, play the champs over there... You can see why MLB wouldn't want to do something like that.

we send all stars ... isn't that an even better overall talent pool than the WS winners? and If I remember correctly, we don't always win ... It would be huge mud in the face of MLB if we sent the WS champs over there and they got swept ...

i like Bobby V's explanation of it:

"I'm not talking about all-star exhibition games," Valentine said. "I'm talking about two battle-proven teams who have played a season together and know how to play baseball.

"If the people making all the big decisions in baseball don't know the difference between all-star exhibition games and a competition between true champions, they shouldn't be in the decision-making process to begin with."

he's 100% right.. all-star teams can't put their heart and soul into it like actual teams do .. when do you see a really exciting All-Star game? .. never.. its boring and almost a waste of time compared to an actual World Series game ... the playoffs are always 10x more exciting because they have meaning...

and why be afraid of mud on the face? ... who cares??!! ,, don't you want to see this? it would kick ass

the problem is - its a really big change.. i dont think it can happen, at least not right away, because people are naturally afraid of change

[wrveres]

what are you guys all talking about ... ?

we send a team of All Stars over there ever year and play them in the winter ... nobody wears a Red Sox or Yankees logo, so the games aren't televised over here, and there fore nobody cares ..

but the point is ... we already play them ....

I'll see if I can't dig up some past records, a little later ...

But isn't that more an exhibition?

What Valentine wants I think is to have the World Series champs from here, play the champs over there... You can see why MLB wouldn't want to do something like that.

we send all stars ... isn't that an even better overall talent pool than the WS winners? and If I remember correctly, we don't always win ... It would be huge mud in the face of MLB if we sent the WS champs over there and they got swept ...

i like Bobby V's explanation of it:

"I'm not talking about all-star exhibition games," Valentine said. "I'm talking about two battle-proven teams who have played a season together and know how to play baseball.

"If the people making all the big decisions in baseball don't know the difference between all-star exhibition games and a competition between true champions, they shouldn't be in the decision-making process to begin with."

he's 100% right.. all-star teams can't put their heart and soul into it like actual teams do .. when do you see a really exciting All-Star game? .. never.. its boring and almost a waste of time compared to a World Series game... the playoffs are always 10x more exciting and its just better baseball and better competition

and why be afraid of mud on the face? ... who cares??!! ,, don't you want to see this? it would kick ass

the problem is - its a really big change.. i dont think it can happen, at least not right away, because people are naturally afraid of change

thanks ..
i didn't read the article, just the responses from the cafe ..
I'd watch it personally and I would probably pull for the Japanese team vs. the multi million dollar spoiled babies we trot out there. Heck I'd watch the exhibition games they have now if they were televised. Overall though, I'd gamble that since each side has never seen each others pitchers and there fore probably low scoring the games them selves would be boring to most fans though and they would lose interest real quik. Ad in the fact that the games would be on at odd hours, and you got a yawner. There would be novelty the first few seasons, but it would wane real quik.

[carter]

thanks ..
i didn't read the article, just the responses from the cafe ..
I'd watch it personally and I would probably pull for the Japanese team vs. the multi million dollar spoiled babies we trot out there. Heck I'd watch the exhibition games they have now if they were televised. Overall though, I'd gamble that since each side has never seen each others pitchers and there fore probably low scoring the games them selves would be boring to most fans though and they would lose interest real quik. Ad in the fact that the games would be on at odd hours, and you got a yawner. There would be novelty the first few seasons, but it would wane real quik.

yea, the odd hours would be a real problem.. but i dont think it would turn into a novelty or a yawner if it was done right.. if the stakes were high .. i would also love to watch the exhibition games that they NEVER televize, but an actual world series champion vs japanese champion would be great ...

i think the idea has been around for awhile.. last year, the yankees and devil rays opened the regular season in japan .. but before that series, they each played 2 japanese teams (i think 1 was the Hanshin tigers) .. YES network aired it like 6 am est... it was pretty cool, and it got a little competitive too, but the teams were still in spring training mode ..

[wrveres]

but i dont think it would turn into a novelty or a yawner if it was done right.. if the stakes were high .

what would be the Stakes, homefield advantage for the next season ?

And are they going to play one game or seven?
If so, are the going to travel across the Pacific 3 or 4 times each?
I mean the only other solution is to have four games in one spot and three over there. Of course then you run into the problem of a sweep ..
..
I'll go read the article now, but I'll gambe it just causes more concerns ..

[wrveres]

ok I read it .. Bobby V is just spouting off. His team just one the series and he is all giddy and probably even positioning himself for a payday back here in the states. Now that he has won, he better hurry and and start interviewing though cus the good jobs are going to fill up quik.

[blankman]

If I were and Owner/GM/Manager, there is absolutely no way I'd let MLB force my players who have already played 173+ games, to go out and play some more. The players are run down, banged up and some of them probably injured and they want me to risk further injury to my team's future and my investments? Not a chance. After a long season, they need rest, not further stress on the pitchers' arms etc.

[StlSluggers]

This will never happen because it would mean having to shorten the regular season or removing the Wild Card rounds. Owners want every penny they can get from their non-playoff teams, so shortening the regular season will never happen. The Wild Card rounds bring in too much extra playoff revenue, so, again, this will never be rescinded.

In short, because people don't want to lose money that they have now, and because the season is already so long, this will never happen. Too much risk, not enough reward.

[chadlincoln]

The guy can't manage in the majors but think the team he fields up over there can actually have a shot here? No way. If he was in the Dominican, maybe.

[Amazinz]

ok I read it .. Bobby V is just spouting off. His team just one the series and he is all giddy and probably even positioning himself for a payday back here in the states. Now that he has won, he better hurry and and start interviewing though cus the good jobs are going to fill up quik.

Did Bobby V. say he was leaving Japan? I doubt he does. From what I understand the guy is treated like a god over there and gets paid just as well as he would over here.

Although it's probably unrealistic I'd love to see the winner of the MLB play the winner of the Japanese league. I think the argument about wear and tear on the players is valid. Although I think that the money a series like this could provide would make it worthwhile to the owners and the players.

I also disagree that a loss would hurt the MLB. It might hurt the pride of the American people a little bit but a loss to the Japan champion would be more publicity worldwide than the MLB could ever hope to pay for. An American loss would inspire international interest. I guarantee that.

[Amazinz]

The guy can't manage in the majors but think the team he fields up over there can actually have a shot here? No way. If he was in the Dominican, maybe.

Woah. Disagree with that. Bobby V. is one of the best managers in the game.