By Dejan Kovacevic | 6:05 p.m. Saturday
SAN DIEGO -- It seems to be quite the topic among the San Diego broadcasters and reporters here that these games are not being televised back to Pittsburgh, presumably because it is some reflection on Pittsburgh's interest in baseball.
I have no doubt that these games are about as off-the-radar as the Pirates ever will be back home, but this still merits an explanation (if not a justification):
1. FSN Pittsburgh stacks its TV schedule to get most of its televised games early in the season, meaning pre-September. Its contract allows it only a certain number of games. Everything else is up to agreeing with the Pirates to go further. And, in this regard, FSN's thinking is that, if the Pirates ever play relevant baseball this deep into the year, it would be easy to adjust by simply adding them to the schedule.
2. Production costs are high in San Diego and a couple other places, including San Francisco, which also had no TV for the three-game set -- including loss 82, most unfortunately -- earlier this month. So, while FSN could be getting better ratings by showing the Pirates than whatever random fishing documentary they might be airing instead, that does not mean they could be making more money.
It is about contract and money.
Four hour
s till first pitch ...
Game: Pirates (66-94) vs. San Diego Padres (62-98), 10:05 p.m., Petco Park.
Radio: WPGB-FM (104.7).
Pitching: RHP Jimmy Barthmaier (0-1, 15.19) vs. RHP Chris Young (6-6, 4.11).
What to watch: Anytime the Pirates face Young, a no-hitter alert should be lit. In four career starts, he is 3-0 with a 1.52 ERA, a ridiculous .126 opponents' batting average, and 22 strikeouts in 29-plus innings. And, as most recall, he twice flirted with no-hitters in 2006.
First-pitch weather: 72 degrees, always nice.
Pirates' lineup: 1. Nate McLouth CF. 2. Freddy Sanchez 2B. 3. Ryan Doumit C. 4. Adam LaRoche 1B. 5. Jason Michaels LF. 6. Steve Pearce RF. 7. Andy LaRoche 3B. 8. Luis Cruz SS. 9. Barthmaier.
Padres' lineup: 1. Will Venable CF. 2. Luis Rodriguez SS. 3. Brian Giles RF. 4. Adrian Gonzalez 1B. 5. Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B. 6. Chase Headley LF. 7. Edgar Gonzalez 2B. 8. Nick Hundley C. 9. Young.
UPDATE 8:25 p.m.: Not much to offer here. All concerned sound somewhat encouraged that the pitching has been better of late, particularly that of the starters. John Russell talked about how important it is for those players to have "a chance to reflect on something positive" when they leave for the season. That will happen tomorrow, in case you have not checked the schedule lately. ... They are shooting off fireworks here tonight. I was thinking I should mention this and bobbleheads everywhere I go on the road, if only because there seems to be an impression that those things happen only in Pittsburgh. Even the Yankees give out bobbleheads. ... I asked Russell why the team had not followed through on its stated plan to bounce Luis Cruz around the diamond, and he answered that injuries dictate Cruz play shortstop. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Brian Bixler.
9:05 p.m.: Forgot to mention in the thing above: Russell also said Andy LaRoche has been given a rigid workout regimen for this winter that includes two trips to Seattle to work with Don Long, who lives right outside town.
9:13 p.m.: In this case, PBC stands for Petco batting cage, where Chris Gomez, Doug Mientkiewicz and Robinzon Diaz are taking swings. That's not why I took this picture, though. Just above the fence in right-center is that grass hill that sits outside the stadium and is open -- and free -- to the public even during games. I have been up there, and it is not much of a view of the game, but I imagine it will be more populated than usual because of the fireworks. ... PNC has a place where you can see a sliver of the game for free, too, on one tiny stretch of the Clemente Bridge, where you can peek between the back of the batter's eye and the security building by center field.
10:24 p.m.: Jimmy Barthmaier being hit very, very hard. He might not last two innings.
10:27 p.m.: Kid just looks petrified. He would rather be anywhere than where he is right now. Anywhere at all.
10:32 p.m.: A list of things Barthmaier would rather be doing: Root canal without novocaine, playing Olympic team handball, watching the final two minutes of an NBA game ... sitting at a red light in Bradenton ... winning an all-expenses paid vacation to Phoenix in mid-August ... feel free to help ...
Posted
Sep 27 2008, 06:05 PM
by
Dejan Kovacevic