Dear Major League Baseball,

Erik W. · 11-02-2006, 08:35 AM

I'm a big fan of your game. I even support some of your more controversial decisions, like the Wild Card.

However, today I'm writing you about the way you reveal the season awards. Well, actually, not so much the way you do it as the timing.

During the postseason, fans are at their highest levels of interest since Opening Day. Even right after the conclusion of the World Series, although fans are ready to move on to football, hockey, or basketball for a few months, there's still some lingering interest in most cases.

But late November? By then only about two hundred people care very much about the past baseball season, and a hundred and ninety-six of those work for MLB or its teams.

So the question must be asked: Why in the name of all that's good do you wait until people are thinking about leftover turkey and Christmas shopping to announce the awards? The other sports don't wait that long, and most of them even - now try to stay with me here - announce them while their game is still actually being played!

The worst thing is that it gets later and later every year. Sort of like the postseason.

Ah ha! I get it now! It's all a ploy to make baseball encompass the entire year.

Seriously, MLB, break the cycle. Go gently into that good night sooner... when people still actually care.

Sincerely,

A fan who is already forgetting the 2006 season

ctorg · 11-02-2006, 09:02 AM

Yeah, I don't get it. If they're trying to build dramatic tension, it isn't working. It's just annoying and seems more like the awards are an afterthought, like "Oh, by the way, here is the MVP, Cy Young, etc." It makes much more sense to present the awards immediately following the season's end.

1998 Yankees · 11-02-2006, 09:36 AM

Forgive my ignorance, I should know this, but how are these awards awarded? That is, how are the winners determined? I heard someplace that voting does not take place until after the season ends. If it's voting by the BBWA, as I seem to recall offhand, does it take some time to compile the votes and will that seem later and later considering how late the season runs these days, barely avoiding November some years?

Tribe Fan 24 · 11-02-2006, 09:52 AM

Great point!!!

I have often wondered about this myself and thought it quite odd. I would like to see it done during the playoffs as well, not 6 weeks after the season ends or whatever.

Kevin

Goodsox · 11-02-2006, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribe Fan 24

Great point!!!

I have often wondered about this myself and thought it quite odd. I would like to see it done during the playoffs as well, not 6 weeks after the season ends or whatever.

Kevin

They should invite the winners to a playoff game and give the award out there in front of a national audience. They could scatter the awards throughout the postseason to drum up some interest.

kq76 · 11-02-2006, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azamien

But late November? By then only about two hundred people care very much about the past baseball season, and a hundred and ninety-six of those work for MLB or its teams.

I think you're either grossly misstating that or vastly underestimating it. If there's one sport fans seem to care about year-round, it's baseball. At least to me, a lot of people seem to take a great deal of interest in the off-season dealings, more than most sports. Even hockey up here with our rabid fans seems to go into hibernation mode during the off-season. But baseball? I don't think so. Just count the number of MLB news stories during the off-season on those sports news sites. It never really seems to die down and I doubt they display links to those stories on their front pages if people aren't interested in reading them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azamien

Ah ha! I get it now! It's all a ploy to make baseball encompass the entire year.

Well, I for one prefer that this way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctorg

Yeah, I don't get it. If they're trying to build dramatic tension, it isn't working. It's just annoying and seems more like the awards are an afterthought, like "Oh, by the way, here is the MVP, Cy Young, etc." It makes much more sense to present the awards immediately following the season's end.

This afterthought comment I agree with though. Maybe it would be best to announce them all like in the week immediately after the post-season. These winners really should be rejoiced and sometimes it really does seem like how you said, "oh yeah, and so-and-so won the MVP". Winning these awards are great accomplishments and they should be treated as such.

I like the NHL and CFL way of having a big party and announcing all the award winners at it. You don't even have to wait until the award ceremony to announce all the winners if you don't want to. You could announce the smaller awards during the week leading up to the ceremony and have the awarding of the MVP as the grand finale of the celebration.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goodsox

They should invite the winners to a playoff game and give the award out there in front of a national audience. They could scatter the awards throughout the postseason to drum up some interest.

Well, they did that with the Clemente Award as IIRC it was given to Delgado sometime during the WS. However, I really don't see how the giving out of awards during the post-season itself will help drum up interest. The playoff games shouldn't need help drumming up interest and by handing them out during the WS people probably don't take much notice as the stories probably get buried by all the coverage on the games themselves. If anything, I'd much rather see it in the week or so right after the WS when interest should still be high.

ey215 · 11-02-2006, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kq76

Well, they did that with the Clemente Award as IIRC it was given to Delgado sometime during the WS. However, I really don't see how the giving out of awards during the post-season itself will help drum up interest. The playoff games shouldn't need help drumming up interest and by handing them out during the WS people probably don't take much notice as the stories probably get buried by all the coverage on the games themselves. If anything, I'd much rather see it in the week or so right after the WS when interest should still be high.

"

marioh · 11-02-2006, 01:14 PM

Agreed with OP.

The award winners should be announced either right before the playoffs start, or right after the World Series end. I think the playoff games should stand on their own without the distraction of announcing award winners during them.

Erik W. · 11-02-2006, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kq76

I think you're either grossly misstating that or vastly underestimating it.

Of course I was misstating it. The "letter" intended to be mildly humorous. Were I ranting in a more serious way, I wouldn't have done it in that format.

11-02-2006, 08:35 AM	#1
Erik W. Global Moderator Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Rivière-du-Loup, Qc Posts: 4,615	Dear Major League Baseball, I'm a big fan of your game. I even support some of your more controversial decisions, like the Wild Card. However, today I'm writing you about the way you reveal the season awards. Well, actually, not so much the way you do it as the timing. During the postseason, fans are at their highest levels of interest since Opening Day. Even right after the conclusion of the World Series, although fans are ready to move on to football, hockey, or basketball for a few months, there's still some lingering interest in most cases. But late November? By then only about two hundred people care very much about the past baseball season, and a hundred and ninety-six of those work for MLB or its teams. So the question must be asked: Why in the name of all that's good do you wait until people are thinking about leftover turkey and Christmas shopping to announce the awards? The other sports don't wait that long, and most of them even - now try to stay with me here - announce them while their game is still actually being played! The worst thing is that it gets later and later every year. Sort of like the postseason. Ah ha! I get it now! It's all a ploy to make baseball encompass the entire year. Seriously, MLB, break the cycle. Go gently into that good night sooner... when people still actually care. Sincerely, A fan who is already forgetting the 2006 season __________________ Free agent baseball fan. Let's go (insert team name here)!

11-02-2006, 09:02 AM	#2
ctorg Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 9,848	Yeah, I don't get it. If they're trying to build dramatic tension, it isn't working. It's just annoying and seems more like the awards are an afterthought, like "Oh, by the way, here is the MVP, Cy Young, etc." It makes much more sense to present the awards immediately following the season's end. __________________ My music "When the trees blow back and forth, that's what makes the wind." - Steven Wright Fjord emena pancreas thorax fornicate marmalade morpheme proteolysis smaxa cabana offal srue vitriol grope hallelujah lentils

11-02-2006, 09:52 AM	#4
Tribe Fan 24 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Maryville, TN Posts: 675	Great point!!! I have often wondered about this myself and thought it quite odd. I would like to see it done during the playoffs as well, not 6 weeks after the season ends or whatever. Kevin __________________ Long Suffering Tribe Fan Proud Papa of Caroline Grace (b. 2005) Kaeden Michael (b. 2008) and Claire Elise (b. 2012)

11-02-2006, 09:36 AM	#3
1998 Yankees Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yankee Stadium, back in 1998. Posts: 8,645	Forgive my ignorance, I should know this, but how are these awards awarded? That is, how are the winners determined? I heard someplace that voting does not take place until after the season ends. If it's voting by the BBWA, as I seem to recall offhand, does it take some time to compile the votes and will that seem later and later considering how late the season runs these days, barely avoiding November some years?

11-02-2006, 01:14 PM	#8
marioh All Star Starter Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: NYC Posts: 1,162	Agreed with OP. The award winners should be announced either right before the playoffs start, or right after the World Series end. I think the playoff games should stand on their own without the distraction of announcing award winners during them.