The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1962-04-27
of TIMES
TOO-LOng
Season
BY LOU FABRO
Times Sports Editor

When the two major leagues expanded from eight
to ten teams, one of the big questions was: how many
games should each club play during the season?
Major league officials considered two choices-l53
games OF between each club and 1852 games Q8 be-
tween each club. Baseball mogus, rather than lop-
ping off one contest from the long-eStabllshed 154-
game schedule, decided on 1862 games.
The crucial decision, no doubt, was made with an
eye on larger gate receipts. The sight, however, is
something of a mirage.
DUE TO THE VAGARIEs OF APR WEATHER,
the early weeks of this particular month are far from
ideal for major league baseball-especially since most
games are played at night when temperatures have a
way of diving to the teeth-chattering level.
The result, or course, is that many games don't get
played on scheduled dates because of inclement wealth
er. Many others are played under miserable weather
conditions. A further result is the turnstiles just don't
click so merrily and the bad-weather games are played
before acres of yawningempty seats.
Despite this fact, major league officials not only
persist in their folly of launching the baseball cam
paignS during this inclement period, but now open the
season a week earlier to accommodate the extra nine
games. 1t doesn't make sense.
RUM. games in late September don't pack in the
crowds except in the parks of pennant contenders.
Baseball interest at this time of the year simply is ex-
hauSted as far as the regular season is concerned; loot
ball muscles in and shoveS baseball aside until the
World Series which plays before Runaway crowds be-
cause of the significance of the event.
Cincinnati Redleg pitcher-author jim Brosnan pick
ed an apt title for his baseball book. He entitled it
'"The Long Season" A better title for the baseball
campaign would be THE Ioo-Long Season"
Every year, major sports events-the World Series,
professional football championship games, the Ken
lucky Derby, the college bowl games and others-are
televised nationally.
ALTHOUGH II BEST.oF-SEVEN SERIES be-
tween the two division champions of the National
Basketball Association is comparable to the World
Series and pro football title game, only one or two of
these pro cage games are televised nationally.
The problem is that, except for weekend games,
the cage series is played at night-a difficult and high
priced time to get network clearance. AS a result, pro
cage fans have to be satisfied with one or two Saturday
afternoon games, newspaper accounts or what they
can pick up through the static on their radio.
This years series was especially exciting because 1t
pitted two very evenly-matched clubs - the Boston
Celtics and Los Angeles LakerS = against each other.
1t took an overtime in the seventh and deciding game
to settle the issue. Boston emerged the champion for
an unprecedented fourth straight year. Too bad fans
couldn't have seen at least that last game.
Speaking of television, one would suspect the name
less officials who set up the schedule for the CHS
television 'Game of the Week" are American League
fans.
OF THE H TELEVIsED AME set for this net
work, 35 of them are American League contests. Only
IL are National League games. And If it appears to you
during the season that the Yankees are on TV every
week, you're wrong; it averages out every other week.
The Yankees are scheduled for CHS % times, which
makes you wonder how many Yankee fans are on the
networks staff.
It's difficult to figure out why the National League,
where fans usually are treated to a pennant race,
gets short-changed by CHS.