Yes, folks, I was one of those fans. I stayed up until three o’clock in the morning to watch the Oakland A’s-Boston Red Sox game.
Earlier that day, I received a text message reminding me of “Opening Day,” and I responded that I am not that “hardcore” to postpone sleep in order to watch my beloved A’s lose to the 2007 World Series Champs.
I was wrong.
As the evening transformed into early morning, my stomach began to fill with baseball excitement. My eyes fought back languor, as my mind remained fully aware.
Finally, the first pitch was upon us.
Then it struck me—what is this?
I am all for the globalization of baseball, but why do I, a loyal MLB fan, have to stay up and watch “Opening Day” at such an unnatural baseball-viewing hour?
I can handle the East Coast time difference—that's no problem.
But come on, I am an Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants fan. Baseball hasn't been that good to us lately. Asking a Bay Area fan to watch in the middle of the night is a bit much.
While MLB is gaining fans overseas, fans in areas such as the Bay are not being courted properly.
Don't get me wrong, the games in China were great. The whole idea of expanding baseball's fanbase is a wonderful idea. Believe me, it doesn't hurt my feelings when teams play exhibition games overseas.
This was not some mere exhibition game that has no impact on the season; this one counts.
When it counts, I want to witness the game without being cognizant of the fact that I am the only one awake in my neighborhood—thus questioning my sanity.
Suppressing my profanity-laced rants as Emil Brown runs the bases shouldn’t be my concern; I need to release every four-letter word as my team inches its way toward defeat.
I live for this, but this isn’t how I chose to live with baseball.
Baseball is one of the few true loves in my life. However, this year it was quite difficult to celebrate our yearly Opening Day anniversary together.
MLB mustn’t forget who is number one in this relationship—me (or should I say the hometown fans, excuse my selfishness). It’s okay that baseball has a little something on the side, but the top priority resides at home.
Fully secure in our relationship, I have no objections with sharing baseball, but MLB needs to recognize that the rest of the world is the concubine, while I am the first wife.
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6 months ago
Reminds me of when USA Basketball was playing in the World Championships in Japan a few years ago. All those games were in the middle of the night, and some during workdays! I tried to tell myself that I was going to record the games and watch it later. But, as the days got closer to the event, I knew that I was going to stay up. So I took a nap when I got home from work so I could watch. Too bad they couldn't defend the pick and roll, and got beat by Greece.
It's gonna be the same thing with the olympics this year. I need to get the 2 tuner DVR by then. Oh God, I can't miss the Hammer throw just because USA basketball is on!
6 months ago
Great article. I don't know how else it could have worked, but if baseball cared about anything other than making money, they could have probably found a way to play these games and not have to force people to watch at 3 am.
6 months ago
I was in the same boat as you. I wouldn't recognize this series as the Opening Day of baseball...But I woke up much earlier then I anticipated possibly ruining my Spring Break altogether.
6 months ago
I was up too! I actually thought it was kind of fun though! We grabbed a box of doughnuts and had a great time! I will agree that if I was a major fan of either of the two teams, I might have felt shafted. I really only got up because any baseball game...at any time of day or night...is worth it for me! I'm sure you agree! :)
6 months ago
Nice article Claire. I am personally not a Red Sox or A's fan, but if I were, I'm sure I would feel similar about waking up at a rediculous hour to watch the excitement of opening day.
However, this small trip and playing two games overseas 'should' benefit baseball a great deal and 'should' benefit the Oakland A's a great deal. I emphasize the word 'should' because the money MLB makes on things such as overseas television contracts and the sale of MLB licensed merchandise overseas should be distributed equally amongst all teams, including the A's.
I don't have any stats on revenue sharing of overseas television contracts or merchandise sales but conceivably this money 'should' be distributed equally amongst all teams, thus adding millions of dollars to the money available to the A's to increase their payroll. Again, I emphasize the word 'should' as it is not clear exactly what happens to a lot of the money MLB earns from various revenue channels- certainly not as clear as the distribution of NFL revenue (it is clear that this is distributed equally amongst all teams).
6 months ago
I was up too and I agree, does globalization mean that we, fans of the Great American Past-time, have to wake up (or stay up) at 3 AM to watch the Opening Season. I know there was a re-broadcast at 2PM, but that takes away from the magic of watching a game live.
Either way it was a great game! Sorry about your A's.
from 6 months ago
It's okay. While I was sleeping, the A's beat the Red Sox. Even Steven—for now!
6 months ago
This definitely does take the magic of opening day away. If they are going to do this at least wait a few weeks like the NFL did when they sent the g-men and dolphins to London. But that brings up an interesting fact that the winner of a game in a regular season nfl game in a foreign country has never lost the super bowl.
6 months ago
what they should've done was secretly build a giant Fenway Park or McAfee Coliseum replica in Japan, played the game during the day or night in Japan, and just play the tape of the game on espn during the time america is awake without running scores on the bottom of the screen until after the game tape was over. that way, americans wouldn't have known the difference, and the japanese would've gotten to watch Major League Baseball in their country. it would've worked, right?
6 months ago
((CLAP)) ((CLAP)) ((CLAP))
Great article Claire! Well written and even better said. Keep up the good work.
There was no need to question your sanity...you're definitely crazy! Isn't that what being a fan is all about though? I had waivered on staying up or waking up early to watch the game. I chose to wake up early. Keep the faith though, Brown looked much better this morning.
6 months ago
Yeah I said earlier I'm not sure I'd get up early(because here on the West Coast it would make more sense to get up early rather than stay up late), even for the Indians. But the more and more I think about it, the more and more I realize I'd probably do it against my will.
The MLB is shafting us though. I hate how this is opending day. I even hate how there is "Opening Night" on Sunday. It's not opening day until it's that first monday when just about every team is taking the field for the first time.
Great job.
6 months ago
On Tuesday, I saw 2 1/2 innings of A'S/Red Sox at 3:00am, but on Wednesday I saw ESPN2 replay and the highlights on Sportscenter and First Take. Maybe MLB should listen to the fans make "Opening" day or night on Monday, but NFL opens its season on a Thursday.
6 months ago
Excellent article, Claire. I too stayed up and basically ruined my Spring Break (I've felt like doing nothing but sleep ever since 8am on Tuesday) because I desperately wanted to see some MLB action that actually counted for something. I'm sure there were plenty of die-hard A's fans who stayed up late to watch the game, but it must've sucked for them and sucked even worse for the casual fan who missed their team's Opening Day because it started at 3am.
6 months ago
Well said, Claire.
I'm obviously not as big of a baseball fan as you are considering I wouldn't wake up at/stay up until 3:00 AM just to see the Indians on opening day, but I understand your pain. While it's in the MLB's best interest to do as much global marketing as it can within reason, it occasionally hurts the fans it originally targeted.
The only thing I'll say here is that in the grand scheme of things, it makes so much sense to do what the MLB did in showcasing a few MLB games overseas. It's not like it's the NFL where a team is losing 1 out of its 8 home games for the sake of globalization. The host city affected can deal with one series not being played in its own park over the course of the season.
I would just offer advice to the MLB to not have a series like this on opening day. Picture this scenario: this year's All Star Weekend is July 11-15th. Have two teams play in a series overseas from the 4th-6th, then they'd get an extended break - except for those who would have to participate in the all star festivities. It could be something like a Midsummer Classic overseas.
This is coming from a borderline baseball fan so take it for what it's worth, but it would be a good way of globalizing without depriving the fans as much.
from 6 months ago
You know, I just edited an article with that same idea!
I don't know if that idea would fly either because many fans LOVE being a part of All-Star activities.
There must be a solution, right?
6 months ago
do the last few paragraphs mean that you are okay with a cheating boyfriend as long as you're #1???
need to know for possible future reference =) haha
from 6 months ago
Whoa! Haha, baseball is the only boyfriend with a free pass :)
from 6 months ago
haha damn
6 months ago
I agree with you on many things about the opening day game. It was 5:00 am when it started in the DFW area, which is 2 hours before I even think about getting outta bed. The reason for the game to be in Japan is because the MLB is taking so many superstars from Japan thats it only seems right to give the fans there what they want to see, why their heros are leaving their country to play baseball else where. I personal belive that within the next decade the Japanese league will be bought out by the MLB and used as a farm system for players from Asia to developnd then become big names in America. The MLB is wanting to expand like the NBA and get players from all over the world to play in their league, and one of the big ways to promote that is to play games in other countries. Yes part of me wishes that the first game of the season would have started at 6:00 pm so that I could have had a good nights sleep and then watch the game without thinking of the stuff that the rest of the day included, but I feel the same way trying to watch games that start at 10:00 because i have to get up in the morning to go to school(im in college). The MLB will stay loyal to its fans in the states because the season is 162 games long, and most teams start playing around 6:00 pm central time which is almost perfect for most areas. And though two games were played in Japan, there will be a great reward when more and more superstars begin to move from Tokyo to Boston, New York, Oakland, and other cities where Majore League teams are located.
GO SOX!!!!!!!!!!!
6 months ago
Nice article! I had to get up at 5AM for work here in MN on those days, that's about when the games started. I watched a little of them, but i just think it's a total joke how they have to play 2 games that count for real record overseas. I love the idea of playing games there, but not regular season games, and I don't think it's really that big of a marketing thing anyways in Japan, because baseball is already very important there. I just think when they play these games out of the country...keep it to exhibition =)
6 months ago
Here are our thoughts on opening day
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/16014-NFL-MLB-Boston_Red_Sox-Oakland_Athletics-Bad_Call_Bud_Opening_Day_in_Japan
6 months ago
You stayed up late to watch; I got up early, rolled out of bed, and turned the game on a 6am. It was 12 degrees outside, with several feet of snow. It just wasn't the typical Opening Day routine this year (except for watching our starter struggle -- that always happens).
from 6 months ago
Doesn't it hurt to be a baseball fan? Geez...
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