Major League Draft To Be Televised on ESPN2

Dont they have it on cable in the Retirement Castle?

 

They'll show 1 round 5 minutes between picks. Won't be too bad.

And hell, it beats more poker re-runs.

 

You should have a fantasy draft that day, too.

 

They'll probably have a Baseball America guy like Jim Callis do it.

 

Rivals.com

Not.

 

Since the Royals pick second and the Bucs not to long after that, I probably would watch just for those two picks. That would probably do it for me, though.

 

A league-wide conference call. MustSeeTV

 

It's not the cathode ray nipple I usually like to suckle, but I'll watch the first 10 minutes just for the sheer geek quotient.

The draft chapter is easily the best in Moneyball, but that don't translate to the screen.

 

Five ways to give yourself a splitting headache:

1. Watch your grass grow
2. Watch housepaint dry
3. Get teeth pulled at dentist
4. Watch talk radio on TV
5. Watch any draft on TV

 

This is a no-brainer for this time slot. There's not much competition from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on a Thursday. It's sure to beat almost every other program during those times.

I'll be watching the first round because I've covered a likely first-round pick for the past two seasons. Once that person has been selected, though, I'm not sure they'll be able to hold my attention past the Cardinals' second-round selection.

The MLB draft's importance is most certainly one of those things that will be determined by the media coverage. And it's in the media's interest to make a big deal of it because that means more stories, more niche publications, more draft pundits, thus more jobs, etc.

And if the media makes Joe High School out to be the next Nolan Ryan, you can bet there's going to be tons of fan pressure on GMs, who will be obligated to bring guys along through the system far too early.

But I think what baseball needs is a draft of players who start with the big-league club. Increase the league to 50 teams or 60 teams, cut those salaries in half and use that money to build ballparks in smaller cities or to refurbish minor league parks into big league parks.

I can't wait to hear thoughts on this insanity.

 

Good to see MLB follow the lead of the NHL and MLS by getting its draft on TV. That's a forward-thinking operation.

 

Last year, I listened to this on XM while traveling to a college baseball game. Yeah, I'll be watching. But I also understand most people won't be.