The Houston Astros defeated the Cleveland Indians in Game 3 of the American League Divisional Series on Monday, clinching a sweep and a place in the ALCS.
After the game, Astros third baseman Alex Bregman voiced his displeasure with Houston's playoff scheduling -- or, specifically, with the lack of primetime games:
Alex Bregman to @MLBNetwork after his interview (unsolicited):
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) October 8, 2018
"Hey, I got one more thing to say. Does Tiger Woods tee off at 8 a.m. when he's going to win a Masters? Does Floyd Mayweather fight the first fight of the night? No, he's the main event, right?" ...
... More Bregman: "So the 'Stros need to be playing primetime television, 7 p.m. So we're looking forward to playing primetime television, ALCS." #Astros #NeverSettle
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) October 8, 2018
Bregman has a point. The Astros are the defending world champions. They have a roster full of stars, young and old. Yet they played second or third fiddle during the LDS round out of deference to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox -- with the latter two playing each other, thus guaranteeing big ratings nationwide.
In theory, Major League Baseball could've hatched a solution. Perhaps the key is simply ensuring that the defending champions always get one of the primetime slots in the first round. But, ultimately, this comes down to money. Broadcast partners aren't paying money to show the best teams so much as the teams that seem likely to bring in the most eyes.
With that established, we happen to agree with Bregman. It will be fun to see him (and many of his teammates) in primetime, playing important games once more.