MARC is providing service for the Nationals World Series games.
https://www.mta.maryland.gov/marc-world-series-2019
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Just imagine what it would be like to schedule team travel for a LA-NYC world series if the best means of travel was Amtrak.
Sure would give the ace pitchers plenty of recovery time between turns.
Convicted OneJust imagine what it would be like to schedule team travel for a LA-NYC world series if the best means of travel was Amtrak.
Especially in the absence of any way to schedule a special train, or attach sufficient private cars to existing ones.
Of course, were Amtrak the 'best means' of travel for baseball teams it would presumptively also be best means for a wide selection of general travel ... and perhaps be much more profitable and run far more services than it does now. Those things might preclude the need for the Anderson-type 'cuts to make Congress act' that have resulted in the special train/private car restrictions...
If air transportation did not exist, professional sports leagues of all sorts could not exist on the national level and would still be mostly confined to the region east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River.
CSSHEGEWISCHIf air transportation did not exist, professional sports leagues of all sorts could not exist on the national level and would still be mostly confined to the region east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River.
And if you look at pre-war MLB, that's pretty much what you had...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Yeah, nothing west of St Louis or south of Cincinnati and Washington.
tree68 CSSHEGEWISCH If air transportation did not exist, professional sports leagues of all sorts could not exist on the national level and would still be mostly confined to the region east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River. And if you look at pre-war MLB, that's pretty much what you had...
CSSHEGEWISCH If air transportation did not exist, professional sports leagues of all sorts could not exist on the national level and would still be mostly confined to the region east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River.
Trains were basic transportation for MLB up through 1957, then the Dodgers and Giants moved to the West Coast and air travel was required to get there in a 'reasonable' amount of time. In 1962 MLB expanded the number of teams and the schedule from 154 games to 162.
Not mentioned so far was the necessity of many more (usually on Sunday) doubleheaders to compensate for travel days between cities in the pre-plane days. After the NY teams moved to California, most teams relied on charters, but the LA Dodgers bought their own plane for travel.
Before a "local" team like the KC Royals (Yeah, I know the A's were first, but no one has ever admitted to liking them), my folks and grandparents would mention their favorite team might be the Giants, Dodgers, or Cardinals, whatever they could catch on the radio at night.
The majors used trains. The minors used buses in many cases from what I've read.
Not to mention Amtraks one train per day schedule on most long distance routes. Could have made even the 1946 world series between Boston and St Louis a challenge to get everyone on the one train that could get them there on time.
Of course, all 7 of those games were day games, with a 1:30 PM start time....little bit of extra flexibility there.
I don't disagree with anything you say.....but I'd like to point out that at one time travel schedules during the regular season were a lot more practical than at present. Early in the divisional era, an east division team would make a "tour" of all the west coast teams in a single pass, for instance they might stop in Kansas City on their way west, then hit Los Angeles, Oakland and Seattle one right after the other, and then maybe hit Minnesota on their way back. Under such a structure, it would be more practical traveling by train than the way they schedule now. I think creating the third division in each league was about the time the schedules became less organized
Here is a fine set of pictures depicting Baseball and Railroading.
Courtesy of Mike!
Dave Klepper probably saw scenes like this
I believe that they changed the "home team" schedule format during the second world war due to travel restrictions.
Instead of the customary 2-3-2 (home-away-home) format, they used a 3-4 format
The Big Train
Well, the Nationals won their first championship in the history of the team (back to 1969). Is this the first time that the visiting team won every game in the World Series?
CSSHEGEWISCH Well, the Nationals won their first championship in the history of the team (back to 1969). Is this the first time that the visiting team won every game in the World Series?
I didn't have a horse in the race (if you will), but I'm glad the Nats pulled it off.
Interesting question, though. I have no idea - I'm not much of baseball stats fanatic.
First Washington World Series win in 95 years.
Yes it is the first time all WS games have been won by the Visitor, so much for home field advantage.
CSSHEGEWISCHWell, the Nationals won their first championship in the history of the team (back to 1969).
I overheard someone saying something about the last time a Washington team was in the playoffs, Calvin Coolidge was in office. Brings it home to you. This is not quite Cub level, but then again the Cubbies are a different story...
And they won it fair and square; every game had to be fought for, and they demonstrated their clear right to be considered the 'better' team.
The Washington Senators last won the World Series in 1924, they last participated in the World Series in 1933.
The book that was later made into a Broadway muscal 'Damn Yankees' was centered on the Washington Senators and their American League rival the New York Yankees.
The Washington Senators after the 1960 season moved to the Minneapolis-St.Paul area and became the Minnesota Twins. Washington then got an expansion franchise that was also the Senators - that franchise moved in 1972 to Dallas and became the Texas Rangers. In 2005 the Montreal Expos moved to DC and became the present day Washington National.
BaltACDso much for home field advantage.
So the National league team won all the world series games with a DH this year.
Maybe it's time for the senior circuit to pull their head out of their past, evolve, and adopt the DH full time.
BaltACDThe Washington Senators after the 1960 season moved to the Minneapolis-St.Paul area and became the Minnesota Twins. Washington then got an expansion franchise that was also the Senators - that franchise moved in 1972 to Dallas and became the Texas Rangers. In 2005 the Montreal Expos moved to DC and became the present day Washington National.
Yes, that's right!
There was a lot of confusion and misinformation about this, even from sports reporters. There was no Washington Nationals team until 2005, even though some players came from the Montreal team. At that time, I believe they were owned by Major League Baseball, not an individual owner. So basically, the Washington Nationals team was a new team in 2005.
York1 John
Convicted One BaltACD so much for home field advantage. So the National league team won all the world series games with a DH this year. Maybe it's time for the senior circuit to pull their head out of their past, evolve, and adopt the DH full time.
BaltACD so much for home field advantage.
All the other players have to play their defensive positions and bat, why not the pitchers.
Extra inning NL games are fun when there is no one left on the bench.
An interesting stat would to see WS winners with rail service to their stadiums (in case the mods are watching)
CSSHEGEWISCH Convicted One BaltACD so much for home field advantage. So the National league team won all the world series games with a DH this year. Maybe it's time for the senior circuit to pull their head out of their past, evolve, and adopt the DH full time. The designated hitter is a person who can't field standing in for a player who allegedly can't hit, like Whitey Ford, Ferguson Jenkins, and others. Besides, a good pitcher should be able to lay down a sacrifice bunt when needed.
Today's baseball reality - no player - pitcher or other can lay down a sacrifice bunt with a high degree of success. That form of baseball no longer exists in MLB. Today's MLB is 'the shift', the dinger or the K.
Note - the shift where the defense aligns most of its players to one side of 2nd base or the other is driven by analytics of the game that has more statistical facts over a longer period of time than any other game. The Pitching - pitch selection and pitch location are what makes the shift a successful defensive strategy.
With Pitchers 'hitting' in the NL - I don't know what their combined Batting Average is - but it is well below the so called 'Mendoza Line' of .200. In many, too many, at bats with the pitcher at the plate - a ceiling fan shows more purpose in moving 'lumber' than the pitchers do with a bat in their hands.
As for the railroad connection, the Baltimore Orioles playing location's offical name is 'Orioles Park at Camden Yards'. Right field is towered over by the B&O's former Warehouse building from which its LCL business was conducted 'in the day', and in the present day it houses the Orioles business offices.
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