Tigers TV

Last night I settled in for an evening of Detroit Tigers baseball only to find that the game is one of the fifty-two not being televised. No problem, right? It's only one game. That's when I found out that tonight's opening game with the division leading Chicago White Sox is not on tv, either. Nor is tomorrow afternoon's contest or Friday night's tilt versus Minnesota. The Tigers don't return to FSN-Detroit until Saturday. This lack of televised baseball led me to two thoughts.

First, what a pile of crap. We don't see the final of the Tigers/Orioles series. We won't see any of the two game set against the White Sox, including tomorrow afternoon's duel between Jeremy Bonderman and Mark Buerhle. The Twins will walk into town and we are left with only radio coverage yet again. Why on Earth can't FSN-Detroit just pick up the remaining games?

Yeah, I know not everyone has cable, but it's not like those without cable will get to see a single game this year anyway. It's nonsense, especially for the Tigers' older fans who don't have cable, but I'd rather have all 162 games on cable than have fifty-two not on tv at all. The Red Wings are only available on cable. Why not let the Tigers follow suit?

Oh, before I forget, a note to Fox Sports Detroit. I know you have some aversion to showing those Thursday afternoon getaway games, but what outstanding daytime programming is going to get bumped if the Tigers are on?

"Is this really a baseball town?" was my second thought. What other supposed baseball town has fifty-two games not on any form of local tv? St. Louis? Boston? New York? Please. I doubt Tampa Bay has fifty-two games not televised. There are so many Tiger games not being televised in Detroit that I suspect a fan outside of Michigan can see more Tigers games on MLB.tv or via MLB Extra Innings than a fan inside Metro Detroit can.

I realize this may be the longest streak without television coverage this season, but that doesn't change the fact that the whole situation is ridiculous. I feel bad for the Tigers' older fans who don't have and can't afford cable, but the Tigers should have been prepared to put all 162 games on FSN-Detroit when a local broadcast deal fell through. Instead, we have nearly 1/3 of the schedule not broadcast to anyone.