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May 5, 2018

MLB's Between-Innings Highlights Are Ruining The Enjoyment Of Watching A Game

"During this break in the action, here's a popular clip from MLB.com ..."

Reading that quote, chances are most of you either (a) had no reaction or (b) were filled with exasperation building to homicidal rage.

MLB has been showing highlight clips on MLBTV between innings and during pitching changes for years, but I started seeing them only this year. You might think that getting the opportunity to see old baseball highlights would be nice, far better than commercials.

I agree, it would. But that's not exactly what is happening.

From three recent Reddit threads - here and here and here:
Dent18
Seriously, this is fucking interminable. And they're like 10 seconds each. I'd almost rather [have] ads.

SunriseOverdrive
For fuck's sake, I'd gladly pay a few extra dollars a month for no commercials.

rumhee
I can't stand this. I've just written to complain. It ruins the entire viewing experience. I don't need clips or noise during breaks, just give me peace.

jwaldo
It wouldn't be so bad if they'd just play more than the same 5-6 videos. I'm pretty sure there are more baseball highlights than that.

joegrzenda
Just saw one where they repeated the "During this break in the action..." announcement five times. Thought my wife was going to break the tv.

GristleMcThornbody93
Dude fucking kill me. ... If I have to watch Prince Fielder eat a fucking nacho ONE more time...

DeepSeaDiving
It's insane. I actually subscribed to Sportsnet just to see commercials instead.
This matter ties in with another MLB atrocity from 2014:
In the first half of the season, I've learned a few things from watching games on MLB.tv: The branch of chemistry that deals with biology is biochemistry. The Ming Dynasty happened in China. In 1947, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier. And the most common eye color in the world is brown.

These things have nothing to do with baseball but in between innings on MLB.tv streaming telecasts they are constantly repeated promos for MLB's "Bucks on the Pond," a game show in which a studio host asks fans in the baseball stands trivia questions. ...

[T]he promos are nauseating. Because the promos play endlessly. That is, you will see them over and over (and over and over) again if you watch baseball via MLB.tv. ...

It's not just the promos. You will also see the same commercials played repeatedly, every single time there is a break, at the half inning, and when a relief pitcher is called in. ... 
A little while ago, I saw the same paint commercial 17 times in one game. ... [T]he Ming Dynasty question promoting "Bucks On The Pond" was asked and answered at least 14 times, and three of those times the same promo with the same question ran twice in a row. ...

MLB.tv also uses "breaks in the action" to show highlight snippets from past seasons ...

But on MLB.tv, you will see the same highlights—about eight of them, from past seasons—each and every night. Several times the highlight is interrupted in mid-amazement. On the night I counted, the highlights ran 17 times. They ran to entirety nine times. They were cut off eight times.
Another recent Reddit comment, from VintagePunk: "I didn't get them last season using a Roku on my tv, but I have been this spring. Hopefully they go away again."

I am in the same boat as VintagePunk. However - and this is odd - when I watch games on my computer, either at home or at work, I do not see the ads. Maybe it is something Roku-related, but then why have I not seen clips in past seasons?
During the Red Sox's recent series against the Royals, I kept a log of every clip that was played (in addition to scoring the game, as usual, so it was a busy few hours every night). As you may have surmised, there was a little bit of repetition. I also learned a few things about baseball highlights:
Nothing happened in baseball history that was highlight-clip-worthy until mid-1989.

In fact, in baseball's first 141 years (1871-2011), there were only 6 highlights.

There were only 3 highlights worth showing from 1992 to 2010, and that included a 10-year period during which nothing exciting or momentous happened (1994-2003).
During the three games, I saw a total of 72 different clips. However, nine of them had nothing to do with in-game action. Those involved animals on the field, a first pitch, a number retirement ceremony, and incidents involving food. Here are the clips categorized by year:
1871-1988 - 0
1989 - 1
1990 - 1
1991 - 1
1992 - 0
1993 - 1
1994 - 0
1995 - 0
1996 - 0
1997 - 0
1998 - 0
1999 - 0
2000 - 0
2001 - 0
2002 - 0
2003 - 0
2004 - 1
2005 - 0
2006 - 0
2007 - 1
2008 - 0
2009 - 0
2010 - 0
2011 - 3
2012 - 2
2013 - 1
2014 - 4
2015 - 3
2016 - 1
2017 - 36
2018 - 16
Note: If the description below is in quotes, that text was on-screen, with the clip billed as an "MLB Flashback". Sixteen of of the flashbacks are from the first week of this season and had happened only a few days earlier when MLB started showing them. (If it happened three days ago, can it really be called a "flashback"?) But: MLB has not added any new clips since that first week. All 16 clips from this season are from March 29 to April 4!

And now ... with more information than you needed or wanted ... the List:

April 30, 2018

Pregame Break
March 1, 1991 – Rickey Henderson steals third, for his record-setting 939th career stolen base.
April 11, 2017 – A black cat is loose in the outfield and eventually climbs up a glowing video screen on the outfield wall.

Middle of 1st
March 29, 2018 – "Eduardo Nunez Hits Inside-The-Park Home Run On Opening Day"
June 8, 2017 – Bryce Harper fouls a pitch near the plate, ripping part of the baseball's cover.
August 1, 2017 – "Cleveland's Austin Jackson Robs Hanley Ramirez And Tumbles Into Red Sox Pen"

End of 1st
June 18, 2017 – Nolan Arenado hits a game-winning three-run homer.
September 16, 1993 – Dave Winfield gets his 3,000th career hit.
August 7, 2016 – Ichiro Suzuki gets his 3,000th career hit.
March 29, 2018 – "George Springer Hits A Leadoff Home Run On Opening Day In Back-to-Back Seasons"

Middle of 2nd
September 2, 2017 – "Astros Stay "Houston Strong" In First Home Game Since Hurricane Harvey"
August 16, 2012 – Felix Hernandez pitches a perfect game.
August 7, 2016 – Ichiro Suzuki gets his 3,000th career hit.
November 1, 2017 – George Springer hits a two-run homer in World Series Game 7.

End of 2nd
August 16, 2012 – Felix Hernandez pitches a perfect game.
March 29, 2018 – Matt Davidson hits three home runs on Opening Day.
June 18, 2017 – Nolan Arenado hits a game-winning three-run homer.
May 13, 2017 – A squirrel runs on the field during a game.

Middle of 3rd
September 16, 1993 – Dave Winfield gets his 3,000th hit.
March 30, 2018 – "Joe Panik Homers Again, Sealing Two 1-0 Wins For Giants"
June 11, 2017 – Corey Seager hits a grand slam.
July 7, 2017 – Aaron Judge hits his 30th home run.

End of 3rd
October 29, 2017 – Alex Bregman's hit in the bottom of the 12th inning wins World Series Game 5.
April 2, 2018 – "Bryce Harper Homers After Braves Play 'Imperial March'"
May 13, 2017 – A squirrel runs on the field.
June 14, 2017 – "Ichiro Suzuki Singles To Become MLB's All-Time Interleague Hits Leader"

Middle of 4th
June 18, 2017 – Nolan Arenado hits a game-winning three-run homer.
July 30, 2017 – Adrian Beltre gets his 3,00th hit.
March 29, 2018 – "George Springer Hits A Leadoff Home Run On Opening Day In Back-to-Back Seasons"
September 25, 2017 – Addison Russell tumbles into the stands and someone's nachos go flying. He delivers a new order of nachos to the fan.

End of 4th
September 19, 2013 – Prince Fielder grabs a handful of food from a fan after chasing a foul ball.
June 28, 2007 – Unknown: A runner is thrown out at second base trying to stretch a single into a double.
May 28, 2014 – 50 Cent attempts to throw out the first pitch at a Mets game.
September 5, 2015 – "Bartolo Colon Goes Behind His Back For An Inning-Ending Play"
August 7, 2016 – Ichiro Suzuki gets his 3,000th career hit.
May 3, 2017 – Vin Scully is inducted into the Dodgers' Ring of Honor.

Middle of 5th
September 16, 2014 – Jose Altuve collects his 211th hit of the season.
September 12, 2015 – David Ortiz hits his 500th career home run.
April 4, 2018 – "Stanton, Sanchez And Judge Each Homer In Same Game For The First Time"
July 21, 2017 – Aaron Judge hits a very long upper-deck home run.

In bottom of 5th
May 21, 2017 – Thom Brennaman 'interviews' a bird near the broadcast booth.
September 2, 2017 – "Astros Stay "Houston Strong" In First Home Game Since Hurricane Harvey"
September 19, 2011 – Mariano Rivera gets his 602nd career save.
August 1, 2017 – "Cleveland's Austin Jackson Robs Hanley Ramirez And Tumbles Into Red Sox Pen"

End of 5th
May 18, 2004 – Randy Johnson completes a no-hitter.
September 16, 1993 – Dave Winfield gets his 3,000th hit.
August 16, 2012 – Felix Hernandez pitches a perfect game.
July 7, 2017 – Aaron Judge hits his 30th home run of the season.

Middle of 6th
June 18, 2014 – Clayton Kershaw pitches a no-hitter.
April 3, 2018 – "Didi Gregorious Hits 2 HRs, Knocks In 8 In Home Opener" (Yes, Gregorius's last name is misspelled.)
March 29, 2018 – "Ian Happ Leads Off The Season With A Home Run On The First Pitch"
April 3, 2018 – "Brewers Walk-Off On Back-To-Back Homers"

End of 6th
November 1, 2017 – George Springer hits a two-run homer in World Series Game 7.
June 6, 2017 – Pitcher makes play near first-base line and his glove disturbs a bird sitting on the grass.
April 3, 2018 – "Brewers Walk-Off On Back-To-Back Homers"
September 16, 2014 – Jose Altuve collects his 211th hit of the season.

Middle of 7th
August 11, 2017 – Byron Buxton makes a diving catch in center field.
May 8, 2017 – Kevin Pillar makes a diving catch on the warning track.
August 16, 2012 – Felix Hernandez pitches a perfect game.
October 29, 2017 – Alex Bregman's hit in the bottom of the 12th inning wins World Series Game 5.

End of 7th
June 18, 2017 – Nolan Arenado hits a game-winning three-run homer.
September 5, 2015 – "Bartolo Colon Goes Behind His Back For An Inning-Ending Play"
September 19, 2013 – Prince Fielder grabs a handful of food from a fan after chasing a foul ball.
May 28, 2014 – 50 Cent attempts to throw out the first pitch at a Mets game.
June 6, 2017 – Scooter Gennett hits four home runs in one game.

Middle of 8th
April 4, 2018 – "Stanton, Sanchez And Judge Each Homer In Same Game For The First Time"
September 3, 2017 – Cody Bellinger sets a rookie home run record.
September 5, 2015 – "Bartolo Colon Goes Behind His Back For An Inning-Ending Play"
June 11, 2017 – Corey Seager hits a grand slam.

End of 8th
September 2, 2017 – "Astros Stay "Houston Strong" In First Home Game Since Hurricane Harvey"
October 29, 2017 – Alex Bregman's hit in the bottom of the 12th inning wins World Series Game 5.
June 9, 2017 – "The Freeze Races By A Fan Who Celebrated His Victory Too Soon"

Notes: Four videos – Ichiro's 3,000th hit, Felix Hernandez's perfect game, Brewers Walk-Off, Bartolo Colon – are played in consecutive half-innings. The Ichiro 3,000th hit video is played three times by the end of the fourth inning. Other videos are also played three times. I saw a clip of a squirrel twice in one inning.

May 1, 2018

1st Pregame Break
June 6, 2017 – Pitcher makes play near first-base line and his glove disturbs a bird sitting on the grass.
June 8, 2017 – Bryce Harper fouls a pitch near the plate, ripping part of the baseball's cover.
March 1, 1991 – Rickey Henderson steals third, for his record-setting 939th career stolen base.
March 30, 2018 – "Marlins Prevail In 17 Innings Over Cubs"

2nd Pregame Break
September 19, 2013 – Prince Fielder grabs a handful of food from a fan after chasing a foul ball.
April 3, 2018 – "Didi Gregorious Hits 2 HRs, Knocks In 8 In Home Opener" (Gregorius's last name is still misspelled.)
May 21, 2017 – Thom Brennaman 'interviews' a bird near the broadcast booth.
October 25, 2017 – Justin Verlander appears in the dugout before George Springer hits a home run in the eleventh inning of World Series Game 2.

Middle of 1st
September 25, 2017 – Addison Russell tumbles into the stands and someone's nachos go flying. He delivers a new order of nachos to the fan.
June 23, 2017 – "David Ortiz Has His No. 34 Retired By The Red Sox"
April 6, 2017 – On a foul bunt attempt, the ball sticks to Yadier Molina's chest protector.
September 2, 2012 – "Chipper Jones Lifts Braves To Victory With Three-Run Walk-Off Home Run"

End of 1st
March 29, 2018 – "Giancarlo Stanton Homers Twice In Yankee Debut"
September 2, 2017 – "Astros Stay "Houston Strong" In First Home Game Since Hurricane Harvey"
April 4, 2018 – "Stanton, Sanchez And Judge Each Homer In Same Game For The First Time"
June 9, 2017 – "The Freeze Races By A Fan Who Celebrated His Victory Too Soon"

Middle of 2nd
July 16, 2017 – "Jackie Bradley Jr. Leaps In Triangle To Rob Aaron Judge At Fenway"
March 29, 2018 – "Shoeni Ohtani Gets First MLB Hit On First Pitch He Sees"
April 2, 2018 – "Bryce Harper Homers After Braves Play 'Imperial March'"
June 23, 2017 – "David Ortiz Has His No. 34 Retired By The Red Sox"

End of 2nd
June 9, 2017 – "The Freeze Races By A Fan Who Celebrated His Victory Too Soon"
September 12, 2015 – David Ortiz hits his 500th career home run.
September 19, 2011 – Mariano Rivera gets his 602nd career save.
June 11, 2014 – Yoenis Cespedes bobbles a ball near the left field corner before making a perfect throw home to nail the runner.

Middle of 3rd
March 29, 2018 – "Ian Happ Leads Off The Season With A Home Run On The First Pitch"
March 1, 1991 – Rickey Henderson steals third, for his record-setting 939th career stolen base.
June 23, 2017 – "David Ortiz Has His No. 34 Retired By The Red Sox"
October 25, 2017 – "George Springer's Two-Run Homer Breaks Tie In World Series Game 2"

End of 3rd
June 14, 2017 – "Ichiro Suzuki Singles To Become MLB's All-Time Interleague Hits Leader"
September 2, 2012 – "Chipper Jones Lifts Braves To Victory With Three-Run Walk-Off Home Run"
March 30, 2018 – "Marlins Prevail In 17 Innings Over Cubs"
August 16, 2012 – Felix Hernandez pitches a perfect game.

Middle of 4th
March 29, 2018 – "Eduardo Nunez Hits Inside-The-Park Home Run On Opening Day"
April 21, 2017 – Charlie Blackmon gets an inside-the-park home run after Hunter Pence misplays his line drive.
March 30, 2018 – "Joe Panik Homers Again, Sealing Two 1-0 Wins For Giants"
March 30, 2018 – "Marlins Prevail In 17 Innings Over Cubs"

End of 4th
July 21, 2017 – Aaron Judge hits a very long upper-deck home run.
March 29, 2018 – "Ian Happ Leads Off The Season With A Home Run On The First Pitch"
March 29, 2018 – "Shoeni Ohtani Gets First MLB Hit On First Pitch He Sees"
June 18, 2017 – Nolan Arenado hits a game-winning three-run homer.

Middle of 5th
July 25, 2017 – Bradley Zimmer and Michael Brantley hit home runs in the second inning and Edwin Encarnacion hits a walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning.
June 11, 2014 – Yoenis Cespedes bobbles a ball near the left field corner before making a perfect throw home to nail the runner.
October 29, 2017 – Alex Bregman's hit in the bottom of the 12th inning wins World Series Game 5.

End of 5th
April 2, 2017 – Madison Bumgardner hits two home runs in one game.
April 25, 2017 – "Chris Coughlin Avoids Yadier Molina In Acrobatic Fashion"
April 14, 2015 – Nolan Arenado dives for a foul ball and lands very hard on the wall.
April 3, 2018 – "Brewers Walk-Off On Back-To-Back Homers"

Middle of 6th
July 5, 1989 – Paul O'Neill bobbles a hit and ends up kicking the ball back to the infield.
September 19, 2013 – Prince Fielder grabs a handful of food from a fan after chasing a foul ball.
June 28, 2007 – Unknown: A runner is thrown out at second base trying to stretch a single into a double.
May 28, 2014 – 50 Cent attempts to throw out the first pitch at a Mets game.
September 19, 2011 – Mariano Rivera gets his 602nd career save.

End of 6th
March 31, 2018 – "At 44 Years Old, Ichiro Suzuki Takes Home Run Away In Left Field"
March 31, 2018 – "Kevin Pillar Swipes 2nd, 3rd & Home In Same Inning"
June 6, 2017 – Scooter Gennett hits four home runs in one game.
September 16, 2014 – Jose Altuve collects his 211th hit of the season.

Middle of 7th
August 1, 2017 – "Cleveland's Austin Jackson Robs Hanley Ramirez And Tumbles Into Red Sox Pen"
May 3, 2017 – Vin Scully is inducted into the Dodgers' Ring of Honor.
June 23, 2017 – "David Ortiz Has His No. 34 Retired By The Red Sox"
August 7, 2017 – Mike Trout doubles for his 1,000th hit and later hits a home run.

During bottom of 7th
April 26, 1990 – Ken Griffey Jr. robs a Yankee batter of a home run. (Mislabelled. Griffey did not play against the Yankees in 1990).
June 14, 2017 – "Ichiro Suzuki Singles To Become MLB's All-Time Interleague Hits Leader"
August 16, 2012 – Felix Hernandez pitches a perfect game.
April 3, 2018 – "Brewers Walk-Off On Back-To-Back Homers"

End of 7th
November 1, 2017 – "The Astros Defeat The Dodgers For The Franchise's First World Series Title"
September 2, 2012 – "Chipper Jones Lifts Braves To Victory With Three-Run Walk-Off Home Run"
September 2, 2017 – "Astros Stay "Houston Strong" In First Home Game Since Hurricane Harvey"
September 3, 2017 – Cody Bellinger sets a rookie home run record.

Middle of 8th
June 11, 2017 – Corey Seager hits a grand slam.
July 30, 2017 – Adrian Beltre gets his 3,00th hit.
June 9, 2017 – "The Freeze Races By A Fan Who Celebrated His Victory Too Soon"
June 6, 2017 – Scooter Gennett hits four home runs in one game.

End of 8th
July 16, 2017 – "Jackie Bradley Jr. Leaps In Triangle To Rob Aaron Judge At Fenway"
April 3, 2018 – "Shohei Ohtani Hits First Career Home Run"
June 23, 2017 – "David Ortiz Has His No. 34 Retired By The Red Sox"
March 30, 2018 – "Marlins Prevail In 17 Innings Over Cubs"

Middle of 9th
October 29, 2017 – Alex Bregman's hit in the bottom of the 12th inning wins World Series Game 5.
July 16, 2017 – "Jackie Bradley Jr. Leaps In Triangle To Rob Aaron Judge At Fenway"
June 6, 2017 – Pitcher makes play near first-base line and his glove disturbs a bird sitting on the grass.

End of 9th
April 2, 2017 – Madison Bumgardner hits two home runs in one game.
April 14, 2015 – Nolan Arenado dives for a foul ball and lands very hard on the wall.
June 6, 2017 – Scooter Gennett hits four home runs in one game.
October 29, 2017 – Alex Bregman's hit in the bottom of the 12th inning wins World Series Game 5.

Middle of 10th
March 29, 2018 – "Eduardo Nunez Hits Inside-The-Park Home Run On Opening Day"
September 2, 2017 – "Astros Stay "Houston Strong" In First Home Game Since Hurricane Harvey"
June 8, 2017 – Bryce Harper fouls a pitch near the plate, ripping part of the baseball's cover.

End of 10th
September 5, 2015 – "Bartolo Colon Goes Behind His Back For An Inning-Ending Play"
June 23, 2017 – "David Ortiz Has His No. 34 Retired By The Red Sox"
March 29, 2018 – "Adam Jones Hits A Two-Run Homer In Extra Innings On Opening Day"

Middle of 11th
October 25, 2017 – Justin Verlander appears in the dugout before George Springer hits a home run in the eleventh inning of World Series Game 2.
July 16, 2017 – "Jackie Bradley Jr. Leaps In Triangle To Rob Aaron Judge At Fenway"
March 29, 2018 – "Giancarlo Stanton Homers Twice In Yankee Debut"
May 8, 2017 – Kevin Pillar makes a diving catch on the warning track.

End of 11th
August 1, 2017 – "Cleveland's Austin Jackson Robs Hanley Ramirez And Tumbles Into Red Sox Pen"
May 8, 2017 – Kevin Pillar makes a diving catch on the warning track.
March 30, 2018 – "Joe Panik Homers Again, Sealing Two 1-0 Wins For Giants"

Middle of 12th
September 2, 2017 – "Astros Stay "Houston Strong" In First Home Game Since Hurricane Harvey"
April 26, 1990 – Ken Griffey Jr. robs a Yankee batter of a home run. (Mislabelled. Griffey did not play against the Yankees in 1990).
April 2, 2017 – Madison Bumgardner hits two home runs in one game.

End of 12th
July 27, 2017 – The Nationals hit five home runs in the third inning, including four in a row by Brian Goodwin, Wilmer Difo, Bryce Harper, and Ryan Zimmerman.
June 6, 2017 – Scooter Gennett hits four home runs in one game.
April 4, 2018 – "Stanton, Sanchez And Judge Each Homer In Same Game For The First Time"

Middle of 13th
May 21, 2017 – Thom Brennaman 'interviews' a bird near the broadcast booth.
August 25, 2011 – Jim Thome hits three-run homer.
September 25, 2017 – Aaron Judge hits two home runs.

During bottom of 13th
July 30, 2017 – Adrian Beltre gets his 3,00th hit.
March 30, 2018 – "Joe Panik Homers Again, Sealing Two 1-0 Wins For Giants"
May 18, 2004 – Randy Johnson completes a no-hitter.
August 16, 2012 – Felix Hernandez pitches a perfect game.

Notes: I love David Ortiz, but I do not need to see short clips from his number retirement ceremony six times in one night, including three times in a span of five half-innings. Kevin Pillar's catch is played twice in a span of three videos. Jackie Bradley's catch is played four times. There were also 20 videos in which no baseball was being played.

May 2, 2018

Middle of 1st
September 19, 2013 – Prince Fielder grabs a handful of food from a fan after chasing a foul ball.
July 5, 1989 – Paul O'Neill bobbles a hit and kicks the ball back to the infield.
June 28, 2007 – Unknown: A runner is thrown out at second base trying to stretch a single into a double.
May 28, 2014 – 50 Cent attempts to throw out the first pitch at a Mets game.
September 5, 2015 – "Bartolo Colon Goes Behind His Back For An Inning-Ending Play"

End of 1st
April 11, 2017 – A black cat is loose in the outfield and eventually climbs up a glowing video screen on the outfield wall.
September 2, 2012 – "Chipper Jones Lifts Braves To Victory With Three-Run Walk-Off Home Run"
September 5, 2015 – "Bartolo Colon Goes Behind His Back For An Inning-Ending Play"

Middle of 2nd
June 23, 2017 – "David Ortiz Has His No. 34 Retired By The Red Sox"
April 21, 2017 – Charlie Blackmon gets an inside-the-park home run after Hunter Pence misplays his line drive.
April 3, 2018 – "Brewers Walk-Off On Back-To-Back Homers"

End of 2nd
September 2, 2012 – "Chipper Jones Lifts Braves To Victory With Three-Run Walk-Off Home Run"
August 7, 2017 – Mike Trout doubles for his 1,000th hit and later hits a home run.
October 25, 2017 – "George Springer's Two-Run Homer Breaks Tie In World Series Game 2"

Middle of 3rd
May 18, 2004 – Randy Johnson completes a no-hitter.
April 2, 2018 – "Bryce Harper Homers After Braves Play 'Imperial March'"
September 16, 2014 – Jose Altuve collects his 211th hit of the season.

End of 3rd
May 18, 2004 – Randy Johnson completes a no-hitter.
June 23, 2017 – "David Ortiz Has His No. 34 Retired By The Red Sox"
May 28, 2014 – 50 Cent attempts to throw out the first pitch at a Mets game.
August 7, 2017 – Mike Trout doubles for his 1,000th hit and later hits a home run.
June 6, 2017 – Pitcher makes play near first-base line and his glove disturbs a bird sitting on the grass.

Middle of 4th
August 16, 2012 – Felix Hernandez pitches a perfect game.
July 25, 2017 – Bradley Zimmer and Michael Brantley hit home runs in the second inning and Edwin Encarnacion hits a walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning.
July 16, 2017 – "Jackie Bradley Jr. Leaps In Triangle To Rob Aaron Judge At Fenway"
September 2, 2017 – "Astros Stay "Houston Strong" In First Home Game Since Hurricane Harvey"

End of 4th
September 25, 2017 – Aaron Judge hits two home runs.
June 9, 2017 – "The Freeze Races By A Fan Who Celebrated His Victory Too Soon"
September 5, 2015 – "Bartolo Colon Goes Behind His Back For An Inning-Ending Play"

Middle of 5th
September 2, 2017 – "Astros Stay "Houston Strong" In First Home Game Since Hurricane Harvey"
April 6, 2017 – On a foul bunt attempt, the ball sticks to Yadier Molina's chest protector.
July 27, 2017 – The Nationals hit five home runs in the third inning, including four in a row by Brian Goodwin, Wilmer Difo, Bryce Harper, and Ryan Zimmerman.

End of 5th
July 18, 2017 – Bryce Harper homers in the top of the first inning, Mike Trout homers in the bottom half.
August 1, 2017 – "Cleveland's Austin Jackson Robs Hanley Ramirez And Tumbles Into Red Sox Pen"
July 21, 2017 – Aaron Judge hits a very long upper-deck home run.
June 8, 2017 – Bryce Harper fouls a pitch near the plate, ripping part of the baseball's cover.

Middle of 6th
November 1, 2017 – George Springer hits a two-run homer in World Series Game 7.
October 25, 2017 – "George Springer's Two-Run Homer Breaks Tie In World Series Game 2"
April 4, 2018 – "Stanton, Sanchez And Judge Each Homer In Same Game For The First Time"
September 16, 1993 - Dave Winfield gets his 3,000th hit.

End of 6th
June 8, 2017 – Bryce Harper fouls a pitch near the plate, ripping part of the baseball's cover.
July 30, 2017 – Adrian Beltre gets his 3,00th hit.
May 7, 2011 – Justin Verlander pitches a no-hitter.
September 12, 2015 – David Ortiz hits his 500th career home run.

Middle of 7th
August 1, 2017 – "Cleveland's Austin Jackson Robs Hanley Ramirez And Tumbles Into Red Sox Pen"
March 29, 2018 – "Giancarlo Stanton Homers Twice In Yankee Debut"
September 12, 2015 – David Ortiz hits his 500th career home run.

During bottom of 7th
July 16, 2017 – "Jackie Bradley Jr. Leaps In Triangle To Rob Aaron Judge At Fenway"
April 21, 2017 – Charlie Blackmon gets an inside-the-park home run after Hunter Pence misplays his line drive.
June 18, 2017 – Nolan Arenado hits a game-winning three-run homer.
April 14, 2015 – Nolan Arenado dives for a foul ball and lands very hard on the wall.

End of 7th
November 1, 2017 – George Springer hits a two-run homer in World Series Game 7.
May 7, 2011 – Justin Verlander pitches a no-hitter.
March 30, 2018 – "Marlins Prevail In 17 Innings Over Cubs"

Middle of 8th
September 2, 2017 – "Astros Stay "Houston Strong" In First Home Game Since Hurricane Harvey"
March 31, 2018 – "At 44 Years Old, Ichiro Suzuki Takes Home Run Away In Left Field"
September 2, 2012 – "Chipper Jones Lifts Braves To Victory With Three-Run Walk-Off Home Run"

End of 8th
March 29, 2018 – "Eduardo Nunez Hits Inside-The-Park Home Run On Opening Day"
July 21, 2017 – Aaron Judge hits a very long upper-deck home run.
April 3, 2018 – "Shohei Ohtani Hits First Career Home Run"
August 15, 2011 – Jim Thome hits three-run homer.

Notes: 10 videos with no baseball being played. A non-baseball video was played in four consecutive half-innings.
When you consider how many hundreds of thousands of clips MLB could show - of famous and not-famous moments - what they have instead decided to do is mind-boggling.

If MLB felt like putting even a tiny bit of effort into this - and it is very clear that they do not - they could make entertaining compilations of:
Pitchers, hitters, and fielders having trouble in rain, sun, snow, fog, and/or wind

Frustrated batters breaking bats over their knees

Epic bat flips

Triple plays

Line drives caught by the pitcher

Baserunners falling down and/or fielders colliding

Fielders running through outfield walls

Relief pitchers arriving in (now-outdated) bullpen cars and carts

Clips from Home Run Derby, which aired in 1960 (Link is Mantle v. Mays)
Then there are individual plays. Off the top of my head:
Manny Ramirez high-fiving a fan while in the middle of turning a double play in 2008

Kevin Mitchell's 1989 bare-handed catch of a fly ball in left field

Michael Pineda's ejection for having pine tar on his neck

Reggie Jackson homered in April 1978 and Yankee fans threw their complimentary Reggie bars on the field

The final pitch of each of Pedro's 17 strikeouts against the Yankees in 1999

Julian Tavarez's habit of fielding a ball at the mound and then rolling it to first base

The A's fake-intentional walk ploy in the 1972 World Series that had Johnny Bench taking a third strike right down the middle

Willie Mays's catch in the 1954 World Series
Here is a great idea: MLB could ask fans to submit their favourite non-famous/all-but-unknown moments and go back into the archives.

Even though MLB tries like hell to purge the internet of all non-MLB-sponsored baseball footage, amazing video is not hard to find:

Click here for ten minutes of footage from the Deadball Era (1900-1920).

Here is silent footage of Opening Day in 1918.

There exists 15 minutes of footage (with sound!) from a Red Sox/Yankees game from April 14, 1931.

You will find Game 7 of the 1952 World Series here.

There is also plenty of lighthearted fare, such as nine minutes of "nutshots".
It's as if some baseball-hating moles have infiltrated MLBTV and are determined to destroy the game from within. They may be succeeding.

7 comments:

  1. I hate these self-ascribed “popular” clips as much as the few same repetitve lame commercials ad nauseum. And they do feature different between innings fare on different platforms. The most juvenile seem to be on the Roku, less so on the numerous others.

    I’d pay a little more for silence betwwn innings.

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  2. There are levels of clips?

    One thing I did not mention is that we watched Wednesday's afternoon game at night. We had to re-start the T1 and watch the same commercial break. I noticed that the clips were in a different order and there was at least one that was not in there the first time. So I wonder ... Are there a set number of clips and their airing is randomly generated?

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  3. I have watched on NESN Go since it started. Similar thing where it's the same thing every time between innings: annoying NESN promos. Charlie Moore, Dining Playbook, and Bruins. Mute.

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  4. Wow. Had no idea. I've watched almost exclusively via mlb.tv for years and never saw one of these until spring training. Haven't seen one since the season started.

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  5. MLB-TV Canada has actual sponsors, but there's only about 4 or 5 and it's the same nonsense over and over for a few innings, then they go with the same highlights mentioned above (I must confess I almost peed my pants laughing the first time I saw the "Freeze" race, but alas, it, too, quickly turned annoying). They even have one add with some kind of bird that opens with the volume about 10 decibels higher than normal, which after a half-inning of mentally tuning out Dave O'Brien, still makes me jump out of my skin.
    But you're right allan, with a little bit of effort, MLB could raid it's archives and present some really interesting stuff.
    Manfred must be the worst CEO in the history of multi-billion dollar enterprises.

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  6. Where can I write to asking MLB to at least show flashbacks more than 2 years old?

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  7. I hate these too. It also seems to be the same few players all the time. I would love to see more things like Bartolo Colon's home run, and more representation from all the teams. Even the Rangers have some interesting flashbacks.

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