Do you really have to ask?

Steve Melewski of MASN asks:

We start games all year at 7:05 p.m., so why does MLB and the networks insist on start times of 8:00 and 8:30 in the playoffs. And its hard to ask any fan to sit through any game in any sport at any time that last 5 ½ hours.

Actually, that's a question in statement form, Steve, and you'd think someone representing a cable outlet like MASN would get it that baseball is trying to raise ratings by getting the games on television while a bulk of the US audience (four time zones) is in prime time. That just makes sense, no?

Maybe Steve's just complaining because he's on the East coast, and he expects everything to be regionalized for his viewing pleasure. I'm guessing Steve, even if he's a Boston fan, has a New Yorker hanging on his wall. There's more than the East out there, pal. 5 1/2 hours ain't a problem for die-hards, if that's what you really are.