Viewing the playoffs an endurance test

MLB Draft: <a name="&amp;lpos=story_in" href="http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9295644/national-league-central-team-needs-targets-2013-mlb-draft?addata=2009_insdr_mod_mlb_xxx_xxx">NL Central targets
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Szymborski: <a name="&amp;lpos=story_in" href="http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9297550/anthony-rendon-best-house-solutions-contenders-mlb?addata=2009_insdr_xxx_sce_mlb_xxx&addata=2009_insdr_mod_mlb_xxx_xxx">Best in-house upgrades
Cameron: <a name="&amp;lpos=story_in" href="http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9307819/john-lackey-first-success-boston-starts-first-pitch-mlb?addata=2009_insdr_mod_mlb_xxx_xxx">Lackey's first-pitch success
Law: <a name="&amp;lpos=story_in" href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/keith-law/post?id=827&addata=2009_insdr_mod_mlb_xxx_xxx">Diagnosing Hosmer, Moustakas' woes

Catching a glimpse of a playoff game requires hard work and usually calls for a trip to a nearby tavern at lunch time.

Updated: October 3, 2003, 11:24 AM ET

By Jim Baker | MLB Insider

For those of you not lucky enough to be students, unemployed, unemployable, retired, imprisoned with full TV privileges, between lucky streaks or working night shifts, playoff games scheduled during the daytime do not provide the challenge they do for the person in the proverbial nine-to-five work environment. For those of you in that situation, catching a glimpse of a playoff game requires hard work and usually calls for a trip to a nearby tavern at lunch time. (Not that I am condoning drinking at lunch, it's just that fast food places don't want you lingering and ladies tea rooms are also similarly devoid of projection televisions for the clientele.)

As with anything, there is a right way to go about doing this. As someone who has spent many an October lunchbreak catching a few innings of televised playoff baseball on the fly, I would like to set you on the right path to maximizing your viewing opportunity. Now that the first round is heading into the weekend, the worst of this crisis is behind us, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't start planning for next year. Here are some quick tips on getting the most out of your baseball lunchtime:

Eat Nearby
If they have a television, they get your business. It's that simple. You're on the clock and you need to keep your commute at a minimum. Watch your speed, though. The last thing you need is to get into a high-speed chase with the cops. Even if you manage to elude them, you might miss an inning or so. If you're within walking distance, run! Not hard -- leave that to the athletes you're about to watch -- but fast enough so that if you miss a big home run or something it won't be from lack of trying.

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