Making Reservations

The National League is the host of the 2012 World Series. The team that won the NL pennant would be the host for game one. Detroit won the American League pennant, and had to travel to the NL city. Problem is, the NL series wasn’t decided until game seven, two days before game one of the series. Detroit had about 48 hours notice to get to San Francisco.

How did they make their hotel reservations?

Sure, if I were going to San Francisco for a game in two days, I probably wouldn’t have much of a problem. I bet I could find a hotel room somewhere in the city. But, I only need one room. And, I don’t care if I end up at a Holiday Inn. The Tigers needed, what, 30 rooms? 50? Together. At a nice hotel. How did they do that?

Did they have rooms reserved in both cities? How long ago did they need to make those arrangements? Did they also get rooms in Washington? Atlanta? Did the Yankees? I think I remember a team being blasted once for making reservations for the Super Bowl hotels before the championship game was played. It was classic bulletin board material. “They’re so sure they’re going to win, they’ve made hotel reservations!” Does that mean most teams wait? The Sox caught some flack in 2003 for paining the World Series logo on the field before the ALCS was over. Did they already have hotel reservations for Miami by then? For Chicago?

Does MLB just reserve 50 hotel rooms in every city for whichever team needs them? Does it have a contract with a five-star hotel in every city that if needed, the hotel will clear a floor at a moment’s notice? Does each team have its own arrangement? Or, are hotel rooms actually not that hard to come by at a nice hotel? Are they all very willing to bump out the regular folk if a baseball team comes a calling?

I’m guessing it’s more complicated than calling Priceline.