We need weekend postseason baseball

Not exactly a news flash: TV ratings for World Series games are down.

My hope is that baseball's new hierarchy under Rob Manfred will not make the mistake of the outgoing commissioner, who figured that what baseball needed to boost interest in the game was more Yankees and Red Sox.

That feeling has led to adding an extra wild card (more chances that both the Yanks and Sox would get into the playoffs) and limiting the bonus money for off-shore player signings (because the teams making hay in Latin America and Asia were not the Yanks and Sox, who despite their millions lagged behind in international scouting).

Sure, Yankees-Red Sox games draw viewers in New England and the Tri-State area. But even -- maybe especially -- baseball fans in the other 90 per cent or so of the population are tired of seeing Yankees-Red Sox on Saturday afternoons, Sunday nights, Monday nights, Wednesday nights, on every network showing baseball.

There are plenty of other interesting teams and players. Hunter Pence and Lorenzo Cain shouldn't have to arrive in the World Series to be recognized more than Jackie Bradley Jr. and Francisco Cervelli.

Aided by a weekly thirst for gambling action, football has capitalized on making itself a national attraction without having to lean on one or two teams (the way baseball does) and a small group of players (see basketball and golf). NFL teams in places like Dallas, New Orleans and even Green Bay can gain a national following and recognition. And if the Chargers can cover against the Broncos, that can make bettors from coast to coast happy on any given Sunday (or Monday or Thursday).

Baseball's ratings problem isn't entirely that the games are on too long and too late, though those are factors. I watched just part of Game 4 Saturday -- the part that went something like this: pitching change, several minutes of commercials, another pitching change, several more minutes of commercials, another pitching change and I think more commercials. But even I had lost interest in the non-game by then.

It hasn't helped that all but one of the first six games has turned into a blowout.

The real problem has not been inaction during the games, but 1. inaction of any kind after the first rounds were sweeps or near-sweeps and 2. baseball's fear of going up against football.

Baseball has all but abdicated the weekend to pro football, college football and even high school football in some areas of the country.

Wouldn't it make sense to set up the World Series so there's at least the possibility so it could go over two weekends -- when more people could watch, or at least choose to watch either baseball or football? Or both, with a remote. Games could even be played -- God forbid! -- during the day so young, budding fans could watch. (Of course, today parents could record the night games so their children could watch while they're awake. I know, I know, advertisers. But for the future of baseball, what's more important: appeasing today's advertisers, or building a fan base that could attract even more advertisers in the future? I see the current approach as a result of the used-car-sale mentality of the recent regime.)

It didn't work so well this year to set up the schedule so there would be two weekends of League Championship Series. With each series ending early, there was no second weekend. And no baseball for so long that a pitcher who won the last game of a Championship Series could also start World Series Game 1.

The Chicago Tribune article linked above pointed out how bad the ratings were for Game 1.

Why wouldn't those have been bad? By the time baseball got around to playing again, on a Wednesday night, casual fans probably had forgotten there was even a baseball postseason still going.

Because of the lengthy delay between the two series, there was no baseball on Friday night (traditionally high school football night), Saturday (college football), Sunday (pro football), Monday (more pros).

Wouldn't it make more sense, if you're going to have a possible five-day layoff, to have that lag occur during the week rather than on a weekend abdicated to baseball's perceived enemy: football?

Schedule the Championship Series Games 6 and 7 for midweek, say Wednesday-Thursday. That way, if those series ended early, those games would be on a weekend. The more exciting Games 6 and 7, when at least one World Series competitor could be crowded, would generate more interest, especially as virtually the only games in town.

Those climactic games could create a couple of days of buzz for the World Series beginning Saturday. Because college and pro football go on all day on the weekend, it still would be possible to play one game each weekend during the day.

World Series Games 3, 4 and 5 -- two of which could be the final game -- on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday -- would keep baseball alive while football was dormant. And those baseball games could set the stage for weekend Games 6 and 7 on the weekend.

To Rob Manfred and baseball: Stop dodging football. Take it on during the time when more people can watch television.

Royals remind me of some similar teams

I was thinking that this October's Royals brought to mind two other World Series teams from days gone by.
One was the 1969 Mets. Another was the 2007 Rockies.
The Mets, because of the better-than-average defensive plays, especially outfield plays, Kansas City has been able to make. In truth, once Lorenzo Cain and Co. started making some plays, the network analysts went a little overboard in overselling some of the web-gem candidates. I mean, sure, plays such as Alex Gordon's catch on the warning track and run into the fence were good plays. But you can see a play like that virtually every day in the major leagues.
Where the Royals fall short of the Amazin' Mets is in the ridiculous plays that were made by players not  known for defensive skills. Amos Otis' plays in center field weren't a great surprise, but Google Ron Swoboda and see what it says about him. And if you can find video of his airborne diving catch (which I found for you; it's about 3:45 in, though I have seen more spectacular video of the play), just know that was almost totally out of character with his career.
Don't get me wrong. What KC's defense has done has been remarkable. And I've done research showing that the area of the game that correlates most closely to winning postseason series is defense. The team with the better statistical defensive record in the World Series -- measured by bases saved and extra bases allowed -- wins a higher percentage of the time than the better-pitching or -hitting teams.
Many of you who aren't old enough to remember the '69 Series can, however, remember the '07 Rockies. They got on an undefeated roll through the final games of the regular season to earn a playoff berth, then kept winning for all but one game before reaching the World Series. Once Colorado arrived in that championship event, the Red Sox swept the Rockies.
So on the one hand, we have a good defensive team. Probably a better defensive team than the Giants, from the limited amount I have seen them on TV.
On the other hand is a Cinderella carriage waiting to turn into a pumpkin before Halloween.
Today, I thought there was a third World Series team brought to mind by the '14 Royals. But I didn't write it down, it's late and I'm not fully thinking straight. Perhaps I'll remember it, and I can write about it before the Series begins Tuesday night.
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Made it into the playoffs in two of my three Inner League Baseball fantasy leagues. Lost in the Championship Series in both leagues. Now, as the leagues' commissioners, I've helped the remaining teams re-draft and reset their rosters for the World Series. I'll try to remember to keep you posted on what's happening there.
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Won one, lost one in my fantasy football leagues this week. Not a good week. I don't feel like talking much about either of them right now.
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My ESPN fantasy hockey team, Texas Shooting Stars, has risen from the depths of a 20-team league to the middle of the pack. Some time when I have time, I'll let you know some things I realized about how a 20-team draft is vastly different from a 10- or 12-team draft. One thing that has developed since the season began is that I no longer have any Dallas Stars on my team. I dumped Ales Hemsky, who started slowly and now has been taken off the superpower power play where he started the season. Probably more of that in future posts.
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I've kind of debated whether to get into an ESPN fantasy basketball league, but I think I owe it to myself to try to win another title. I'll keep you posted, and probably will be drafting within the next week. Saw the Mavericks and Grizzlies play tonight, by the way. Good game for Dallas C Tyson Chandler, who now appears able to shoot with greater range.