At the beginning of this season's World Series, I would have taken the Rangers in six games. Nelson Cruz was on fire (still is), they had the superior lineup and bullpen, and they had the experience of losing in the final stanza last season. The Rangers are hungrier, I thought. They'll gain the upper hand eventually.
Six games have come and gone and no one has walked away with trophy yet. Here we stand on October 28, 2011, counting down the hours to every true sports fan's dream.
Game 7.
Peoria's been ablaze in red this October, from the leaves on the trees, to the red Cardinal jerseys, to the angry expressions of sour Cubs fans, praying that the Redbirds fall. Central Illinois (and I can only assume a good portion of Texas) has been locked into this World Series.
The rest of America is not.
Moments in time
To say the World Series has seen drama would be severely underselling the point. To say it has been spectacular still might not be enough. Game 1 was won on a go-ahead pinch hit single (the first time that's happened in 16 years) by a player who was not on the Opening Day roster. Game 2 saw a missed cutoff throw enable a ninth-inning comeback. Game 3 might've cemented Albert Pujols' status as the greatest hitter of the post-steroid era and top five in major league history. Games 4 and 5 saw the Rangers get clutch pitching and hitting performances to win.
Then last night, David Freese became a folk hero.
This World Series has had it all: the rise of unknown players (Allen Craig and Derek Holland); a career resurrected (Mike Napoli); bullpen follies (pick up the phone, Tony); and finally, the walk-off home run.
To put it in perspective, only three times prior had their been a walkoff home run in Game 6 of the World Series (trivia prize if you can name the guy who hit each bomb):
-1975, Boston vs. Cincinnati
-1991, Minnesota vs. Atlanta
-1993, Toronto vs. Philadelphia
Now we're set for Game 7 of arguably the best World Series in the last decade. So why isn't anyone watching?
Where have all the viewers gone?
The year's TV ratings for the World Series have been eye-popping—in a bad way. The average ratings for the first six games checked in at 9.5 percent of American households that watched the game. (Game 7, as is the norm, saw a bump up to 14.7, still paling in comparison to the 2001 Game 7 rating of 23.5.)Average number of viewers for this Series? 15 million.
The Nielsen ratings for the 2004 World Series averaged 15.9 for four games. That translates to an average of 25.4 million people that saw the Boston Red Sox win their first championship in 86 years. (Note: This is back when "Two And a Half Men was still innocently funny.) No World Series since then has had a ratings/share above either of those numbers. Next highest is 2001 (Yankees vs. Diamondbacks), and third is 2008 (Yankees vs. Phillies).
Hmmm...wait, there's the answer to our ratings mystery!
The Red Sox and Yankees aren't playing.
Between 1984 (when Nielsen began their ratings system) and 2002, no World Series game had a rating below 10. Before 1996, only one game had a rating below 15. The World Series was interesting. Baseball was interesting, and America wanted to see the glory of the Fall Classic. But oversaturation of the East Coast Giants and the disillusionment of performance-enhancing drugs has taken the luster out of America's game.
To be fair, had Boston or New York made the final round, more people would be paying attention, but not too many more.
A can't-miss affair
Baseball's grandest stage reminds us how quickly the game can create heroes and villains. Reggie Jackson became Mr. October, while Bill Buckner became a city's pariah. Paul Konerko earned Chicago's undying respect, Byung-Hyun Kim became a national joke, and Albert Pujols most likely garnered himself a contract extension.
Tonight, a winner will rise. Another mortal baseball player will become immortal in the minds and hearts of fans everywhere. Tomorrow, we go back to our regular lives and the ever-grating monotony of football season.
Tonight is Game 7. Make sure you tune in before this instant classic fades into memory.
Cards and Rangers fans alike: see you in the cheap seats.
JS
So what were the actually Nielsen ratings for this year? I see the comparisons above, but what are we comparing to?
ReplyDeleteI believe the "We'll see you tomorrow night" call was borrowed in tribute to Joe's dad, Jack Buck, who made the call originally in game 6 of the 1987 World Series after Kirby Puckett's walkoff shot. No one can fault Joe for feeling sentimental and wanting to tip his cap to his dad, a great broadcaster in his own right, and a longstanding fixture in the St. Louis community.
ReplyDeleteCorrection, the original call was at the end of game 6 of the 1991 world series. And the answer to the trivia question: Carlton Fisk, Kirby Puckett, and Joe Carter. Great article.
ReplyDelete