The day after the World Series and I’m a bit bitter. After watching Colorado’s incredible run of 21 wins in 22 games, I jumped on the bandwagon hoping they could tap the Rockies for a little more magic. And they got swept hard, getting outscored 29-10 during the four game series. Here are some parting thoughts on the 2007 World Series:
The best team won, period. I read a report that concluded the American League was treating its National counterpart like a minor league (see AL treating NL like minor league). That’s plain garbage. Sure, the AL has collected a staggering 291 wins in interleague play the past two years and won 10 consecutive All-star games. But that hasn’t helped with World Series titles, almost a dead heat. This year the Boston Red Sox were the best team all season, finishing with 96 wins, and they capped their great season yesterday with a title.
Boston needs to grow up. Boston won in ’04, but throughout this postseason the Red Sox acted like the curse hadn’t been broken. Between Manny’s incessant helmet flips, David Ortiz putting victory goggles on in the 8th inning of the ALCS finale and Jonathan Papelbon’s chicken dance the Sox were exceptionally immature. It’s time for Boston to start acting like the champions they are. Clean it up, Boston!
MLB must fix the playoff layoff problem. Colorado was crippled by their eight day layoff. Last year, the Detroit Tigers endured a six day layoff between the Championship and World Series before they lost to St. Louis in five games. It may be a touch disrespectful to use the layoff as an excuse, but nowhere else during the 162 game season does a team sit for so long. MLB needs to trim the off-days during the postseason, so they don’t have to play into November.
Fox’s television coverage was deplorable. I’m not even going to touch the television start times, which were rancid. But Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and Jeanne Zelasko formed the perfect storm of bad commentators. Buck ought to think about sticking to football, after showing he doesn’t understand baseball by continually talking about bunting down the first base line. McCarver just needs to be retired for being stupid (No, I still haven’t forgiven him: see In Remembrance...). And Zelasko should probably be hosting TMZ not Fox Sports pregame.
The postseason was mostly enjoyable and while the Red Sox seem poised to become the new Yankees, anything can happen next year.
UPDATE: The numbers are in and Fox's coverage of the Boston Red Sox's four-game World Series sweep finished with an average rating of 10.6 percent of TV households, according to USA Today. The four games average was the second-lowest ever, ahead of only the 10.1 average in 2006 for the St. Louis Cardinals' five-game win over the Detroit Tigers. In fact, Fox's NFL coverage of Washington-New England outdrew Game 4 with a 14.5 rating. Not shocking news at all. (10/30/07)
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