You like low scoring games? There's been 4 of those.
You like video games scores? There's been a couple of those, including the most exciting end to a playoff game (given what was on the line - elimination of the Cards) since Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.
You like superstars getting their big numbers? Does Pujols hitting three bombs in Game 3 satisfy your appettite? (probably not if you're a Rangers or Cubs fan)
You like unknowns (at least to the mainstream) making splashes? Mike Napoli and David Freese have played that role perfectly.
9th inning lead changes? Two of those as well, one by each team.
How about serieses that go to the max? First one since the 2002 Series won by the Angels.
Close games? There's been 5 games of 6 decided by 1 or 2 runs.
This series has everything a common baseball fan should want. So it makes sense that the ratings are higher for this series than most recently that didn't involve the Red Sox or Yankees.
Despite the sloppy start to Game 6, it still has to be considered among the top games of my lifetime in terms of excitement and intensity of the moment. So many firsts were set from that last game: first time there's been 10 innings of one team scoring at least a run, first time a team came back from defecits in the 9th and 10th inning, first time a guy tied a game in the 9th and then won it in extra innings, among others.
I doubt we will see the eyes glued to baseball the way we're seeing them now for a while. Baseball has lost its appeal to the common fan as NFL has overtaken it as the most popular sport in America. I've heard some people say baseball could go the way of boxing, but I don't think it'll dive off into that type of obscurity.
The problem with baseball's showcase series is that it hasn't really been competitive in the past decade. Unlike the Super Bowl, which has seen 7 of its last 12 winners triumph by a touchdown or less, the World Series has only seen 5 of its last 12 series go 6 or more games, with this being the 3rd sudden death game in that span. This means that seven series either ended in sweeps or another team only able to capture one game. That's not a good way to promote your sport.
Hopefully we will see more competitive series in the future. I'm writing this as the seventh game is going on, but I can already say that it's the most exciting series I've ever watched as a baseball fan (obviously the White Sox was my favorite ever as a homer). Here's my favorites in order:
(1) 2011 Rangers/Cards - (all but one game has been competitive)
(2) 1991 Twins/Braves - (one of the first series I remember watching as a kid. I was hopelessly rooting for the Braves in this series)
(3) 2001 Yanks/Dbacks (hard to not like this series, especially for anyone who hates the Yanks)
Enjoy Game 7 if you read this right away. If you read this later, I hope you enjoy the game and the series.
If you didn't, shame on you.
Well, first of all I have read a sentence in here a couple time and am conflicted with the word "serieses". Not quite sure if that is real, but I am guessing not. NOW, onto what I actually wanted to say. Great Series, game 7 was a little lackluster, but overall an excellent series. Something that does bother me though would be the MVP award. Not that Freese doesn't deserve it, because he definitely does. But I think that Allen Craig is just as deserving. With the go ahead run in the first and second game of the series as well as game 7. So that is 3 games that he had a heavy hand in the outcome as well as stealing (although meaningless in the grand scope) what would have been a home run. I think that a CO-MVP would have been more suitable. I also believe that time will determine the significance of this series. Game six was definitely one for the ages, but is that what will be remembered or will it be Pujols three home run game? When you think of a sport such as baseball and you get that mental image in your mind. Will this series stick out?... Carlton Fisk hit his home run in 1975 I believe it was, a decade before I was born, and yet it is iconic. Something that I can paint an image in my mind with. Will this series do the same? I would say for the time being that this series was phenomenal. Maybe it is because the last decade of 9 series have been mediocre (excluding Sox, due to fanhood... and dominant pitching), time will tell though. I did lose sleep last night because I had too much adrenaline from excitement to fall asleep.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about the word "series". I didn't bother spell-checking this article. I think Craig would have had more of a shot if he started those first two games (or if they would have won Game 2 on that run). The concept of MVP is usually overblown by media and us - doesn't really matter who they voted for it. We all know who did what.
ReplyDeleteI think Game 6 will be know a lot longer in time. Just like the Buckner and Fisk games (also with US/Russia in 1980), people will consider that "the last game" in their minds.
Sox series was only good because of our fandom, although people forget that we won those 4 games by a combined 5 runs I believe. Thanks for the comment Steve.
-Brian