In memoriam: The 2008 World Series

Fox's presentation of the World Series limped to a conclusion Wednesday night, overshadowed in the media by a political infomercial. It was a humbling finish to the hallowed annual tradition, which this season seemed cursed from the very start.

The Series was saddled with two teams -- the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays -- without a national following. Poor weather pushed the start time of Saturday night's Game 3 past 10 p.m., with the game concluding at nearly 2 in the morning. On Monday, rain played a role again, resulting in Game 5 being suspended after six innings -- a World Series first. Not to mention, the Phillies dominance zapped the latter games of any suspense that might have otherwise convinced viewers to tune in.

By the time Game 5 resumed on Wednesday following Barack Obama's primetime ad, the whole affair seemed to want to be put out of its misery. The Phillies won the final game and the Series, their second World Championship ever.

The ratings, as one might expect, were not pretty.

The World Series has been on a general downward trend for the last several years and this round easily became The Lowest Rated Ever.

The series averaged 13.6 million viewers, down 14% from the last five-game series in 2006. Compared to last year, the Series was down 20%. Among adults 18-49, the Series averaged a 4.4 rating, down 21%. The Series also included the lowest-rated game ever -- Game 3 was the least-watched Series outing since Nielsen started tracking the Championships in 1968.

This is not Fox's fault, of course. But it's the sporting event roulette wheel the network spins each year. And this turn resulted in dull teams (to a national audience, at least), disastrous weather and viewers distracted by a nail-biting presidential election. 

"This World Series got off to a solid start last week and was poised to build momentum as we expected it to," said Fox Sports president Ed Goren. "The rain delay on Saturday and suspended game on Monday, combined with going only five games, obviously worked against the Series reaching its maximum viewership potential."

"But even with that," he added, "Fox was No. 1 most nights, posted some of its best nights in many weeks and was No. 1 last week in prime time."

As Goren pointed out, the Series still managed to pull competitive ratings and helped boost the network into first place last week. It just wasn't the sports powerhouse that makes disrupting your entire fall schedule seem worth the trouble. The relatively brief conclusion of Wednesday night’s Game 5 (19.8 million, 6.3) was the most-watched portion of the Series.

Comments

[J]

"Poor weather pushed the start time of Saturday night's Game 3 past 10 p.m., with the match concluding at nearly 2 in the morning"

Yikes! Anyone referring to a baseball game as a "match" should not be reporting on anything related to baseball.

[mick]

So bad that even the story posted at 4 pm has generated NO comments by 7:20!
Truly a forgetable WS.

Mick,
BoSox fan

[Tyler]

Dull teams? The Tampa Bay Rays were last place in the league last year and started this year with the lowest salary. I think Americans love an underdog story. Perhaps the ratings would have been higher if the Rays had been more competitive, but don't call the Rays a dull team. They are an inspiration to everyone for making it this far.

[Mick]

Didn't see "j"'s comment. Agree "match" doesn't equal baseball.
Mick

[Theresa]

Perhaps baseball has lost young fans due to late start times. Who on the east coast is going to stay up after midnight to watch a Tampa Bay-Phillies game!!!??????

[fork]

baseball is about winning games, forgetting about your troubles and fun. NOT t.v. ratings.

[JAMES HIBBERD]

Yeah, you guys got me on the use of "match." I am the guy in the sports bar drinking the import beer. Changed.

[james webster]

dull teams? have you ever been to philadelphia? what an idiot

[California ball fan]

No one watched because outside of the east coast, no one cared. I know our teams here out west were terrible this year. As a lifelong California resident, I didn't care one way or the other who won. The news related to the upcoming presidential election is much more important to everyone anyway. Sports figures will not be forcing more taxes on anyone. Pay attention to what is important, people. In the big scheme of things, pro sports is not important. Your taxes, your family's security, your local government, these are the things to which you should be paying attention.

[LastRick]

Games featuring two east coast teams neither of which is Boston or NY have no reason to be kicking off at 8:45 pm. No one from the west coast is watching these two teams. Then, when the weather kicked in, even interested fans (such as myself) on the east coast became disinterested. Should have started them earlier, FOX.

[Ben]

Dull? The Phillies are dull? You've got to be kidding!

[RaysFan]

Well it may have been dull in other parts of the country, but we had a hell of a Cinderella Season in St. Pete. If they had won, the Rays would have had a season like the Miracle '69 Mets. We settle for being the bridesmaid. Still - worst to first is sweet.

[cluelessinky]

Forty years ago I loved baseball, now I wouldn't attend a game if I got free tickets and a ride to the stadium. Why the change? The players and owners don't give a rat's back about the players.

[Beau]

There's a lot that contributed to this. Teams with no interest, an election, and the fact that baseball just isn't what it used to be, or should be. Crybaby athletes, stupid salaries, drugs.........it's about time for it to die.

[Father Time]

Start the games later - eliminate the remaining spectators. Govt will bail you out. Stirring pre-game speech by Senator government! Al Queada for Obama.

[Bo Fell]

I believe baseball is going to die a slow death. Baseball is boring. Who wants to take a family to a baseball game and pay $160 for tickets and food to watch a bunch of overpaid whiners.

[Floyd Dabarber]

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is a moron, second only to NBA Commissioner David Stern in terms of having zero understanding of the game despite years of involvement in it. The All-Star game a couple of years ago was the clincher, where they ran out of pitchers and called it a tie. What a clusterf*@k. That game in the rain the other night should never have been played. Selig has ruined baseball and has scarificed it on the altar of ad revenues. He should be replaced.

[TomF]

The Rays were a great story, but as has been the story for the last five years, the real drama was in the ALCS and the Series itself was an anticlimax. I don't know which was worse, drama-wise... watching the Red Sox steamroll the pathetic Rockies four straight in 2007 or watching two unknown east coast teams with no national following slog it out in the sleet until two in the morning.

The coverage and scheduling for baseball's postseason has been pathetic. A good announcing team can make a great story out of any sport / matchup (remember Wide World of Sports!) but these were not those guys. TBS techs couldn't even get one ALCS game on the air, and how are schoolkids supposed to get involved in the games when they don't even start until their bedtime and routinely run past midnight? Ridiculous.

[Sigmond]

Apparently Obama's State of the Union speech made everyone sick. Watching baseball after you've vomited, is no fun.

[krock]

Dull? The last 2 MVPs came from the Phillies. And Cole Hamels was incredible. The Mets fans watched the first 3 games hoping to see the Jimmy Rollins and the Phillies get embarrassed. When they realized the Phils would win, they stopped watching. (That's all Mets fans get to do is watch other teams in the playoffs.) Those annoying cow bells did not help to hold an audience. Thank God the series didn't get back to Florida.

[Win-Win]

I've had a problem with the World Series being an evening only event. What happened to playing at least one game in the afternoon? Oh yeah - they'd be bumping up against College Football and the NFL on the weekends but isn't the term 'having your day in the sun' related to baseball? I think the games started too late for most and if the West Coast is all so important - tape delay it. Sorry if the two teams were deemed as dull (if you were a fan of either the Rays or the Phillies you'd have a much differnt opinion) but that's they way baseball works - you win - you go to the World Series. At least it is unlike the Super Bowl - the games are played in the home team's back yards and aren't afraid of playing in the cold and mildly bad weather (Super Bowls are largely warm weather and domed stadium venue events).

[rainslicker]

baseball is like the detroit car industry, a boring product that nobody buys. both of which are dying. but people will always tell you about the good old days... the first Corvette in 1957. the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers...right on gramps...still boring

[scott h]

The games started way too late in the east, but were certainly anything but dull. Wise up.

[Dan]

From beau "Crybaby athletes, stupid salaries, drugs.........it's about time for it to die."

That would be true of Football and Basketball too.

Except this year, The Rays had none of that. None. They don't have a large payroll, they don't do drugs, they aren't crybabies. They were and are truly remarkable and, in an ever toughening world, decent. There isn't a single swollen head on the team (can you say Manny Ramirez?). It was refreshing to see these guys play - fame and fortune hasn't tainted them yet. And the Manager Joe Maddon is a true gentleman - playing people when he could (like Rocco Baldelli) and sticking up for a kid suspended for wearing a 'Rayshawk' to school - bringing him to a game and have him meet the entire team in the dugout.

Nope - this was about as good as the game can get. And it gives one hope that things could get better.

Now as for the feeble brain dead umpires - that's a thread for another day.

[dang]

Let's see, MLB thinks that making them all night games keeping the youngsters from watching is just fine. The kids are your future fans ! Then the powers that be think a political commercial would be great lead in, what morons. The games start late to accommodate the west coast fans, let's see are these not the fans who come late and then leave early. mm mm. I can't imagine why people don't watch these games

[A Jackie Robinson Republican]

Diehard baseball and Dodger fan here. Two points: (1) Bud Selig is a dope. I believe (without empirical evidence) that the TV ratings would be just as good with day games, especially on the weekends. (2)Eliminate the travel days - even coast to coast. The advantage/disadvantage is the same for both teams. Make a seven game series require the winning team to have more than one decent starter.

[Beau]

I used to eat, breath, and sleep baseball. Can still tell you the starting lineups for the 61-63 Yankees, the 68 Cards, and every good team of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. When you had a bad year, you took a paycut. When the players had passion for the game, no egos, and before the stupid money.
Hell, baseball put me thru college! Won the Musial League Championship 3 times.
Now the way the game is killing itself, I have absolutely no interest in watching, going to, or hearing about a baseball game. It used to be a great game!

[A Jackie Robinson Republican]

PS to Mick (4:24): don't let that time zone three hour difference matter confuse you. I know all too well, staying up to 1AM season long in Virginia to catch the Dodgers on XM radio.

Way overpriced spectator sports such as baseball are not appealing to many, especially in these economic times. Spoiled players - not only baseball - are very arrogant compared to days of baseball's formation and growth. Free autographs and stopping to talk with the kids and other fans are gone. Ticket prices are way too high. Food and beverage costs are outrageous. Add parking prices and it's easy to understand that spectator sports simply aren't worth it!
A general disenchantment with baseball, plus the stikes and baseball cry babies of the past, make for watching a world series on commercial-clogged television simply quite low on the priority list.

[Rob S]

Philadelphia is the 4th largest media market in the U.S. The Phillies have a couple of MVPs and Utley, Hamels, and Victorino make it a very talented club. BTW, the "famous" Red Sox-Yankees rivalry was made up by ESPN. The Yanks owned the Sox up until a couple of years ago.

[Marco]

Welcome to the new reality of professional sports. The party days are over. Salaries are too high, tickets are too high, and frankly the product of drug enduced performances are over.

[Dick Allen]

The Phillies have two MVPs and are the most exciting team in baseball. Too bad FOX's coverage was BORING! That woman knew nothing about baseball and was an insult to the plkayers and fans watching. Referring to Charlie Manuel's dead mother was crass. Tim McCarver played for the Phillies and offered no positive insights into the franchise's history or its fans who have been the most loyal in sport. 10,000 loses and they still sell out 75% of the time. Shame on the league, shame on FOX, shame on Obama. Hooray for two great teams, Philies and Rays.

[Jeff]

I must agree that the games were played way too late for my kids to watch them with me. I personally started the last game late because if I see barack in my face one more time I going to scream. I am registered independent, but the stunt of doing an infomertial before and delaying the World Series has definitely made me decide to vote for. Enough is enough, you have more money than God and want even more money, greedy bugger.
I loved the game and was glued to it. Both teams were clued in to the fans and I saw no whining or complaining, only two teams trying thier damnnest to win the most important game in baseball, America's sport.
I will get off my soapbox now.

[RufusVonDufus]

I didn't think too many people would really care about this World Series. The Phillies and the Rays? Who cares? I actually think baseball is losing it's appeal anymore because the season is way too long. Sports have overwhelmed us.

[Joe]

Goes to show you that even the Red Sox, Phillies and Rays can't draw the heat of the mighty Yankees.

[Steve]

I'm a Yankees fan, and I enjoy every World Series regardless of who is playing because I am a hardcore baseball fan.

Screw ratings.

If Space Aliens watche ESPN for a week, they'd think the only pro baseball teams were the Yankees and Red Sox. Let's see- the Rays have one of the youngest, most exciting teams in baseball, one of the best pitching staffs, the probable rookie of the year, and..oh, yeah...THE BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL. The Phils? The last two MVP's the most feared power hitter in baseball, the best closing staff, best closer, and perhaps the most insane fans in world history. But you'd never know it if you watch ESPN. Maybe if ESPN's bazillion channels showed other teams, they might stir up some interest?

[Jack]

Phily may be the 4th largest media market, but 3/4 of the State are either Oriole or Pirate or Yankee/Mets fans. Outside of the Tampa and Philly area there is little interest in the teams.

An earlier poster referred to "feeble brain dead umpires." Bring back the likes of Ron Luciano and other color baseball umps.

"When I started, the game was played by nine tough competitors on grass, in graceful ball parks. But while I was trying to answer the daily quiz Quiz-O-Gram on the exploding scoreboard, a revolution was taking place around me. By the time I finished, there were ten men on each side, the game was played indoors on plastic, and I had to spend half my time watching out for a man dressed in a chicken suit who kept trying to kiss me." - Luciano after retiring

[Odinga]

So what else is new?
Obama hates baseball. Does it remind him of George W Bush?
Does Obama hate apple pie too?
With his cell phone with speed dials set for Khalidi, Ayers, Odinga, and other international terrorists, it's no wonder he and his supporters have been against the Patriot Act snooping in on their privacy.
On the other hand, those who've pledged to defend the nation and its constitution (aka the US Military) poll 80% for McCain and 20% for Obama.
Will we vote with our Military or with those who want to kill them?