World Series Reaction

I' m sorry, but even through the midst of one of the greatest pitching performances in the recent history of the World Series, I couldn't help but find myself switching to reruns of "The Office" last nig during during Game 1 between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. As a self-proclaimed sports nut, it shouldn't even be a question that I would marvel at the unreal performance of Phillies starter Cliff Lee (6 hits, double digit Ks, a near shutout) on the game's biggest stage, but I can't lie - baseball is just plain boring.

The ratings for this year's World Series will be saved by the fact that the MLB's most marketable team is playing for the game's grandest prize. But the reality is baseball has become an old man's game. Fans of the facebook-twitter-smartphone-internet-blog-myspace-ipod age are not interested in a game that appears to move slower than a Jeff Fisher starting QB coaching decision. We want quick action (football), life threatening activity (NASCAR), or superior athletic ability (basketball). Baseball is a game designed to be seen in person with your dad while you keep score on a sultry August night before school starts back up. It's not for late October, wedged between the start of the NBA season and the in the heart of the NFL and college football seasons.

The game takes too long. There are far too many deadtimes (side note - a really fun drinking game is to take a sip whenever a ball player adjusts his crotch. You'll be smashed before the 3rd inning). Pitchers are on "pitch counts" which means we get teams pulling marquee pitchers in favor of hundred of no-namers to close out games in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th innings. Batters are no longer juiced up, so homers are fewer and farther between. Commentators spend time scanning the crowd for views of the local beauties, while fans at the game are more interested in doing the wave or bouncing a beach ball than watching a game trudge its way through the 5th inning. Fans wait 3-4 hours for about 25 seconds worth of relevant action, including runs being scored or a high pressure strikeout. In short - the game is just plain slow and boring.

Don't get me wrong, baseball has its time and place. The issue is whether or not that place is NOW, in late October. Baseball should consider shortening their seemingly endless regular season. Owners don't want to lose this revenue? Then play double headers throughout the season. Teams in the early years of MLB did this rather frequently.

The sport's day as the national pastime has faded in favor of football. The argument can be made basketball, with the revival of the Boston Celtics and L.A. Lakers, has overtake baseball as well. Television ratings don't lie. In order to adjust correctly, baseball people have to figure out that the MLB playoffs and World Series need to end in late September (not early November) when fans are still living on the high of the summer days and not fully engaged in the high pace excitement of the NBA, NFL, and college football.

Without the Yankees in the Fall Classic every year, you may find that more and more casual finds like myself are more interested in the antics of Michael Scott than the brilliance of Cliff Lee.