The Yankee Series

With Fox carrying the World Series and hoping for better ratings there, the fact that the Yankees have been eliminated from the post season must leave the Fox executives concerned. While true fans of baseball find it interesting that the Rangers finally make it to the Fall Classic—reducing the number of teams that have never played in the series down to two: their American League West compatriots the Seattle Mariners, and the Washington Nationals (formerly Montreal Expos)—it's unlikely that games played in The Ballpark in Arlington would draw as many eyeballs as games played in the new Yankee Stadium. Or the old Yankee Stadium.


If the Giants take the National League pennant (which seems likely), a Rangers-Giants World Series will put Fox in the bind of having no games played in the Eastern time zone, and presumably leaving fans in the largest market and the surrounding areas disinterested.

So here's what Fox should do: Convince Major League Baseball to allow the Yankees to play in a consolation series against whoever loses in the NLCS. Or maybe better still, against the Red Sox (who didn't even make the post season). It would not count toward anything, but the network would get to tout that the Yankees were on TV for another week regardless—drawing in those who love them and those who hate them.


It's hideous and disgraceful to baseball, of course, but it's unlikely Fox would object. The rest of the teams in the league might complain that it's not fair—because it isn't—but they should get more popular.

Alas, the Yankees are the best thing baseball has going for it when comes to competing against other sports, and if the league wishes to continue being broadcast on TV at all guaranteeing that the Bronx Bombers will be playing around the time of the World Series (even if not in it) every year may be the best way to ensure that.