Yes, Kansas City is a great story.
However, the Royals would have been a better story for baseball and TBS if they had won the ALCS in seven games, not four.
Four-game sweeps are no good.
The Giants also will be bad for Fox Sports 1’s business if they close out the Cardinals in five games tonight.
While the games have been mostly great, this isn’t a good postseason for baseball when it comes to maximizing drama.
Baseball truly wins with series that go the distance. The biggest ratings typically come for Games 6 and 7 of the LCS and World Series and a Game 5 in the division series. The audiences really check in for the one-and-done games.
Consider this: with Kansas City and Baltimore completing sweeps in the division series, and the Royals going 4-0 against the Orioles, TBS only aired 9 out of a possible 18 games during the postseason, the bare minimum. Even though the Royals produced decent ratings for TBS, imagine the possibilities if there was a Game 7 in the ALCS.
Meanwhile, in the NL, the Giants and Cardinals both won their division series in four games. Not as bad, but not good, especially with a short series looming in the NLCS.
Here’s another reason why MLB will be rooting hard for the Cardinals tonight. If they lose, there will be no baseball this weekend; The World Series doesn’t start until Tuesday.
Go Cards. Give fans some sixth- and seventh-game drama.
TV has far to much influence in baseball already (just look at why World Series games are played at night…in late October…usually in poor weather) so anytime they get the short end of the stick is fine by me.