Michael Buteau of Lucas Shaw examine the Royals’ impact in a postseason baseball story at Bloomberg. They write:
Kansas City, with the 31st-ranked market, is the team in the smallest remaining market. While the Royals haven’t been in the playoffs since 1985, it is unlikely to capture the public’s imagination without a well-known player, Swallen said.
“Cinderella is easier to sell if there is at least one recognizable face to attach Cinderella to,” Swallen said. “Kansas City is operating under the difficulty of being a team that hasn’t got a lot of publicity throughout the year. For many people, the postseason might be the first time that they have seen the Royals play.”
Indeed, how many times were the Royals featured in national games this year? Not many.
However, the ratings were strong for Game 1.
The Royals’ 13-inning win in Game 1 on TBS was the most watched game of the postseason with an average of 5.9 million viewers.
Nevertheless, Fox doesn’t want this World Series match-up:
The worst scenario, based on national appeal, would have Missouri’s Cardinals meeting their in-state rival Royals in the World Series, setting up a battle of the “Show Me State.”
“A battle of Missouri, I don’t know how well that would play on the coasts,” Adgate said.
I disagree that “selling Cinderella” is difficult without at least one major star. Look at the current roster of players in each LCS. It’s difficult to pick out a single “super star” on any team. There isn’t a single Bonds, Griffey, Jeter type player on any team, not a single can’t miss Hall Of Fame type player. I think there is more fan interest in the ALCS BECAUSE of the Royals. They are a fresh of breath air to the playoffs. Granted, America doesn’t know the team, but I think fans are enjoying having a new team to watch instead of the same teams every year, who do not have a “super star”.