Being a fan of baseball for a long time, I was one of many who thought a Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees World Series was likely on the way a week or two ago. Both teams have a plethora of recent post-season experience and have faced adverse situations in the playoffs before, only to overcome them with ease. Their opponents, the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers, had been to the World Series a combined 1 time since 1990, the Giants winning the NL Pennant in 2002. The Rangers had never reached baseball’s biggest stage since entering the league in 1961 as the Washington Senators and then moving to Texas and becoming the Rangers in 1972. Being a fan of the underdog and anyone who plays the Yankees, I was rooting for the Giants and Rangers, but certainly had my doubts.
Now sitting here a few days after the final pitch of the championship series’, I can’t help but be thrilled with the 2 teams still playing baseball at the highest level. I have the utmost respect for the Texas Rangers and Ron Washington and feel he has a great personality to manage this group of guys. He often flies under the radar when it comes to conversations about the elite managers in the game, but it has become clear that he played a huge role in this team’s success in 2010. I respect Josh Hamilton for all he has had to overcome in his life and am proud that baseball has embraced his recovery, because he has risen through the ranks to be one of the most feared hitters in the game. The ginger-ale celebration after the Rangers clinched the pennant gave me chills, because it shows the character and chemistry of this ball club. Even if the Rangers can’t win their 1st World Series title, they have accomplished more than any other team in their franchises’ history.
On the other side of the diamond, the San Francisco Giants shocked many people around baseball in 2010. They have one of, if not the best starting rotation in baseball, being anchored by the ‘freak’, Tim Lincecum. Lincecum is 2-1 with a 1.93 era this post-season with a complete game shutout and a relief appearance in the pivotal game 6 of the NLCS on just 1 day rest. This kid is only 26 years old and has 2 Cy Young award trophies and 3 All-Star game appearances in his 4 years in the majors. The rest of the staff consists of 3 low-3.00 era guys in Madison Bumgarner, Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain, and each brings something different to the table. The 20-year old Madison Bumgarner has been used in relief this post-season and been a solid bridge guy for the Giants in middle-relief. On the offensive side of the ball, Buster Posey is a young monster at the plate. After being called up a bit into the season, the 23-year old hit .305 with 18 home runs in 108 games and has carried that success into the playoffs, batting with no fear and maximum confidence.
Regardless of which team you like in the World Series, there is a bigger issue at play for Bud Selig and the MLB. This match-up is lacking marquee teams with massive fan bases to drive revenue (no offense Rangers and Giants fans). After a season in which many teams saw a dip in ticket sales due to the condition of the financial markets in the US and abroad, not having a Yankees or Phillies team in the World Series removes the interest from a large section of the country. The sheer breadth of fan base for a Yankees, Red Sox or Phillies franchise, for example, is almost unfathomable. The Rangers likely have considerably less fans outside of Texas and the same goes for the Giants outside of California (or even the San Francisco area) than the Yankees and Red Sox have across all states. The true baseball fans will certainly watch this year’s world series for the intrigue of a fresh-faced champion, but fans on the periphery will not be interested.
The league will likely also see a drop in ad revenue on TV and radio and the sales of merchandise, because the fan base is smaller. It’s simple logic, but can make a huge difference when the league relies on the post-season and specifically the World Series to bring in more money than at most any time throughout the season. For me, seeing a different team win the championship will be a breath of fresh air. This World Series is more intriguing for me, but that doesn’t mean I am going to buy a Rangers or Giants jersey once they win. If Bud Selig had the choice, I bet he would love to see the Red Sox vs. Yankees in every ALCS and one of the large market teams (New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia) win the World Series every year. Although he won’t admit that, those match-ups are what drives the league’s revenues and peaks peoples interest. When you factor in rivalries, the league benefits greatly from having the passion and excitement go head-to-head.
On the other side of the coin, there are certain distinct and extremely profitable reasons to love a Rangers and Giants World Series. The match-up generates interest in 2 areas that historically may not have had the most fan support because their teams weren’t very good at times in the past. The more a team loses and the further it removes itself from a World Series title (or even the playoffs), the smaller the following becomes and the less money the franchise makes (usually). With success in 2010, there will likely be renewed energy and interest for the next few years, increasing the overall consistent fan base in those areas. The larger the fan base, the larger the revenue and the more viable a franchise becomes. All of this is logical (to me), but also based on lots of speculation and to be honest, the amount of money the MLB makes in a season is still going to be huge, whether it is an off year or not.
Some of you are sitting there thinking, “Who gives a crap?” It’s a valid point, but if you are really a fan of baseball, then the amount of revenue the league pulls in is extremely important to the health of the league. Baseball is America’s pastime and will remain that way as long as games are still being played across North America. As far as this current year is concerned, I am excited for the games to begin on Wednesday night and am excited to see some fresh faces posing with the trophy in a week or two. As far as my thoughts on picking the winner are concerned, I have to support the AL and think that if the Rangers pitching staff can keep up with the Giants rotation, then the Rangers bats will come alive and carry Texas to their 1st World Series title in franchise history. Everything is bigger in Texas and I have a feeling that applies to championship celebrations as well.
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