With Sammy Sosa tied with Mark McGwire for the HR lead
at 62, ESPN "is considering picking up the Cubs' games this
week," according to USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke. The Cubs play
in San Diego through Thursday and at home against the Reds
at the end of the week (Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY, 9/14).
IN THE CARDS: In St. Louis, Dan Caesar reported that
Cards TV ratings "have received an unprecedented jolt" from
Mark McGwire's HR chase. KPLR-WB "is soaring" toward its
best team rating for a single season "since the current form
of record-keeping began in 1989." Before the weekend, KPLR
was averaging a 14.2, topping the previous high of 11.8 set
in '90. Through August 7, the rating average was 12.5, and
since then it has been a "whopping" 19.5, translating into
about 218,000 homes. Ratings on Fox Sports Midwest, which
carries the Cards' cable games, have increased 34% since
August 6. FSM GM Jack Donovan said that advertisers "got
one heck of a good deal. Basically, they got twice what
they paid for." Cards VP/Broadcasting Dan Farrell: "It
borders on the unbelievable. It ... should have a very
significant long-term effect on sales" (ST. LOUIS POST-
DISPATCH, 9/13). McGwire's record-breaker last Tuesday
delivered a 5.0 coverage area rating for WGN in Chicago,
marking the highest national rating in its history. The
game earned a 2.3 total U.S. rating, attracting nearly 2.3
million cable homes outside of Chicago. The game drew more
men 25-54 and adult 25-54 viewers than any other program in
WGN history, with 3.5 and 3 coverage area ratings (WGN).
