Fox drew an 18.8 overnight rating for the Astros' 5-1 win in World Series Game 7 last night, marking the second-best figure for any baseball game since Red Sox-Cardinals World Series Game 4 in '04 (19.7). Astros-Dodgers is down 25% from the Cubs' extra-innings, weather-delayed Game 7 win over the Indians last year (25.2). But the 18.8 last night is well above Giants-Royals Game 7 in '14 (15.2 overnight), as well as Cardinals-Rangers Game 7 in '11 (14.1 overnight). The '15 Royals-Mets series ended in five games. Houston drew a 47.1 local rating last night, marking the best figure on record in the market for a baseball telecast. L.A. drew a 36.7 local rating (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
CALLING THE MOMENT: SI.com's Richard Deitsch writes Fox' announcing duo of Joe Buck and John Smoltz were a "terrific listen over the seven games." Buck has "always been underrated as a baseball broadcaster, a terrific voice in big games who leads his analyst into smart places." Smoltz "teaches viewers about pitching every broadcast." It would be "hard to find a better in-game baseball analyst." The reporting team of Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci "asked great questions and provided details that come with covering the sport for two decades." The pregame and postgame studio group featuring host Kevin Burkhardt and analysts Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas, David Ortiz and Keith Hernandez "were a hoot." Game 7 did "not have the drama of previous games, but Buck and Smoltz were excellent." They "questioned the decision of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts" to bring in P Brandon Morrow for Yu Darvish in the top of the second inning "given the pitcher’s spot was coming up third in the order in the bottom of the frame." Fox Sports Producer Pete Macheska and Director Matt Gangl "delivered crisp broadcasts and particularly a clinic in pre-planning and camera placement." People who watched Game 7 "witnessed beautiful Super Slo Motion replays" of Dodgers 1B Cody Bellinger’s "first inning throwing error that resulted in the first run." Viewers also saw Fox' cameras "quickly catch" Astros 1B Yuli Gurriel "tipping is hat" to Darvish in the first inning (SI.com, 11/2). ESPN's Matt Barrie: "Smoltz makes the viewer smarter. His explanation of what a fat curve ball looks like to a hitter was tremendous." Veteran journalist Mike Barnicle: "John Smoltz...a Hall of Fame pitcher is now a HOF b’ball analyst." Former NFL exec Joe Browne: "Do u think Tim McCarver is sitting home watching World Series thinking: 'Boy, John Smoltz talks an awful lot'?" St. Louis-based KFNS-AM's Tim McKernan: "Joe Buck had to interrupt John Smoltz's Brian McCann story to call a World Series winner."
SLIP OF THE TONGUE: In N.Y., Ari Gilberg notes Hernandez "appeared to make a homophobic joke live on air prior to Game 7." A joking Ortiz "decided to mimic" Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig’s "ritual of licking bats during his at-bats and pretended to lick Hernandez." In response, Hernandez "laughed and held his hand up in front of Ortiz before appearing to respond, 'I’m not from San Francisco, bro!'" Hernandez later "apologized for his 'poor attempt at humor' in a statement." Hernandez explained that he "actually said, 'I'm from San Francisco' and was making a reference to the fact he grew up a Giants fan and would never root for the Dodgers" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/2).
RESPECTING THE LEGEND: In L.A., Baxter & Hiserman note hours before Game 7, SportsNet LA reporter Alanna Rizzo "gave up her [seat] at the outside media tables" to ESPN Coordinating Editor Claire Smith, who won this year's J.G. Taylor Spink Award from the Baseball HOF. Smith, a "pioneering female sportswriter, had been working from crowded rooms such as the makeshift media center in the Dodger Stadium dining hall and watching the games on a television monitor" (L.A. TIMES, 11/2).
