Fox finished with a 4.4 fast-national Nielsen rating and 7.1 million viewers for its coverage of the six-game Rangers-Tigers ALCS, which was hampered by rain delays and postponements, as well as additional day games. Those figures are down 20% from a 5.5 rating and 9.1 million viewers for the Giants-Phillies six-game NLCS last year. Saturday's Rangers-Tigers Game Six, which aired opposite ABC's coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Bank of America 500, earned a 4.6 rating and 7.7 million viewers, down 31% and 34%, respectively, from a 6.7 rating and 11.6 million viewers for the Giants' NLCS clincher last year, which also aired on a Saturday. The Rangers-Tigers clincher did give Fox a win in primetime, as well as the net's best Saturday primetime audience since January. Dallas-Ft. Worth averaged a 28.5 local rating for the game -- the market's best local number for the ALCS -- and topped Detroit (20.9) for the first time during the series.
NLCS: TBS wrapped up its MLB postseason coverage last night with a 3.9 overnight Nielsen rating for the series-clinching Cardinals-Brewers NLCS Game Six. The net’s Rangers-Yankees ALCS Game Six aired on a Friday night last year, earning an 8.9 overnight without competition from NFL games. Last night’s game earned a 39.8 local rating in St. Louis and a 25.4 rating in Milwaukee. TBS also averaged a 3.9 overnight for Friday’s Game Five. The corresponding ALCS Game Five last year aired on a Wednesday afternoon, earning a 5.0 overnight (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).
ON THE AIR: In St. Petersburg, Tom Jones writes, "Notice how many times [Fox announcer Joe] Buck goes quiet just before and right after critical moments." Instead of "trying to be the star, Buck allows the game and the players to be the stars." Jones writes that is the "mark of an excellent announcer who understands his role." Meanwhile, Fox analyst Tim McCarver "has a penchant for repeating himself, especially when he makes a point that turns out to be true." But Jones writes he would "rather listen to McCarver make a point twice than an analyst who won't say anything until after a play happens" (
ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 10/17). In Denver, Dusty Saunders notes TBS playoff announcers Brian Anderson, Ron Darling and John Smoltz "have broadcasting talent," but "three remains a crowd in a baseball booth" (
DENVER POST, 10/17).
SMALL BALL: In N.Y., Jonathan Mahler noted Fox "may have groaned at the unexpected departure of the Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies, but a lot of baseball fans didn’t." Mahler: "Thanks partly to the cultural phenomenon of 'Moneyball,' which demonstrated that teams didn’t need a big payroll to win, we’re all small-market fans now, no longer rooting for the hapless underdog -- sorry, Mets and Cubs -- but for the team that is doing more with less." It is a "subtle but significant distinction and it has unmistakable political overtones, especially during this time of rising class resentment" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/15).
RETURNING TO THE BOOTH: MLB.com's Adam McCalvy noted fans can expect HOF broadcaster Bob Uecker "back in the Brewers' radio booth next season." Uecker will be 77 on Opening Day, and he is "still less than two years removed from two major heart surgeries." But Uecker said, "I'm coming back." McCalvy noted there will be "no paperwork to sign." Since being signed in '71 by then-Brewers owner and current MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, Uecker "has never had a contract." There simply exists "an understanding that he will call games until he decides he does not want to -- or cannot -- do it anymore" (MLB.com, 10/15).
