Well, I can’t say I didn’t see that one coming.

I was thrilled when the Yankees didn’t make the playoffs this season. This was the first time in 14 years I could watch the postseason without the constant fear that Derek Jeter would somehow make my sports life even more miserable. Year after year, I have lived each playoff game knowing that Yankee victory meant more and more agony for my beloved Mets the following season.

This year, of course, I was spared that terrible task. And it didn’t alleviate my suffering one bit. Thank you, Cole Hamels. Now, for 19 games in 2009, I will be forced to listen to Phillies fans yell about how great World Series championships are, and how we should consider getting one. It’s going to be great.

My only solace came from the fact that the Philly-Tampa World Series was the most unpopular World Series of all time. Seriously. The FOX broadcast drew a lower share than any previous broadcast of the World Series on television in history. I know people Philadelphia might not really care, but if my archrival is going to win something, I at least want no one watching.

I suppose this series low ratings shouldn’t really suprise me. Tampa Bay has a tiny fan base. No one gives a crap about the Rays. 5/6ths of Americans didn’t even know they were called the Rays before this World Series… And people were so excited to see the Cubs in the World Series that I don’t think any NL team except Chicago was going to generate any excitement for a general audience. Oh yeah, and I’ve heard there is some sort of election going on right now. So maybe people are actually paying attention to something other than baseball…

But the lowest ratings in history? Now that does suprises me. Baseball has been growing more popular in the last two or three years, not less. Attendance around the league was up. Parity seemed to be bringing people back to America’s second most popular pastime. Milwaukee, Philly, Detroit and Cleveland had all seen their fan bases resurgent. 

Now I’m not so sure.

Let’s face it. The real reason people didn’t watch this series is because the teams were small market teams. We wanted Sox-Cubs. Angels-Dodgers. Mets-Yanks. We know the players on those teams. We know the history. They are compelling stories.

Phils-Rays can be compelling too… but only if you know the players. I’ve always felt that baseball is really only interesting if you know the individual stories of the players involved. Whereas basketball and football are fun to watch regardless of who is playing, baseball only excites me if I know who is involved. That’s why I can’t really enjoy NCAA baseball, but college football and college bball are awesome. I just have no idea who these guys are…

Same seems true in MLB. If you’ve never seen Evan Longoria play, then it would likely be pretty boring to watch him struggle all series. How can you really appreciate what is going on? With A-Rod at bat, however, it’s easy. We’ve all seen A-Rod hit homeruns. So when he strikes out 15 times in the ALDS, it’s exciting. For that casual fan who doesn’t follow the game as fanatically as I do, I can imagine that seeing a team called the Rays who you have never seen because they are never on Sunday Night Baseball could be pretty boring.

The numbers are a bit unclear, but it does seem evident that big teams fare better in the postseason ratings. Of course, baseball has just grown increasingly unpopular over the last quarter decade. Games that used to regularly register 20+ share are now struggling to hit 10. This we knew. Baseball has been decaying in the inner city, losing athletes to basketball and football, and in the process, losing those fans as well. These trends, though disturbing, are beginning to buck somewhat. MLB seemed, in the past few years, to finally be righting the ship.

But if baseball is to regain some of its popularity, this World Series has to come as a depressing fact for Bud Selig and Co. If MLB, which has been working to restore parity in the league for years, has actually created a league where teams like the Rays and Brewers can be successful in any given year, will people pay attention? My gut a few weeks ago would have said yes. After all exciting young teams ususally generate a fair amount of positive attention.

Given these ratings, the answer may be no. America just may want more and more Yanks-Sox. Sad as it is, big market teams may be the only way baseball can compete with the NFL for attention.

Sorry, Tampa. Not that you really care about baseball.