Ratings, Series Will Be One to Forget For Reasons Not Having to Do With The Game

Game Five is suspended—with the score currently tied 2-2 in the sixth inning. Apparently, the series won't resume until Wednesday, at the earliest, to see if the Phillies win their first title in 28 years or if the Rays live to fight another day.

Yesterday's rain postponement created a lot of problems.

First, it kills any momentum the Rays might have had, having just tied the game at two after being down 2-0, and 2-1 for much of the night. If the Rays ultimately lose, they will no doubt blame the weather and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig's actions to call the game as the main reason.

Should the Rays rally to not only win that game, but the series goes back to Tampa (whenever that is) and they rally to win the game, the Phillies will argue that calling this game killed any momentum they had.

Think of the possibilities.

Whom are you going to get to go to the conclusion of Game Five? What are you going to market it as? "Come see the rest of Game Five of the World Series, no matter how long, or short, it may be?"

Are Phillies fans really going to want to show up for a game that could end in an hour or so, as three innings traditionally do? Are Rays fans going to tune in to watching a game on television that could end their season (and title hopes) any second?

It must be pure agony for the Phillies knowing they are so close, yet they have to play the waiting game. It must be agony for the Rays, who cannot set the rest of their rotation now that their Game Six and Seven projected starters—James Shields and Matt Garza—are off on their pitching days. (It can be argued that the Phillies are as well, but they don't need these games like the Rays do.)

It must be agony for the Rays' bullpen, knowing that at the beginning of the conclusion of Game Five, any one of them could go in, essentially as a starter, at any time. Rays manager Joe Maddon said the guy would be Balfour. Why? I don't know, and I think it would be a mistake, but that could (and should) change.

Bud Selig really messed up when he called the game.

What could he have done? Knowing the weather forecast, he should have moved the game up to an earlier starting time such as 5 or 6 PM EDT. People had already been complaining on such programs as ESPN's Mike and Mike, which got the hosts' attention and whom agreed that MLB continues to lose an entire generation of fans anyway with these unusually late games.

But then again, this is the same genius who let the 2002 All-Star Game end in a tie at his home ballpark, Miller Park, in Milwaukee, when each manager of his respective league liberally used all of his players before the 11th inning.

This is the same guy who ignored steroids, even when it was pretty obvious players such as Sammy Sosa, who went from 36 homers in 1997 to 66 in 1998, were on "something." He knew it, and he ignored it because it was important to bring fan$ back to the $port after the strike of '94 that was still sour to many traditional fans.

This is the same guy who shoved instant replay down our throats when baseball got along just fine without it for over 100 years.

For all the "good" Selig supposedly gets credit for: the Wild Card and interleague play, people are quick to dismiss his continual idiocy on national stages. Its also clear to me the umpires are getting lazier, evidenced by at least four known blown calls (two they admit) in the biggest series of the year, again on a national stage, and the use of instant replay as a safety net for their own incompetence, of which they are paid to disseminate.

God help us if this game goes into extra innings Wednesday or had the Rays been trailing 2-1 when this call was made. At least this way, by starting in the sixth, it's essentially 0-0 as of now, but stay tuned.

Good thing Selig said he wouldn't have allowed the Phillies to win a rain-shortened game. Aside from the obvious, DUH! I should hope not! The (rightly-so) rioting would never have ended in Tampa, and in Philly, but simply for fun. :)

Let's hope the umpires' next blown call doesn't cost someone their season.

The smart thing to do would be for Selig to start the game over and give the fans and the players involved the chance to see and play an entire game. Look at these two days as "travel days," since its becoming a trend to have at least one off-day in the middle of a playoff series. More Selig idiocy.

Are we really that surprised that he is at the center? Is anyone not tired of this?

This series is bound to be remembered for all the wrong reasons, as in "Remember the last time the ____ won the World Series?"

"Isn't that the year they suspended a game and didn't finish it up until a few days later?"

"Yes, I think that's the one."

What will MLB do about it?

Will they learn from their mistakes?

Will the fans continue to care?