MLB World Series 2011 Schedule: TV Ratings Prove Baseball Is America's Pastime

In America today, the NFL is king. It’s the sport that draws the most viewers during the week, it’s the sport that has the most people playing in fantasy leagues and is the lead story on most nights ESPN’s Sports Center.  

In today’s modern world, baseball is an afterthought. People like to say that baseball is, “too slow,” “takes to long to finish games” or “is boring.” It’s hurt the sport that so many of our great-grandfathers, grandfathers and fathers grew up playing and watching.  

Baseball, for most of us, is our first memory of sports. The best memory of my childhood was going to that first ball game with my father in Pittsburgh, to that dump “Three Rivers Stadium.” 

So, on a night with the Emmy Award-winning television program, “Modern Family” on and with other TV shows like “Survivor,” “The Middle” and “CSI,” baseball beat them all in total number of viewers, winning in every time slot.  

As here are the breakdowns from 8:00 p.m to 10:00 p.m.

8 p.m. 

FOX: World Series Game 1, Rangers/Cardinals (12.4 million viewers, 7.6/12 households)

CBS: "Survivor: South Pacific" (11.1 million, 6.7/11)

ABC: "The Middle" (9 million, 5.5/9)/"Suburgatory" (8.75 million, 5.3/8)

NBC: "Up All Night" (5.6 million, 3.6/6)/"Whitney" rerun (4.1 million, 2.7/4)

The CW: "Ringer" rerun (1.2 million, 0.8/1) 

18-49 leader: World Series Game 1 (3.6)

9 p.m. 

FOX: World Series Game 1 (13.4 million, 8.2/12)

CBS: "Criminal Minds" (13.1 million, 8.2/12)

ABC: "Modern Family" (12.85 million, 7.8/12)/"Happy Endings" (6.9 million, 4.3/7)

NBC: "Harry's Law" (8.2 million, 5.3/8)

The CW: "America's Next Top Model" (1.9 million, 1.2/2) 

18-49 leader: "Modern Family" (5.6)

10 p.m. 

FOX: World Series Game 1 (12.9 million, 8.0/13)

CBS: "CSI" (10.8 million, 6.8/11)

ABC: "Revenge" (7.9 million, 5.2/9)

NBC: "Law & Order: SVU" (7.6 million, 5.1/8

18-49 leader: World Series Game 1 (4.1)

Yes, the World Series Game 1 numbers are down from last year, but in a television world where we as a country hate sitting still for more than an hour, baseball was able to captivate an audience for over three hours.  

The NFL is the most popular sport in America today, but as the numbers proved last night, we still hold a spot in our hearts for our “National Pastime.”

Twitter: @tjmcaloon