Millionaire ESPN scribe Rick Reilly -- and likely plenty of others -- think so. Signal To Noise caught this exchange on PTI yesterday:The Four-Letter's $3 million a year poaching, Rick Reilly, subbed for Tony Kornheiser on PTI yesterday, via satellite from Denver with Michael Wilbon in-studio in D.C., and parroted what I'm fairly sure may be a common impulse among a certain segment of sportswriters regarding the current state of the baseball playoffs: he stated his preference for a Red Sox-Dodgers World Series, proclaiming the Tampa Bay Rays "bad for baseball."S2N draws that out into distinctions -- whether it's bad for baseball, or bad for the business of baseball. Those are the correct distinctions to make. But it doesn't make Rick Reilly right.
Over the long term, I find it hard to believe a team like the Rays, so consistently horrible at baseball, going worst-to-first in the course of a single year is bad for baseball. If anything, it co-opts one of the things that has made the NFL so popular -- the supposed parity that allows any team, no matter how destitute, to go all Rising Phoenix in one year. This is a good thing for baseball. It creates hope. Sports fans like to have hope.
In the short term, sure, the Red Sox are a much bigger deal, but -- if I may be unscientific here -- I think just as many people are interested in the Rays' story this year. It's ultimate underdog stuff, as cliche as that is, and jumping on that bandwagon feels inoffensive and fun. Maybe the numbers will dip. Or maybe MLB will be attracting formerly casual fans with a sudden cause to root for.
Anything's possible, I suppose. But with a good story, a young franchise, and the potential for parity -- it's hard to see how any of those things could hurt the game of baseball.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-08-2008 @ 1:59PM
Orange Chuck said...
I hear all the time about teams like the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox buying pennants with big payrolls and then overpaid analysists like this jerk call it bad for baseball just because the ratings may not be huge in LA, NYC or some major market. Tampa did things the right way by developing talent and their payroll is low compared to most other teams. I think it's funny how many in the media will look for anything to discuss. IF Boston wins, they did it with a huge payroll and if Tampa wins, they just are bad for baseball. You know what's bad for baseball? Guys like this getting paid to have an opinion and instead of pointing out how great the potential this team has in the undedog role, they add on the bandwagon and then say, I told you so. I personally wish they would embrace the positives of this series and the great matchups they had this season instead of trying to be pompous so they can look smarter when ratings maybe are not as huge as some would like. If Tampa keeps winning and can keep this core together, they could develop their fanbase as well and that my friend is great for baseball, unless you like only seeing Yankee and Red Sox caps.
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10-08-2008 @ 2:20PM
steve said...
Yes everyone wants to see a sox and dodgers world series, so that we can see how much red sox fans hate manny and what they will do to him, especially what kind of clever signs they can come up with. Yes baseball loses money and viewers if tampa bay gets into the world series, but i totally agree with Orange Chuck, lets hear about some other teams other then the yankees, cubs, and red sox. The rest of the country have baseball teams too.
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10-08-2008 @ 3:52PM
LUIS said...
WHO CARES WHO WINS AS LONG AS BOSTON OR LA DONT MAKE IT TAMPA AND PHILLY ARE A 1 YR WONDER LETS SEE NEXT YR IM NOT A FAN OF NONE OF THE TEAMS ,
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10-08-2008 @ 4:48PM
Jim said...
I read that most GMs are saying the Rays making it to the postseason and playing well is good for baseball, but Reilly says they aren't and we are supposed to believe him? I try to listen to that ass-clown as little as possible.
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10-08-2008 @ 5:10PM
tobrien28 said...
I am a Yankee fan and I hate this incarnation of Tampa more than the Red Sox. They are a bunch of arrogant punks. I'll be so happy next year when they win 75 games and prove their pitching to be a one-year wonder. Shields, Garza and Sonnenstein are so overrated it isn't even funny.
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10-08-2008 @ 5:13PM
Mark said...
First off, I am a lifelong Red Sox fan so certainly be rooting for them. I suffered through the bad when they stunk and stayed with them. I will say if Tamba beats the Sox I'll be rooting for and WATCHING them in the World Series. For anyone whining about the Yankees,Red Sox and the other teams payrolls, try watching the games if someone else makes it to the World Series.Better yet dont wait until they start winning before you go to a live game. See this all the time. How many fans was Tampa drawing before this year? Then they'd have more money to get better players. Maybe if more people did baseball wouldnt be so dependant on the big market teams to make the playoffs
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10-08-2008 @ 5:23PM
Hit Dog said...
Rick Reilly is bad for baseball. And football and basketball. And usually golf.
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10-09-2008 @ 5:57PM
T.J. said...
tobrian28,,typical Yankee fan. Get over it fool..Rays are in the playoffs Yanks are not,,Yanks are not even close,,Consequently Yanks can't compete with the current players they have,,Yanks are on the way down,,Yanks are going to be looking up for the next several years. Get off your North East attitude and see the future in the AL East
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10-10-2008 @ 4:42AM
ray said...
hey sox and yankee fan--I live in tampa and see you clowns down here all day long, stay your a-- away you smell !
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10-15-2008 @ 5:40PM
j-man said...
Yeah, the aformentioned yankees fan seemingly epitomizes most yankee fans I've come in contact with. What you should realize is that the rays have come to be such a success story through years of good drafts and player development, whereas the yankees have not been able to draft really anyone or develop almost anyone. so as someone before has said, the yankees are figuring out the the players they have purchased are older and slowing down. also, the steriod era is over, and these players seemingly haven't preformed to their high levels since. yankees fans need to also realize their team has made tons of horrid signings for too much money: exhibit a) hideki irabu a while back exhibit b Kei Igawa, exibit c Carl Pavano. when they won the world series all those years guess who played in those games. HOMEGROWN PLAYERS. we are seeing that the over priced over paid punks (not the rays they stick up for themselves in a seriously tough al east where you need to show you arent intimidated) go learn something you ignorant fans, the rays are amazing for baseball and will continually be great for baseball for as long as they can continue to do the right baseball thing to do.
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