Rocks & Sox Series Preview

This years World Series has rout written all over it. The upstart Rockies can't possibly keep their current streak of 22 of 23 games going right through Fenway park, can they? I don't think so. It isn't so much that the Rockies aren't hot, it's just, last year not withstanding, the American League is just better than the National League. The Rockies have been beating up on such lightweights as the Diamondbacks and the Phillies. Both of those teams were severely flawed. The Rockies haven't faced anything like Ortiz and Manny. Nothing like Beckett, Schiling and Daisuke. The senior circuit is just outclassed right now.

If the Rockies have any chance of winning, they have to win game one. Set the tone that they aren't afraid of Beckett and can keep their roll going even after their long layoff. I don't think this is going to happen.

Bonnix's Prediction: Sox in 5

The Midwest-Mountain Series

The NLCS games averaged only 4.3 million viewers. That's quite a drop from more than the 10.5 million last year for the Mets-Cardinals series. Games 2 and 4 this year, which started after 10 p.m. EDT, had only 3.3 million and 3.8 million viewers. This was the least watched NLCS in history.

Some of this is to be expected with the games moving to TBS, but the least watched in history? Normally, I don't care if Fox or ESPN has lousy ratings for a sporting event. It's not my money that's being lost. I want good play over big markets. However, I have to admit, I'm a baseball junkie and I can say that I had trouble getting interested in Rockies-DBacks. Ok, some of it was bitterness that had the Cubs won, they would have hosted the NLCS, but most of it was that I just didn't know the players on these teams very well.

Neither team has many househod names, to their credit, and to my boredom.

With the Indians now taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the ALCS, it is looking like the World Series is going to be Colorado vs. Cleveland. This will provide some drama. Those 90's Indians teams were good, but never won. They haven't won since 1946. it could very well be the third AL Centeral team in a row representing the American League. The Rockies are making their first appearance in the Fall Classic. Still, it is going to be difficult to find something compelling to root for or against. Can you actually hate or love one of these teams? I didn't think so.

I know that I shouldn't allow myself to be so manipulated by the big market media, especially the Eastern Seaboard Promotional Network, but I have to admit the 2008 World Series is shaping up to be a snoozer.