The All-Star game isn't as popular as it used to be. That's been true for years. But the Fox Network has a funny way of playing with numbers -- which isn't really surprising since they are masters of manipulation of the news.
Nielsen said approximately 8.8 million households watched the All-Star game. Fox said it estimates 29.5 million people watched. So that means about 3.3 people per household watched the game, according to Fox. Are they kidding?
I love baseball, yet my interest generally wanes during the All-Star game, once I realize there won't be any close plays or tension. This year it began waning either when Billy Bob Thornton read to us in a monotone voice how baseball is like an automobile assembly line, or when I first got a look at Jeannie Zelasco, who appears to be bigger than Bartolo Colon.
So, I do not believe for a second that more than 3 people per the 8.8 million households were gathered around the television enjoying a bowl of ice cream and watching 9 innings of baseball.
Personally I think viewership is in decline because it's no big deal to see the big stars. You can see them every night on about five channels. Part of it may be interleague play, and part of it may be free agency, but is there a pitcher/batter matchup we just haven't seen or can't expect to see? Maybe Jake Peavy has never faced Alfonso Soriano (I haven't checked), but I'm not tuning in the All-Star game to see that matchup. If they haven't faced each other in a regular season game, they soon will on ESPN, or WGN, or WTBS, or FoxSportsNet or some local channel.
And heads-up MLB: I don't care about home field advantage for the World Series while I'm watching the All-Star game, and neither do the players. Witness Tony LaRussa's midgame interview.
