It has been six years since we had a World Series that went seven games (when the Angels beat the Giants).  It has been five years since we had a World Series that even went six games (when the Marlins upset the Yankees).

Also, note that the media prognosticators predicted that this World Series would have even lower ratings than the last four duds because of the matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Well, the critics have been right so far.  Ratings were down for Game 1 by some 12%.  Add to that two miserably mediocre games and the World Series is continuing its sad demise as a crucial and relevant sporting event.

I was listening to the usually dull and uninspiring Mike Tirico and Scott Van Pelt on ESPN Radio on my way to school today and found myself agreeing with them (for once in my life).  There have, thus far, been no memorable moments in the 2008 World Series.  The Phillies are 1-28 with runners in scoring position.  Most of the runs scored last night were on ground ball fielders choices that scored runners from third.  The only significant home run, by Chase Utley in Game One, came in the first inning.

So far, the only thing memorable about this series is the bad ump-work.  There is nothing I hate more in sports than games being decided by bad officiating.  As a St. Louis Cardinals fan, the 1985 World Series always brings up traumatic memories :(  In Game One, there was a missed balk call by crew chief Tim Welke.  In Game Two, there were two crucial miscues, the most important being a late-inning hit by pitch (David Price hit the struggling Jimmy Rollins) that went unnoticed by Kerwin Danley.  In the second inning, Danley appeared to signal a strike-three call on full-count check swing by Rocco Baldelli, but ultimately changed his mind.  A run would later score as a result.

This is not the news Major League Baseball was looking to capitalize on this postseason.  What has happened in recent years is that the good series' have been the Championship Series'.  The Boston/Tampa Bay series was exceptionally entertaining.  The 2006 series between the New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals, ending with Endy Chavez' dramatic wall-climbing catch and, later, Carlos Beltran's bat resting on his shoulder after a nasty uncle-charlie from Adam Wainright, was memorable.  Perhaps no Championship Series was more memorable than the Red Sox coming back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the mighty New York Yankees in 2004.  Since then, each World Series has been quick and painful to watch for the losing teams.

If this series goes only five games, MLB might need to resort to drastic measures to improve the World Series.  Sure, I'm a baseball loyalist and traditionalist, but at this rate, nobody will any reason to watch the Series any more.