Bob Costas is never shy with an opinion. In a New York Times opinion piece written by Jonathan Mahler, Costas was quoted as saying baseball would be in trouble if Tampa Bay and Cincinnati met later this month in the World Series. More specifically, Costas used the word "screwed."

Here's the exact quote:

“If Tampa Bay plays Cincinnati in the World Series, I don’t care if the series goes seven games and every game goes into extra innings, baseball is screwed. That’s not fair to the Rays or the Reds, but it’s true.”

Certainly if that ends up being this year's World Series, the potential for having another low-rated Fall Classic would be high. And while Major League Baseball officials can't be happy with Costas' comments, they have to privately agree that a Rays-Reds World Series would be devastating for ratings..

The Mahler op-ed article looks over some of baseball's problems, but also stresses some of its positives. If Tampa Bay and Cincinnati do indeed survive their respective leagues, one can imagine MLB trying to find an angle to promote a small market World Series. 

[New York Times]

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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