(Hint: he's in the picture above.)
No, not Mike Bacsik.
Not umpire John Hirschbeck.
You know where we're going with this.
As reported by Dan Steinberg and his D.C. SportsBog Machine yesterday, your household is one of the few and the proud tuning in to each and every Nats' broadcast:
According to an in-depth baseball ratings story and chart by John Ourand, posted on Sports Business Journal today (subscription required), the Nats are drawing a 0.39 on MASN/MASN 2, down 43.5 percent from last year. The average number of D.C.-market households tuning in is 9,000, which is...checking, checking....last in the majors. By a lot. That 0.39 rating is...checking, checking....also last in the majors. Also by a lot.
More, from Steinberg in the newspaper (even MASN's playing the injury card!):
A MASN spokesman cited the team's injuries and short history in Washington as contributing to the low television ratings, and emphasized the strong attendance of both the franchise and Major League Baseball as a whole.
Short-term solution? Simple: Barry Bonds.
The price is right (via Miami Herald 7/06/2008):
Bonds is getting so desperate that his agent recently said he would play for free if only someone would take a chance on him.
Free? Did someone say, free!? Quick, someone wake up Ted Lerner! Just hurry up before a contender comes to its senses.
Meanwhile...
- Question: How long will the Nationals keep Dukes' babysitter(s) on the payroll? As long as it takes?
(AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Hell No! If they got Bonds, the numbers would only get worse. I would stop watching.
Posted by: Hell No! | July 08, 2008 at 06:55 PM
Free?!? They're holding out to see if Bonds will pay them to play.
Posted by: harper | July 08, 2008 at 08:18 PM
harper: Our 'sources' confirm that you might be onto something...
Hell No: Sure, they'd lose you, but I bet you one of Ted Lerner's crisp, 5-dollar bills that Bonds would not only put a few fannies into seats, you see a significant bump in the ratings on MASN. I'm half serious about this, and as tonight's game wears on, I'm sure I'll be 75-80% serious about it by morning...stay tuned.
Posted by: The Nationals Enquirer | July 08, 2008 at 08:36 PM
To clarify, when I said: "I'm half serious about this" I meant: I'm half serious about wanting this sham of a team to make a run at the posterboy of a bygone, phony era. Plus, he could share a locker next to Paul Lo Duca...
Posted by: The Nationals Enquirer | July 08, 2008 at 08:40 PM
Are you kidding me!?
In 2003, the Detroit Tigers (my hometown team) were 1 game away from being the worst baseball team in the history of the sport, and had suffered through 16 straight losing seasons. The lowest rating they ever got was a 2.5 share...or....approx 50,000 viewers.... and DC has about 1.5 million MORE people in their market!
AMAZING.
Posted by: Sean | July 09, 2008 at 09:08 PM