MLB needs Tim Donaghy

I’ve figured out a way for Major League Baseball to increase their viewership (and therefore, their advertising dollars) for the playoffs, from the Division Series through the World Series.

The way I see it, there are two problems: Teams and times. Every year, there are teams that people aren’t all that interested in watching, and games played when people aren’t all that interested in watching. Unless you really have a hankering to see a Phillies-Rays World Series game that hits the seventh inning around midnight.

I’ve been watching, and these League Championship Series are both pretty good. Four teams hitting their groove when it’s important to play well. The only thing that’s been annoying has been the same crappy commercials aired over and over. Note to advertisers: you’ll stand out in a big way if you can put a decent ad on the air.
So the quality of play is good. But people still aren’t flocking to Fox.

Maybe it’s because we’re powerless to do anything other than just watch the games play out, hope that our teams win, and trust that the networks and cable companies show the games at reasonable times.

This is where Tim Donaghy would come in. If MLB would hire him as an ump—even if it was just for the playoffs--he could work his magic, fix a couple of games, assert his influence on a few of his new umpire friends, and make sure things happen the way they really should happen. For example, how hard could it be to make the right (or wrong) calls to help the Cubs advance? It’s what everyone wants, right? Who wouldn’t want to see a Cubs-Red Sox World Series? Would it not be worth the little bit of active rule avoidance it would take to make it happen?

Think about it for next year, MLB. Or keep those same honest umps, and have the Padres and Blue Jays with a 8 PM EST start. Or you can have Tim Donaghy, the Cubs and Yankees, and gajillions more dollars in revenue.

Please?