Susan Kerr, director of communications for CBS Sports, said the network is in contact with major league baseball's broadcast group during rain delays. Kerr said it is in the "best interests" of both baseball and CBS not to start games too late. But Kerr stressed that the final decision is baseball's.
Danny Jackson delivered the first pitch at 9:24 p.m., one hour and 12 minutes after the scheduled starting time. Toronto's 10-3 thrashing of the Phillies ended at 12:40 a.m.
Neither baseball nor CBS should be happy that the World Series and League Championship Series games are finishing around midnight. Younger viewers and fans with normal working hours can't stay with these midnight excursions too late. CBS also wants the popular David Letterman show to begin as closely as possible to its normal 11:35 p.m. time.
Rosenstein noted that the rating at midnight of Game 2 of the Phillies' 6-4 victory in Toronto was a 18.7, higher than the game's average of 17.9 (one rating point equals 941,000 homes. People in the East, outside of the feverish Philadelphia area, might be dozing off, but viewers in the Mountain and Pacific time zones still are watching a competitive game.
Rosenstein said the lowest rated 1992 weeknight World Series game was an 18.9 for Game 4, which ended at 10:58 p.m. Since Toronto led, 4-0, after three innings last night, it's unlikely the rating will be in the blockbuster range.
UMPIRES STILL SWINGING
The umpires aren't letting up with their complaints about the overhead camera used by CBS. The umpires believe the camera second-guesses their decisions, particularly on ball and strike calls.
