There's a World Series going on?

The World Series starts tonight. No, really, it does. Two great pitchers, too--a two-time defending Cy Young Award winner against a man who's quickly making a case for himself as one of the greatest postseason pitchers of all time.

But I don't blame you if you didn't notice. After all, it's been a while since anybody played any baseball. A quick glance at the front page of ESPN.com indicates that the sports world has largely yawned and moved on since the World Series participants were decided on Saturday. The top headlines are all about the Celtics and the Heat (take that, LeBron), Tony Romo's clavicle, and even Brett Favre's ankle. The only vaguely World Series-related story on that front page is about the shabby treatment that Cliff Lee's wife got during the ALCS last week (see below).

This is a big problem for Major League Baseball, and it's all their own doing. Two weeks ago, I lamented the impact that TV has had on the MLB playoffs, affecting not only our interest level as fans but the competitive dynamic as well. Again, this is what's to blame.

What keeps baseball relevant is the emotional connection that it has with the fans. Baseball doesn't have the marketable culture of mercurial superstars like the NFL or NBA, nor does it present the same jaw-dropping athleticism of those two sports. We watch baseball because it's always there. All summer long, there's a game every day, from April through to October. It keeps us engaged because it's an ongoing soap opera, and there's a new installment every day. Our mood rises and falls daily along with our team's fortunes, but no matter what, there's always another game coming. That's what keeps us interested and emotionally invested. The NFL, with its one game a week, couldn't possibly hope to match that level of continued engagement.

But then October comes along, and at the point where we most want to pay attention, MLB steps in and violates that connection. Suddenly there are long periods of inactivity, and we are left cold, without baseball to fall back on. We naturally lose interest, especially as the other sports' seasons begin. Most of our teams' seasons have ended, and even the biggest baseball fans among us just stop caring. Baseball didn't used to compete with the NBA. But now, thanks to its ever-expanding postseason schedule, it does. And that's just not a battle that it's going to win.

MLB and its union will be in talks this offseason to reassess the postseason structure. On the table are proposals to expand the number of teams in the playoffs (a bad idea) and also to condense the amount of time between games (a fantastic idea). It's idiotic for baseball to break our connection with it when the games are at their most important, and they must reverse this trend. (And it's a very recent trend...consider that the 2004 World Series between the Cardinals and Red Sox ENDED on October 27, the same date that this year's Series begins).

So, tune in to this very strange World Series tonight if you want. Or don't. Apparently MLB doesn't really care either way.