The Manfraud Files
Hero sitting next to Rob Manfred at World Series agrees to shout most upvoted reddit comment in his face
All things considered, the World Series is going pretty well for the suits at MLB HQ. Would they have preferred Yanks-Dodgers? Sure. Are back-to-back 7-0 and 5-0 no-contests good for TV ratings? Nope. But Philadelphia has been rocking like San Francisco in ‘89, the Astros are seemingly doing it The Right Way, and the big bats have showed up. What’s not to love?
If you’re commissioner Rob Manfred, presumably sitting in a seat next to a random dude screaming the most upvoted comment on the Rob Manfred reddit thread in your face.
“Hey Rob,” our hero begins. “If you want the youth, end the blackout … dumbass!”
Simple, to the point, and completely, 100% predictable. Of all the things wrong with baseball—pace of play, minor-league salaries, no black players in the World Series for the first time in over 70 years—this has been fans’ most consistent gripe. When they pay for the premium streaming service to watch their team play, they want to be able to watch their team play (at the very least without also needing a cable package, which is kind of like THE WHOLE POINT OF STREAMING).
Will this be the watershed moment that finally changes Manfred’s mind? Will he finally stand up and go to bat for baseball fans against the evil broadcast conglomerates? Hahahahahahaha. Fat freaking chance, but we can dream can’t we?