If a home run falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
MLB finds itself facing that question.
This year’s World Series between the Rangers and Diamondbacks — the Rangers claimed the franchise’s first title Wednesday night in a Game 5 that began as a nailbiter of a pitchers’ duel and became a coronation — has been the least-watched in MLB history, renewing concerns about the league’s ability to market itself to a broad audience.
Game 1, which was a thrilling 6-5 win by the Rangers in 11 innings, averaged just 9.35 million viewers, according to ESPN, making it the least-watched World Series opener ever. The previous low for a Game 1 was 9.48 million during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
MLB kept making history for the wrong reasons. Game 2 averaged just 8.15 million viewers, the least-watched World Series game on record, according to Front Office Sports. But that record was quickly broken, as Game 3 averaged 8.13 million viewers, becoming the new least-watched World Series game ever. Game 4? Merely the fourth-fewest viewers on record.
On the surface, it might be unsurprising given the two teams are far from traditional powerhouses. Phoenix is certainly not a giant TV market, and the Rangers — though they play in America’s fifth-biggest market — are the second-most famous team in Texas next to the Astros.
But this matchup should have been so much of what fans crave. Why wouldn’t they tune in?
First off, the Rangers ended a 62-year wait by winning their first-ever World Series title, and the Diamondbacks were looking to secure just their second crown.
Fans often complain about seeing the same teams win every year, and league parity should be seen as a positive.
The Rangers spent lavishly to assemble a star-studded roster and went all-out to build a contender. Isn’t that what fans want? To see teams other than the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Astros, and recently, the Mets, doing whatever they can to win? Don’t we all complain about non-traditional teams refusing to spend what it takes to be competitive?
The Rangers entered the World Series with Corey Seager (World Series MVP, Rookie of the Year, two-time Silver Slugger and four-time All-Star), Marcus Semien (two-time All-Star, one-time Golden Glove and Silver Slugger winner), Max Scherzer (three-time Cy Young winner, nine-time All-Star), Aroldis Chapman (seven-time All-Star) and Nathan Eovaldi (two-time All-Star) on the roster. Scherzer made one start in the World Series, but was removed from the roster due to a back injury (he still partied hard).
And the Rangers of course began the year with Jacob deGrom (two-time Cy Young winner, Rookie of the Year and four-time All-Star), though he had to undergo Tommy John surgery.
And Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia emerged as one of the sport’s best stories, an MLB hanger-on turned ALCS MVP, before he got hurt mid-series.
The Diamondbacks have the National League’s shoo-in for Rookie of the Year in Corbin Carroll, a phenom who put up 25 homers and 54 stolen bases this year. Catcher Gabriel Moreno was the No. 7 ranked prospect in all of baseball in 2022 (ahead of local youngsters Anthony Volpe and Francisco Alvarez) and emerged this season as one of MLB’s most promising talents. Outfielder Alek Thomas, who has played an integral role this postseason, was the No. 18 prospect last year.
One of the most star-studded rosters in the league going up against a team with some of the most highly acclaimed youngsters breaking out when it matters most.
That’s not enough intrigue?
It renews concerns about what, if anything, MLB can do to appeal to a larger audience or less provincial fans. If these two teams couldn’t, how will MLB make people care about anyone other than traditional powerhouses?
Much of the intrigue will perhaps occur in the offseason. Superstar Shohei Ohtani is a free agent, and his sweepstakes are as heavily anticipated as perhaps any player’s in history. The Padres needed a $50 million loan in September to cover their massive payroll, and rumors have emerged they could look to trade Juan Soto — with the Yankees in the mix.
MLB needs that offseason excitement to translate into excitement for the actual marquee games.
But it’s not a new phenomenon for MLB. World Series viewership has declined or stayed the same each year since 2016. It’s worth noting that television ratings are down across the board beyond baseball and live sports.
This year’s World Series showcased some of MLB’s biggest stars and most exciting rising talents.
But if a World Series is played and no one is around to watch it, does it make an impact?
Writes The Post’s Mike Vaccaro:
“Knight was a hell of a basketball coach, arguably the best basketball coach, and that was both why his decades-long hot-and-cold personality was tolerated and why the way it ended seemed written by the classic Greek tragedists. He won 902 games at Army, Indiana and Texas Tech, and for a time that stood as the most in college basketball history. He won three NCAA Championships (and an NIT; he did love the NIT) at Indiana, coached the 1984 U.S. Olympic team to gold.
“But that was always sabotaged, to various degrees, by the incidents, so many incidents, too many to list.”
There are always new lows that can be reached.
The Giants are staring at one.
Sitting in last place in the NFC East at 2-6, the Giants travel to Las Vegas to face the Raiders on Sunday.
The 3-5 Raiders just fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler late Tuesday night before they could even finish their second seasons in charge.
The Raiders will start Aidan O’Connell at quarterback over the benched Jimmy Garoppolo. O’Connell was drafted in the fourth round this year.
The Giants, meanwhile, are set to get starter Daniel Jones back after he missed the previous three games due to a neck injury.
So far, the Giants’ losses have come against respectable opponents — the Cowboys, 49ers, Seahawks, Dolphins, Bills and Jets. All of those teams are above .500 entering Week 9.
But a loss against the dumpster-fire Raiders would represent a new low for this Giants team after selling at the trade deadline.
Add in the fact that the Raiders named beloved former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce as their interim head coach.
As much as Giants fans love Pierce, a former team captain who won Super Bowl XLII with the team and famously inspired them to wear all-black suits for “the Patriots’ funeral,” a loss to someone making his spur-of-the-moment coaching debut would be embarrassing.
This matchup could have offered hope. If the Giants had just not collapsed against the Jets, they would be sitting at 3-5 with a great opportunity to go 4-5 — fans could have convinced themselves the team still could turn its season around.
Instead, all Sunday represents is the threat of further humiliation.
As Lionel Messi accepted his eight Ballon d’Or award Tuesday as the outstanding men’s player of the season, one of the most famous eras in international soccer came to a close.
Now playing in the MLS with Inter Miami, it was almost assuredly Messi’s final Ballon D’Or. He received the 2023 award based mostly on his exploits with Argentina at the World Cup last fall and with Paris Saint-Germain.
For years, the Ballon d’Or was basically an award for Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The two traded off winning the prestige, claiming the award in 13 of the past 15 years it was given (there was none in 2020).
But with Ronaldo now playing in Saudi Arabia and Messi in the States, that run will finally end.
Messi took the MLS by storm this summer, but it wasn’t enough to lift Inter Miami into the playoffs. The MLS playoffs now have to fight to earn bits of attention — hey, the Red Bulls play an elimination game Saturday against FC Cincinnati — without the superstar they moved heaven and earth to acquire.
If he’s with the team for a full season in 2024, there will be no excuse for Messi and Inter Miami not to reach the postseason.
???? The Knicks are just … off, writes The Post’s Mike Vaccaro, with wretched shooting marking their 2-3 start to the season. The numbers were ugly in a loss to the Cavaliers.
???? Introducing Armoni Brooks, who scored 17 points after a callup from the G League to spark the Nets to an unlikely win over the Heat.
⚾ The free-agency posturing between Pete Alonso and the Mets got taken up a notch with these comments from Scott Boras, Alonso’s new agent.
⚾ The Mets still need a manager, too! They interviewed former Padres skipper Andy Green, as well as Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza.
???? The Post’s Steve Serby bestows the double capital letter treatment on Jets punter Thomas Morstead, the Unlikely Weapon.
???? If Igor Shesterkin has given up the occasional wonky goal in the opening weeks, it’s his work in crunch time that matters for the 7-2 Rangers.