This NLCS is good for baseball

Editor’s note: I was working on this post before I read Larry Brown’s very similar take on this. You’ll have to believe me. Check his thoughts out too.

Over the next week, you will more than likely hear many complain about this NLCS matchup. They will point to the inevitable low ratings, complain that they haven’t heard of players on either team, complain that two teams without a rich, long history are playing and complain that two Western teams are involved. And they may even complain that the Diamondbacks aren’t selling out their home games easily.

Don’t listen to them — playoff matchups like Arizona-Colorado are much better for the sport long-term. Sure, in the short term, ratings and national fan interest might have gone up if it were a Cubs-Phillies or Mets-Dodgers NLCS. Another Red Sox-Yankees ALCS might have given baseball its highest ratings and national interest in a really long time.

But for this league to succeed long term, a perception of parity has to be intact. For baseball to grow, fans of most of the 30 teams have to believe that their team has a chance to go all the way. (I said most, not all, because there will always be inept, mismanaged teams like Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Tampa Bay and the LA Dodgers.)

Links of the Day: Lou Piniella isn’t crazy, but Karl Dorrell might be

In case you haven’t seen it, here’s the Lou Piniella commercial for Aquafina that is a must see. (I found the video at Ump Bump.) Lou might not be crazy after all:

Is UCLA really going to put their most experienced and most athletic QB third on the depth chart behind a walk-on and a guy who would have to burn his redshirt year? Yet another mindboggling move by Karl Dorrell. (Bruins Nation)

Should the Yankees really want Tony La Russa to be their next manager? Hell no. (Signal to Noise)

This is why Manny Acta is my favorite manager not named Mike Scioscia. A manager who thinks for himself and reads blogs. Who would’ve thought? (Fire Joe Morgan)

That Roger Clemens deal didn’t really work out so well for the Yankees. (Larry Brown Sports)

Could Terrell Owens really be learning from his past mistakes and learning to stay quiet to the media? We really haven’t heard from him in a while. (We Suck at Sports)