It's a hit

I like baseball, but this shocks even me: "baseball is one of the few sports where the ratings have actually climbed over the last few years....[ESPN baseball telecasts] are sold out at more than a 90 percent level, far ahead of last season." More advertisers are buying time on telecasts because more people are watching. Another surprise: "'licensed merchandise sales were up 100 percent over last year.'"

Does this mean that when the Yankees choke in the post-season, it's actually good for baseball?

Yes, I think it does. And I hope the Yankees continue to oblige.