by Dave Cupples

Created on: March 30, 2009

The World Series should absolutely NOT be played at a neutral site, and anybody who suggests otherwise should be dusted back from their misguided idea by the equivalent of a Bob Gibson high hard one. One of the best things about baseball is its accessibility to the common person. Size isn't a factor in baseball as it can be in football and basketball, and some competitive version of baseball can be played by almost anyone, almost anywhere, with very meager equipment. For example, there's softball, whiffle ball, and over-the-line. Poor kids have been known to play in the street with a rock and a stick; and any kid and his brother with a tennis ball can play one of the batless versions known as wall- or stepball.

As a professional spectator sport, baseball is the last of the big three that is still accessible to regular people on a regular basis. While NFL and NBA teams, with a few exceptions, have repeatedly escalated prices to levels more affordable to a corporate budget than a family, Major League Baseball's long season-81 home games-and large stadiums mean that tickets are regularly available and still affordable. I recently found Major League Baseball tickets online for as little as two dollars, and even Yankee tickets for less than ten bucks.

Putting the World Series in a neutral site might profit corporate interests (the league, media, and big advertisers) in some way-like a larger venue and a few extra ticket sales, or a HUGE windfall from cities bidding for the right to host; and some small benefit might trickle down to the national audience, but that's kind of a foul ball. Putting corporate profit or a national mentality ahead of the loyal working class fans who support the two contending teams all year is already a too familiar theme in sports.

The real question is, why would anyone WANT to play the World Series at a neutral site? Let's look at the reasons why some other big championships are played at neutral sites and consider whether those reasons would benefit the World Series.

EFFICIENCY/CONVENIENCE

In NCAA sports, both the baseball and basketball championships are decided in a tournament format. Because next round opponents in that format are unknown until the previous round of games are played, it makes sense to have a tournament in one or a limited few locations. The compressed time frame and central location of a tournament also makes it possible to use facilities, personnel, media, and other resources more efficiently, cuts down on travel, and

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