Ratings Paint a Bleak Picture

The New York Mets’ five-game victory over the St. Louis Cardinals produced the lowest TV ratings ever for a league championship series.

Fox’s coverage of the NL championship series averaged a 6.2 rating, 18% worse than the previous low--the 1998 NL championship series between San Diego and Atlanta. Baseball began the league championship format in 1969.

The Mets’ 7-0 victory Monday night, which clinched a World Series berth, drew a 6.3 national rating and 10 share. That’s 32% lower than the 9.2/16 for Fox’s broadcast of Game 5 of the 1999 AL championship series between the Yankees and Red Sox. And it’s nearly 50% below what Game 5 of the 1999 NL championship series between the Mets and Braves pulled in for NBC.

The final Cardinal-Met game went up against “Monday Night Football,” which drew a 10.6 rating and 18 share.

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Hundreds of Mets fans spent the night in vain outside Shea Stadium hoping to buy World Series tickets. The ticket-hungry fans, many with sleeping bags, started lining up Monday night after the Mets’ victory over the Cardinals. But at 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, the camaraderie and good cheer turned to boos when the fans were told that tickets would not go on sale until Saturday at 9 a.m.--and then, only by phone.

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Manny Ramirez might try to take the Cleveland Indians long and deep for a new contract.

Ramirez, eligible for free agency after the World Series, and his agent, Jeff Moorad, are expected to ask the Indians for a long-term, “career” contract next week when they meet with Indian owner Larry Dolan and General Manager John Hart.

It will be the first contract negotiations since July when Moorad rejected the club’s five-year, $75-million offer.

The Indians are expected to increase their proposal in both length and value. It is believed the deal will be similar to the six-year, $90-million contract Chipper Jones signed with the Atlanta Braves this season.

The club is hoping that Ramirez, who averaged 42 home runs and 144 runs batted in the past three seasons, will follow the precedents set by Jones, Mark McGwire and Ken Griffey Jr., and accept a lesser offer rather than test the free-agent market.

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The San Diego Padres claimed outfielder Mike Colangelo, who has been sidelined the last 1 1/2 seasons because of injuries, off waivers from Arizona. Colangelo was waived by the Diamondbacks, who claimed him off waivers from the Angels on Oct. 5. Colangelo, 23, hit .346 in two minor league seasons in the Angel organization. He was called up to the Angels after only 112 minor league games but tore a ligament in his thumb in an outfield collision during his debut on June 13, 1999. After missing the remainder of that season, he missed all of this season because of a shoulder surgery.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates expect to interview three or four more candidates by next week before closing their search for a manager to replace the fired Gene Lamont. Pirate owner Kevin McClatchy and General Manager Cam Bonifay have not held any interviews since those with Pirate hitting coach Lloyd McClendon and San Francisco Giant bench coach Ron Wotus last weekend in Phoenix.

Earlier, the Pirates interviewed Oakland bench coach Ken Macha, Cleveland bench coach Grady Little, former Arizona manager Buck Showalter, St. Louis hitting coach Mike Easler, and two other Pirate coaches--Trent Jewett and Tommy Sandt.

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Former Toronto catcher Ernie Whitt will be interviewed for the Blue Jays’ vacant manager’s position. . . . Oakland exercised a $3.3-million option to keep right-hander Gil Heredia for the 2001 season. Heredia, 34, had a career-high 15 wins this past year and ranked seventh in the American League with a 4.12 earned-run average. He was one of three 15-game winners on the A’s. . . . Cincinnati outfielder Brian Hunter underwent arthroscopic surgery for torn cartilage in his right knee. Hunter is expected to recover fully by spring training.