World Series might not play well on L.A. TVs

The 1988 World Series between the Dodgers and the Oakland Athletics averaged more than 34 million television viewers. A year later, when the A’s played the San Francisco Giants, viewership averaged 24.5 million.

The 2001 Series between the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks averaged 24.5 million viewers. In 2002, when the Angels played the Giants, that dropped to 19.2 million.

Our lessons? Fewer people are watching the Series. And, oh, oh, the Giants are back.

As the 2010 Series between San Francisco and Texas is set to begin Wednesday night on Fox, there are few indications this will be a television ratings bonanza.

But Joe Buck, who will do the play by play, and analyst Tim McCarver aren’t focused on numbers.

“I understand ratings conversations and market size are part of this business,” Buck said, “but Tim McCarver and I don’t look at that. To me this Series has tremendous personalities. I haven’t run across a guy with the personality of Brian Wilson, and we’ll get more into that. Texas is such a great story, finally here in its 50th year. There’s a lot to like.”

Yet, the two biggest markets present problems.

Because of the Cablevision contract dispute with News Corp., which owns the Fox channel, about 3 million viewers in New York won’t get the Series. And because Dodgers fans hate the Giants, the L.A. market might be even worse.

At least that’s what former Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros says.

Fox had to hoist a screen behind its set in San Francisco during the National League Championship Series between the Giants and Philadelphia Phillies to protect Karros after his back got drenched during Game 3 at AT&T Park after being pelted with drinks thrown by Giants fans.

By Games 4 and 5, Karros said, “We had our own private security plus the San Francisco Police Department security as well. Giants fans were chanting ‘Who the Dodgers playing?’

“So how many Los Angeles fans do I think will watch this Series? I’m guessing they won’t watch.”

New York and L.A. are not the only challenges. Game 4 on Sunday will be going against NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” matchup between defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans and Pittsburgh.

In terms of ratings, Ed Goren, Fox Sports vice chairman, predicts that “the World Series and football, those two shows, will be in the top 10 for the week.”

And if there is a Game 5, baseball is up against “Monday Night Football.”

Without conceding that the NFL games will trounce the Series, Goren said it’s not a secret the network needs a long Series.

“We saw in the NLCS, ratings in Game 6 were 70% higher than in Game 1,” Goren said. “There is a direct relationship in the number of games and overall ratings. Initially ratings will be lower. As the Series builds, we’ll be fine.”

Harold Reynolds, an analyst for the MLB Network, which will do pregame and postgame shows, said this is how he would market this Series:

“When the Yankees were making their run in 1996, 15 years later we can say Derek Jeter, he’s pretty amazing, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera. Look around now, Buster Posey, Tim Lincecum, Josh Hamilton, Neftali Feliz. I think 15 years from now we’ll be saying this was the start for some great players.

“And, hey, the New Orleans Saints just got beat, Drew Brees threw four interceptions. The NFL will be on in two weeks. The World Series will be over. So watch it.”

diane.pucin@latimes.com

twitter.com/mepucin