Yes, ratings for the WS are, so far, below last year’s ratings. Is this any surprise? Take out two of the largest markets and ratings will slide.

Game 1 of the World Series was the top-rated program on television last night, and drew the fifth-largest prime time audience of the week. Among Adults 18-49, last night’s game averaged a 4.7 rating to give FOX its best night of prime time television in that demographic since the network’s American Idol finale in May.

Even so, compared to last year’s World Series Game 1, last night’s audience was down 25 percent in ratings and down 23 percent on average audience. Compared to the last non-Yankees World Series Game 1 — Phillies-Rays in 2008 — the opener was up 3 percent on viewership.

But the bigger question: Should you care? I say no.

Baseball’s as healthy as ever, despite all attempts to kill it and all dumb ideas that threaten its progress (or disguised as progress).

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Mark it down in your calendars folks, I’m speechless. From the Chicago Sun-Times:

According to major-league sources, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was intent on making Guillen his next manager. Talks, sources say, progressed to the point that there was discussion of executing a trade that would send Guillen, who has a year left on his contract, to the Marlins for 20-year-old outfielder Mike Stanton, who hit 22 home runs and knocked in 59 runs in just 100 games as a rookie this season.

After Guillen met with chairman Jerry Reinsdorf late in the season and agreed to return to the Sox in 2011 — but not getting a desired extension — the Marlins talks died, sources say.

I’m parsing this a little bit, but it sounds to me like the Marlins offered to trade Stanton for Guillen…and the White Sox picked Ozzie! This is madness. I thought it would be hard for the White Sox to top the Swisher trade, but if this is true, it’s a lot worse than that. But it’s even worse for Florida to have entertained the idea. And to think, these two franchises have accounted for 3 world championships since 1997.

This is the stuff to remember the next time you think negative thoughts about Brian Cashman.

The New York Times is reporting that San Francisco Giants’ outfielder Jose Guillen has been linked to a federal investigation into shipments of human growth hormone (or HGH).

Is this just another story of a baseball player with ties to performance-enhancing drugs? Or in this case, a story of a ballplayer using a performance-enhancing drug that may not really enhance performance? No, there’s a bit more to this story.

You see, in this case the feds apparently tipped off Major League Baseball that Guillen was under investigation. Major League Baseball then tipped off the Giants. The Giants then removed Guillen from their post-season roster. You may have noticed, Guillen did not play in the division or championship series, and he’s not playing in the World Series.

Is there anything more to this story? Perhaps. MLB Trade Rumors reports that Commissioner Bud Selig “suggested” to the Giants that Guillen be removed from San Francisco’s postseason roster. The New York Times is more blunt in its assessment. According to the Times, the Giants were “directed” by Bud Selig to keep Guillen off the roster.

If this is true, we have quite a story on our hands. Did Commissioner Bud Selig order the Giants to drop a player from their roster, based solely on the player being under federal investigation? Without proof beyond a reasonable doubt, or even proof by a preponderance of the evidence? Without even giving the player a chance to defend himself?

Wow. Can the Commissioner of Baseball really do that?

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This appears to be something of an off-day for us, with everyone being busy with various things. So here’s an open thread to talk about whatever you want to talk about. Whether it’s Joe Girardi and the Binder of Doom, the World Series, potential offseason moves, crazy trades you want to make. You name it, it’s all fair game here.