To improve TV ratings: short dramatic games: two hour, single elimination games once a week.

We're hearing the usual drivel about why the low TV ratings in the finals don't matter and how to fix that by changing the tournament format.  Blah, blah, blah.

As Game 7’s Ratings Surge, World Series Avoids a Record Low
By RICHARD SANDOMIR OCT. 30, 2014  The New York Times

Game 7 of the World Series, which brought the San Francisco Giants their third championship in five years, was seen on Wednesday night by an average of 23.5 million viewers, the most to view a Series game since Game 7 in 2011, when 25.5 million watched St. Louis beat Texas. None of the first six games of this year’s World Series had been seen by more than an average of 13.4 million viewers...

Through Tuesday, the matchup between the Giants and the Kansas City Royals was on pace to be the lowest-rated and least-viewed World Series on record...

San Francisco’s 38.8 rating was the best in that market since Game 7 of the 2002 World Series.
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Apparently fans will watch a game that is do or die for both teams.  You know, like the NFL.  This contradicts those who still lament that the two bottom seeds (4 and 5) in each conference of the Major Baseball League (MBL) have only one game in which to prove one is worthy to be the fourth seed.  Maybe that's what the entire tournament should be: single elimination.

Let's consider that.  Even in this year's tournament, with most starting pitchers marginalized more than ever, the starting pitcher is still the most important player in each game, especially if the team is starting the likes of Madison Bumgarner, the Giants pitching hero this season.  The problem is that the starting pitcher changes each game.  That may be OK in the regular season but in a tournament shouldn't each team start its best players at each position?  That would be particularly true if they faced elimination.

So how about this: single elimination with games five days apart so that Madison Bumgarner, Clayton Kershaw, etc. start every game.  That's what quarterback Payton Manning does in the NFL and LeBron James in the NBA.

Ratings would increase a lot.  However, to really improve things:

Regular season games must end within two hours. Constitutional amendment 1.  Sunday, August 18, 2013

1. Regular season games must end within two hours.  Playoff games may have an additional 30 minutes for overtime.
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