The baseball ratings are in and the numbers aren’t exactly encouraging for the Rangers-Cardinals clash set to begin tomorrow night. In fact, it wouldn’t be much of a shock if the World Series saw record low ratings thanks to weak showings from both the ALCS and NLCS.

Fox averaged 7.1 million total viewers for its six ALCS games between the Rangers and the Detroit Tigers, down 22 percent from 9.1 million for last year’s coverage of the NLCS between the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies. And while final numbers for TBS’s six-game series between the Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers aren’t in yet, the final two games slid 56 percent and 22 percent, respectively, compared to last year’s ALCS.

A valuable lesson to be learned for Bird Selig and the rest of the nest? Do everything in your power to stop showing playoff games on Sunday nights. It’s like trying to sell asparagus to a fat kid surrounded by Laffy Taffy. Perhaps a replay of this emotional scene from Rocky IV will finally instill what’s been an obvious notion to everyone else.

To make matters worse, the last time the Cardinals were in the World Series, which was 2006, MLB saw a record low for ratings. The numbers for last year’s edition of the Fall Classic, one that included the Rangers, were even worse, hence the expectation for another new low.

The bonus? If you’re a fan of the Cardinals or Rangers or bats and balls in general, none of this will have an impact on your personal viewing experience.

[Via MediaLife; photo via Getty]