Play ball? The Major League Baseball Network is ready to debut

Does anybody still watch baseball? We may find out soon. The new cable Major League Baseball Network goes on the air Jan. 1 and already has exclusive rights to 26 Thursday-night baseball games. Let's see whether that kicks up the same fuss as the NFL Network's attempt to telecast some football games did last year. (Even Congress threatened to get involved.) Better yet, Broadcasting & Cable reports that the Major League Baseball Network has plans to obtain exclusive coverage of some playoff games down the road a bit. Once upon a time, it would have been unthinkable for a playoff game to appear only a low-carriage cable channel. My guess now is that the only response will be a deafening silence.