Despite last night’s setback against the Tampa Bay Rays, I still believe the team of my youth, the New York Yankees, will make it to this year’s World Series for the first time in more than a decade. I imagine they’ll join the shoo-in choice, the Dodgers of Los Angeles, formerly of a little borough known as Brooklyn.

TV executives are drooling over this one.

A Yankees-Dodgers World Series? New York versus L.A.? An L.A. that will (likely) be competing for its second sports championship in less than a month? (I’m calling the Lakers-Heat series right now.)

More than it ever has been the 2020 MLB season is all about TV revenue and advertising. This one will bring in big bucks, no question. “Rake in the money” is step number two for those aforementioned TV and marketing executives.

Step number one is making sure Tampa Bay doesn’t take this series. A Lightning-Rays hockey-baseball double, though interesting, just wouldn’t have the same cache.