NEW YORK -- For those dozing off by the fifth inning come October, help is on the way.
Following record-low ratings for last year's World Series between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, Major League Baseball and Fox are moving up the start times this year.
Weeknight games in the World Series and AL Championship Series will begin at 7:57 p.m. ET, more than a half-hour before last year's first-pitch times, Fox said Monday.
The moves figures to give kids a chance watch more on school nights, and should benefit adults who need to set the alarm clock for work.
The start of Saturday night games could be even earlier, and Sunday games will continue to begin following the conclusion of the network's NFL coverage.
"Over the last few years, games have been ending a bit later than we'd like," Fox Sports president Ed Goren said in a statement. "This new schedule, made possible through the cooperation of our stations, affiliates and Major League Baseball, should help fans of all ages see weeknight games from start to finish."
Last year's World Series had scheduled starts from 8:29 p.m. to 8:35 p.m. ET, and times ranged from 3 hours, 5 minutes for Game 2 to 3:41 for rain-delayed Game 3 in Philadelphia, which began at 10:06 p.m. and didn't end until 1:47 a.m.
Philadelphia's five-game victory averaged an 8.4 rating, down 17 percent from the previous low, a 10.1 for the five-game St. Louis-Detroit series in 2006.
"Our goal is to schedule games to allow the largest number of people to watch, and this change puts our games in the window we believe will work the best for our fans," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "I expect that fans of all ages will respond favorably to this adjustment."
This year's Series will have the earliest start time since Game 6 between the Florida Marlins and New York Yankees in 2003 began at 7:57 p.m., according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
MLB said it will be the earliest start for a regularly scheduled Monday-to-Friday Series game since Game 5 between Baltimore and Pittsburgh in 1971, which was a day game.
Fox games will have a network air time of 7:30 p.m.
Selig had said since last October's World Series that he hoped for earlier game times.
No announcement was made about the NL Championship Series or the division series, which are televised by TBS. The earlier start does not apply to the All-Star Game on Fox, Fox spokesman Lou D'Ermilio said.
Well, its a start. Now all they need is a afternoon/twilight weekend game, and the World Series will be watchable and hopefully back to its prominence.
