I remember being surprised when I saw similar ratings the year before. I had been told long ago that the Red Sox were in the third largest television market, because not only did they have Boston, they also had Providence, Springfield, Hartford, plus Portland and Bangor, Maine, and I think Plattsburgh, New York. I had long figured that the second largest market belonged to either Chicago or or Los Angeles teams but was surprised to learn that Philadelphia was second. I think Detroit may have been fourth or fifth in number of cable TV homes that carried their sportschannel. Still, Detroit has no historic basis for a national following. Al Kaline wasn't exactly Stan Musial, and Willie Horton wasn't even... Willie Horton.
