In the last 20 years, the average distance between two World Series opponents has been 1,040 miles. That's equivalent to about a three-hour plane flight. Get a seven-game series and the flights back and forth can not only be time consuming but costly.

So consider the close proximity of New York and Philadelphia is a gift to the media, especially newspapers, which have been struggling more than anyone.

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The distance between New York and Philly is 107 miles. That qualifies it as the third shortest distance between two World Series opponents since 1988. In 1989, the San Francisco Giants played the Oakland A's (10 miles) and the Yankees played the Mets (12 miles) in 2000.

The Yankees were also involved in the longest distance match-up in the World Series in the last 20 years. In 1998, they played the San Diego Padres, which is a 2,845-mile commute. The Yankees won that battle in four straight games, making the travel burden and costs a bit easier on the media world.

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