2012 World Series live streaming: Blame FOX

So, you want to live-stream the World Series online but are afraid to traverse through the spyware-laden popups and questionable legality of the back alleys of the Internet.

Well, sorry. You don’t really have a choice.

For the fourth year running, MLB.com offered its Postseason.tv package for customers in the US and Canada to watch most of the playoff action for the pretty reasonable price of $4.99. The keyword here is most. The package included both Wild Card match-ups, the entire Division Series, and the ALCS; a maximum of 19 games for just a fiver. Not bad, except for the whole completely omitting two entire series thing.

Those series -- the NLCS and the World Series -- are broadcast by FOX. That FOX does not allow for some form of live streaming of their baseball broadcasts in 2012 is a confounding, sad and true fact of life. They are planning to get rid of their blackout policy in 2014, but you don’t care about 2014 right now.

So, what are your options? Well, you could finally make friends with your TV-owning neighbors or trek down to your local sports bar. And there’s always moving out of the country (except Canada) for the week, where the blackout restrictions magically disappear. But then you’d have to shell over $24.99 for the international postseason package, which is far too much to pay to listen to Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

Of course, if you’re brave enough, you could always try your hand at one of those back alleys. I know next to nothing about how the Internet actually functions, but I hear there’s a method to fool your computer into thinking you’re in Kenya when you’re actually in Iowa. It apparently involves tunneling bears. I also know a guy named Justin who does some TV stuff if proxies aren’t your thing.

Good luck. I’m sorry. Blame FOX.