When Major League Baseball produces its official 2024 World Series video, will it include the assault on Mookie Betts by two Yankee fans sitting behind the right field wall in foul territory?
Don’t see why not.
After all, a large swath of media (social and otherwise) treated the nationally televised caper more like a comedic moment perpetrated by Yankee season ticket holders, than the criminal act of two suddenly famous fools who belonged in jail Tuesday night for forcefully separating the Dodgers right fielder from the baseball and the glove it was lodged in.
Fox Sports’ Joe Davis and John Smoltz, the network’s top baseball voices, set the tone. They were first to project a laissez-faire vibe to the millions of eyeballs watching the broadcast. Perhaps they are already conditioned to the flock of inebriated “adults,” who turn stadiums into massive saloons where you also have the opportunity to watch professional baseball being played.
Davis did play-by-play of the unfortunate first inning, Game 4 incident. Then, with the replay airing, expectations were for either Davis or Smoltz to express an opinion about the fans antics mugging Betts, which resulted in Gleyber Torres being called out because of for fan interference.
“Betts has that ball in his glove and that fan literally tries to take his glove off,” Davis said. “[He] pries the ball out of there [the glove]. ‘A’ for effort.”
Davis’ ambiguous ‘A’ (or was it sarcastic) for effort message was confusing. It left the perception he was not shocked by the ball snatching interference. Or maybe he’s not in the business of delivering hot takes on a World Series telecast. Yet during Game 5, Davis called the Betts interference an “unfortunate” incident while reporting how MLB/Yankees had given the banished fans tickets to a pediatric cancer patient and his family.
Then there was “The Pat McAfee Show,” the home office for the altered state of mind. McAfee, who wasn’t really convincing, told his ESPN audience and guest, baseball columnist Jeff Passan: “… We are not on the intoxicated Yankee fan’s side here.”
Ty Schmit, one of McAfee’s cast members, gave viewers a reason to believe their fearless leader was not being totally truthful. Schmit: “Fans don’t do that [interfere] … [but] if you are in that situation and you D-Up your area, then do what you got to do and live with the consequences.” Which could include, as Schmit pointed out, “a heroes sendoff.”
Passan tried pushing back. The analytics indicated he was not preaching to the choir. He said the offending Yankee fans “deserve every bit of criticism and they got kicked out of the game.”
And considering how some in the media portrayed them as lovable losers, their antics might be replayed in that World Series highlight video. If only to chronicle another sign of the times we live in.
NOT DEAD YET
Guess the Mets riveting comeback on the way to the NL East title didn’t provide any lessons for Steve Gelbs, SNY’s Mets reporter.
In his other role hosting the network’s Jets pre and postgame shows, Gelbs opened the postgame, following Gang Green’s 25-22 loss to New England last Sunday, saying: “The Jets season that began with Super Bowl expectations is over on October 27.”
Like some of his colleagues who had the Mets season over in May, Gelbs fearlessly buried the Jets long before mathematical elimination.
While Jets brass may not like his take, Gelbs need not worry. If he should turn out wrong, no one will hold him accountable. They will probably forget Gelbs held the Jets funeral with nine games left. Thursday night/Friday morning, his tone was anything but funereal after the Jets beat Houston 21-13.
“They did it,” Gelbs said on the postgame show. “The Jets break a five-game losing streak.” Did he forget about putting the nail in their coffin less than a week ago?
By the way, if the Jets season is already over, why even bother watching SNY’s Jets pre or postgame shows?
BEHIND THE SCENES? YES
Aaron Boone and his players were so overcome with emotion and grief, the manager didn’t arrive at the interview room until 12:41 a.m.
The YES Game 5 postgame show had been underway, while the Dodgers were still celebrating outside on Yankee Stadium turf and inside the visitors’ clubhouse. All the noise seemed to stop when Boone, looking down, covering his eyes and pausing, finally said:
“The end is cruel. I’m heartbroken.”
For the Yankees, it was the emotional moment of the season. It gave viewers a clear-eyed picture of what a distraught Boone was experiencing — the closest of looks.
That’s not the only way YES used its World Series crew to bring late night/early morning viewers inside the games.
Like Saturday, after Carlos Rodon gave up three home runs and couldn’t get through the fourth inning of Game 2, John Flaherty presented a possible cause of the pitcher’s problems.
While watching the Fox telecast, Flaherty saw Rodon constantly looking at his fingers. Flaherty reasoned Rodon was being bothered by blisters.
MANAGING AN OPINION
When it comes to accusing Aaron Boone of being a player’s manager, Christopher (Mad Dog) Russo has plenty of company.
“Boone is too cozy with his players,” Dog said during his Tuesday SiriusXM show.
Yet it appears those who agree with Dog’s take on Boone forget the Yankees high command wanted a “softer” manager to replace the clenched fist personality of Joe Girardi.
BAD NEWS ABOUT BOB
According to published reports (first reported by The Athletic), Bob (Rapping Roberto) Costas has decided to retire from doing baseball play-by-play. There is no way to spin this bad news.
Only in the dysfunctional world of sports TV or sports entertainment, could a multi-decade talent who still is 1) An historian of the game 2) Fearless, opinionated and engaging, 3) An entertaining stylist and 4) A conscience of the game, “decide” to walk away.
Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
AROUND THE DIAL
Derek Jeter came up big on Fox’s World Series pre and postgame shows. The captain’s dry sense of humor combined with his story telling ability makes him a compelling watch. And Jeter doesn’t feel compelled to ramble on. … Fox resisted the temptation of adding a third voice, likely a high profile current player or manager, to its World Series booth. In the past, the Foxies would add a voice for its marquee value. The results were mixed. … Working the World Series on Fox, Joe Davis and John Smoltz didn’t suck. They were solid but on the vanilla side. That they had no strong reaction to the fans who assaulted Betts suggests they may need a gut check. … ESPN Radio got excellent results using a three person (Jessica Mendoza, Jon Sciambi, Eduardo Perez) World Series booth. The three have worked together before. Calling Yankees-Dodgers they were mechanically efficient and entertaining. And they never forgot they were working a radiocast. … During a visit to Mad Dog Russo’s SXM soiree, commissioner Rob Manfred was asked what he thinks of playoff games airing on the ratings-challenged FS1? “No rap on FS1, but I, in all candor, I don’t think there is a commissioner in professional sports that wouldn’t admit to you that given the choice you’d always rather have the reach of a broadcast network,” Manfred said. Hey, if the commish will dump on FS1 publicly, imagine what Manfred says behind closed doors about the Foxies sticking his product in the boonies of TV? … If his health is good, don’t discount the possibility of “the retired” John (Pa Pinstripe) Sterling returning to the Yankees radio booth in some form or fashion. Or maybe he does some sports talk radio dates.
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DUDE OF THE WEEK: JEFF VINIK
For taking care of business. The outgoing owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning took part of his profit and handed out $60,000 bonuses to team employees for a job well done.
DWEEB OF THE WEEK: TYRIQUE STEVENSON
For messing up priorities. What a blunder by the Bears defensive back on the game ending play at Washington, spending time taunting the fans during live game action.
DOUBLE TALK
What Aaron Boone said: “It [a Juan Soro at-bat] is a combination of the battle that ensues, but with a theatrical element to it.”
What Aaron Boone meant to say: “I hope we can ‘afford’ many more of those at-bats.”
