A BUNCH OF PULL
G AME 4 of the Astros-Red Sox ALDS had entered the witching hours. That’s when managers make games crawl by tempting success, waving sorcerers’ wands at their bullpens. And that’s when FOX Sports 1 analysts David Cone and A.J. Pierzynski began to lament the not-so-long-ago “good old days” when no manager would dare throw in a promising, let alone winning hand.
Cone mentioned Jack Morris pitching all 10 innings in the 1991 World Series. Then both agreed that such is now impossible, Pierzynski concluding, “That’s the way it is these days.” True. But why? Soon, on TBS’ ALDS Game 3, Nationals star Max Scherzer was pulled after 6 ¹/3 innings of onehit pitching with a 1-0 lead. Manager Dusty Baker figured this was a good time to reach into a bullpen that all season had included fewer firemen than arsonists. And soon a 1-0 lead became a 2-1 loss.
Let’s recap: Scherzer, paid $35 million a year to pitch, was paid
not to pitch when it most mattered! He was pulled because he’d just allowed his first hit!
Wednesday, Cubs manager Joe Maddon, down 1-0, removed starter Jake Arietta then Jon Lester, both after superb pitching. Quickly: 5-0, Nats. Maddon last year similarly tried to lose the World Series — the Cubs’ first since the Dead Sea was just sick.
But we’re still supposed to be surprised by such new-age proforma impossibilities. When the Yankees blew an 8-3 lead in Game 2 of the ALDS after Joe Girardi prematurely pulled CC Sabathia, the outcry was considerable — as if Girardi’s decision was abnormal. But he has been illogically bullpen-dependent since Mariano Rivera retired in 2013!
Cleveland slugger Edwin Encarnacion disabled himself and inexcusably caused a double play in the first inning of Game 2 be- cause he couldn’t bother to slide back into second.
All we heard afterward was that Encanarcion is doubtful with a severely sprained ankle — not how or why it happened, as when Yoenis Cespedes hurt his leg “trying to stretch a single,” there was no mention he hadn’t bothered to run to first.
We can’t now watch a game at any level free from counterpro- ductive senselessness inspired by TV’s steadily corroding values.
As if Odell Beckham Jr. hadn’t done enough to become an incurable me-first jerk, he made sure to leave one more reminder before he was lost for the season.
Sunday, after catching a fourthquarter touchdown to bring the Giants to within five, Beckham spent so much time in rehearsed celebration of himself — engag- ing in “spontaneous fun” according to Roger Goodell — he caused a delay-of-game penalty on the ensuing two-point try.
Thus, as CBS’ Dan Fouts just said, “Beckham puts some life back into the Giants’ offense!” Beckham pulled their plug. The Giants went for two from the 7-yard line instead of the 2. They failed.
Though Fouts next explained that teams have 40 seconds to at- tempt PATs, he left Beckham’s extended cool-fool act unspoken. Next, CBS cut to commercials, dutifully replaying Beckham’s all-about-me bit in slow motion.
Savannah State’s football team Saturday lost to Hampton.
State’s Elijah Shah caught a pass and was about to enter the end zone when he stopped at the 1 to enter via an ESPN Top 10 somersault. But the rules now state that unless one vaults over or away from a defender, it’s an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty — and the kind of cautionary mandate that can prevent the seriously stupid from suffering serious spinal injuries.
Instead of a TD, Savannah State, now 0-5, was penalized 15 yards, starting at the 1, soon to kick a field goal, later to lose, 17-10.
Maybe I’m out of touch or just nuts, but if I were coach of any football team, mine would be told they will not be flagged for even one misconduct penalty; we will not risk a loss to the immodest, selfish, unaware, macho or just plain stupid within. And I’d offer plenty of cautionary video evidence, starting on Day 1 of practice, then again on Days 2, 3 and 4.
But what do I know? As Pierzysnki said, “That’s the way it is, these days.”