Smoltz’s silence on bullpen use speaks volumes
FOR ALL the just-say-anything filler FOX’s John Smoltz has spoken this month — his emphasis on trying to get the leadoff batter on is a real eye-opener, as was his Game 4 claim that “the Yankees don’t beat themselves” when they’d trailed 4-0 on two errors — he clams up when it counts.
The Yanks’ must-get trade deadline guy this summer was Sonny Gray. But in Game 4 of the ALCS, Joe Girardi delighted the Astros by yanking Gray, 27, after five-plus innings of one-hit, 85-throws pitching in a 0-0 game. Then, with the Astros up, 4-1, manager A.J. Hinch delighted the Yanks by removing Lance McCullers, 24, after six-plus innings and 81 pitches.
With both managers trying to lose, the Astros succeed, losing 6-4.
Despite the DH, here was another game in which very good pitching was swapped for the unknown. And Smoltz’s silence became his tacit approval.
The Yanks, as Smoltz noted, have a strong bullpen. Yes, sometimes. But why risk sometimes? Why pull Gray, the guy the Yanks just had to have when he was doing exactly what they got the guy to do?
It’s crazy, as if Smoltz, who threw a nine-inning, five-hit playoff game in 1997 — and pitched until he was 42 — felt this was practical, logical managing.
But credit FOX for this: Every time an opposing player reaches base, it cuts to Girardi to see if he’s on the phone. With Gray walking the first batter in the sixth, FOX either caught him grabbing the bullpen phone or ordering pizza.
If the future isn’t what it used to be, neither is humor. This week brought three examples of how cheap, pithy comments can
pith people off. Sunday during Giants-Broncos, NBC’s Al Michaels cracked, “The Giants are coming off a worse week than Harvey Weinstein.” That might have been partially excused had it been even marginally clever.
Later, Michaels apologized. Sorta. It was one of those dismissive jobs, as if a few viewers had no sense of humor about a man accused of being a serial sexual predator. Michaels said, “I was a little flip about somebody obviously in the news all over the country. It was not meant in that manner. So my apologies, and we’ll leave it at that.” Sure, whatever he says. Monday, after CC Sabathia won Game 3 of the ALCS, WFAN’s Steve Somers called it “an AA performance!” Get it? He was alluding to Sabathia’s admitted alcoholism. And what’s funnier than alcoholism?
The next day, on ESPN Radio-NY, Bart Scott, hired as a CBS NFL studio analyst despite several ugly episodes as a Jet, addressed Sunday’s Jets-Dolphins, saying of Miami QB Jay Cutler, “I hope his blood sugar is low.” Cutler is a diabetic.