MLB’s worst trends on display on biggest stage

QUESTIONS from Game 3 of the World Series: 1) Why does Manny

Machado, who again turned a double into a single, bother to wear spikes?

2) What hath baseball wrought? Eight times in the 18-inning, 3-2 Dodgers’ win, the leadoff batter reached first. But then there was only one attempt at a sacrifice bunt, and that was a successful one, in the third inning by Boston pitcher Rick Porcello.

Otherwise, another mindless — 18 hits, 34 strikeouts, effective pitchers yanked — home run or whiff “classic.”

3) Why, other than for mindless fashion points, would sudden Dodgers slugger Max Muncy risk lasting infamy by standing at the plate, posing, as his game-ending homer barely cleared the wall?

One last try, but probably not: Games make stats! Stats don’t make games!

Last weekend, as the Knicks played the Celts on MSG — hey, kids, did you know that before they switched to black the Celtics wore green uniforms? — sideline re- porter Rebecca Haar

low noted what had previously been reported:

David Fizdale wants 6foot-11 Enes Kanter to take more 3-point shots.

Why he’d want one of the NBA’s most proficient inside men to spend more time far from the basket, I don’t know. Kanter’s an accomplished offensive rebounder, but not from 25 feet.

Regardless, we were told Fizdale wants Kanter to take two or three 3s every game.

So how does that work? Just take them early and get it over with, or wait un- til late in close games? Does it matter if Kanter allows game circumstances to dictate, or that he just shoot two or three 3-pointers, no more, no less?

“Time out! Come here, Kanter! Four minutes left in regulation and you’ve taken only one 3-pointer!”

TV should observe Throwback Week, when useful, short-form English is spoken, just for old times’ sake. What Fox’s John

Smoltz has described during this and last postseason as “pitchers trying to extend the strike zone,” used to be known as trying to make batters swing at bad pitches.

QBs no longer scramble, they “look to extend the play.” What play? It’s cooked; that’s why they’re scrambling! Man, could Fran

Tarkenton extend the play! Ball carriers no longer cut to their left or right, they “stick a foot in the ground.” That’s the same place where what used to be known as fumbles wind up because players “put it on the ground” — even when “running downhill” (as opposed to straight ahead).