Constant clutter clouds Kay’s good moments

SUNDAY in the 10th inning on YES, John Flaherty asked Michael Kay what he thought about this automatic runner-on-second gizmo, clearly to encourage-by-fabrication ball-in-play action that has been lost to either/or baseball.

Kay: “I wouldn’t mind it so much if they at least did it in the 12th, but I don’t think I like it in the 10th. Give teams a chance to win it with real baseball instead of something contrived.”

Right on. Couldn’t agree more.

And that’s when Kay is at his best, in extemporaneous moments, leading with his natural side as opposed to what he rehearses then repeats ad nauseam (now available without a prescription!).

Otherwise, he’s self-saturated in conspicuous contrivances. What he might consider creative and clever, quickly becomes tired, self-promotional and predictably silly as he sells silly as his signature calls.

Saturday, with the Yankees down, 4-0, in the ninth, Kay made with his standard, “Do the Yankees have a rally in their bones?” Ugh. Sunday, as the game moved to the 10th, it was his “Free baseball!” Enough!

He also parrots what only sounds good. Sunday, Brett Gardner, from a 1-2 count, walked. “A good at-bat for Gardner,” said Kay.

Not it wasn’t, not even close. That walk was a gift. He was the beneficiary of bad pitching by

Diego Castillo, who next threw three pitches nowhere near the plate. Gardner would have been mad to swing at any of them.

And now Kay ends telecasts with his home run call, “See Ya!” His presence is too often predicated on the contrived, prefabricated self-service that doesn’t benefit him or us.