YOU DON’T SAY
WITH apologies to Sir Walter Scott, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we determine to weave a tangled web.”
YES’s incomprehensible hiring of Carlos Beltran to call Yankees games (after the Mets signed him to manage their team, before terminating the deal due to his significant role in that Astros’ signstealing scandal) is one of those modern TV mysteries, like ESPN signing Troy Aikman for $90 million.
In the top of the sixth in the first game of the Angels-Yankees doubleheader Thursday, YES showed Angels manager Joe Maddon in an extended, animated, somewhat intemperate chat with the four umpires. Understandably, Michael Kay, David Cone and Beltran were unable to figure out what it was about.
As it turns out, Maddon suspected the Yankees were stealing signs. As he explained between games, among ace starter Shohei Ohtani’s 75 pitches, just three resulted in swings and misses.
“They’re really good at reading pitches. They’re very good at it,” Maddon said. “But I’m not accusing anybody of anything, except that they’re good at it. If you’re able to acquire things through natural means, I’m all into it. I think it’s great.”
YES did well to follow the story. Early in the second game, Maddon’s quotes were posted and read by Kay.
But seated beside Kay at the time was Beltran, a leader of perhaps the most notorious, admitted and punished sign-stealing ring in MLB history. Yet, he was asked nothing and volunteered nothing about Maddon’s take.
Having admitted his significant role in the Astros’ scandal, and per Yankees general manager Brian Cashman’s wishful claim that it played a big role in the Astros defeating the Yanks in the 2017 ALCS, and then in Houston’s World Series win, it was incumbent that we heard, either by obligation or prodding, from Beltran on this.
Such a natural follow-up would have been interesting, perhaps very interesting, even had Beltran said, “No comment.”
But nothing. Back to Beltran for more of his usual: stating the ingame obvious.
Such unfulfilled moments are now common among networks eager to hire the disreputable based on the cynical, desensitized conclusion that those who did extra dirt to their sports will draw extra viewers.
As Robinson Cano first batted on a Sunday nighter after returning to the Mets from his first drug suspension, ESPN’s leading man, Alex Rodriguez, two-time drug cheat and liar, gave Cano a lookaway pass. Not a word about what the audience well knew they most had in common.
That was both an insult to viewers and a reminder that ESPN was unable or unwilling to find a clean ex-player or professional broadcaster to serve as its face, voice and ideal of Major League Baseball.
Did ESPN, then, and YES on Thursday, think it could hide from the tangled webs of their own weaving? Did they think we’re that stupid?
Actually, from the moments Beltran and Rodriguez were chosen to be expert analysts, that’s exactly what they at least hoped: That we would buy anything, then sit there like the grinning saps they figure we are.
Beltran, A-Rod silent on subject they are experts at: cheating