Godspeed to beloved B’klyn great
I WAS too young to know the Dodgers before they left Brooklyn, but from the time I became a clerk in The Post’s sports department, nearly 50 years ago, I knew that “Oisk” — Carl Erskine — was a pitcher of high regard and a gracious, engaging man, of the highest regard.
And I knew that those who interviewed Erskine having never before met him came away overwhelmed by his generosity of spirit and time, especially on behalf of organizations that aid the impaired as Betty and Carl Erskine’s fourth child, Jimmy, was born with Down syndrome. The Erskines first stubbornly then successfully mainstreamed Jimmy until his death in 2023.
Carl Erskine died Tuesday, at 97. From what I can gather — and that’s plenty — he didn’t waste a minute being someone less than the best he could be.
➤ For a fellow with admittedly thin skin, Michael Kay seems eager to carry a “Kick Me” sandwich board. Tuesday on YES he excitedly declared that “[Juan] Soto hustles into second with a double!” Hustle? A replay clearly showed Soto stylishly languishing near the plate to watch his shot to center hit the bottom of the wall.
Kay could’ve — should’ve — made good faith with viewers by correcting himself, but apparently chose to pretend that we’re too stupid to know better, to believe what he says, ignore what we see. ➤ Breaking News: OK, NBC and Mike Tirico win. They so much want him to be seen and heard as a grinning, obedient NBC/Peacock shill that he appeared on NBC News this week to reveal the new CCP/Nike U.S. Olympic Team medal stand jackets to be worn during the Paris Olympics — exclusively on NBC and Peacock!
When I nod my head, you hit it, continued: ESPN+ is streaming exclusive live coverage of this week’s Chevron Championship, the LPGA’s first major. But now that it will be hidden by a paywall, its existence as a major might end this weekend.
Follow the Money Works Both Ways: Reader Rich Leary’s response to a come-on to purchase a 2024 Jets season-tickets package: “Sorry, I lost interest in season tickets long ago when the Jets decided to charge me $50 annually to remain on their waiting list. Please remove me from your promos list.”