BERN NOTICE
Honoring Williams on Memorial weekend is a slap at veterans
SO THE Yankees had to choose the Sunday before Memorial Day, a holiday when tributes are traditionally, logically and respectfully devoted to our war dead, to honor Bernie Williams.
Next, the Yankees had to turn what could have been a more sensible Bernie Williams Day on another Sunday into Bernie Williams Night on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. Next, MLB and ESPN could not have chosen a different Sunday night game, especially because it would be the Yankees’ fourth in the last seven. Next, the Yankees could not have lobbied MLB and ESPN to choose a different game for this Sunday night, even if families would have been better and more logically served, and even if Bernie Williams, as valuable as he was to the Yankees and as cherished as he remains to Yankees fans, doesn’t mean nearly as much to national audiences.
And it didn’t matter to any of the above parties that Williams didn’t serve in the U.S. military, let alone risk his life in combat. And Williams, too, might have known that this Sunday afternoon or night on Memo rial Day weekend was not the time to honor him, thus, flattered as he is, the above parties, given that it’s only May, should choose another date.
Nope, all out of the question. Clearly, the right Sunday afternoon game became the wrong Sunday night game.
So this Memorial Day we salute the head shotcallers: ESPN’s John Skipper, MLB’s Rob Manfred and the Yankees’ Randy Levine. At this time, we ask that you please stand, remove your hats …
In case there was any doubt ESPN hasn’t a clue, consider that twice during Sunday’s ClippersRockets playoff game, a graphic appeared noting that Doc Rivers was coaching his 12th Game 7, “Most Game 7’s in the 4 major sports.” That led reader Stuart Prager to ask if I knew that the NFL has bestofseven playoff series. Of course, I did: everyone knows that. However, they never go past Game 1.
While we’re at it, Mets radio man Josh Lewin on Monday was knocked over this stat: Matt Harvey has thrown 43 firstpitch strikes in his last 50 opportunities. That does sound impressive.
Yet, what is a firstpitch strike?
Surely such stats include called strikes, but what about firstpitch throws out of the strike zone that are hit foul or fair? If a firstpitch down the middle is belted for a home run is that not a firstpitch strike?
It’s like the NFL and its networks’ redzone stats. Thirdand7 from the 18yard line is the same as firstandgoal from the 2, right? They’re all redzone plays, right? Who knows and who cares? All we’re supposed to know is what we’re shown told: They’re very important stats.