‘Connect’ to whom, MLB?

READER Gary Siegel has a question for ESPN’s Stanley Cup telecast producers and directors: “Isn’t it more important to stick with the puck rather than show players returning to the bench?”

I can answer that: With ESPN, you never know.

➤ MLB’s new “City Connect” uniforms are so clearly what Nike designed them for: to covet street-gang appeal, for MLB to better compete for the menace trade. Or do you think by now that Nike and its sports partners don’t by now know exactly what they’re doing, why, for how much and for whom?

Come to think of it, I’m surprised that Nike and its Chinese Communist Party business partners haven’t yet produced highly flammable USA, UK and Israeli flags for the pro-Hamas to burn.

The swoosh, as it is sacred, would be made of asbestos.

➤ As professional political lobbyists will tell us, bribes come in many forms, from winks and nods to as much as you can stuff in a duffel bag.

The PGA is paying — giving — Tiger Woods roughly $100 million and Rory McIlroy about $50 million essentially for not bolting for Saudi Government money.

Just in time, too, as both have bills piling up.

Wonder how, say, minitours grad Wilson Furr, No. 196 on the PGA winnings list at 80 grand, feels about that?

➤ Stats Amore!: In Tigers-Guardians on Wednesday, 10 players were in the lineup who were batting .194 or under.

➤ While U.S. colleges fall all over one another to recruit tennis players from countries as far flung as New Zealand, the current highest ranking U.S. pro is Taylor Fritz, at No. 13.

➤ In 116 at-bats, Cardinals DH Nolan Gorman has struck out 43 times and is batting .172. Ahh, but he has hit four home runs! Through 2 ¹/₂ seasons, Gorman has struck out 294 times in 805 at-bats — 37 percent of his at-bats! — but he has hit 45 homers, thus, as noted at the start of this column, that’s all that matters.