MORE postcards from Paradise. Let’s see if we’ve got this Milton Bradley thing straight:
Cleveland dumps him in March because, no matter how talented, he’s trouble.
Late in the midst of a playoff race, the Dodgers suspend him because he’s trouble. (Days earlier, ESPN the Magazine celebrates Bradley, noting that while he’s “cocky,” “selfish” and “trouble,” the Dodgers “needed a little attitude.”)
Upon being returned for the playoffs, Bradley ignites a hassle with Jason Reid, an African-American LA Times Dodgers’ beat reporter, calling him an “Uncle Tom” for not backing him in print.
The hassle is taped by a Fox Sports Net crew – the worst damn sports crew, period – which then complies with the Dodgers’ order to erase the tape.
The next day, Dodgers’ owner Frank McCourt supports Bradley, stating that from what he was told, Bradley “didn’t raise his voice and tried to walk away.”
Of course, had the Dodgers not insisted that the FSN crew erase the tape, the Dodgers’ owner wouldn’t have had to take anyone’s word for what happened. (This is a variation on a WFAN ploy that finds particularly controversial Mike Francesa and Chris Russo segments to be the very ones FAN chose not to tape.)
What must now follow is what usually follows: HBO will commission Spike Lee to produce a feature showing Bradley to be a victim of the racist, white sports media, black sportswriters included.
*
Fox’s Steve Lyons, bottom of the fifth, Saturday, after Henry Blanco homered to make it 3-1, Twins, scolded Javier Vazquez for throwing it in the strike zone: “If you miss with that pitch you have to miss off the plate, away.”
Lyons, however, failed to note that it was a 3-1 pitch, thus, had Vazquez missed “off the plate, away,” it would’ve been ball four. In Lyons’ defense, he spoke after the third replay of the pitch and was likely stretched for something – anything – to say.
John Sterling, on the other hand (and of all people), proved prescient in the fifth. Calling the game on WCBS Radio, Sterling noted that with Vazquez getting hit, no one was warming up. Then, at 3-1, bases full and the Yankee bullpen suddenly busy, Sterling said, “Too late, a base hit here makes it 5-1.” Lew Ford then doubled to make it 5-1.
In the sixth, with Esteban Loaiza in, Fox play-by-player Josh Lewin applied for Employee of the Month when he said, “Loaiza started last year’s All-Star Game on Fox.” Oh, that All-Star Game, the one on Fox.
*
NCAA Builds Character Game of the Week: This one was disgusting and nationally televised. Saturday on TBS, Texas Tech, in its 70-10 win against Nebraska, threw 61 times, including throughout the fourth quarter. It was a TD pass that made it 69-10.
Fox’s just-because-he’s-there cuts to sideline reporter/clown Tony Siragusa, during Giants-Cowboys, yesterday, made clowns of us all . . . ESPN’s Joe Morgan just talks. And talks. And talks. Yesterday, with Braves’ starter Russ Ortiz having control problems and facing .240 hitter Brad Ausmus, Morgan said that Ortiz, “should not have run the count to 3-1.” As if he was trying to.
Just Plain Stupid Graphic of the Week: Down 23-17, Cal was stuck with fourth and goal from the USC 14 with 1:27 left. ABC then alerted us to the fact that Cal, this day, was 0/2 on fourth down. Is it possible that ABC’s producer, at that moment and under those circumstances, thought this stat to be relevant?
