TUESDAY on MSG, after Howie Rose noted that the Padres’ Trevor Hoffman, in to pitch with two outs in the ninth and a 7-2 lead, can pick up a save, Keith Hernandez was astonished. Rose explained that as long as the tying run is on deck, a save is in order.
“I wanna come back as a closer,” moaned Hernandez.
Hoffman threw two pitches and, having protected a five-run lead, picked up his 29th save.
Oddly enough – although the save rule is the worst continuing statistical joke that’s seriously reported in any sport – that same night, in Pittsburgh, the Cards’ Jason Isringhausen came on to pitch with two outs in the ninth and a 9-5 lead. It was Isringhausen’s 27th save of the season.
And that same day, in Chicago, the Astros’ Billy Wagner pitched the ninth to earn his 27th save. Wagner allowed a hit, a walk and an earned run.
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The most hopeful sign of the week came from MSG Network, which in Tuesday night’s early edition of “SportsDesk” anointed the bat-pointing, chest-pounding kid from the Harlem Little League – his showboat act celebrated live, that night, on ESPN2 – with its “Play of the Day.”
But by the time SportsDesk’s late edition aired, the Play of the Day had been changed to a great catch made by the Twins’ Torii Hunter.
An MSG spokesperson said that the change was the result of “an editorial decision,” which we interpret as a fit of conscience.
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The more I consider the claims of Jose Canseco and Ken Caminiti, the less I’m inclined to think of them as exaggerated. ESPN Classic last week presented a 1987 Phils-Expos game. The most instantly and continuously striking part of the telecast was that the players – including the sluggers – were skinny, compared to today’s models.
The college football team least worried about disciplining its players for not attending classes this season is Northwestern. The team, beginning this month, will have played four games before classes even begin.
OK, so consumer-protective Cablevision has lost the Nets to the YES Network. So then how much will Cablevision rebate subscribers for the loss of the Nets? Don’t hold your breath.
