KEITH HERNANDEZ, JOSE REYES NEARLY COME TO BLOWS ON PLANE (RR)

You know I am only teasing. I love you babies out there — always have.

Jose Reyes and Keith Hernandez had to be separated on the Mets charter plane Sunday night after a tense confrontation over Hernandez’s critical comments about the All-Star shortstop.

A team source described the situation aboard the plane as “very heated.” One player told The Post that he thought Reyes and the popular former Met - now an analyst for the club’s SNY TV network - were close to exchanging punches until others stepped in.

Reyes said yesterday he was angry at Hernandez after numerous friends and relatives told him Hernandez accused the Mets of “babying” Reyes during the broadcast of Sunday’s 3-1 win over the YankeesNew York Yankees at Shea Stadium.

“He got his point [across] and I got mine,” Reyes, when asked to describe the confrontation, told The Post before he drove in three runs in the Mets’ 11-1 victory over the Cardinals last night. “I’m not too happy with the way he’s been talking.”

According to one account, strongly denied by both Reyes and Hernandez, what set Reyes off during the flight was when Hernandez allegedly responded to Reyes’ concerns by saying: “I was just doing my job - you should do yours.”

Miami Herald: Broadcaster Buck’s joke backfires

But Buck said by phone Thursday that he was joking. The only broader point he meant seriously, Buck said, was baseball must follow through on efforts to speed up the game.

...Bayless, ESPN’s resident gasbag, said, ``If I’m Bud Selig, I don’t want him being my national voice of baseball.’’

‘’Good for him,’’ Buck said of Bayless’ remark.

But seriously . . . ‘’It was a total joke. If it didn’t come across as that, you fault the joke teller. Baseball has been my life [forever],’’ Buck said, as he recalled accompanying his father, legendary announcer Jack Buck, to games as a child.

Buck assured Thursday that he watches a lot of baseball not only because ‘’it’s my job to stay current,’’ but also because ‘’I enjoy it.’’ He said he jokingly mentioned The Bachelorette only ``because I had watched it with my wife the night before.’’

On Thursday, Buck called Selig, baseball executive Tim Brosnan, Fox Sports president Ed Goren and Fox Sports chairman David Hill to apologize. ‘’I said it was wrong and I’m sorry and it won’t happen again,’’ Buck said. ``I learned a valuable lesson. You have to be careful what you say and I was not careful.’’

Buck said Selig ‘’joked that he’ll tell my mom to spank me.’’

Woo-hoo...I hope that shows up on that whacky The Caning Mutiny site!

No agreement between White Sox, announcer Darrin Jackson

Using their annoying built-in programmable illogical controller, Nehrube and Jackson unisonic out...“YESSSSS!!!”

The Sox hold an option on Jackson, and they don’t plan to let him know their intentions until late in the season or after the season, when they’re obliged to do so contractually.

“Common sense lets you know that obviously if they want you back, they would have already picked your option up,” Jackson said Tuesday in the Sox’s dugout at U.S. Cellular Field. “And if they wanted you back for a long time, they would have given you a long-term contract. But that doesn’t mean none of that’s going to happen. It still could.”

Sure, it could. But there’s a reason the Sox are biding their time, and two industry sources with knowledge of the situation say it’s an obvious one: Steve Stone.

If Stone doesn’t join a Cubs ownership group, the Sox would strongly consider moving him from their radio booth to TV to pair him with Hawk Harrelson. That could open a radio position for Jackson alongside Ed Farmer.

Joe Buck hates Mom, Baseball, Apple Pie. Loves the Bachelorette.

Y’know how every postseason in game chatter I am one of the few people who defend Joe Buck?

That ends now after I read this Awful Announcing post.

I’m borderline furious this morning and not just because I have to mention Colin Cowherd. Joe Buck was on ESPN Radio this morning, and you can’t make this stuff up, said he doesn’t enjoy Baseball anymore and chooses to watch the Bachlorette over nightly Sports telecasts during the week.

...
Without going off my rocker I just want to point out that this is the reason why everyone is upset with a lot of broadcasters in Sports. You have the coolest damn job in the World in Sports Fans eyes, and while you’re supposed to be serving as the voice of the fans, you act like you’re above the game. This is the main reason why Joe Buck and his kind are probably the worst thing for Sports. Buck wants to be a Hollywood star and doesn’t have time for the Sport that brought him to the dance. Well his father brought him to the dance in the family station wagon, but Baseball is ultimately who he’s partying with. You get my point.

Tip of the hat to the now Leitchless Deadspin.

Harold Reynolds to return as baseball analyst for TBS

I’m pretty, pretty sure I once saw “Brief and Innocuous Hugs” ring up on the GbV song title generator.

Harold Reynolds, off national TV since being fired by ESPN in July 2006, is back working on national TV.

Reynolds will debut Sunday as a studio analyst on a special where TBS will announce the All-Star Game rosters. Then he’ll appear on TBS’ regular-season coverage.

TBS also is negotiating with Reynolds and Dennis Eckersley, now a studio analyst for local Boston Red Sox TV games, to work its postseason coverage of the first-round playoff games and American League Championship Series.

Spector: Michael Kay’s seventh inning stretch

(Cassotto voce)...I sometimes forget how Kay got/keeps his job(s)...oh, yea.

I’m glad that we have the sound up on the Yankee game in the office tonight, because it gives me the chance to correct something that Michael Kay just said in passing.

In talking about the 100th anniversary of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” Kay joked that lyricist Jack Norworth must have “had a bad home life” to write the line “I don’t care if I never get back.”

Not quite. That line - in fact, the entire seventh inning stretch standard - is in the voice of a character named Katie Casey. What is sung at stadiums across America is actually the second verse of the song, whose introduction is all about what a big fan Katie Casey is. She’s the one who wants to be taken out to the ballgame when her beau wants to take her to a show.

The Sporting Blog: Joe Morgan Laughs at the Mention of Silly OPS (Video)

Cripes...Joe Morgan might need an annular grooved body noise detector implanted if VORP gets mentioned.

ESPN’s Joe Morgan has made it clear in the past that he has no use for statistics. I know this because a little over a year ago, he said, “My point is you can’t compare things with statistics.” That’s odd, because there is no better, more accurate, efficient way to compare players than with stats. This is especially true in baseball, where the stats are more meaningful and telling than in any other sport.

So, knowing this made Morgan’s reaction to Jon Miller bringing up Jim Edmonds’ OPS on Sunday night all the more hilarious:

Now, it would be presumptive and unfair for me to say that Mr. Morgan has no clue what OPS is, but I’m gonna go ahead and assume that anyway. At the least, he seems to be disgusted by Miller’s mere mention of this statistic. A statistic, which we should point out, that is one of the best measurements of a player’s offensive effectiveness considering it analyzes both their ability to reach base and hit for power. Unlike Morgan’s favorite stat, RBI, which, like wins, is a situational statistic that has as much to do with the ability of the rest of the team as it does with the individual player.

Walkoff Walk: Joe Morgan Besmirches Ernie Banks, Is Completely Wrong

Baseball for Gallimaufries (Paperback)

ESPN baseball ‘analyst’ Joe Morgan is notorious for gallimaufries and assorted verbal miscues when talking about players during games. He’ll misquote people, incorrectly recite stats, or worst of all, sully the career of one of baseball’s all-time greats:

But then Morgan did something completely bizarre: In the fifth inning, when Eric Patterson hit a two-run homer into the wire basket that overhangs the right field wall, Morgan referred to the basket as “Banks Boulevard,” and then went on to talk about how many Ernie Banks homers ended up in the Wrigley bleacher baskets back in the day—the implication being, of course, that many of Ernie’s 512 career homers were cheapies, and that he would have hit considerably fewer without the help of those right- and left-field baskets.

Blogger Dan Epstein took umbrage at this statement and did the necessary research. Turns out the wire basket wasn’t installed at Wrigley until May 1970, just over a year before Banks retired. It was installed, of course, to prevent the bleacher bums from falling over. Ernie hit only 7 homers in Chicago over that span, including his 500th that traveled deep into the bleachers, which certainly did not benefit from the basket.

Bugs & Cranks: Joe Buck Discusses Mark McGwire; Viagra Use in Baseball (Video)

Joe Buck continues to hate baseball...but luuuvs Merkle’s boner.

For the most part Buck’s Monday night appearance on The Late Show was uninteresting and uncomfortable. (No one’s yet told Buck he’s not very funny.) That changed when Letterman brought up Mark McGwire’s home run chase of 1998 and the conversation momentarily segued into steroid/viagra use.

Not a fan of Buck’s, but this might be the best minute, 24 seconds you’ll ever get out of him.

Joe finally got around to promoting the All-Star Game on Fox — his main objective of the appearance — as time ran out on the show. I’m sure Bud will be pleased.

Dodger Thoughts: Jaime Jarrin: An Extended Visit

Eric Enders’ definitely moral and just interview with “Hall of Fame-honored Dodger broadcaster” Jaime Jarrin.

Any final thoughts?

It has been a great experience to be with the Dodgers for 50 years. Everybody’s surprised to see that Vin Scully has been with the Dodgers for 59 years and I’ve been with them for 50. It’s really amazing to see that our two announcers have more seniority than everybody else. That’s very unique. The recognition that I’ve received really humbles me, and I’m very thankful to this country. This June 24th will be my 53rd year in this country, and I never thought I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, the first Hispanic to win the Ford Frick Award while living. And then to have a star in Hollywood—I’m the only Ecuadorian with a star in Hollywood. So it’s been great.

“I’m the only Ecuadorian with a star in Hollywood”...Mike Judge doesn’t have one yet?

Interview with Ken “Hawk” Harrelson

Eeeek!  More Hugo Drax attax of fashion statements!

I was blessed to know Howard Cosell and Curt Gowdy. In separate conversations, they both told me the same thing—don’t ever try to please everybody. And I don’t. My detractors? I’ve been around too long to let it bother me.

...Lou Piniella is one of my dear friends. I just want to kick his ass.

Piniella probably knows more about hitting than anyone on the planet. He’s a hard-nosed son of a b- - - -. He loves to compete. He’d fight ya in a heartbeat.

Ozzie Guillen is one of the most powerful personalities of any manager I’ve ever seen. We wouldn’t have won this World Series ring without him.

...I’ve been married for 35 years. My wife saved my life.

When you marry a Greek, you don’t get much of a say about marriage. I haven’t seen a paycheck in 35 years.

Sportscaster Charlie Jones, 77, dies of heart attack

He was also a play-by-play announcer for the Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies...according to Wiki.

Charlie Jones, the deep-voiced sportscaster whose career as a play-by-play announcer dated to the beginning of the American Football League in 1960, has died. He was 77.

Jones died of a massive heart attack Thursday at his home in the La Jolla district of San Diego, said his wife, Ann.

...Jones started at ABC in 1960, the year the AFL made its debut. He moved to NBC in 1965, remaining with that network until 1997.

Jones announced 28 different sports, while with NBC, from golf to tennis, baseball to figure skating. He called events at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Newsday: Best: SNY talks fairly, quietly about Mets

Wilpon throw his Propét, or keep Keith Hernandez...read on and find out!

Here is GM Omar Minaya during a visit to the booth Wednesday: “All of us are together in this. I know that Ron, you care; I know that Gary, you care. I know the radio guys . We are all in this as New Yorkers, and we want this to happen.”

In this together? Like I said, SNY mostly has avoided that trap. Or taken a sledgehammer to it.

During Mets-Padres Sunday, Keith Hernandez ripped the team for scheduling a charity function the night after a West Coast trip. Hernandez has irked ownership before with his political incorrectness, but this was a direct shot at Chez Wilpon.

The next day on 1050 ESPN, Michael Kay, a veteran of the team-TV channel tightrope, weighed in. “I am amazed Keith Hernandez can keep his job,” he said. “I’d be surprised if was not called on the carpet ... If I am the Wilpons and I’m watching at home I’m throwing a shoe through the set.”

I have no idea about the shoe, but it’s a good bet Kay accurately gauged the Wilpons’ reaction.

ESPN Magazine: Stuart Scott: Two Way

This question didn’t make the online version of Stuart Scott’s “Just Go Away” noodling...it’s only in that gorious mag of theirs.

Robert: Yo, Stu, how about a word for Mike Piazza? Greatest offensive catcher ever?

Scott: Robert, Piazza had a great career, but I’m old-school. I go with Roy Campanella, then Mike.

U.S.S. Mariner: DMZ: Rick Sutcliffe is a horrible person and ESPN’s no better

Not since ball-peen mad Peter William Coonan was allowed to visit his father’s gravesite has a Sutcliffe been treated so badly!

I was watching ESPN’s broadcast of the Braves game tonight, and there was a really, really weird moment where they were discussing Rick Sutcliffe taking time off to go get cancer treatment, and Erin Andrews was in the stands and wished him well or something — I wasn’t really paying attention, it seemed totally pointless — at which point Sutcliffe went off on a bizarre rant about her, how good she looked, her skirt, and how everyone was watching her and her skirt and when they cut to the broadcast booth, his partner had this weird look of terror and shock on his face, and they chatted about how distracting she was around the batting cage.

This should be Rick Sutcliffe’s last job announcing anything. He shouldn’t be hired to do dog races. He shouldn’t be able to ever get a quarter for hawking wares at garage sales.

I don’t care that he has cancer.

I don’t care that Erin Andrews is attractive, or that she wore a skirt.

He should be fired for making comments like that. More than that, he should be fired for this rant, about her.

...That’s it, that’s all I have. #### you, Rick Sutcliffe. #### you, other guy in the booth. You’re embarrassments to my gender.

AP: Bradley upset with comments by Royals announcer

Milton Bradley stormed out of the Texas Rangers clubhouse after an 11-5 victory Wednesday night over Kansas City and bounded up four flights of stairs looking for Royals television announcer Ryan Lefebvre. Bradley, who was the designated hitter, heard what he considered derogative remarks made by Lefebvre on a TV in the Rangers clubhouse.

General manager Jon Daniels and manager Ron Washington were close behind and intercepted Bradley before he reached Lefebvre.

“I don’t want to get necessarily into the details,” Daniels said. “He was upset. Someone who doesn’t know him was passing judgment on TV. It was obvious he was hurt by the comments.”

Bradley never reached Lefebvre, although he was within about 20 feet of him in the TV booth before being led back down to the clubhouse.
...
“It was a conversation about how Josh Hamilton has turned his life around and has been accountable for his mistakes,” Lefebvre told The Associated Press. “Right now, it seems like the baseball world and fans are rooting for him. It doesn’t seem like Milton Bradley has done the same thing in his life.”
...
“We weren’t tearing up Milton Bradley. I told (Washington and Daniels) this wasn’t a Milton Bradley rip session, but just based on the pictures we’ve seen in this series of him walking to the dugout all the way to right field, dropping his bat, making gestures to the fans in right field and above the dugout and taunting them. He’s the only person in baseball I know that does that type of stuff.”

Watchdog: Best: Phil Rizzuto predicts trouble for Mike Torrez (Video)

Phil Rizzuto cannoli be described as a racist!

Here is a YouTube clip for no apparent reason - upcoming 30th anniversary, I guess? - of Phil Rizzuto and Frank Messer setting up the Yankees-Red Sox playoff game in 1978.

Scooter dishes some cliches, laments Willie Randolph’s unavailability for the big game . . . and calls Mike Torrez “a very excitable Latin type.”

Yikes! Can you say that on TV? I guess you could in 1978.

MLBlogs: Harold Reynolds weighs in on Joba Chamberlain’s job change

Have you hugged your wasted 8th inning Galloping Gertie bridge reliever to Mariano today?

When I first heard the Yankees were considering moving Joba Chamberlain to the starting rotation, I didn’t like it. When it became official, I liked it even less! The end of a dynasty! Some might say that would be too extreme or maybe too harsh. Okay, how about: “The Yanks won’t make the playoffs this season, ending a 12-year run.”

Sorry Yankee fans, I know you don’t want to hear it, but unless they can find someone to close the gap from the 6th inning on, and get the ball to Mariano Rivera, the streak will end. Here are my top five reasons why you leave Joba Chamberlain in the pen.

1. Lights out

When Joba appeared in the 7th and/or 8th innings it was not to mop up games, it was to give the Yankees the best chance to win that night. One game at a time is how you have to think, and the best chance to win that game or any Yankee game, my friends, is by getting the ball to number 42, Mariano Rivera. Did the Yankees already forget the formula that made the core of this group of Yanks world champions four times?

Rivera to Wetteland...Nelson to Rivera.

Next it could be Chamberlain to Rivera! What good does it do to have the best closer in baseball if you can’t get to him to close the game out? Last year, the Yankees were 17-2 in games Joba pitched out of the pen. This year they were 15-5 when he came out of the pen. That’s 32-7. As I write this, the team has only won 32 games on the season. I don’t know about you, but I will take my chances all day long with those numbers.

Jim McKay dies at age 86

Jim McKay, the venerable and eloquent sportscaster thrust into the role of telling Americans about the tragedy at the 1972 Munich Olympics, has died. He was 86.

McKay died Saturday of natural causes at his farm in Monkton, Md., said son Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports.

....

McKay also was a minority owner of the Baltimore Orioles.

“The Orioles family mourns the loss of Jim McKay ... Even with all of his international success, he was committed to the city of Baltimore. The Orioles are fortunate to have had him as a valuable member of our ownership group. The entire Orioles organization extends its condolences to his family,” the team said in a statement.

Our thoughts are with the family of one of the finest sportscasters. Period.

ESPN: Kerry Wood can’t understand why Ron Santo isn’t in the Hall of Fame

Shockingly, I read this today in the ESPN Magazine...I then beat my dog with it until his diarrunning ass smelled like a Mega Men® VitaPak ad and then threw it away.

“The Hall of Fame vote and Ron Santo are talked about a lot in our clubhouse. He’s been denied 18 times, and after each vote we’ll look at his stats and ask, ‘Are these Hall of Fame numbers?’ You’ll get a yes from 95% of the guys. When you start digging into the numbers, I don’t think there’s any doubt. How can you not vote for a guy who was a nine-time All-Star, earned five Gold Gloves, had four top-10 MVP finishes, three top-10 home run finishes and four .300-plus seasons, and led the National League in walks four times? And if you look at all the third basemen who played between 1950 and 1975, Ron ranks second in HRs, third in hits, RBIs and games played, fourth in slugging, and seventh in on-base percentage. And he did it despite having diabetes. For him to play in the big leagues at that level is amazing.

“For some reason, third basemen get jobbed in the voting. There are only 13 of them—three Negro Leagues stars and 10 major leaguers. Nothing personal, but if George Kell is in [see chart], then Ronny should be too. Ronny crushed him in HRs, RBIs, hits and runs, and he did it with a respectable .277 career batting average, which is almost 25 points higher than the NL average during his career. I’m not saying Brooks Robinson doesn’t belong in the Hall, but Ronny played eight fewer seasons and finished with 74 more HRs, a higher batting average and on-base percentage, and nearly the same RBI total. I know, Ronny never played in the postseason. Neither did Kell or Ronny’s Hall of Fame teammates Ernie Banks and Ferguson Jenkins. Neither did Billy Williams when he was with the Cubs.

The Biz of Baseball: Brown: Sunday MLB on TBS: Comments from Marlins/Phillies Gm

And Maury adds..."When Buck Martinez and Chip Caray wax philosophically… or something like that.”

Caray on Citizens Bank Park being a hitters park: “I would think that this is the kind of ballpark where if you’re a hitter like (Ryan) Howard you don’t need to be (foul) pole conscious in this place.”

Martinez: “If you’re a hitter like Buck Martinez you don’t need to be foul pole conscious in this place. This is a very hitter-friendly ballpark. You don’t have to pull the ball to hit it out, anybody can hit it out anywhere.”

Martinez on whether or not hitting 500 home runs now is as relevant as it once was: “No, I don’t think (hitting 500 homeruns) is quite the plateau it was a few years ago, and certainly when you have guys like Frank Robinson and Willie Mays and those types of guys getting passed it loses some of its significance. Ballparks are smaller (now), no matter what you think about the steroid era and all of that, the ballparks are a lot smaller (now). You didn’t (used to) see as many ball players hit balls to the opposite field for homeruns and certainly the way it is now that’s just a standard.”

Steve Phillips: Leyland’s rant was right on

Why wait for Watusi Zombie to be regurgitatin’ the blues...when Steve Phillips is around.

Your thoughts on Jim Leyland’s rant: I have the utmost respect for Jim Leyland. Of all the managers that we get to talk to when we travel around to do games, he is the most impactful manager. He speaks in statements that the players (also speak in). ... More than any other city we go to, his players regurgitate his statements. He’s trying to make things happen and trying to get players to understand that they have to take personal responsibility for their performances each game that they play.

On the risk Leyland runs ranting: If you have to keep getting vocal and loud with every message that you send, then at some point it keeps taking more and more energy and more and more emotion to get across the same message. And you can end up losing your effectiveness. ... He’s doing the right thing to get emotional right now.

Do you think that the locker room cohesiveness that ex-Tiger Jason Grilli criticized has a major impact? I think if you’re winning, it doesn’t matter. If you’re losing, it’s the things that people point to. Quite honestly, I think for a middle reliever, Jason Grilli gets far more airtime or ink to his quotes than I think is appropriate. How is he an expert on what makes teams work? ... I think chemistry exists, but I’m not certain that it’s the cause of success. I think it’s more of the result from success.

Newsday: Best: Tim McCarver has no plans to return to local TV

And there was much joy in the streets!

On whether he enjoys the lifestyle of only doing national games: “That’s fair to say. I think my days of doing local broadcasting are over and have been for the last six years.”

On whether having Joe Buck do baseball only sporadically has been difficult: “It has not been a problem at all. I thought it might be when we started out and Joe was doing football in the middle of August. I thought there would be more of a problem, but I think this is further evidence that Joe Buck is as good as there is in the business and as good as there ever has been in the business.”

On whether he has thought about how much longer he will work: “The thought has passed through my mind, but one of the real rewarding things of my life is my work. The travel always is a problem. But it’s very rewarding to continue to do a good job and stay contemporary.”

Supreme Sports Justice: Rating The ESPN Baseball Analysts

Eric Young - Grade (D-) - Still out in left field. What the hell is he talking about? If there’s any one guy who makes almost no sense, it’s the guy they call “EY”. Perhaps the EY should stand for endless yapping. Ravech often pulls him out of his worthless rambling.

Joe Morgan - Grade (F) - THE worst analyst I’ve ever had the misfortune of listening to. Listen to him analyze, and it’s easy to know why some former major leaguers lack the baseball knowledge to succeed as manager. Morgan makes almost no sense on a regular basis, and he clearly doesn’t do much homework before his telecasts. Sure, we can respect his opinions, but they’re always ridiculous opinions. Great player…god awful analyst.

Rick Sutcliffe - Grade (B+) - Welcome back. He knows his stuff, and his pitching insights top Hershiser. Sutcliffe also demonstrates a sense of humor which helps. He’s a welcome sight when watching ESPN telecasts.

John Kruk - Grade (A) - Knowledgeable and entertaining. He’s a normal guy who knows how to grab your attention. You have to wonder what he could do as a manager. He’s the “average joe” we enjoy listening to when watching ESPN.

(Shakes head violently...performs tricky self-ouchiectomy)

Busted Halo: Discussing faith, family and Derek Jeter with Yankee Stadium announcer Bob Sheppard

BS:...According to the doctor, when I reach, “my fighting weight” about 145-150, he will allow me to go back to Yankee Stadium and finish the season. So my target date to be back is July 1. There is an All Star Game to be played at Yankee Stadium on July 15th and one of my goals is to be there and announce it. I did one years and years ago at Yankee Stadium but I can’t recall it. So now this would be something to remember. I do want to be there next year when we open a new Stadium. And I’d like to be the one who says, “Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen…Welcome to the NEW…Yankee Stadium.”

BH: Derek Jeter has requested a recording of your voice be played every time he gets up to bat. With technology the way it is now, would you like the Yankees to create a digital version of your voice to always be played at Yankee Stadium?

BS: No! No! No! (laughs) I didn’t even know that Yankee Stadium would preserve what I had been saying after introducing Jeter for years now. But they started using it because Jeter asked him to do it. And I didn’t even know that he (Jeter) had done the requesting (laughs)! He said, “Mr. Sheppard introduced me the first time I came to bat years ago and I want to keep going that way as long as I’m a Yankee, I want to hear him introduce me.”

Thanks to BTF...uhh, pal..Pete Abraham.

ESPN.com: Crasnick: After 14 major league seasons, retiring Boone in a better place

A couple of weeks in Columbus can make just about anywhere seem like a better place.  (I kid, I kid.  Sort of.)

Boone retires as the sixth-leading home run hitter among second basemen behind Jeff Kent, Ryne Sandberg, Rogers Hornsby, Joe Morgan and Joe Gordon. His four Gold Gloves at second base tie him with Craig Biggio and Bobby Grich for seventh place on the career list.

Not a bad career.  But was he a better player than his father or grandfather?

Newsday: Best: John Sterling has a memorable Memorial Day weekend

Baggypants Moskowitz...back on stage!

Saturday: OK, Sterling had a right to be confused about this one. But it still was entertaining to hear him describe the strange situation in which home plate ump Larry Vanover called Adrian Beltre out to end the game on a strikeout, except that there only were two strikes on Beltre at the time.

“Strike three is called on the outside corner! Ballgame over! Yankees win. Thuuuh Yankees win! . . . Adrian Beltre just stayed at home plate. Am I wrong? Is the game over? Beltre is just staying there at home plate. Now the home plate umpire Larry Vanover goes out to talk to Molina and the game apparently is not over. The Yankees were shaking hands and celebrating and patting each other on the back, and was it a strike or not? Obviously it wasn’t a strike. Music was playing. We heard ‘Yankees win’ from some fool in the booth. Don’t ask. I have no idea. I have absolutely no idea.”

Sunday: Jose Molina hit a big double that Ichiro Suzuki misplayed in centerfield. It was Molina, wasn’t it?

“Here is Molina. Matsui at second with two out. The pitch swung on and hit in the air to right center. Ichiro going back, a way back in deep right center. It lands for a base hit! How do you like that? Matsui scores, Cano goes to second with a double. Oh, it’s a ribbie double by Robbie Cano, don’t you know, and the Yankees take the lead! A ribbie for Robbie! . . . Excuse me, that’s Molina. What am I talking about?”

Steve Lyons says he didn’t deserve to lose job in ‘06 (RR)

Ohh...just do what Dick Williams and Pants Rowland did and go into managing. I’m sure Smitty would approve.

“I’m not over it,” Lyons, who handles color commentary for a limited number of Dodgers games, said Monday at Wrigley Field.

“I still don’t think I did anything wrong. I think it was a knee-jerk reaction.”

..."It wasn’t like I was a weekend hire for Fox,” Lyons said. “I had been there for 11 years. I won three Emmys. I paid my dues and I did my job. So it still hurts. But as a person you have to go on or you will let it kill you forever. The monetary concerns were ... that was about 80 percent of my salary.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the Dodgers organization for standing up for me and saying that they think I didn’t do anything wrong. Certainly the Los Angeles market that is so heavily dominated by Hispanic viewers ... if they didn’t think I did anything wrong, then obviously you have to put some faith in that."[Being retained by the Dodgers] was huge for me, because if they had let me go, I would have been an ex-broadcaster and labeled as a bigot, basically. That isn’t anything fun to be tagged to your name.”

Newsday: Best: Keith Hernandez rips ex-mate Gary Carter on air

Kid non-gracious Kid
You look so small you haven’t gone so quiet

Keith Hernandez ripped his former Mets teammate, Gary Carter, during yesterday’s game on Ch. 11, calling him “unconscious” after Carter openly campaigned for the managerial job currently occupied by Willie Randolph.

“I have great respect for Gary as a player,” said Hernandez, now a TV analyst. “He’s a Hall of Famer. When Johnny Bench left the game, he was the premier catcher in the National League.

“But that being said, and I’ve kept quiet for such a long time, but for the people out there listening, just go in the dictionary and look up ‘unconscious’ and you’ll find a picture of Gary Carter.

“I know that’s strong, but it just happens too many times and it’s just, you’re walking around unconscious.”

...Before Hernandez’s shot at Carter, play-by-play man Gary Cohen said: “Regardless of what happens, you can’t be any more indelicate or graceless than Gary Carter was in saying the things he said about being available to take over the job. I just cannot believe that Carter said what he said.”

Country Genius: Fact-Checking Joe Morgan’s Autobiography

An examination of the events of August 29, 1970, and even more confirmation that Joe Morgan can’t be trusted.

I’m at the point where I can’t stand Jon Miller either, but I suspect this is merely guilt by association. “Well, you know, Joe ...” Ugh. But that isn’t Miller’s fault. Morgan just ruins everything. He could be standing by while a bikini-clad Maria Sharapova asked me to help her apply suntan lotion and I’d have to leave the beach.

Well, I won’t go that far. He does, however, ruin most things.