Not since Bill White jousted with The Scooter has a Yankee announcer displayed such an enjoyable balance of humor, insight and awe - the astonishment of an Everyman given an open mic. Long ago, Coney became the best thing on YES, and though he'll remain with the Yankees' version of Fox News - he'll call about 50 games, rather than 90 - and it won't be the same, having him all to ourselves.
My favorite Coney moments came when he'd casually mention some ancient punk band - the Violent Femmes, the Ramones, et al - dazzling Kay, who seems to have grown up in a Rosemary Clooney cult. Once the national audience gets a taste of him, I believe Cone's time at YES will be numbered.
Meanwhile, last year's only reason to watch a Yankee postgame show was to hear Buck Showalter's unvarnished dose of reality. Win or lose, Showalter would say the things that Aaron Boone - his shadowy face an ever-deteriorating painting of Dorian Gray - would never dare speak aloud.
Actually, ESPN scores a second victory from Coney's hiring: It ditches Alex Rodriguez, who two years ago seemed to run out of gas. Unlike many of you, who hate A-Rod with the heat of a billion suns, I sorta enjoyed his primal insecurity and need for constant affirmation. According to the Internet, he's going to team with Kay in a "Manningcast." Dear God, that sounds horrible: Two of the most needful egos in sports, orbiting each other. Good luck with that.
All of these present continual diminishments to the Yankee brand. Whenever I hear of proposed changes to the game - a speed-up clock, the extra-inning rules - they always seem designed to save the owners money, rather than improve the product. For a century, the rules never changed. Now, they're tweaked every winter.
And on top of everything, a little less Coney, all to ourselves.
ReplyDeleteIn the immortal words of Michael Ray Richardson:
"The ship be sinkin."
Actually the A-Rod infused "Manningcast"...
ReplyDelete(Which apparently has entered the lexicon and deservedly so. That said, I'm sure it will morph, and eventually become as annoying as the "gate" derivatives of Watergate. But for now let's all enjoy its infancy.)
Where was I...
Ah yes, Actually the A-Rod infused "Manningcast" will hopefully put to rest the myth of A-rod's popularity as a broadcaster.
By isolating him on his own broadcast fans will no longer have to put up with his, what ever that is, to watch the game.
Michael Kay is a relative unknown to the rest of the country. This is A-rod's show. Now there will be a metric. A real one.
Good bye. Good riddance.
Last...
I want to take this opportunity to again advocate for the Duquecast (See, it's morphing already!)
The Violent Femmes were a punk band?
ReplyDeleteWhat?
Well, they DID do that show tunes album...
ReplyDeleteActually, my wife thinks their biggest hit should be my theme music: "Let me go on/ Like a blister in the sun..."
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, Duque, you are spot on about how MLB keeps fixing things that don't need to be fixed, all to save them money.
ReplyDeleteGetting rid of extra-inning games, with their unknowable end times (a television nightmare!). Getting rid of those expensive minor leagues!
Ads on the uniforms is coming, and when it does I think I will stop watching.
Yawn - I may arrange for an uninterrupted sleep cycle until April. Who's with me?
ReplyDeleteAnd probably no Michael Kay on Sundays, which leaves more time for Rucco and his over the top stats.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Coney, But I always enjoyed Ken Singleton too.
ReplyDeleteMy love for Paul O'Neill has waned. He has become tedious. A big part of that was him broadcasting from his basement instead of the game itself.
I will give him a chance to restore my enjoyment of his banter when he arises from his tomb and is actually attending the games.
But, can we please have THE Master, you know who I'm talking about, broadcast some TV games? A weekend series with KC would become instantly more enjoyable. Maybe a series at a NL city so he can wax eloquently about the lack of the DH.
Please YES, please.
@Hoss...In Japanese baseball there is a time limit: the game ends after a maximum of 12 innings or 3.5 hours, whichever comes first, so games do sometimes get recorded as ties in the standings in Japanese baseball. Doesn't apply to Game 7 of the Japan Series.
ReplyDelete