Lights Out For YES Network
- Sunday, June 21, 2009 12:42 AM
- Written By: Steve Scafa
In the bottom of the 6th inning of Saturday night's Marlins-Yankees game, Florida was leading 1-0 with one out and Hanley Ramirez on first. First baseman Jorge Cantu hit a line drive to left field which Johnny Damon dropped. By the time center fielder Melky Cabrera retrieved the ball and threw it in, Ramirez scored from first base with the eventual winning run in a Marlins 2-1 victory. The line drive by Cantu was clearly an error by Damon but was originally scored a double and an RBI by the official scorer. That decision, thank goodness, was later changed to what it could only have been scored, an error. This play ignited a series of comical guesses/assumptions by the entire YES Network about why Damon dropped the ball. WARNING! Take two aspirin BEFORE reading this post.
When Damon first dropped the ball, lead announcer Michael Kay declared that Damon, "couldn't see the ball." Huh? How do you know, Mike? In a split second, an outfielder drops a ball and you assume it's because he couldn't see it? Wow. Unfortunately, analyst Paul O'Neill, who I happen to think is excellent, disappointed. During a replay, O'Neill said, "Damon got to a spot and I guarantee because of this lighting he kinda lost this ball." Ken Singleton finally added a little bit of sanity to the discussion as he added that "Only Johnny Damon knows if he lost the ball in the lights or not." That's right, Ken. Thank you.
A further discussion ensued about whether a dropped ball caused by the "lighting" should be scored a "team error." Cue laugh track. The funny thing is that replays from all angles showed that Damon didn't so much as squint let alone shield his eyes in any way. It was obvious to this observer that he DID NOT lose it in the lights. ( While this all went down, I was on the phone with my brother-in-law telling, uh, guaranteeing him that Damon would say that he did not lose it in the lights). What the boys in the booth couldn't get past was the fact that Damon barely laid a glove on the ball. Haven't they been watching professional baseball lately with all the dropped pop-ups?
The game might have ended but the YES Network was just getting started. Studio host Nancy Newman during the post game wrap-up with boys in the booth, naturally, brought up the subject of the lighting in the stadium. Of course, it had to have played a part in Damon's drop, right? Reporter Kim Jones in the locker room asked starter, and loser, A.J. Burnett, if he figured Damon lost the ball in the lights. Burnett, a former Marlin, assumed he did. After all, it's a tough stadium to play in because of the "lighting," isn't it? Whew! I'm tired. I wish someone would just ask Damon if he did, in fact, lose the ball in the lights.
Well, what do you know? Jones, finally makes her way over to Damon's locker and asks the $64,000 question. Damon's answer was an emphatic no! "No, I had a good read on the ball. I knew what the ball was doing. He kinda inside outed the ball and I knew the ball was going to center and I wound up missing it by a foot. It's totally unacceptable," said Damon. Jones then asked, "What about the fluttering in your eyes? Did that contribute?" Damon reiterated that he "saw that ball all the way. Missed it by a foot."
How could this be, Johnny? What about the lighting? How is it possible that a NEW YORK YANKEE just flat out dropped a fly ball? Never in the eyes of the YES team of announcers could this happen. As if we didn't already know why it's not a good idea to assume anything at anytime, these guys reminded us of that fact as they had NO business assuming anything until they had spoken to Damon. Besides, it's not as if Damon hasn't had trouble with fly balls before - Toronto last year, Boston this year - so what's the big surprise?
I told you to take two aspirin before reading this, didn't I?
