Sunday, July 12, 2015

Is that an apology? Because it didn't sound like an apology.

On yesterday's Fox broadcast of the Yankee game, I watched about one inning.

Aaron Boone (I think) said that Brett Gardner is a guy who doesn't strike out a lot and puts the ball in the play. Aaron Boone (I think) said this while Gardner was batting in the first inning.

Without getting into advanced metrics about plate discipline, Gardner has struck out 71 times so far this season. He struck out 134 times last season and 127 times in 2013.

It is probably the biggest problem in Gardner's game.

So what are you gonna do? Aaron Boone is an ignorant national broadcaster. It's one of the problems with the national broadcasts.

The local writers, to no surprise, aren't any better:

"For all the media obsession about Alex Rodriguez making the All-Star team — his presence in the game would have increased TV ratings by two people, because his daughters might have watched ..."

I don't think that's accurate, but it begs the question: how many people are tuning in to see Brett Gardner?


" ... what was much more meaningful and much more important to Yankee fans I know was that Brett Gardner make it to Cincinnati, which he did this week when he replaced Alex Gordon of the Royals."

"Yankee fans I know."

Kind of explains why Gardner was 4th in the voting. The overwhelming meaningful and important pop culture phenomenon that Brett Gardner has become in New York.


"Somehow Gardner has been here since 2008.

Somehow he turns 32 in August.

You say 'somehow' because it seems like just the other day he was a dirty uniform just trying to find a way to last at Yankee Stadium, even though he didn’t look the part of the kind of stars that the Yankees were obsessed with for years and years and years."

Huh???

Gardner didn't look the part???

For what it's worth, all fans everywhere love gritty white guys. He's a good player. I think the media coverage underestimates the fan's knowledge and appreciation of Gardner.

Don't blame us.


"Now he is playing better than he ever has in his career and even though he was never going to win the fan vote and be the last player sent to Cincinnati, he is going, anyway.

Clearly no one who covers him will ever find him as fascinating as Rodriguez, who is only treated like the most interesting man in the world here."

This is just about the first time you've ever written about Gardner ... and, when you do, half the article is devoted to ARod.

Gardner exists only in his relation to ARod.

Then, you blame the audience for their obsession with ARod, when we're not obsessed with ARod.

You. You are the problem.







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