f
you keep Fox's Tim McCarver talking, he is
liable to divine what a player will do before
he does it. I wrote almost the same sentence
after the final game of last year's World
Series. But it remains true. McCarver is the
best announcer/ manager around.
During Game 7 of the World Series last
night, with Mariano Rivera pitching to Luis
Gonzalez in the bottom of the ninth and the
bases loaded, McCarver noted that the Yankees'
infield and outfield were playing in. The
problem, McCarver said, "is that Rivera
throws inside to left-handers."
He added: "Left-handers get a lot of
broken-bat hits into the shallow part of the
outfield. That's the danger in bringing the
infield in with a guy like Rivera on the
mound."
Promptly, Gonzalez delivered the
Series-winning hit into shallow left field,
precisely where the drawn-in Yankees shortstop
Derek Jeter could not get to it.
In the sixth inning, when Arizona's Danny
Bautista came up to bat with Steve Finley on
first base, McCarver said, "I don't think
a bunt is in order now," even though that
is what the situation appeared to call for.
"Bautista is swinging the bat so well
now," Joe Buck, his partner, added.
On cue, Bautista doubled Finley in, putting
Arizona ahead, 1-0.
McCarver's analysis looked even sharper
when Fox played a recording of Arizona Manager
Bob Brenly, a former Fox analyst who was wired
for sound, saying, "I put bunt on, then I
changed my mind, and I'm going to give him one
whack at it."
In the seventh inning, McCarver said,
"Clearly, Bob Brenly will pinch- hit for
Curt Schilling." But Schilling batted for
himself and struck out.
"I'm surprised," McCarver said.
"Fourteen home runs by his pinch- hitters
this year. You're running out of outs."
Buck suggested that Brenly was more
attached to Schilling, even after he had
thrown 90-plus pitches, than to his relief
corps. In the eighth, McCarver's view looked
ever more sound when Alfonso Soriano homered
off Schilling to put the Yankees up, 2-1. By
then, McCarver said the failure to hit for
Schilling amounted to "squandering an
out."
SIMILE OF THE NIGHT From McCarver, after
Paul O'Neill had swung awkwardly on strike
three in the fourth inning: "Like a rusty
razor through a thick beard."
REVEALING SOUNDS Since it started
broadcasting baseball in 1996, Fox's audio has
added immensely to its presentation. Last
night, when Brenly removed Schilling, the
manager told the pitcher: "You're my
hero, you're my hero. They ain't going to beat
us, big man."
VIRTUAL MANAGER The use of the virtual
manager — questions on strategy that fans
answered online at foxsports.com — was
intrusive enough through the first six games.
But in a tight Game 7, it was truly an
unnecessary diversion. With Mike Stanton
nearly picking off Tony Womack at first base
in the seventh, no one needed to see the
question: "Was pulling Clemens the right
decision?"
The eagerness with which Fox used this
feature made you think the online gnomes
should have asked truly provocative questions.
After O'Neill ran his first-inning double into
an out at third, they might have asked:
"Should Joe Torre have fined O'Neill for
robbing the Yankees of a rare base
runner?" Or, "Do you like the color
of McCarver's hair?"
THE EMMY UPDATES Maybe Fox thought it was a
public service to break into action with
bottom-screen reports on who won Emmy Awards
last night. But as Schilling was setting
Clemens up for a strikeout, did anyone care
that Peter MacNicol had won an Emmy for best
supporting actor in a comedy?
THE CLOSE-UP TALLY Fox loves those very
tight, very big, all-pores close-ups. In the
titanic Schilling-Clemens matchup, there were
50 of Schilling, 59 of Clemens
