Robin the Bat Man

Jason Michael Barker

Two good post-season starts in a row from Roger Clemens. Orlando Hernandez gets shelled in his final ALCS start then finally loses a post-season game Tuesday night. Could the post-season fortunes of these two hurlers finally be changing?

Nah. Clemens is simply too good to keep struggling in the post-season, while Hernandez was destined to lose a game eventually.

Notes on Game Three of the World Series while I duck that flying baseball bat...

? I caught the first couple of innings on the radio during the drive home, so you can imagine my disappointment when I found Charlie Steiner calling the game instead of Jon Miller on ESPN radio. Having listened to him on the Sunday night broadcasts a number of times this year Steiner has actually grown on me a bit, but he can't hold a candle to Jon Miller. Turns out Miller came down with a bad case of laryngitis -- tough break during the World Series, don't you think? Get well soon, Jon.

? I should have known the game was going to be a good one after the terrific starts by Orlando Hernandez and Rick Reed. Six and five strikeouts, respectively, through two innings? That's just sick, particularly for Reed, who isn't exactly known as a fireballer. Both wound up pitching great games -- Hernandez struck out a dozen in 7.1, while Reed allowed just six hits and one walk with eight strikeouts in his six innings of work.

? I'm not the biggest fan of Fox's television coverage, but there were a few humorous moments Tuesday night. In the third, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver were discussing 'Nsync's pre-game rendition of the National Anthem, and McCarver mentioned that it was the best he'd heard in quite some time. Buck proceeded to tease his partner about the 'Nsync posters he had at home, and how he'd be down at the record store first thing in the morning to buy a copy of the band's performance at the game.

It doesn't sound quite so funny when I re-tell it, but trust me -- it was a moment of great levity.

? The other amusing moment came later in the game when the cameras panned to MLB Dictator for Life Bud Selig, who was listening to the TV broadcast on a pair of headphones. FOX showed Selig just as Buck was reading the standard disclaimer -- you know, the one about you the viewer not being able to rebroadcast the game without the express written consent, blah blah blah.

As Buck read the diatribe, Selig nodded his approval, then laughed as Buck commented "he's listening in to make sure we get it right." Later, Buck asked the commissioner to wave for the camera, but Selig wouldn't oblige. As Buck noted, "We're watching, Bud," you could just read Selig's lips as he said, "I know," before bursting into laughter.

? Buck and McCarver weren't all fun and games Tuesday night, however. In the third inning after a questionable strike call, McCarver noted "A wide plate will benefit both pitchers." Before opening my mouth to criticize I gave him a second to explain -- perhaps Hernandez and Reed are particularly adept at working the corners? -- but the comment stood alone, leaving the viewing audience no choice but to say "duh."

? Last week I mentioned how much I enjoy watching the reactions of each dugout during the big moments of a game. During Game Three, FOX did a nice job with shots of tense fans during the same moments. To me that's good television because you and I can relate -- we've been there, sitting in the stands during high-pressure moments, watching our team with the game on the line. I'd much rather see those good crowd shots than a million replays of Orlando Hernandez' various arm angles or Joe Torre and Don Zimmer sitting in the dugout, for example.

? Did anyone else notice the website baseball was promoting during the broadcast? That's right, mlb.com. For years, that URL took you to the fine people at the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, whose only crime was registering their URL before the lazy bums over at the home office of Major League Baseball even knew what this whole Internet thing was.

I'm guessing baseball paid a pretty penny for this piece of prime WWW real estate, and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius even got a small sidebar ad on the new www.mlb.com.

? How important is Robin Ventura's bat to the Mets? His solo homer got the Mets started against Orlando Hernandez, and he added a double and a walk later in the game. I'm not normally too concerned about how many right- and left-handed bats a team has in the batting order, but Ventura is the only thing the Mets have going from the left side. Other than Timo Perez, of course...

? Though I'm pulling for the Mets out of sheer disdain for the Yankees, I wouldn't call myself a Mets "fan" by any stretch. Thus, I surprised myself a bit when I yelled "OK now, Benitez, don't blow it this time!" as the Mets took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth.

I hope you're not one of those people boycotting the World Series simply because you don't like the teams in it or the host city -- if you are, you've missed three great games. Don't worry, there's still time to catch Game Four.

At strikthree.com we're all amazed that Jason Michael Barker can actually hear what Buck and McCarver are actually saying, given the absurd way the sound is mixed on the FOX broadcast. So why not compliment him on his superhero-like listening powers at jmb@strikethree.com.