"I don't know, Suzyn. I wish they'd ask me" | Sterling and Waldman fussing about the shift

Описание: These two will pull a smile out of you regardless of mood.

I literally can't watch/listen to other teams' pxp without thinking how much more I'd enjoy a game with ole John and Suzyn at the mic. A number of years ago I compared their charming style to that of an old couple watching from home, in the comfort of one's livingroom. Totally comes across thusly with this gem, no?

The WFAN booth wants to cheer like mad for their boys. If it wears pinstrips, if it sports that classic interlocking NY on a navy blue cap, John and Suz want to give a ballplayer their due when it comes to the accolades department. But they're not going to sugarcoat it. If the play of the field stinks or isn't necessarily up to Yankee standards, those two are going to call a spade a spade; even if their acceptance of much of the analytics era isn't quite there (Suz does try tho), they do a better job than most when it comes to leveling with their audience about the hometeam's performance or lack-there-of. And when it comes to the curious case of the tall left-fielder with an .800 OPS and virtually no contact skills beyond that of homerun distance and velo, John and Suzyn know that the shift ain't doing dude no favours. So of course they want that killjoy practice legislated out of Joey Gallo's hair. For their sakes as well, they don't want to have to go through one more season of offense stealing, joy sucking, machinations that aligns infielders in untraditional places.

Sterling's "I don't know, Suzyn. I wish they'd ask me" exasperation just screams the type of convo shared in livingrooms, bars, the backyard, or in a vehicle going anywhere while the radio's tuned to the summertime passion. Regardless of logo, a team's relative glamour, winning or losing streaks, the "I wish they'd ask me" lament is that of a fan of the game. Rather than hem or haw about high minded ideals about the game's rule book and the possible overstep of imposing legistation where only a rethink about smart-baseball-played be needed to mitigate the shift, John just wants to be done with it all. Indeed, why promise to get rid of the shift next year if there's acknowledgement that scatter chart influenced defensive strategies are making today's game less fun than it could be. Flush that joyless tactic right freakn' now!

That's what Sterling would tell the bosses. That's the type of thing that runs through most of our heads when an unathletic snag of a grounder or liner, due to the shift, steals away offense and adventure on the basepaths. And that's exactly why I love the ole coot.

Literally can't get enough of these two.

#JohnSterling #SuzynWaldman #WFAN #Yankeeswin #JoeyGallo #shift #MLB #baseballlegends