Why Can't Broadcasters Say That Someone Was Hit In the Groin?

The TBS broadcast is getting a lot of flak, a fair bit of it for good reason (I'm looking at you, Chip Caray).  I still furrow my brow from two years ago when thinking of him belaboring the reason for Chien Ming Wang's ineffectiveness in the '07 playoffs, as he kept insisting that at 92-93mph, Wang was throwing too hard and that is a bad sign for a sinkerball pitcher.  Hey Chip - Wang ain't Tommy John.  It's called a power-sinker and if you watched a single start of Wang's career up to that point, you'd know it.

It's this kind of analysis that almost makes you wish a representative from each hometown team was up in the booth for the playoffs.  That idea probably sounds grand until you come to in a cold sweat with visions of Rex Hudler stepping behind a microphone for the upcoming series.  Hudler put himself on the map by being a regular on one of the past Jim Rome radio shows, which tells you all you need to know.

All this said, Chip Caray and Ron Darling earned points with me last Sunday night, by acknowledging that Delmon Young fouled a ball off his protective cup.   It may have been the first telecast I've seen that featured such misfortune that did not involve broadcasters who you felt were about to make a joke about "ringing the bell", or the victim being left with a high-pitched voice.  Often I feel like they're about to replay the accident with zany morning DJ sound effects.  Or on the flip side, some broadcasters just go silent, leaving what seems like the rest of the inning to go by with only ambient
crowd noise, which makes you wonder of the broadcasters have their fingers on the cough button while they are doubled over, giggling.
But Chip and Darling - whose only major negative trait as a color guy is that his voice sounds like he's gurgling a milkshake - handled this with straightforward aplomb. 

My only reaction to this happening to Delmon Young was that I stood and applauded when he came right back and hit a double in the gap.  Though I was puzzled why Joba/Jorge didn't bust him back inside after his most foul of foul balls.  Sympathy?

While much is being made of Joe Mauer's fair ball that was not in game two, though Mauer himself is dignified enough to not make the fuss, more egregious umpiring was coming from behind the plate in game three.  It's certainly less exact than, well, a ball at which you're staring from close distance falling a solid foot in fair territory, but the erratic strike zone Sunday night was relentless to the point that it affected at bats throughout the whole game.  Maybe that helps explain why Nick Swisher has turned into the old form of Arod, widening his strike zone beyond what he can handle.  Arod, in turn seemed to take a cue from Swisher this year and into the post-season, somehow managing an excellent, patient at bat in the ALDS clincher, turning an 0-2 count into a game-tying homer to right.  A little patience has gone an awful long way with him, to the point that it's kind of ridiculous how every hit of his in the series was clutch. 

This all makes for good television, and I'm liking the results so far, but what I'm hoping for is the occasional game that the Yankee bats are not being stymied through six innings by pitchers who either modestly toil in obscurity, or are not in obscurity only because their distinction is already dubious.  No question Pavano looked great Sunday night, but how is this the same guy that tried twice in the last week of the regular season to give away the Twins remarkable comeback?  I reject any glowing reviews I've heard on
Pavano this year because his season was, well, it was not good.  But the scale on which he is measured is the scale of the inactive and the ignoble. I know it's stunning for baseball fans to see him with a slightly over .500 record, but the ERA north of 5.00 is rather telling.  And since he was able to pitch almost 200 innings this year, 5.10 Carl Pavano is apparently a healthy Carl Pavano.  Which is I guess is nice for someone seeking a number six starter.  Although the way he pitches against the best offense in baseball, his games are becoming reminiscent of the Yankee battles against Pedro.

The Jeter-Punto play 

While not spectacular, and certainly no "flip", it's a perfect demonstration of one wily veteran who can slow the game down vs one overanxious less-experienced ballplayer.  It's no coincidence Jeter seems to be in the middle of such plays.  Many shortstops try fruitlessly to get the runner at 1^st rather than calmly assume the single and check the runner on 3^rd to see if he went too far.  Good stuff, but I'm still hoping for a Yankee post-season that is not so reliant on an opposition blooper reel.