Ever see that old, as in from 1963, “Twilight Zone” episode with young William Shatner? He’s in an airplane, looking out the window when he sees a hideous gremlin hacking up the wing, setting fire to an engine. But no one else sees it!
Shatner’s increasingly panicked character, Bob Wilson, is first patronized by the airlines crew, then dismissed, then straitjacketed. He’s nuts, delusional — even if he sees what we see!
Fifty years later, we’re Bob Wilson. The gremlin is played by Robinson Cano.
Saturday, it was Fox’s turn. After a three-way chat between Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and Ken Rosenthal on how the Yankees must re-sign Cano, perhaps for $200 million, Cano hit one to the right of Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who made a diving stop, rose, reversed course, then threw Cano out … by two yards.
A tape showed what we’ve come to expect: First, Cano jogged. Next, after seeing Pedroia had to dive, he began to run. Finally, as Pedroia began to throw toward first, Cano resumed jogging. The least he could do was all that he did. Again.
But, again, no one calling the game on TV saw — or saw fit to mention — that Cano surrendered early, that he surrenders early and often.
Recently, the Yankees batting order often featured Brett Gardner busting it to first, followed by Cano jogging. That’s tough to take, like dropping your ice cream cone after two licks. But on TV, this is seen, not heard.
The TV fellas, paid to pay attention, apparently don’t see this while even refrigerator-distracted viewers can’t miss it! There’s a gremlin on the wing! See it? No? Then I guess we’re crazy.
Same goes for thousands of unoccupied expensive seats for a weekend series between Boston and New York, first place against second place. No one, other than you and I, saw that!
Yet Saturday’s telecast was loaded with spoken absolutes that didn’t match what we saw or what made sense.
Jose Iglesias, highlighted early by Fox because he was hitting .419, ended the top of the second when he swung and missed at consecutive fastballs thrown by Phil Hughes.
But in the fifth, after David Ortiz fouled back a fastball, McCarver said, “That’s the thing with the Red Sox. Even with the balls they’ve fouled back, tonight, they have been right
on the fastballs thrown by Phil Hughes.”
Really? Ortiz had just gotten a teenie piece of the pitch, Iglesias got zip in consecutive swings, yet, the Red Sox were “right on” his fastballs?
McCarver and Buck noted the recent turnover in Boston managers, McCarver declaring that in John Farrell, “They’ve got the right guy.” Maybe. It seems that way. But for crying out loud it was only June 1!
Not that Saturday’s telecast was without fun. When tape appeared of Derek Jeter greeting spry, alleged 111-year-old Bernando LaPallo, McCarver said, “He does not look 111, and that’s an understatement.”
Yes, he looked 98, 99, 103, tops. What does 111 look like?
Buck reported Ortiz is “coming back from an achilles that he had, last year. He said this week he feels that is behind him.”
But he should feel that the achilles he had last year is behind him, right where he keeps it.
Gremlin on the wing!
Professor Francesa keeps on earning Fs
Dillon Gee became a lock to pitch his best game of the season Thursday night in Yankee Stadium the moment Mike Francesa, that afternoon, condemned him to a pounding.
All of Professor Francesa’s NBA playoffs lectures have been wrong, and now we can add his sage assertion the Pacers won’t last more than five games against the Heat.
Small wonder Staten Island councilman James Oddo, running for Borough President, yesterday said he’s hoping Francesa predicts he’ll lose — “and by a landslide!”
* OK, now settle in for 17 straight weeks of expensive — your expense — filler on Jimmy Dolan’s four MSG channels.
* Good, stay-with-it show-and-tell from Fox on Saturday, tracking a dugout chat between Phil Hughes and catcher Chris Stewart after they apparently got their signs crossed the previous half-inning.
* After an NBC close-up of Penguins assistant and former Ranger Tony Granato on Saturday, Doc Emrick said Granato is from Downers Grove, Ill., then added, “Nice town,” then apologized for providing “a travelogue in the middle of a power play.”
* Geez, now a bogey has become “a blemish on his scorecard.” … ESPN’s Colin Cowherd: “I think Applebee’s has more stringent background checks than Rutgers.”
Bringing in less than best
At a time when the integrity and diligence of Rutgers’ administration — president through athletic department — have become a matter of extensive, intensive debate, Rutgers’ new basketball coach, Eddie Jordan, last week landed several recruits from junior colleges.
As many Division I coaches and athletic directors would admit (off-the-record), such recruits traditionally have been among the most socially and academically dubious. After all, what originally prevented them from enrolling in a four-year college?
And the answer, almost invariably is: Most junior college recruits don’t legitimately belong in any college, except to play ball, if that’s a legitimate reason. They too often are risky characters with risky character. Still, even the risky ones are awarded full scholarships as “student-athletes” — then cross your fingers and lock your doors.
But, you know the deal: Scandals aside, if Rutgers doesn’t recruit them, someone else — perhaps a Rutgers opponent — will. And on and on — and down and down — we go.
* I figure that Saturday, in a match of first-nine cards with Tiger Woods — we played even, no strokes — I beat him two ways and for two junks.
So Woods shot a 44 on his first nine. That happens to the best. Still, after he was short on his approach to 18 (he played the back nine first), a Golf Channel man — didn’t recognize the voice — exclaimed, “His ball is getting killed today in the wind!”
That’s right, the wind was killing his ball, no one else’s.
Yesterday, with Woods at plus-11, 20 back, Golf Channel and CBS still closely followed him. Good. It was fascinating to see, like a blue moon.
As he putted out on his final hole, Nick Faldo said: “If you can just hear that humming; that’s the jet engines starting on the flight. He’ll be out of here in a flash.”