Despite failing to complete the sweep against their Boston rivals, the New York Yankees crowd was postseason-electric Sunday night under the National spotlight bright lights.
From Stan’s, The Yankee Tavern and Billy’s to the cathedral of the sports world, fans ceased to stop songfully emitting their enthusiasm and jubilance – Covid restrictions no longer affecting admission rates in the way they had the past couple of years.
On the venue front, ballpark staples done away with early on in the restricted capacity times like Jersey Mike’s and NY Grill have been reinstated. Lines for pricier items such as these thankfully operated in a speedier fashion than they had in the past. The steak-certified menu options join the likes of Premio Sausage Rolls and Hot Dogs, and the Chicken Tender, Soda and Fries combo bucket as some of the most coveted Yankee Stadium culinary delights.
Though it would be revealed afterward team ace and Game 1 starter, Gerrit Cole, is not particularly thrilled with the Death Star “dying whale” noise the stadium sound op activates when each Yankee pitcher secures two strikes on a batter, fans couldn’t get enough of it all weekend long. It remains to be seen whether the noise will be removed; but if anyone has the power to call for its immediate axing, it’s the $324 Million Dollar Man with the Cy Young Award and World Series-winning plan.
Broadcast-wise, Sunday Night Baseball with Kay-Rod hit the ground running in its debut. The ESPN2 alternative to the main ESPN broadcast pairs longtime TV voice of the Yankees, Michael Kay, with pariah-turned-goldmaker, Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez – flexed from the main booth to better wax nostalgic and “baseball nerdom” than he could in the main booth and on a FOX panel.
Live from ESPN’s South Pier 17 studio, Kay and A-Rod’s likenesses were ever-present in the top left corner of the feed. They welcomed virtually-introduced guests like David “Big Papi” Ortiz, a recent Hall of Fame inductee despite steroid association – albeit, not as immersive as the scandals that kept the statistical all-time great A-Rod from being elected in on the same ballot; and Roger “The Rocket” Clemens, another so-called Hall-deprived “steroid leper.”
On “Kay-Rod,” Clemens’ intense persona and post-playing career alienation seemed to instantaneously dissipate as he showed a dressed-down, goofball personality TV hasn’t borne witness to since his cameo in the Adam Sandler/Jack Nicholson 2003 buddy comedy Anger Management first aired on cable. Many in the industry predict Clemens could soon make the transition into broadcasting himself based on his performance.
Sports Illustrated reported “Kay-Rod” raked in 264,000 viewers – accounting for 10.7 million of the total game viewership that night, making it the most-watched alternative baseball broadcast in history. “Kay-Rod” is currently slated for at least seven more Sunday Night coverages throughout the season.
“This is going to be its own thing: Two people who love baseball talking about the game in front of us,” Kay declared. “I thought the ‘ManningCast’ was great. If I could think that we could improve on it, it’s just going to be different, and I think we’re going to pay a little bit more attention to the game. Sometimes the game became secondary with the ‘ManningCast.’”
Over at the main broadcast, play-by-play announcer Karl Ravech replaces current Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim announcer, Matt Vasergisan; he’s joined in the booth by former New York Yankee and Met pitcher and current YES Network analyst, David Cone, and former MLB slugger Eduardo Perez. The trio drew 2.1 million viewers.
