May 11, 2008 – Criticisms of broadcasters are a dime a dozen. It’s a tough job, filling up hours of air time, there’s a trick to it, that gift for gab, some preparation and broadcast ability. They are easy targets, getting the viewer’s wrath, as Kay did Monday night, whenever he pronounced “Eddie Bonine” as if he coaches Syracuse basketball, or when they slo-mo strike calls and manipulate the outcome for the home team, ignoring what we know as the strike zone. As the Yankee follower that I am, you couldn’t find someone more loyal to the team. It’s just a shame that in order to follow the Bombers, you have to go through Michael Kay (left), John Sterling, Suzyn Waldman and a bevy of ex-jocks like Ken Singleton (an Oriole) and Al Leiter (pretty much a Met).

Last night’s 5-4 loss in Detroit was especially gruelling with Kay and Singleton gabbing away from Comerica Park. Ironically, it was on a night with a tribute to the late Ernie Harwell, that made listening to Kay doubly difficult. Jim Leyland said last week about Ernie, “he broadcast the game for both teams.” A truer statement couldn’t have been made. And all you need to do is listen to Kay blabber on, especially with his Yankees bias, to see the clear makings of a mediocre broadcaster.

Kay was complimentary of Ernie Harwell, but said nothing new about the 42-year Tiger broadcaster. No insights. He probably didn’t know him. Still it didn’t stop Kay, who waddles in on everything from Joe Girardi’s moves to how close he is to his broadcast partners. Kay offerred a pedestrian, “just a great broadcaster and and even greater man,” about Harwell. And so he blew hot air, much like he does every game. You can’t help but think that Kay would someday like a tribute like Harwell got. The first thing he’s going to have to do is improve. Right now Kay ranks behind Frank Messer as a Yank broadcast legend.

Kay loves to tell the story of his dream job. How he grew up in the Bronx, loving the Yankees, getting a job as a Yankee beat writer, which he converted into his current job. The sad part is that he’s not without skills. He’s a good interviewer and he worked his way to broadcast quality. There’s something squirrelly about his relationship with women as heard every time he talks to Kim Jones or Nancy Newman or Christina Lang, the traffic woman on his ESPN radio show.

Whomever makes the broadcast decisions for the Yankees, they follow George Steinbrenner’s rules, who used to bless the placements before his health began to fail. Which, by the way, is the answer to the question: “why is Susyn Waldman a Yankee broadcaster?” You must be a Yankee fan first. You can’t be too critical of a Yankee and you promote the Yanks no matter what. Makes for good marketing, but horrible broadcasting. Kay follows the rules to a tee.

Last night, Kay spent far too long talking to Jones as a sideline in-game reporter which shed very little light on the status of the Yanks, not to mention material that could have easily been discussed before or after the game in one of the YES’s too many wrap-around shows. Or perhaps, some of the questions could have been reserved for Jones’ let-her-ask-all-the-questions-she-wants-to-Girardi-in-a-row,-afterall,-it-is our-show, while the beat reporters wait their turn and their deadlines grow thinner. For what seemed to be about five minutes, Jones and Kay went on. The game did too, and the viewer was left with a host of nameless batters, pitches and undescribed outs.

It was only a matter of time before Kay expounded on the swap of outfielders between Detroit and New York, where, in separate deals, Johnny Damon took over left for the Tigers and Marcus Thames went to left for the Yanks, while rookie Austin Jackson switched centerfield with Curtis Granderson. Throw in starter Max Scherzer, Phil Coke and Damiel Schlereth to the Tigers in the actual trade and Ian Kennedy’s 2-2 record and 3.48 ERA as a regular starter in Arizona and you can get a feel for the balance of the trade. Granderson is hurt and may not return to form until All Star break, while Jackson leads the majors in hits, the AL in hitting, and at 23, is cheaper than Granderson and plays centerfield much better. Leave it to Kay to implore that more time is needed to evaluate the value of the moves, while throwing in his Bronx unqualified source’s jeers about Austin Jackson, that included a proclivity to strike out and lack of power. Let’s just say Ernie Harwell would never have gone there.