Sunday Punch

If you drank a shot every time Michael Kay, during Yankee telecasts, says “and…as well,” you could be incoherent by the ninth inning. But his colleague Kim Jones, in her in-game Yankees’ report for the YES network on Saturday, hit a rare triple redundancy when she used “and,” “also,” and “as well” in the same sentence. She could have touched ‘em all if only she had included “too” in that sentence.  

Likewise, language eluded the Journal News’s Yankees beat reporter, who wrote this on Friday night: “Some guy ran onto the field, lost his shoes just a few feet into the outfield, then laid on the ground….”

The good-natured fan who caught Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit gave the ball to Jeter. Not long after, commemorative balls with a “DJ3K” logo were being hawked during the Yankee game for $49.99 and autographed balls for $699. That did not include shipping and handling charges, we were told. There is also—no joke—a framed dirt collage for $149.99.

Athleticism (real athleticism, not the faux fitness of baseball players) will be on display this afternoon when the U.S. women’s soccer team plays Japan for the World Cup. Amazingly, not one strained oblique, hamstring, quad, or calf after hours of strenuous running, stopping, twisting, and physical contact.

Speaking of athleticism, Seattle Seahawks receiver Golden Tate took issue via Twitter with the inclusion of a Nascar driver among the ESPY nominees for Best Male Athlete: “Jimmy johnson up for best athlete???? Um nooo .. Driving a car does not show athleticism.” I don’t know. Plenty of people in my neighborhood drive just as fast around town with just one hand while talking or texting on their cell phones and reprimanding their toddlers in the back seat. No word on how Tate feels about the athleticism of golfers, bowlers, and Yankee pitchers not named Rivera.

Speaking of Twitter, do you refer to people who use Twitter as “twits?” It seems appropriate given the volume of trivial information and opinions they disseminate.