YES Network Broadcast Taking Competition Out Of Baseball

Being back in New York gives me a few privileges. Most important is the time I have to sit back and watch Major League Baseball. With baseball back in full swing, I was able to watch both the Mets and Yankees game on Friday night. As I flipped back and fourth, I noticed something scary about the YES Network (the Yankees television home). 

Michael Kay, David Cone and Paul O'Neill were calling a Yankees game in Tropicana Field where they took on the Tampa Bay Rays. The pitching matchup was David Price against Javier Vasquez. As the game progressed, Price was dominating, giving up three runs over 7.2 innings of work while striking out seven. 

More remarkable was his pitch count which didn't cross 100 until late in the seventh inning when he got into trouble. Despite this solid pitching performance, the broadcast team discussed above, did almost no coverage of Price as he pounded the strike zone with 95 MPH fastballs and a devastating curve ball.

Instead all of the discussion was centered around the Yankees even as they struggled to hit Price. It was only after Price's departure in the seventh inning, that the group of announcers finally commented on the young pitcher. 

Worse than all of this was a text to answer question posted on the screen during the game. The question asked Yankees fans what the Rays needed to improve in order to compete in the American League East? This question was an example of why this network is a joke.

YES essentially called the Tampa Bay Rays a team that could not compete as they are currently constructed. Ironically, this question appeared on the team while the Rays were beating the Yankees by seven runs. This is both an insult and a mockery of other teams in the league and the network should be ashamed of itself for such statements.