Andy Pettitte Pitches Well Against The Royals...But Can Someone Tell Me Why?

Mind-boggling stuff in the YES broadcast booth tonight. Michael Kay and Al Leiter just spent a solid five minutes contemplating the reason(s) that Andy Pettitte has compiled a 19-3 record against the Kansas City Royals, with a 3.58 ERA, over his 13 year career.

Here are the "factors" that they came up with over the course of their discussion:

--Pettitte gets pumped-up against "this color uniform."
--Pettitte likes pitching in Kaufman Stadium.
--Pettitte likes pitching in Yankee Stadium.
--This game (baseball) is very much "mental."

Study those carefully while I consider all of this.

Let's see.

Can I come up with a better reason?

Hmmm....

Well, staring at those blue helmets would certainly take my game to the next level...

I just don't know...

That record is practically Biblical...

This is a tough one...

Oh, forget it. I just can't...WAIT!

Oh, yeah.

How about the fact that the Kansas City Royals have been fucking horrible for as long as Andy Pettitte has been in the league?!

Kansas City's collective record since 1995 (including 2008): 934 - 1268.

Thus, the Royals are 334 games under .500 over the last 13 years! 334!

Andy Pettitte is 91 games over .500 on his own during that same time frame.

Michael? Al? Do you think that, when a good pitcher faces a god-awful lineup for a decade, the potential outcome might favor the good pitcher?

But, then again...baseball is a seriously mental game.
_

David Cone, Where Have You Been All My Life?

When he wasn't masturbating in the bullpen or losing feeling in his right arm, David Cone was an awesome pitcher. The memory of watching his perfect game against Montreal in '99 will always be one of those rare "I remember where I was and what I was doing" baseball recollections. Even when he went to the Red Sox at the end of his career I kind of rooted for him, because I loved watching him pitch. (Do you remember that he was the opposing -- and equally dominant -- pitcher in Mike Mussina's 8 2/3 perfect game at Fenway Park in September of 2001?)

So, it is with a heavy heart that I publicly declare my disdain for David Cone, The YES Analyst.

Dear lord, he's horrible. And, yes, I know he was calling his first game today, but really. Why is it that all YES announcers be lobotomized before stepping in the booth? Ken Singleton (who called the game with Cone), John Flaherty, and even Joe Girardi (before he got the managing gig), have made a career out of dull, saccharine commentary devoid of any form of insight. When Al Leiter is the best "color man" on the roster because he's generally cranky, you know there are problems.

Clearly taking his cues from the School of Half-Full Glasses, here is just a small sample of Cone's wit and wisdom from today's Yankees / Royals game:

Cone, The Insightful: "That was close. It could have gone either way."
(Remarked following a check swing by Ross Gload that is called a swinging strike by the 3B umpire.)

Cone, The Elaborator: "Yes. Very nice."
(Remarked after Ken Singleton points out that Royals starter Brian Bannister has changed his number to #19, the jersey worn by his father, and commenting, "That's a nice way to honor your father.")

Cone, The Fucking Moron: "Very impressive. He's still trying to hit his spots."
(Remarked after Phil Hughes throws his 17th ball in a row in the 3rd inning...and also his 80th pitch of the game.)

Don't ruin my memories, Cone. I'm still trying to get over Paul O'Neill's transformation from tantrum-throwing badass on the field to girlie-laughing sidekick in the booth. Just back away from the mic.

Of course, the epitome of horseshit YES announcing still belongs to the aforementioned Ken Singleton. A couple of years back, when the Yanks were playing the (Devil) Rays, Singleton decided that the viewing audience just had to know about a conversation he had had about Carl Crawford with Tampa's hitting coach. According to Singleton, he broke the ice by commenting to the coach, "Hey, that Carl Crawford is a good hitter."

The response from the hitting coach? I'll let Maas finish the story in the comments.