Sterling shows true pinstripes

Sterling shows true pinstripes

Bill Kostroun/AP

Yankee radio voice John Sterling wastes no time getting riled up over Bombers' early season struggle.

Considering it could be Ma and Pa Pinstripes (aka Suzyn Waldman and John Sterling) final season together, the Yankees had some nerve getting swept by the Rays.

Thats no way to treat Ma and Pa, is it? Especially if the three-game set winds up being the start of their farewell tour. The Yankees and WCBS-AM could only agree on a one-year contract for Bombers radio rights over the winter, leaving the broadcast future of Waldman and Sterling very much up in th e air following this season.

Now, we know for a fact neither voice gives this much thought. Supremely confident, and knowing the Yankees Universe revolves around them, it would be no surprise if Ma and Pa refer to themselves as The Core Two.

What would the Yankees high command do without them? What would Yankees loyalists do without them? You all can figure that one out.

Anyway, as the Rays were smacking around the Yankees, while Joe Girardi and Joe Maddon were vying to see who actually invented the game of baseball, Ma and Pa, as usual, were taking the losses personally, turning their broadcast booth into Misery City.

This always manifests itself with Pa being more dismissive than usual of Ma. Sterling also is more apt to throw Mamma from the train. Like Saturday night in the first inning when Eduardo Nunez, playing shortstop with Derek Jeter at DH, committed an error leading to two unearned runs off Hiroki Kuroda (Ma/Pa sounded like they had little use for him, either).

Waldman offered her analysis of Nunezs error. Sterling did the same by taking his frustration out on her. You know Suzyn, we (We meant her) always make excuses for him (Nunez), Sterling said. He has to play better defensively.

Later in the same inning, Waldman recounted how Tampa Bays Friday celebration, following their comeback win, spilled into the Rays clubhouse. They had that thing . . . what do you call it? she asked.

Pa did not respond.

The silver ball. What do you call it? she asked.

Pa did not respond.

Oh, it was a disco ball, she said. Carlos Pena was dancing all over the clubhouse.

Sterling, still smarting from the Opening Day loss, responded by ignoring Waldman and complaining how long the first inning was taking.

And so it went for most of the series. Ma trying to engage Pa in conversation and being ignored. Oh, there was business as usual too, like Sterling crediting To ronto with a Tampa Bay home run.

Yeah, were only four games in and Ma and Pa are in midseason form, which isnt necessarily a good thing. But listen, listen to them carefully and often.