Watchdog

1. In my newspaper column, I mentioned the cool 30-second countdown to launch Thursday in which a player wearing each uniform number beginning with Nolan Ryan at No. 30 was shown, down to Ozzie Smith at No. 1. In making said reference I poked fun at the use of Evan Longoria for No. 3 rather than a certain Yankees rightfielder. It turns out Longoria got the nod because every current team was represented during the countdown, and the Yankees had gotten their shot at No. 7 with Mickey Mantle. The Mets' rep was Carlos Beltran at No. 15. (Hey, maybe someone was giving a subtle nod to Ruth after all. Evan Longoria has a name very similar to that of a certain TV babe, after all. OK, maybe not.)

2. Bob Costas should have offered a more detailed explanation of where the Larsen film came from, rather than a brief mention that it was a kinescope. The kinescope (essentially film shot off a TV screen in the days before videotape and digital recording) was made for distribution to armed forces personnel for later viewing. It was in the possession not of MLB but of sports film collector Doak Ewing, who sold the rights to it to MLB Productions, which in turn leased it to the MLB Network.

3. Speaking of Ewing, he had shown the film publicly before Thursday. But not on TV. Among the showings was a fundraiser at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Little Falls, N.J., two years ago that was attended by both Larsen and Yogi Berra. Costas evidently was not aware of this, because he indicated neither Berra nor Larsen had seen it before his sitdown with them was taped Dec. 19. Neither man corrected him. There also was a public showing in Manhattan in July arranged by ReelSportsFan.com.

4. Where was Matt Vasgersian for the debut episode of "Hot Stove Live?" Isn't he supposed to be one of the signature faces and voices of the network? He is, but he had to skip the premiere because of prior commitments, such as calling the Fiesta Bowl for Fox.

5. When the NBC TV account of the Larsen game, with Mel Allen and Vin Scully, was shown at that fundraiser two years ago, organizers cut in Bob Wolff's familiar radio call for the last inning. I asked Wolff last month about the MLB Network using the TV call and not his for the national TV showing. He said this: "I’ve heard the TV version and my version and I felt, and this holds to all radio calls against TV calls, I felt that it enhanced the show with the radio call, which is more dramatic than the TV call, where they prune all the words out. So I’m sorry they didn’t use it."

6. I was disappointed the MLB Net deleted some of the cool postgame stuff I saw on the DVD I screened last week. Apparently the motivation simply was to get back to Costas, Berra and Larsen and not linger on the old film, but fascinating material was lost in the process. One of the most unusual moments was Scully, seconds after the end of the game, throwing in yet another plug for the Encyclopedia of Baseball, telling viewers they could read all about the previous perfect game in Major League history in the book, even as the Yankees still were heading into the dugout. It made me wish I were a TV sports columnist in 1956, except that there was no such thing at the time.

7. Also cut from the postgame was an incongruous ad for "Deep Magic Lotion," a commercial aimed at women stuck onto a telecast mostly dedicated to promoting Gillette products. Bob Sheppard can be heard in the background as fans leave Yankee Stadium and for the first time all day Allen and Scully actually talk to each other. On the show Thursday night, the MLB Net stayed with the discussion to the point where Allen says, "Vinny, I don't think you or I will ever see such a thing again," and Scully answers, "No, I guess we can both say we can go now." The film cuts off there, but Allen actually had a funny response to that strangely ominous sentiment coming from a 28-year-old Scully. Says Mel, bringing things back to reality: "Well, we go back to Ebbets Field, and who knows what's going to happen?" Later, signing off, Allen says, "This is Mel saying, smooth sailing, smooth shaving and good afternoon from your host, the Gillette Shaving Company." Cool.

8. Allen makes a prescient observation in the third, noting it could be a tough day for hitters because the canvas that normally is draped over part of the bleachers has been removed to accommodate the large crowd, creating a less batter-friendly background.

9. In the bottom of the third, Allen welcomes Carl Hubbell to the booth, calling him "Old Square Pants." I had not heard this nickname before, and did not know anyone had beaten SpongeBob to it. Now we know. Carl didn't seem entirely comfortable in the role of booth guest, but he was much better at it than Christian Slater.

10. One of the Gillette ads indicates that "Gillette Foamy" is new on the market. I looked it up. The product was introduced in 1953, so it was relatively new. It's still around today. I used it this morning.

11. In the fourth, Allen extends his sympathies to the family of Herald-Tribune sportswriter Rud Rennie, who apparently had just passed away. Seems like a stretch to imagine a national TV announcer doing that for a local writer during the World Series these days.

12. In keeping with tradition and superstition of the era, Scully never utters the term "no-hitter" during the game, but he does mention Larsen has allowed "no hits" through seven.

13. Let's just say Casey Stengel's acting skills in yet another in the endless stream of Gillette ads is not on a par with Peyton Manning's Mastercard ads.

14. Costas, the best in the sports business at the art of studio interviews, faced a difficult task in getting material out of Berra and Larsen. He didn't make much headway with Yogi, but he did pry some interesting material out of the old pitcher. Fifty-two-plus years later, it's a surprise and a blessing that we still have the likes of Larsen, Berra, Scully, Wolff and Sheppard with us to tell the tales.