Idiots Write About Sports

Rex Hudler, the Angels’ not-so-hotso color commentator, made one of those funny slips of the tongue at the end of tonight’s Angels-Rangers telecast that make me glad I’ve got TiVo. The occasion was Troy Percival’s 300th save — and hey, congratulations, Percy — and the Fox Sports West broadcast team had prepared a very nice video tribute, beginning with footage of Percival’s big league debut and concluding with him closing out the Giants in Game Seven of the 2002 World Series.

“He’ll never, ever get another save this big!” Hudler enthused, over the shot of Darin Erstad catching the final out of the game. Then, perhaps realizing he had inadvertently written off the Angels’ chances of ever winning another World Series while Percival remained in an Anaheim uniform, Hudler quickly added, “Of course, we hope he does.”

If it’s any consolation, Rex, I hope you turn out to be right the first time.

(Interestingly enough, Percival collected his 300th save by recording the last two outs with seven pitches, only one of which was actually in the strike zone. How did he do this, you might ask? My friends, that’s the wonder of facing the free-swinging Alfonso Soriano. You can roll the ball to the plate underhand and there’s a 50-50 chance Alfonso is going to take a cut at it.)