The Harry Truth

The Little League World Series was only barely watchable to begin with, but it's close to unbearable ever since ESPN got rid of the best part of its LLWS telecasts: Harold Reynolds.

It's not like Reynolds was just reassigned. The guys was, after all, accused to sexual harrassment and terminated as studio and color analyst.

But no one matched Reynolds' ability to commentate the games like they mattered yet maintaining a bemused tone that said, "Yeah, this is on ESPN and true, some of these guys may grow up to be major leaguers, but at heart they are pre-pubescent punks who, when their team is ahead with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning and the last fly ball floats toward them, will probably pee their jockstraps, drop the ball and lead to their team losing in horrible fashion."

Reynolds and the Little League World Series was like Joe Buck and Tim McCarver and the big league World Series. Only not as annoying.

The ultimate "I Wish Harold Were Here" moment came today in the Japan vs. Canada game. I don't know who the announcer was, but at some point he realized the Team Japan pitcher wound up almost exactly like Daisuke Matsuzaka. On the screen appeared a photo of Daisuke pitching in the World Baseball Classic with his Team Japan uniform on. (In fact, I found the exact pic.) The announcer then goes -- no lie -- "As you can see from the jersey, that photo is from Matsuzaka's days playing in the Japanese League." Huh? Because it says Japan on the chest? By that logic, every MLB team would have United States across its jersey.

My big problem with Reynolds' absence is the hypocrisy of our society. Mike Vick can abuse dogs and it'd debated whether he'll even go to jail. Michael Irvin can be an accused accomplice in a rape case and he's doing NFL Countdown. Meanwhile, Reynolds hugs a co-worker the wrong way and gets the axe?

Seriously people, let's get logical. And put Harold back where he belongs.