What about Bob?

Hank Steinbrenner says he likes Manny Ramirez.

Oy.

Stop.

Now.

Please.

A sad day for Yankees fans - yours truly included - as we hear of the passing of Tom Tresh.

He died yesterday of a heart attack. Tresh was 71.

Tresh made the All-Star team in 1962 as a shortstop and later earned a Gold Glove as an outfielder.

My parents and my four brothers and I spent many an afternoon at Yankee Stadium watching Tresh, who played on great teams early, but lousy teams later as part of the "Go-Go" Yankees. Not sure where exactly they were heading, but it sure wasn't to the World Series in the mid-1960s. Even so, life seemed a lot simpler then watching Tresh at Yankee Stadium and on the grainy black-and-white television on Channel 11.

I'm fairly certain blogs had not been invented at the time.

"Tommy was a great teammate," Yankees great Yogi Berra said in a statement. "He did everything well as a ballplayer and was an easy guy to manage."

Tresh joined a lineup that already included Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, and he helped the Yankees reach the World Series from 1962-64.

"This hurts. He was my roommate for six years of my life, my hitting instructor and my best friend. He let me be me, but he was also the guy who kept me in at night," teammate Joe Pepitone said. "Tommy was a constant in my life and a calming influence. He was always there for me and stuck up for me. He was like my brother. When I had personal issues, he was always the person on the team I would turn to. During some rain delays, he would take out his guitar and we'd sing and dance."

I realize I'm in the minority here, and I understand if you have an issue with a football writer weighing in on a baseball announcing issue. But hey, Neil Best used to be a football hack and he's writing about such stuff, so what the heck.

Anyway, I'd read plenty about Waldman's infamous "breakdown" on the radio, and it was pretty stunning news indeed. By the time I actually listened to the clip, I was prepared to hear Waldman start sobbing for like a minute or so and have to get off the air. So when I heard the clip and listened to her choke up for 4-5 seconds, I had to listen to it again, just to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Apparently, I didn't.

Apparently, Waldman lost her composure for a matter of seconds. And now all this.

Honestly, what's the big deal? An announcer on the payroll of a professional sports team got carried away for a few seconds, while the manager and his coaches openly wept after a crushing defeat amid sepculation that they would be removed from the clubhouse just as the Indians had done to the Yankees.

I listened again. Same thing.

I know Ms. Waldman and I admire her work ethic and her dedication. Yes, she is a homer. But so was Phil Rizzuto, and he was the most beloved announcer in Yankees' history. I'm not saying Waldman is on a par with an ex-shortstop who produced a folksy and very listenable schtick on the airwaves.

But fans calling for her firing because she got choked up for a few seconds should get a grip. I listen to her on the radio, and the woman delivers information that is useful to Yankees fans. She talks to people. She does her homework. She tells you things you don't know.

Does she get carried away? Sure. Who doesn't sometimes? I remember doing a piece for an ESPN retrospective about Super Bowl XXV between the Giants and Bills, and what the buildup to the game was like. If you recall, we were just about to enter the Gulf War, and there was intense anxiety across the country. When Whitney Houston belted out the National Anthem and there was a Air Force flyover, the emotions were raw. I felt the tears well up recalling the moment. It's called being human.

Again, I'm just a football writer weighing in here because I can in this era of blogs. But I've also been around the media game long enough - and know Waldman well enough - to know that she is not getting a fair shake on this one.

Thank you for your time.