Gary Cohen, SNY.tv
Here's a Q&A with SNY play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen with his thoughts on documentaries, most impressive sports records, the most underappreciated Mets and more...
There's been a lot of praise over ESPN's The Last Dance. What's a sports documentary that hasn't been made yet that you'd love to watch?
I would love to see a documentarian take on the remarkable saga of R.A. Dickey. Dickey's story features so many fascinating twists and turns.
A college star at Tennessee, chosen as a first round draft pick by the Rangers. A cover photo in Baseball America led to the unlikely diagnosis that R.A. lacked a key ligament in his elbow, resulting in a sharply reduced bonus from the Rangers.
A journeyman career followed, leading Dickey to seek a new path through the embrace of the knuckleball. Even then, it took years before R.A. was able to refine the pitch enough to reach center stage.
When he finally arrived in New York as a 35-year-old afterthought, the timing was perfect. Throwing a knuckleball harder than anyone had even seen, R.A. authored a superb three-year stretch, culminating in 20 wins and a Cy Young Award in 2012.
Add to that the intense, humbling details of his life that Dickey revealed in his autobiography, and any documentary filmmaker would have an incredible wealth of material to draw on to paint a memorable portrait.
Wednesday was the 50th anniversary of Tom Seaver's 10 straight strikeouts. What's a sports record that impresses you the most and why?
As remarkable as Seaver's game against the Padres was, it's even more amazing that the record has never been equaled. We are currently in the most strikeout-heavy era in major league history, with new records being set month after month. And yet, 50 years later, Seaver still stands alone.
So, in that vein, where a player puts up a number out of whack with his era, I always go back to Babe Ruth's obliteration of the single-season home run record. Before 1919, no one in the modern era had hit more than 24 home runs in a major league season.
In 1919, while Ruth was still being used extensively as a pitcher, he broke the record with 29. The next year, his first with the Yankees, he hit 54. And yes, 1920 marked the introduction of the live ball, but even so, no one other than Ruth hit more than 19 home runs that year. Truly a man ahead of his time.
We recently took a look at some of the most underappreciated Mets of the last 20 years. Is there anyone who sticks out to you?
While I certainly agree with the list, especially the last guy on the list, Rick Reed, I would gravitate toward a guy who shares a lot of Reed's qualities.
Dillon Gee was a stalwart in the Mets' rotation for four years in the early part of the last decade. Gee was constantly overshadowed. He shared a rotation with one of the best pitchers of his generation, Johan Santana. Then he was eclipsed by two pitchers who became Mets folk heroes, Dickey and Bartolo Colon. And finally, he was outflanked by the new generation of Mets pitching stars, with the arrival of Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz.
Like Reed, Gee was never overpowering. But he was as tough as any pitcher the Mets have sent to the mound. Pitching for bad teams and through painful injuries Dillon never complained, started 110 games for the Mets, and finished his tenure with a winning record, solidifying the rotation at every turn.
Dillon Gee was the consummate Met, and remains greatly unappreciated.
The Red Sox essentially received a slap on the wrist for their sign-stealing scandal. SNY's Andy Martino believes Alex Cora will manage again, perhaps in Boston as early as next season. Do you agree?
Like A.J. Hinch, who also received a one-year suspension, Alex Cora has many bright days ahead as a major league manager. I don't know if it will be in Boston. Much will depend on whether we have a season this year, and how Ron Roenicke fares. But Cora will be back for sure.
Watch Gary, Keith and Ron during Beyond the Booth Live, every Thursday at 4 p.m. Check out our most recent episode below: