Brenly

For most of Fox's baseball broadcast season, Bob Brenly works on the network's second team, but gets the equivalent of a September call-up when he's added to the first team for the October playoffs.It's a tricky situation, as Brenly, who had about four years of broadcast experience when he joined the network last year, must find a place between Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, the usual No. 1 team.Brenly has been on the mark throughout the American League Championship Series, blending some fine observations with a good sense of humor.

PHOENIX - Arizona manager Bob Brenly had two choices: Go with the player who collected four hits in Game 6 of the World Series or the player who drove in five runs. There wouldn't be room for both in the Diamondbacks' lineup. Faced with a difficult decision in Game 7, Brenly put Danny Bautista in right field and Reggie Sanders on the bench last night. Bautista was 6-for-9 with six RBIs, five of them coming the previous night. Sanders raised his average to .304 by going 4-for-5 in Saturday's 15-2 romp over the New York Yankees.

PHOENIX - It's almost impossible to be a Yankee agnostic anymore. The evidence is overwhelming that the experience, talent and team chemistry of the umpteen-time defending world champions is something beyond any logical explanation or quantification. And yet, for all the talk about the "Yankees' mystique" and all the great moments that have supposedly sprung from it over the past few weeks, we would all be pretty in purple if Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly had not charged up the mystique with his huge Game 4 mistake.

PHOENIX - It's almost impossible to be a Yankee agnostic anymore. The evidence is overwhelming that the experience, talent and team chemistry of the umpteen-time defending world champions is something beyond any logical explanation or quantification. And yet, for all the talk about the "Yankees' mystique" and all the great moments that have supposedly sprung from it over the past few weeks, we would all be pretty in purple if Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly had not charged up the mystique with his huge Game 4 mistake.

The launch of the Fox baseball "Game of the Week" is still more than two months away, but the network continues to move forward in assembling its on-air team.Former San Francisco Giants catcher and coach Bob Brenly was brought on yesterday as Fox's first booth analyst when coverage begins June 1.Brenly, who spent nine years in the majors and was named to the National League All-Star squad in 1984, was an analyst for Chicago Cubs broadcasts on WGN radio, and does a morning sportscast on San Francisco's KNBR radio.

ATLANTA - Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly played a hunch, rather than Steve Finley, in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Finley was batting .375 (12-for-32) with six RBIs in the postseason. Also in his favor were head-to-head meetings with Atlanta's Tom Glavine. Finley was batting .304 (21-for-69) lifetime against the Braves' left-hander, and singled off him in Game 2. So what was he doing on the bench? And what was Danny Bautista, 0-for-6 in the Division Series and without an at-bat in the NLCS, doing in center field as Finley's replacement?

NEW YORK - The choices are plentiful for Arizona manager Bob Brenly, who brings a well-stocked bench to the World Series and no concerns about finding a designated hitter for the games at Yankee Stadium. Isn't the DH rule supposed to benefit the American League clubs, which are better constructed for it? Brenly's options for Game 3 last night included former Oriole David Dellucci, Erubiel Durazo and Midre Cummings, all capable left-handed hitters, to match up against New York starter Roger Clemens.

ATLANTA - Give Bob Brenly a roster filled with unselfish veterans. Give him two of baseball's most dominant starting pitchers. Give him a bench he can use in a pinch, trusting whichever player he calls upon at a moment's notice. Just don't attempt to give him too much credit for leading the Arizona Diamondbacks into the World Series. He'll politely refuse it. "I'm very fortunate to inherit this ballclub," said Brenly, who replaced the fired Buck Showalter as manager this year and directed Arizona to the Series in its fourth year of existence.

PHOENIX - Arizona manager Bob Brenly had two choices: Go with the player who collected four hits in Game 6 of the World Series or the player who drove in five runs. There wouldn't be room for both in the Diamondbacks' lineup. Faced with a difficult decision in Game 7, Brenly put Danny Bautista in right field and Reggie Sanders on the bench last night. Bautista was 6-for-9 with six RBIs, five of them coming the previous night. Sanders raised his average to .304 by going 4-for-5 in Saturday's 15-2 romp over the New York Yankees.

PHOENIX - In the wake of two devastating late-inning defeats, the Arizona Diamondbacks could take some comfort that they had the two best pitchers in the National League lined up for the sixth and possible seventh game of the 97th World Series. Now, they can't even be sure of that. Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly revealed yesterday that the status of probable Game 7 starter Curt Schilling is uncertain because he experienced unusual arm soreness after his strong performance on three days rest in Game 4 on Wednesday night.

PHOENIX - In the wake of two devastating late-inning defeats, the Arizona Diamondbacks could take some comfort that they had the two best pitchers in the National League lined up for the sixth and possible seventh game of the 97th World Series. Now, they can't even be sure of that. Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly revealed yesterday that the status of probable Game 7 starter Curt Schilling is uncertain because he experienced unusual arm soreness after his strong performance on three days rest in Game 4 on Wednesday night.

NEW YORK - Bringing back pitcher Curt Schilling on short rest last night for Game 4 of the World Series also meant that Arizona manager Bob Brenly was forcing Miguel Batista to again step aside. Brenly hoped he wasn't stepping on anyone's feelings. Batista has gotten pretty good at swallowing his pride and waiting his next opportunity, convinced it's for the good of the team. Rather than take his scheduled turn last night, he was held back for tonight's matchup with former Oriole Mike Mussina, who took the loss for New York in the Series opener.

NEW YORK - Showing they'll remain defending world champions until someone can prove otherwise, the New York Yankees exploited seven driven innings from starting pitcher Roger Clemens, an ugly defensive performance by a nervous opponent and a dominant performance from closer Mariano Rivera to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 2-1, in Game 3 of the World Series last night at Yankee Stadium. Played out before a chanting crowd of 55,820 including President George W. Bush, the combination three-hitter allowed the three-time defending world champions to halve the Diamondbacks' lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven event.

NEW YORK - The choices are plentiful for Arizona manager Bob Brenly, who brings a well-stocked bench to the World Series and no concerns about finding a designated hitter for the games at Yankee Stadium. Isn't the DH rule supposed to benefit the American League clubs, which are better constructed for it? Brenly's options for Game 3 last night included former Oriole David Dellucci, Erubiel Durazo and Midre Cummings, all capable left-handed hitters, to match up against New York starter Roger Clemens.

ATLANTA - Give Bob Brenly a roster filled with unselfish veterans. Give him two of baseball's most dominant starting pitchers. Give him a bench he can use in a pinch, trusting whichever player he calls upon at a moment's notice. Just don't attempt to give him too much credit for leading the Arizona Diamondbacks into the World Series. He'll politely refuse it. "I'm very fortunate to inherit this ballclub," said Brenly, who replaced the fired Buck Showalter as manager this year and directed Arizona to the Series in its fourth year of existence.

He said it "Aaron is experienced. He knows what he is going to do. He's not going to get rattled out there." Lou Piniella, Mariners manager, on Game 5 starter Aaron Sele. He said it "There were some times this year where we played some pretty ugly baseball. ... but I never sensed that we were losing our focus." Bob Brenly, Diamondbacks manager.

He said it "Aaron is experienced. He knows what he is going to do. He's not going to get rattled out there." Lou Piniella, Mariners manager, on Game 5 starter Aaron Sele. He said it "There were some times this year where we played some pretty ugly baseball. ... but I never sensed that we were losing our focus." Bob Brenly, Diamondbacks manager.

ATLANTA - Pulled out of the broadcast booth to manage the Arizona Diamondbacks this season, Bob Brenly took the first steps in his new profession directly to the World Series. The only obstacle in Brenly's path was removed last night when substitute Erubiel Durazo hit a two-run homer and Randy Johnson toughened when necessary, eliminating the Atlanta Braves from the National League Championship Series with a 3-2 victory in Game 5 before only 35,652 at Turner Field. Batting for an injured Mark Grace in the fifth inning, Durazo went to the opposite field off Tom Glavine to break a 1-1 tie. The lead held up despite steady pressure applied to Johnson, who left the bases loaded in the seventh by striking out Brian Jordan on a slider in the dirt.

ATLANTA - Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly played a hunch, rather than Steve Finley, in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Finley was batting .375 (12-for-32) with six RBIs in the postseason. Also in his favor were head-to-head meetings with Atlanta's Tom Glavine. Finley was batting .304 (21-for-69) lifetime against the Braves' left-hander, and singled off him in Game 2. So what was he doing on the bench? And what was Danny Bautista, 0-for-6 in the Division Series and without an at-bat in the NLCS, doing in center field as Finley's replacement?

ATLANTA - Pulled out of the broadcast booth to manage the Arizona Diamondbacks this season, Bob Brenly took the first steps in his new profession directly to the World Series. The only obstacle in Brenly's path was removed last night when substitute Erubiel Durazo hit a two-run homer and Randy Johnson toughened when necessary, eliminating the Atlanta Braves from the National League Championship Series with a 3-2 victory in Game 5 before only 35,652 at Turner Field. Batting for an injured Mark Grace in the fifth inning, Durazo went to the opposite field off Tom Glavine to break a 1-1 tie. The lead held up despite steady pressure applied to Johnson, who left the bases loaded in the seventh by striking out Brian Jordan on a slider in the dirt.