Not since Bill White jousted with The Scooter has a Yankee announcer displayed such an enjoyable balance of humor, insight and awe - the astonishment of an Everyman given an open mic. Long ago, Coney became the best thing on YES, and though he'll remain with the Yankees' version of Fox News - he'll call about 50 games, rather than 90 - and it won't be the same, having him all to ourselves.
My favorite Coney moments came when he'd casually mention some ancient punk band - the Violent Femmes, the Ramones, et al - dazzling Kay, who seems to have grown up in a Rosemary Clooney cult. Once the national audience gets a taste of him, I believe Cone's time at YES will be numbered.
Meanwhile, last year's only reason to watch a Yankee postgame show was to hear Buck Showalter's unvarnished dose of reality. Win or lose, Showalter would say the things that Aaron Boone - his shadowy face an ever-deteriorating painting of Dorian Gray - would never dare speak aloud.
Actually, ESPN scores a second victory from Coney's hiring: It ditches Alex Rodriguez, who two years ago seemed to run out of gas. Unlike many of you, who hate A-Rod with the heat of a billion suns, I sorta enjoyed his primal insecurity and need for constant affirmation. According to the Internet, he's going to team with Kay in a "Manningcast." Dear God, that sounds horrible: Two of the most needful egos in sports, orbiting each other. Good luck with that.
All of these present continual diminishments to the Yankee brand. Whenever I hear of proposed changes to the game - a speed-up clock, the extra-inning rules - they always seem designed to save the owners money, rather than improve the product. For a century, the rules never changed. Now, they're tweaked every winter.
And on top of everything, a little less Coney, all to ourselves.