The answer to when the TV voice of the Mets, Gary Cohen, has days off in the future is so obvious it hurts.
Bring back Kevin Burkhardt to call the games.
Burkhardt, who received his big TV break from SNY, was as good a sideline reporter as we have ever seen. He left SNY to become an even bigger star as Fox’s lead baseball studio host and its No. 2 NFL play-by-player. He is beloved by Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling. Plus, he is already getting extra reps — besides his Fox play-by-play — doing some Tampa Bay Rays games.
Last week, SNY used a studio guy in Gary Apple to fill in for Cohen for six games. When the decision was made, the Mets were near the bottom of the standings, and it seemed unlikely they’d be in the middle of the NL wild-card race for the mid-August games.
SNY also had bad timing. It couldn’t use Wayne Randazzo because his radio partner, Howie Rose, was also off. SNY took some heat.
With Burkhardt, SNY may have to spend a bit more, but it would receive praise.