Reynolds catches on with SNY as analyst

The statistics for the Class A Wausau (Wis.) Timbers of 1981 hint at the future of two players who were roommates that summer:

Infielder Harold Reynolds batted .296 with 98 runs scored and 11 home runs in 493 at-bats.

Outfielder Omar Minaya hit .148 with 11 runs and one homer in 54 at-bats.

The former would go on to become an all-star in the major leagues. The latter settled for front-office work.

Now they are on the same team again - sort of.

Mostly- Mets-owned SNY has hired Reynolds as a part-time studio analyst, beginning tonight.

The appearance also will mark his return to television, 21 months after ESPN fired him amid allegations of sexual harassment. Reynolds later sued. The case was settled out of court last week, which made SNY more comfortable bringing him aboard and might open other TV possibilities.

"Obviously, it's making a difference. People are starting to call," he said of the settlement of a suit he was focused on "setting the record straight."

Reynolds declined to discuss specifics but said, "The settlement speaks for itself. I don't think they could settle if they think they have a case."

ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys responded:

"That is ridiculous, and he knows it. Our case was strong. We only settled to spare the women involved further difficult disruptions in their lives and because he accepted substantially less than it would have cost us to litigate it. He walked away with little from it."

SNY executive producer Curt Gowdy Jr. said, "We were aware of the issue and satisfied with how Harold and ESPN resolved the situation."

Regardless, Reynolds' reputation surely has suffered since the end of his 11-year run as an ESPN analyst, during which he had a Digger Phelpsian tendency to stumble through sentences but nonetheless was popular among viewers.

"Time will tell," he said. "Some people will judge it regardless. I can't worry about that."

The partnership makes sense, given his ties to everyone from ownership to Minaya to manager Willie Randolph to Gowdy, who once was Reynolds' producer on the Little League World Series.

The gig is limited to about 20 games, usually working with lead analyst Lee Mazzilli on pre- and postgame shows.

Reynolds, 47, mostly will work early in the week, after his MLB.com shifts.

Unlike Mazzilli and Darryl Strawberry, SNY's other new studio analyst, Reynolds does not have direct ties to the Mets. But he said he is in New York enough to understand the vibe.

"With the Mets and Yankees, it's fire a guy after they lose two games," he said. "I think I can bring a fresh perspective to things."

Reynolds recalled Minaya even in A ball being an astute observer who would ask questions and make observations in meetings.

His fondest memory of Randolph is from the 1987 All-Star Game, when the veteran, hobbled by a sore hamstring, told his fellow second baseman just after introductions:

"Hey, kid, I'm going to take my at-bat, then the game is yours."

The SNY job could lead to national work, perhaps on the MLB Channel, which debuts in January. Reynolds is friendly with commissioner Bud Selig. TBS' announcing roster also is a work in progress.

"Obviously, I'd love to be on a national scale," he said. "I appreciate them opening this door and putting me back on TV. This will get a lot of people's attention. It means a lot to me."

Strange but true: Cosell pitches . . . CB radios!

The first thing they teach freshmen at TV public relations school is that I'm a sucker for baby boomer nostalgia.

Thus did a DVD arrive for NBC's "Icons from the Archives," debuting at 5 p.m. Sunday.

It's an uneven hodgepodge of mostly 1970s stuff found on ancient tapes in a warehouse in New Jersey, featuring Joe Namath, Hank Aaron, Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell.

It makes for a peculiar show - light on the Namath, heavy on the 1977 Ali-Shavers fight. But it's a sentimental journey for fans of a certain age.

My favorite snippets both feature Cosell. In one, he recalls having to cut short an interview with Fidel Castro to throw it to "Jim McKay and speed skating in Lake Placid."

In another, he pitches CB radios in an ad that ran during that Ali-Shavers bout. Cool.

Just wondering: Sirius is serious about NFL draft

ESPN and the NFL Network care very much about the draft, as my inbox shows.

But it would be difficult for any media outlet to surpass the seriousness of Sirius.

The people at the satellite radio service are as off-the-deep-end as anyone this time of year, spending hours every day not only talking about decision-makers and players but to them.

Take Pat Kirwan, a long-time Jets exec (1989-97) who hosts a four-hour show every day and probably has the most impressive collection of college players' cell phone numbers of anyone in the media.

During a break yesterday from preparing his own draft database, Kirwan said he interviewed seven or eight linebackers Wednesday alone.

"I feel like I'm ready to go," he said, facing the prospect of a draft that will move faster than ever thanks to a new TV-friendlier schedule.

Sirius has an Internet service that offers a free three-day trial.

For the draft-obsessed, the next three might be the best of the year to check it out.

Best's bets: Versus making strides

The jokes about the name have faded, as have complaints about everything from channel position to analyst Brian Engblom's hair.

No, Versus is not NBC or even ESPN, but it does seem to be gaining grudging acceptance among hockey fans.

"It's really died down," executive VP Marc Fein said of the Versus-bashing. "People have found us. They know that hockey is on us."

The key issue remains distribution, especially with the second round of the playoffs at hand.

About 74 million homes get Versus, 20 million or so behind ESPN. But its penetration varies by region.

With Games 1 and 4 of Rangers-Penguins on the channel, the good news is that New York is relatively well covered.

For example, Cablevision has it on a digital level, but 84 percent of its customers have digital, the top rate in the nation. (Yes, it's in HD, too.)

That still leaves many people in the dark.

Fein said Versus looks at distribution much as it does ratings: "Great growth, but a lot more room to grow."

Regular-season NHL ratings rose by 50 percent, from tiny to less tiny: 0.2 percent of homes with the channel to 0.3.

Playoff ratings are up 33 percent so far.

In the second round, NBC and Versus each has two Rangers games exclusively. MSG has the rest.

If the Rangers make it to the conference finals, every game will be on NBC or Versus.

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