What Has Bloomberg Learned From This Rebuke?

The correct way to utilize a baseball analogy:

The candidacy of Cathleen P. Black, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s choice to be chancellor of the New York City schools, was in jeopardy on Tuesday as both a panel weighing her credentials and the state official who will determine her fate expressed deep doubts about her readiness for the job.

The official, David M. Steiner, the state education commissioner, said he would consider granting Ms. Black, a publishing executive, the waiver she needed to take office only if Mr. Bloomberg appointed an educator to help her run the system.

But even then, Dr. Steiner did not rule out rejecting her request for a waiver, saying he was skeptical about her ability to master the intricacies of the nation’s largest school system. Ms. Black lacks the education credentials required by state law to be schools chief.

Her cause was further undermined on Tuesday when only two of the eight members of an advisory panel Dr. Steiner appointed to evaluate Ms. Black’s background unconditionally endorsed her bid for a waiver.

. . .

Mr. Klein plans to step down on Dec. 31. Mr. Bloomberg has said that if Ms. Black is not approved, he is not certain any other qualified candidate would want the job.

“You know, we had a great pitcher for the first seven innings,” Mr. Bloomberg told reporters on Tuesday before the panel voted. “We bring in the closer for the last couple of innings, and this was the right closer to bring in.”

This comes after bungling the same analogy last week:

“Joel Klein did a masterful job. That’s seven innings of pitching and now we need a closer to come in for three inn–,” before giving up on baseball. “And this city is so lucky to have Cathie Black willing to walk away from everything else and devote her life.”

His crew should start printing bumper stickers for a presidential run — “Bloomberg: He’ll Manage For All Ten Innings” — it’s like an updated version of “110 percent”!