My Religious Holiday
No, I'm not going to go all Ryan Church on you.
Opening Day is my annual day off, with a morning trip to 7-11 for a big heaping pile of crappy ballpark-type food followed by hours of MLB TV. This year I'm skimming from game to game, getting a peek at every team that I can.
It didn't even take one full inning to hear two examples of BS. Both came courtesy of Expos/Nationals color man Tom Paciorek. He started by talking about how Mets shortstop and inexplicable leadoff man Jose Reyes stole 60 bases last year and how when he gets on ahead of the big sluggers, he's really a threat. Since Reyes had a .300 on-base percentage last year (.303 for his career), he's more a threat to his own lineup.
Paul LoDuca followed Reyes to the plate, prompting Paciorek to launch into the "I just don't know what the Dodgers were thinking, trading this guy away." Because LoDuca is a Scrappy White Guy(tm), and a clubhouse leader. What he isn't is an above-average ballplayer. He's a guy with one offensive skill, hitting for average, with no speed, no power, and few walks. The Dodgers traded him because they understood this and got something back for him that they needed.
On the other hand, kudos to Devil Rays color man Joe Magrane, who pointed out the futility of players who try to slide into first base to beat a throw. As anyone with half a brain would understand, it's faster to run through the bag than to try to slide, but most broadcasters can only yammer about the great hustle any idiot who tries to slide is showing. What a gamer he is! Magrane is one of the few I've ever heard getting it right.
Should someone tell MLB TV to watch out between innings to make sure that the broadcasters' mics don't stay on? So far I haven't heard anything off-color, but they really should be more careful.
Opening Day is my annual day off, with a morning trip to 7-11 for a big heaping pile of crappy ballpark-type food followed by hours of MLB TV. This year I'm skimming from game to game, getting a peek at every team that I can.
It didn't even take one full inning to hear two examples of BS. Both came courtesy of Expos/Nationals color man Tom Paciorek. He started by talking about how Mets shortstop and inexplicable leadoff man Jose Reyes stole 60 bases last year and how when he gets on ahead of the big sluggers, he's really a threat. Since Reyes had a .300 on-base percentage last year (.303 for his career), he's more a threat to his own lineup.
Paul LoDuca followed Reyes to the plate, prompting Paciorek to launch into the "I just don't know what the Dodgers were thinking, trading this guy away." Because LoDuca is a Scrappy White Guy(tm), and a clubhouse leader. What he isn't is an above-average ballplayer. He's a guy with one offensive skill, hitting for average, with no speed, no power, and few walks. The Dodgers traded him because they understood this and got something back for him that they needed.
On the other hand, kudos to Devil Rays color man Joe Magrane, who pointed out the futility of players who try to slide into first base to beat a throw. As anyone with half a brain would understand, it's faster to run through the bag than to try to slide, but most broadcasters can only yammer about the great hustle any idiot who tries to slide is showing. What a gamer he is! Magrane is one of the few I've ever heard getting it right.
Should someone tell MLB TV to watch out between innings to make sure that the broadcasters' mics don't stay on? So far I haven't heard anything off-color, but they really should be more careful.
posted by Jim at
2:25 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home