Well now that Jeannie Zelasko and her bizzare pants are off my television screen, let's get to the REAL pregame festitivities...only on FOX.
For the next three+ hours, I'll be trying to give my best Bill Simmons impersonations, and offer my "First Annual MLB All-Star Game Diary." Considering the enormity of this event: it's location in my home city and at the most important sporting venue in our country, and the fact that the NL is putting out arguably its strongest club in the past ten years, in hopes of breaking the recent AL all-star dominance, make this game significantly more important than ones in recent memory.
Without further ado, let's go to one of the most informative and wittiest broadcasters in the business: Joe Buck...
7:55: Television legend (and Bronx native) Regis Philbin introduces some of New York's finest athletes, entertainers, taxi cab drivers, and policemen, as each group is shown reciting a line from Frank Sinatra's famous, "New York, New York." Wouldn't expect anything else from FOX...doesn't get much cheesier.
8pm: Joe Buck announces the NL all-star team's bench, after giving props to legendary Yankees PA announcer Bob Shepard.
Some observations of the crowd's reaction to these players being announced:
Alfonso Soriano gets a louder ovation than Lou Piniella, which was sort of curious to me.
David Wright and Billy Wagner get mostly boos, as expected. Nothing else out of the ordinary.
Now to the A.L. Bench players/coaches:
Yankees' manager Joe Girardi gets a nice ovation.
J.D. Drew, Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, and Jonathan Papelbon get booed lustily, as expected.
Grady Sizemore gets a surprisingly nice ovation.
Mariano Rivera gets a loud ovation, one that lasted the longest of any reserve announced.
8:11pm: 49 Hall-of-Famers are placed around the Yankee stadium field, in sort of an awkward placement.
Some of the best pitchers of the previous century are announced. Goose and Whitey Ford get the loudest ovation of the names announced, as expected.
8:15pm: Ben Sheets and Cliff Lee are introduced...the game's starting hurlers. Each shake the hands of the Hall-of-Fame pitchers near the mound.
Next come the best first basemen in MLB history...capped off by Willie McCovey, who gets out of his wheelchair to greet the crowd. A great moment.
Kevin Youkilis gets lustily booed, as he's introduced after Lance Berkman.
Rod Carew, Bill Mazerowski, and Ryne Sandberg are introduced at second base. They're met and greeted by Chase Utley and Dustin Pedroia.
Brooks Robinson, Mike Schmidt, George Brett, and Wade Boggs are announced at third base. Wade gets a nice ovation. All four legendary third basemen are met by starters Chipper Jones and Alex Rodriguez...A-Rod gets a nice ovation and hugs each HOFer.
The HOFer Shortstops are announced: Luis Aparicio, Ozzie Smith, Robin Yount, Ernie Banks, and Cal Ripken Jr. A great group of ballplayers right there. They're joined by starting shortstops Hanley Ramirez and Derek Jeter...the king of New York. Chants of "Derek Jeter" eminate from the crowd in a great moment. Yes, I'm still a Mets fan.
Paul Molitor is announced...a HOFer who was inducted as a DH. He's greeted at second base by Albert Pujols and Milton Bradley.
Lou Brock, Billy Williams, and Mets legendary broadcaster Ralph Kiner are introduced in the left field. They're met by Ryan Braun and Manny Ramirez...who's booed heartily.
8:20pm: Willie Mays is introduced in Center, and receives a loud ovation. Willie's reaction doesn't seem to be a particularly appreciative one. In fact, he doesn't seem to notice Josh Hamilton when he tries to greet the Say Hey Kid out in Center.
Tony Gwynn, Al Kaline, Frank Robinson, Dave Winfield, Hank Aaron, and Reggie Jackson are announced in Right. This is easily the most recognizable and star-studded of the groups, and the crowd reacts that way. Chants of "Reggie" eminate from the rafters, as the HOFers are met by starting right fielders Matt Holliday and Ichiro.
Hall of Fame managers Earl Weaver, Tommy Lasorda, and Dick Williams are announced behind the plate. They're joined by Clint Hurdle and Terry Francona, another victim of the boo-birds.
8:25pm: Geovany Soto and Joe Mauer are announced as the starting catchers, and meet the HOF catchers in front of the plate...Gary Carter and of course, Yogi Berra. Chants of "Yogi" are heard loud and clear through my television set. Yogi receives the loudest ovation of the night it appears, perhaps louder than Jeter's.
8:30pm: Cheryl Crow sings the National Anthem, guitar and all. Seems like a decent enough choice, and she delivers a soft and strong rendition of the anthem. She has kind of a tough time hitting a couple of the notes, but rebounds nicely at the end. The guitar didn't seem to add or take away from the performance to me. Not too bad.
8:32pm: All of the Hall of Famers gather near the mound after greeting many of the current All-Stars.
8:33pm: George Steinbrenner is brought in via Golf cart to throw out the first pitch. Not an over the top ovation for The Boss, but he doesn't appear to be in particularly good health. It's no wonder you're always hearing Hank instead of George these days, he doesn't look too hot.
George is joined by the Yankee HOFers in attendance: Goose Gossage, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, and Whitey Ford. They each throw out the first pitch to the current Yankee All-Stars. Another well-thought-out moment.
Each of the Hall of Famers congregate around the mound after the first pitch. It was a cool pregame, but I'm not sure if it generated the momentous effect that FOX and Major League Baseball wanted, but maybe I'd be more overwhelmed if I were in the stadium. Seeing so many of these living Hall-of-Famers come together for this event, and seeing Willie McCovey get out of his wheelchair to greet the crowd, as well as the ovations received by Yogi, Derek, and Mariano, definitely affected me as an observer watching via TV. I hope the pregame was appreciated more by the observers in the stadium.
The pagentry has ended, so let's get to the game!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Why I watch ESPN's Monday Night Baseball on Mute
So I turn on ESPN's Monday Night Baseball this evening for a traditional rivalry contest between two of the National League's more popular clubs in the Mets and the Cardinals, and I'm excited.
Now I'm always excited when the Mets play on national television, but I'm especially excited this evening because John Maine is on the hill, one of the Mets' most consistent starters this season. But to my dismay, as has become custom far too often this season, the Mets fail to show up to the ballpark, and get annihilated by a Cardinals team chock full of 5'8" no-names who bust their butt on every play, and conduct themselves as if its the ninth inning of a game seven.
Aside from my disappointment at the game's outcome, I'm almost as disappointed with the coverage of this nationally televised game.
Now I know that Dan Shulman is probably better known for his prowess calling the NBA with the venerable Hubie Brown. Steve Phillips is a former GM who's used to giving analysis and anecdotes on ESPN's Baseball Tonight, and Orel Hershiser is a former pitcher who alternates between calling life-changing events like the Little League World Series. But to be completely frank, it was tough to watch and listen to these gentlemen tonight, and I had to put the TV on mute on more than one occasion.
Yes, this game was not a particularly close contest, and the Mets played with as much life as David Wells after a night of makin it rain at Bungalow 8.
But I calculated an eight-minute span in the second inning of this game where Shulman, Phillips and Hershiser discussed the after-effects of concussions in professional sports, not even limiting their discussion to the Mets' Ryan Church. As this was occurring, Endy Chavez gave the Mets their first hit of the game on a line single to right. This "concussion" conversation (which almost gave me one) continued as Brian Schneider fouled off seven consecutive pitches, after finally reaching base. John Maine was the next hitter up, and made the final out as abruptly as one might expect.
But never once did Shulman call the action on the field during both Chavez' and Schneider at bats. They were concentrating on a relatively inconsequential, and irrelevant human interest story far more than they were concentrating on the actual game action.
Now I understand that these "nationally televised games" give a chance for fair-weather sports fans and fans of other teams to catch a glimpse of teams and players they've seen on a limited basis up to this point in the season, but the job of a sports caster is to call the action in the game.
Period.
Shulman failed to do that for an eight-minute span during the SECOND inning of this game...and this result hadn't even become a blowout yet.
The point being that there are far too many pointless diatribes being discussed during telecasts of professional sporting events these days. Whatever happened to just calling the action, and concentrating on the events directly pertinent to the game and its overall outcome?
Human interest stories are interesting every so often, especially in the latter innings of blowout ballgames. But these guys get paid FAR too much money NOT to call the baseball game, and need to give the viewer the action as it occurs on the ball field.
Shulman's not the only perpetrator of this act, but he seems to be part of a greater problem in sportscasting. If you want give the viewer human interest stories and anecdotes, go ask for Bob Ley's position on ESPN's "Outside the Lines." I don't really care about what your hotel was like in Omaha, Nebraska during the College World Series for two minutes, or your thoughts on whether Dave Duncan deserves to be in the Hall of Fame for 15 straight minutes. (And as angry as I may seem right now, Duncan actually should be the first non-managing coach to enter)
99% of people who watch ESPN baseball telecasts like the ones shown on Monday Nights tune in to watch the game and hear intelligent analysis by so-called experts.
They don't tune in to hear eight-minute diatribes about the dangers of post-concussion syndrome, or minute-long comments about large fat white natives of St. Louis eating melting ice cream.
Call the game, and give us pertinent analysis. After all, isn't that why you're paid?
Now to be fair, maybe the producers informed the announcers of these types of transgressions because they seemed to improve after the sixth inning. But these guys were extremely unimpressive for the first two hours of the game.
Maybe I've been spoiled from hearing the best announcing team in Major League Baseball in SNY's Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez. But, I really didn't enjoy this evening's telecast on ESPN...and it wasn't just because of the result.
ESPN needs to address this issue...or surely other intelligent viewers will begin to take notice of this mediocrity, and cause ESPN to wonder what happened to their previously respectable Monday Night Baseball ratings.
Now I'm always excited when the Mets play on national television, but I'm especially excited this evening because John Maine is on the hill, one of the Mets' most consistent starters this season. But to my dismay, as has become custom far too often this season, the Mets fail to show up to the ballpark, and get annihilated by a Cardinals team chock full of 5'8" no-names who bust their butt on every play, and conduct themselves as if its the ninth inning of a game seven.
Aside from my disappointment at the game's outcome, I'm almost as disappointed with the coverage of this nationally televised game.
Now I know that Dan Shulman is probably better known for his prowess calling the NBA with the venerable Hubie Brown. Steve Phillips is a former GM who's used to giving analysis and anecdotes on ESPN's Baseball Tonight, and Orel Hershiser is a former pitcher who alternates between calling life-changing events like the Little League World Series. But to be completely frank, it was tough to watch and listen to these gentlemen tonight, and I had to put the TV on mute on more than one occasion.
Yes, this game was not a particularly close contest, and the Mets played with as much life as David Wells after a night of makin it rain at Bungalow 8.
But I calculated an eight-minute span in the second inning of this game where Shulman, Phillips and Hershiser discussed the after-effects of concussions in professional sports, not even limiting their discussion to the Mets' Ryan Church. As this was occurring, Endy Chavez gave the Mets their first hit of the game on a line single to right. This "concussion" conversation (which almost gave me one) continued as Brian Schneider fouled off seven consecutive pitches, after finally reaching base. John Maine was the next hitter up, and made the final out as abruptly as one might expect.
But never once did Shulman call the action on the field during both Chavez' and Schneider at bats. They were concentrating on a relatively inconsequential, and irrelevant human interest story far more than they were concentrating on the actual game action.
Now I understand that these "nationally televised games" give a chance for fair-weather sports fans and fans of other teams to catch a glimpse of teams and players they've seen on a limited basis up to this point in the season, but the job of a sports caster is to call the action in the game.
Period.
Shulman failed to do that for an eight-minute span during the SECOND inning of this game...and this result hadn't even become a blowout yet.
The point being that there are far too many pointless diatribes being discussed during telecasts of professional sporting events these days. Whatever happened to just calling the action, and concentrating on the events directly pertinent to the game and its overall outcome?
Human interest stories are interesting every so often, especially in the latter innings of blowout ballgames. But these guys get paid FAR too much money NOT to call the baseball game, and need to give the viewer the action as it occurs on the ball field.
Shulman's not the only perpetrator of this act, but he seems to be part of a greater problem in sportscasting. If you want give the viewer human interest stories and anecdotes, go ask for Bob Ley's position on ESPN's "Outside the Lines." I don't really care about what your hotel was like in Omaha, Nebraska during the College World Series for two minutes, or your thoughts on whether Dave Duncan deserves to be in the Hall of Fame for 15 straight minutes. (And as angry as I may seem right now, Duncan actually should be the first non-managing coach to enter)
99% of people who watch ESPN baseball telecasts like the ones shown on Monday Nights tune in to watch the game and hear intelligent analysis by so-called experts.
They don't tune in to hear eight-minute diatribes about the dangers of post-concussion syndrome, or minute-long comments about large fat white natives of St. Louis eating melting ice cream.
Call the game, and give us pertinent analysis. After all, isn't that why you're paid?
Now to be fair, maybe the producers informed the announcers of these types of transgressions because they seemed to improve after the sixth inning. But these guys were extremely unimpressive for the first two hours of the game.
Maybe I've been spoiled from hearing the best announcing team in Major League Baseball in SNY's Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez. But, I really didn't enjoy this evening's telecast on ESPN...and it wasn't just because of the result.
ESPN needs to address this issue...or surely other intelligent viewers will begin to take notice of this mediocrity, and cause ESPN to wonder what happened to their previously respectable Monday Night Baseball ratings.
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