Baseball Thoughts
Oct. 11th, 2004 11:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dxmachina* The Dodgers did far better than almost anyone expected this year, including themselves. The big trade was still a huge mistake, though. It's tough to win games when your catchers are hitting worse than your pitchers.
* I'm currently watching the Astros crush the Braves, which is good. I've always liked Biggio as a player. He's also another guy who went to Seton Hall. It's hard to believe he started out as a catcher. He's now playing his fourth different position since coming up (C, 2B, CF, LF). Bagwell deserves a shot, too, and Beltran is an amazing player. Plus, I hate the frelling Braves.
* I know it probably isn't true, but every time I hear the tomahawk chop chant it makes me think that every single Braves fan is a fucking redneck. Interesting teams and a great manager, but the chop, Skip Carey (the least impartial announcer there is), and TBS constantly promoting them as "America's" team have pretty much turned me off of them forever.
* Ken Caminiti died today at age 41. He was a pretty good ball player, and was even MVP one year, but he had a lot of demons. Alcohol, cocaine, and steroids shortened his career, and probably his life. Such a shame.
* Houston got 17 hits tonight. The Astros are a great story. They were absolutely dead at the All-Star break, but apparently they were only mostly dead.
* The Yankees and Dodgers led their leagues in come-from-behind wins. It's easy to see why. Both teams had mediocre starters offset by terrific bullpens.
* I'm currently watching the Astros crush the Braves, which is good. I've always liked Biggio as a player. He's also another guy who went to Seton Hall. It's hard to believe he started out as a catcher. He's now playing his fourth different position since coming up (C, 2B, CF, LF). Bagwell deserves a shot, too, and Beltran is an amazing player. Plus, I hate the frelling Braves.
* I know it probably isn't true, but every time I hear the tomahawk chop chant it makes me think that every single Braves fan is a fucking redneck. Interesting teams and a great manager, but the chop, Skip Carey (the least impartial announcer there is), and TBS constantly promoting them as "America's" team have pretty much turned me off of them forever.
* Ken Caminiti died today at age 41. He was a pretty good ball player, and was even MVP one year, but he had a lot of demons. Alcohol, cocaine, and steroids shortened his career, and probably his life. Such a shame.
* Houston got 17 hits tonight. The Astros are a great story. They were absolutely dead at the All-Star break, but apparently they were only mostly dead.
* The Yankees and Dodgers led their leagues in come-from-behind wins. It's easy to see why. Both teams had mediocre starters offset by terrific bullpens.
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Date: 2004-10-12 02:28 pm (UTC)You know, I was a nominal Braves fan for most of my childhood. Then I grew up and realised I wasn't really into baseball anyway; but the Braves are pretty much the only successful ball team the South has. Everyone supports, yo.
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Date: 2004-10-12 03:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-12 03:56 pm (UTC)True enough, but if pitchers didn't bat it would all be better.
*grin*
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Date: 2004-10-12 04:15 pm (UTC)I hear that Lo duca kid in Florida hits pretty good ...
Cheap shot, sorry. If Brad Penny had been healthy and shut out the Cards in one or more games, the GM looks like a genius.
Skip Carey is more of a homer than Ken Harrelson, with his whole "bad guys coming up to bat after the break" schtick? I guess we've been spoiled with classy announcers like Tom Cheek and (RIP) John Cerutti here in TO. Hearing rah-rah stuff from announcers makes me squirm. I want as close to neutral as possible from broadcasters.
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Date: 2004-10-12 04:56 pm (UTC)I don't remember Hawk being all that bad when he was the Sox announcer (with Dick Stockton). Toronto had Kubek, too, didn't they? He was pretty good.
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Date: 2004-10-12 05:10 pm (UTC)Ah, the classic homer indicator. Ick.
I miss Tony Kubek. Here we are, just a few years after thinking that there was a flood of Costas sound-alikes coming out of Syracuse, and now there seems to be a shortage of good broadcasters around. A buddy of mine would like to pay folding cash to hear a McDonough/Remy broadcast over the FAUX broadcast of the LCS. Perhaps there will be a slight reduction in the Jeter worship since ESPNY isn't doing the coverage. (As a neutral, I do think Jeter is a major clutch player, and would prefer Miller and Morgan[ack!] to the Tim McCarver broadcast.)
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Date: 2004-10-12 05:29 pm (UTC)I miss Costas and/or Vin Scully doing the national games. I may actually pay for the mlb.com radio package next year just to hear Scully again.
Speaking of Harrelson, Jeff Brantley sounds just like him.
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Date: 2004-10-12 06:41 pm (UTC)I've had some Vin Scully games from the west coast on my digital cable, and while he isn't quite as sharp as once he was, he still sounds great. I agree that McCarver is in decline. I'd say serious decline.
Speaking of formerly great broadcasters, listening to Pat Summerall just makes me sad. It's good to hear the voice again, but he is a shadow of his former self.
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Date: 2004-10-13 02:24 am (UTC)Buck: 3-2. What would you throw here?
McCarver: Fastball!
Leiter: The hook.
Mussina throws the curve for the strikeout.
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Date: 2004-10-15 08:03 pm (UTC)