Fire Joe Morgan

[sonofsamiam]

Fire Joe Morgan has become perhaps my favorite baseball blog. It's not just anti-Morgan (though he gets pilloried with regularity); today's entry is a great deconstruction of perhaps the most infuriating baseball article I've ever read.

 

Anyway, enjoy. Just wanted to write something non-Cubs-oriented. And if this should be in another forum, so be it.

[Derwood]

That was fantastic, and the blogger couldn't be more right. What an inane, inept piece of tripe. Could he be more of a homer?

[sonofsamiam]

That was fantastic, and the blogger couldn't be more right. What an inane, inept piece of tripe. Could he be more of a homer?

 

The sad thing is he's MSNBC's national baseball reporter.

 

He has a nice piece where he argues that Kerry Wood should never be a starter again, because he was so lousy as a starter in the past. And uses his '03 3.20 ERA as part of his evidence. And, of course, Wins. And, of course, that he's not as good as Curt Schilling (despite Schilling only becoming dominant in his thirties).

[Derwood]

His breakdown of Morgan's ESPN.com chat is also hilarious. An entire chat where Morgan never really answers any questions.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

That's excellent, especially the comment that one guy had about the blog entry and the article.

 

This line in particular:

 

"Would Arizona and Florida have celebrated with the same gusto if they had beaten Cleveland instead of New York?"

 

It's too bad that there's no empirical way to know the answer to this question. Like, say, a world series where Florida played Cleveland instead of New York, and won that world series, and thus generated a celebration whose "gusto" could be measured.

 

Jesus, it's like he's so intent on using "Cleveland" as the archetypal boring city that he doesn't even bother to remember that they WERE IN THE WORLD SERIES AGAINST FLORIDA IN 1997. Or to recall that the series went seven games, the last of which went thirteen incredibly exciting innings. Or to mention the fact that people came down on the Marlins so hard for the '98 fire sale precisely because the '97 team was so good, and played so well together, and made a notoriously fickle South Florida audience fill an 80,000-seat football stadium for the duration of the playoffs. Or to express any knowledge that the Marlins' nemesis at that time was not the Yankees (huh?), but the Braves, whom they defeated in an electric six-game NLCS that included Livan Hernandez striking out 15 batters during a game that still makes me sort of misty when I think about it.

 

Then there's the ensuing celebration, which in 1997 included a mere three parades, Bobby Bonilla starting a car dealership, and my mother very nearly leaving my family for Craig Counsell. Of course, I only had season tickets and attended every home playoff game, so it's possible that I couldn't actually see how boring it all was without Mike Celizic's magic lens of watertight objective sports journalism.

 

Awesome.

[Derwood]

Oh man, sarcasm is the best, isn't it?

 

I could read this page all day.

[Marco4]

The comments on the August 6th entry about Linda Cohn had me laughing so hard I snapped my toothbrush.

 

That's a completely different story.

[fromthestretch]

I've been reading that site for about a week now.

 

The best parts are the live blogs of the live chats that Morgan has on ESPN.

[Omar]

My favorite is "Theres no lights there. That's why it's dark."

 

oh no RLY?! I didn't know lack of light caused a shadow/darkness.

[ToupeeOnFire]

Fire Joe Morgan has become perhaps my favorite baseball blog. It's not just anti-Morgan (though he gets pilloried with regularity); today's entry is a great deconstruction of perhaps the most infuriating baseball article I've ever read.

 

Anyway, enjoy. Just wanted to write something non-Cubs-oriented. And if this should be in another forum, so be it.

 

I liked this little pearl of wisdom from Morgan...

 

Cubs Fan: Joe, Are you surprised at how well Nomar has hit since his return? Is he now past the adrenaline phase and can he keep up the pace for the rest of the year?

 

KT: Pay close attention to Joe's answer here.

 

Joe Morgan: I am surprised. But I said he would swing well the first week because of all the adrenaline of coming back. But it looks like he's getting his timing down pretty well, so I am surprised. But he's a special player so it's not too surprising.

 

KT: That is gosh darn poetry. Are you surprised at how well Nomar has hit since his return? I am surprised. Is he now past the adrenaline phase? I said he would swing well because of all the adrenaline (i.e., I am not surprised). Can he keep up the pace for the rest of the year? It looks like he's getting his timing down pretty well, so I am surprised. He's a special player, so I am not surprised. Joe Morgan contradicted himself three times in one answer.

[Derwood]

My wife kept staring at me because I was giggling out loud while reading that page. I'm not even halfway through August, much less April, May, June and July.

[mul21]

I almost peed when I read this little nugget:

 

 

Scott Ziegler (Madison,WI): Joe was that the worst collision you've ever seen, Beltran and Cameron. That could have been alot worse.

 

Joe Morgan: Yeah, that's one of the worst I have seen. I saw one with Jesus Alou and a SS whose name I can't remember. The SS swallowed his tongue. That was pretty scary.

 

KT: I'm sure no-name SS who swallowed his tongue is honored by your memory of this event. It kind of sounds like a weird fairy tale Joe made up. "Jesus made a guy swallow his tongue once."

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

That site is excellent. I can't wait until I have more time to peruse its contents.

[biittner77]

Hogcard sighting.

 

Brings back so many memories.

[LetsPlayTwo]

Oops, he ripped into Ryno today. I see a decline in this site's popularity.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Oops, he ripped into Ryno today. I see a decline in this site's popularity.

 

They've done that on several occasions. I normally just skim over it, knowing that I'll never like Ryno the writer/analyst.

[Derwood]

A great snippet from Friday's chat (and Kid Tremendous' response)

 

Chris, Chicago: Do you believe the Cubs are pretty much finished this season, now with Nomar and Ramirez hurt? Should they just call up Felix Pie, Matt Murton, Ronny Cedeno and Rich Hill now?

 

Joe Morgan: It's hard in this day and age to throw in the towel and start working toward next season. I don't know if they should do that and I don't think they can.

 

KT: This is what just went through Joe Morgan's head: "Felix Who? Matt Huh? Ronny Which? Rich Whatnow? Uh oh. Better fire off some crazytalk."

[Mark Priors Calves]

I'm completely addicted to reading that blog. I've go so far as to read the archives back to June.

[Derwood]

I'm completely addicted to reading that blog. I've go so far as to read the archives back to June.

 

Me too. And it's one of the few spots on the web that actually makes me laugh out loud. Sometimes to the point of crying. Kid Tremendous is my hero.

[ctcf]

Julie (At Work in Bayonne, NJ): Hey Joe - what do you think of Roger Clemens chances at the Cy Young this year? His last 2 starts have been bad, but if he keeps that ERA, I think that he should get it over Carpenter... what do you think?

 

Joe Morgan: First of all, his last outing wasn't shaky since he lost 2-0. I look at wins first in the Cy Young and then ERA to break a tie...

 

KT: Oh my God oh my God oh my God oh my God.

 

I haven't that hard at a website in a long time.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I'm completely addicted to reading that blog. I've go so far as to read the archives back to June.

 

Me too. And it's one of the few spots on the web that actually makes me laugh out loud. Sometimes to the point of crying. Kid Tremendous is my hero.

 

It's Ken Tremendous. And yes, he's hilarious.

[Careless]

Ed (JoeMorgantown, WV): Joe, Ever think of putting together your all "Morgan Team" like John Madden used to do in football? Where you list players based on talent + intangibles.

 

Joe Morgan: (4:38 PM ET ) Actually, I did that in my Baseball for Dummies books. Baseball for Dummies 1 and 2 is out and 3 is coming out soon.

I never would have known this if not for this site. thanks

[AAApittsburgh]

Ed (JoeMorgantown, WV): Joe, Ever think of putting together your all "Morgan Team" like John Madden used to do in football? Where you list players based on talent + intangibles.

 

Joe Morgan: (4:38 PM ET ) Actually, I did that in my Baseball for Dummies books. Baseball for Dummies 1 and 2 is out and 3 is coming out soon.

I never would have known this if not for this site. thanks

I wonder who is on that team. Maybe something like this?

 

1B Joe Morgan

2B Joe Morgan

3B Joe Morgan

SS Joe Morgan

C Joe Morgan

LF Joe Morgan

CF Joe Morgan

RF Joe Morgan

 

SP Joe Morgan

 

CP Joe Morgan

[Derwood]

I'm completely addicted to reading that blog. I've go so far as to read the archives back to June.

 

Me too. And it's one of the few spots on the web that actually makes me laugh out loud. Sometimes to the point of crying. Kid Tremendous is my hero.

 

It's Ken Tremendous. And yes, he's hilarious.

 

Yes, well, you got my point.

[Mark Priors Calves]

I'm completely addicted to reading that blog. I've go so far as to read the archives back to June.

 

Me too. And it's one of the few spots on the web that actually makes me laugh out loud. Sometimes to the point of crying. Kid Tremendous is my hero.

 

I've got to stop reading it at work, I try to muzzle my laughter but I don't think it does the job. The bloggers are able to encapsulate what more intelligent baseball fans say about the commentators that cover our favorite game. Its not just the Joe Morgan stuff that kills me. John Kruk, Steve Philips, Rob Dibble, and Kevin Kennedy are complete morons. I see them on tv but to see them articulate their thoughts in writing is dreadful.