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jaxxradio

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Everything posted by jaxxradio

  1. jaxxradio
    I won't be posting anywhere this season except right here. I got to much stuff going on in the broadcast booth. BTW, for you folks wondering... yes I did apply for the Cubs pre/post game host. I would love the chance to perform at the major league level, especially the organization that I have been around the most in my nine year professional career. I don't know how good my chances are at getting this job, but you can be sure that I am hoping and praying for this opportunity.
  2. jaxxradio
    I agree with you grassbass on the lack of originlity with todays broadcasters. I take great pride in being an original and anyone who has ever heard me call a game will tell you that. As far as former players getting in the broadcast booth, in a way thats a "distant cousin" of nepotism. I say that because these athletes have been in the baseball "family" so players interested in a post-career move to the broadcasting booth get a better opportunity. I understand and accept that more because there is a need for a color analyst in the booth (especially on TV). Just out of curiousity (and I ask this to all Cubs fans who don't care for Joe Buck), is it because he is from Satan Louis and is neck deep in the Cardinals organization? I think he does a very fair job in broadcasting the game, even with a very large handicap in the booth named McCarver.
  3. jaxxradio
    Broadcasters have to "pay your dues" just like the players. The difference between the players and the broadcasters is the fact that the broadcasters are not bound by any organization. Take me for example. After spending four years in Independent baseball, I got a job with the Vero Beach Dodgers, the then High-A affiliate of the LA Dodgers. After the 2002 season, I got offered to broadcast for West Tenn, the then Double-A affiliate of the Cubs. I didn't have to ask permission from the Dodgers to leave because the Dodgers didn't own my rights. BTW, Joe Buck (who is one of the best baseball broadcasters today) and Thom Brennaman (who is also very talented) didn't just get handed their jobs, although they didn't spend alot of time in the minors either. Nepotism is a reality not only in my industry, but in all of the jobs today. It sucks, but I've accepted it.
  4. jaxxradio
    Mick Gillispie is the new Smokies broadcaster. Mick was the number two guy in Chattanooga the past two seasons. He is a very talented broadcaster and I am sure that you folks will enjoy his work this summer.
  5. jaxxradio
    Living three hours south of Chicago, I rooted for the Bears and was very dissapointed in the loss. I feel bad for Rex Grossman because he is getting pounded when in reality, the play calling from the sidelines was the real reason for the loss. That and a paper-thin defense that had no clue how to stop the run. Oh well, the good news is two months and we start the season in Montgomery.. woo-hoo..
  6. jaxxradio
    Chris, I have no idea how the city feels about the Mariners. I don't live in Jackson year round anymore. I moved to Illinois in late September and only work in season with the team. As far as missing me goes, I appreciate the kind words. My four years with the Cubs organization was and is something I will always cherish. Having said that, the guy that is "replacing" me is a solid broadcaster. The Smokies are in good hands with the broadcasting thats for sure.
  7. jaxxradio
    They have already gotten the internet problems taken care of.. the problem was the fact that they had a second rate phone service, not Bell-South.. go figure. Anyway, I have been told that the broadcast will no longer have any dropouts due to poor phone service and that the internet is top of the line. I wish we would have had this last year. Chris, ribbee won't be "the man" (afterall, who could understand his language or lack there of). Actually, the guy I am talking about is/was employed as a number two broadcaster somewhere in the Southern League. I can tell you that you kids are in good hands with this radio guy and that you will forget all about me soon.
  8. jaxxradio
    The Smokies have their new broadcaster.. an announcement from GM Brian Cox should be coming soon. All I can tell you is that he has spent the last few seasons in the Southern League.
  9. jaxxradio
    I tell any kid interested in becoming a professional baseball player to use a wooden bat as much as possible in practice. I also tell pitchers to continue to use the inside part of the plate. There is a school of thought among scouts that drafting pitchers out of high school is better because they haven't been "shell shocked" in college. IMO, Major League Baseball needs to come to an arrangement with the NCAA about banning aluminum bats and forcing the colleges to use wooden bats. Only then are the "experts" going to have a much better idea of who is good enough to go to the next level.
  10. jaxxradio
    Tom hasn't done all 140 games in a few years because of his commitment to his TV gig (for those not aware, Tom works for CSTV.. he called the ND-Air Force football game this fall). He is very good on TV as well as radio. Anyway, I guess the Smokies management wanted someone there who can broadcast every game. No word on Chip Kain's status (Chip is the Smokies number two broadcaster).
  11. jaxxradio
    The Tennessee Smokies have announced that they will not bring back popular radio broadcaster Tom Hart. No word on who the new radio guy will be, but I can tell you for certain that it won't be me. I have decided to stay with West Tenn for the 2007 season. Even though I am no longer in the Cubs organization, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hopefully "Santa" can give you fans a CF and a stronger right arm for Prior and Wood. It would be great to see this team win the World Series and witness the incredible celebration that you fans deserve. God Bless you all, Ron Potesta
  12. jaxxradio
    A Cubs-Yanks trade wouldn't fit. The Yankees need major league ready pitching and the Cubs only have Zambrano to offer and that wouldn't be anywhere near what they want for A-Rod. Now, if ol' Jimbo can convince Cashman that Hill, Pie and Gallagher (or someone close to his talent) is equal to A-Rod, then Jimbo would be a freakin' genious
  13. jaxxradio
    If the Cubs are smart, they will leave Murton alone and let him get his 600 AB's per season. I got to know him when we were in West Tenn and believe me when I tell you, he has tremendous work ethic as well as talent. The loft in his swing is going to be good for 25-30 homers every year very soon. He'll also be a .300 hitter year in and year out.
  14. jaxxradio
    Cashman ain't stupid.. he would want Zambrano and a couple of our prospects for A-Rod. There's no way in hell I would trade Zambrano for A-Rod straight up let alone adding two or three prospects.
  15. jaxxradio
    The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx are the new Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Seattle leaves San Antonio and becomes the third American League team in the Southern League.
  16. jaxxradio
    DJAXX, you should know better than to trust anything the Jackson Sun has to say.. lol
  17. jaxxradio
    Thats a great question.. Since I have never seen a pitcher strikeout every player he faces, I am going to say that pitching and defense go hand in hand. To give you an example, lets say a pitcher needs an out and he has an average to below average defense behind him. That pitcher is going to want to get the strikeout for fear that a batted ball could result in an error. If he has a solid defense behind him, he doesn't have that pressure. That's what a solid defense does for a pitcher. I've had the opportunity to ask pitchers about this and they tell me there is a huge comfort zone when you pitch with a solid defense behind you.
  18. jaxxradio
    Trans, assuming that the game is divided into three equal categories (pitching, offense and defense), I think pitching and defense are more important than pitching and offense or offense and defense.
  19. jaxxradio
    Stitch, just because a staff finishes in the top two in ERA doesn't make them a great pitching staff. When Cleveland had their four or five year run in the 90's, the pitching staff finished in the top two practically every year in the AL but that staff wasn't great by any stretch of the imagination. A great staff has to be great all around. The Braves had great starters but that bullpen was average for the most part. Other than Wohlers and Rocker (and niether one of them were lights out), they didn't have a solid closer until Smoltz. The set-up guys were average at best. They certainly didn't have anybody like Scott Shields or Jeff Nelson (in his prime).
  20. jaxxradio
    I'm not saying that offense doesn't have a place.. obviously it does. I just think that you need above average pitching and defense more than you need above average hitting IMO. Having said that, Bruno you hit the nail on the head when you said a team is unbeatable if they have all three.
  21. jaxxradio
    Curse, it depends on the pitching staff you have. Again, assuming the Cubs keep Ramirez at 3B, the infield of Lee, Theriot/Cedeno, Izturis and Ramirez will be one of the best defensively in the NL next year. Now, if you get a pitching staff that induces more groundballs than fly balls, this team will dramatically improve. Throw in a complete season from Lee and Ramirez (keep our fingers crossed) and another year of maturation from Murton, this team becomes a contender.
  22. jaxxradio
    Grass, that would be true if the Braves had great pitching, but they didn't. Now before everyone freaks out on me. Hear me out. Pitching is more than throwing out a starter. A great pitching staff needs two or three solid starting pitchers, two solid set-up guys that create the bridge between the starter and the closer. Most importantly, you need to have a lights out closer. Now back to the Braves and their great run. Did they have the starters? Absolutely. Did they have the set-up guys? They were below average in that department for most of their run. Did they have a Mariano Rivera, Eric Gagne, Trevor Hoffman type lights out closer? Hell no, not even close. Bottom line is the starters were great but the bullpen was average at best. That wasn't a great pitching staff. It was good, but not great.
  23. jaxxradio
    Goony, I'm not including the first three games of that series with the Yankees. I'm talking about the final eight games the Red Sox played (four against NY and four against St. Louis).
  24. jaxxradio
    Stitch, there was a sportstalk show host in Cleveland by the name of Pete Franklin (God rest his soul). Pete used to scream at callers who thought that a team could win based on offense alone. He used to say that pitching was 90% of the game. I'm not going to go that far, but pitching and defense make up about 75-80% of the game. No question that you need to score runs, but it's not nearly as important as having solid pitching and solid defense, especially up the middle. In the 2006 Baseball America Prospect Handbook, (page 8) there is a really good overview of what scouts are looking for at each position. Under shortstop, hitting ranks third behind fielding and arm strength. In center, hitting ranks second behind fielding. The catcher position has hitting third behind fielding and arm strength. Surprisingly, second base has hitting in front of fielding. BTW, the five categories were Fielding, hitting, speed, power and arm strength.
  25. jaxxradio
    Your right, Boston didn't lead the AL in pitching that year.. but there staff got hot (really hot) at the right time. Four in a row over the Yankees and four more against St. Louis. The pitching was phenominal over that period.
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