Jehrico

No one is saying that ballplayers shouldn't be analysts. All people are asking for is a better screening process when selecting which ones get to sit behind a microphone. I agree that having a former player in the booth can make the broadcast more interesting. They have a lot of playing experience to draw from, which can really help (see Steve Stone). A lot of them probably have great stories to mix into a broadcast. The problem is, a lot of the guys they get to do this job come off as arrogant and closed-minded (see Joe Morgan, Tim McCarver and John Kruk) and many of them aren't very articulate (see Joe Carter). The networks worry about getting a recognizable name in the booth. Screw that. A smart, articulate player who hit .230 during a five-year career could bring just as much to a broadcast as Tim McCarver or Joe Morgan do. Fair enough. I can't even listen to Morgan anymore. Grassbass just articulated a little different what I was getting at...There's got to be alot of better guys for TV than what they have been putting up. I can't even watch a basketball game anymore if Bill Walton is calling it. I can usually find an alternate audio stream when Joe Morgan is calling a game on TV. I don't watch baseball tonight anymore. I'll never watch TBDSSP again while Dibble is on it. There's a ton of former ball players that could do a good job. They just aren't getting the jobs. I've known for a long time that NBC is run by a bunch of idiots. ESPN has been going slowly down hill for several years now. Fox seems worse now than a couple of years ago (although their camera work during games is better). Seems like the NBC idiot bug is making its way through the other networks.

Rats...Arroyo is pitching. I was hoping this was all part of Dusty's plan...let them get a huge lead, then there's no reason to keep your starter in there any longer, keep the load light on him. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that Cincy's manager is like him, he'd rather let his starter throw 130 pitches with a 9 run lead. Edit: I meant Arroyo is hitting...

True, this IS Cincinatti, it's just a matter of getting to their pen by no later than the 8th...

Sportsline.com's gamecenter had Dunn's at bat going like this before he walked: Ball, Ball, Ball, Ball, Ball, Ball, Strike looking...

Rusch is such an odditie...he's the only guy who can have 3 innings where he faces only 4 batters, one 3 up 3 down inning, and one 5 batter inning for a total of 6 baserunners in 5 innings and still be absolutely horrible.

71 pitches thus far for Arroyo.

It was a nasty pitch by Arroyo. Overall, I haven't been too impressed with Arroyo. Don't understand why we can't hit him.

Big at bat coming up...because a PH is in, and it means [expletive] is done for.

Can anyone else think of any other pitcher who gave up two homers to the same opposing pitcher in consecutive outings? Rusch must enjoy the notoriety. Time to cut sling with Rusch. I don't care if they bring up Hill, Guzman, whoever. If he's in the rotation when one of Prior, Wood, or Miller come back, he better be the first one out of the rotation, not Marshall.

Just because they're former ball players? So you'd rather listen to some idiot try to teach you the game just because he had a unique ability to sit on a fastball then take a breaking ball the other way? Given all other things equal, the former player has a HUGE advantage over an average fan, that's a no brainer. There's alot of former players who make excellent announcers...see Steve Stone. My complaint is that the networks are picking the biggest morons to put on TV when there's far better choices than the suckers they keep putting up there. A perfect example that comes to mind is Joe Carter...you seriously don't think that a fairly intelligent poster could do better than he did when he was calling games for us, do you? At least WGN got smart and canned him after one season. Another good example would be TBDDSP. I watched that for the first time in a couple of years the other day, and it was horrible! I can't believe I'm about to admit this, but I liked watching Tom Arnold talk sports more than Rob Dibble. What is that guy still doing on the air? Another example is Bill Walton...perhaps the dumbest professional athlete to ever play any sport, and NBC keeps putting the idiot on TV. Personally, I'm getting tired of it.

Not to derail this thread further, but did anybody see Tino Martinez's debut on Baseball Tonight about a week or so ago? I'm not sure if it was the deer-in-the-headlights look or his stilted delivery, but either way he quickly became my least favorite new guy to be added to ESPN's payroll. Why isn't an Eric Karros or AL Leiter taking Kruk or Reynolds place on that set? I'd love to see either of those guys, or Grace, taking a job like that. I'm tired of ESPN and other networks treating us fans like we're a bunch of idiots. To be honest with you, I think the average NSBB poster knows more about baseball than the average analyst over at ESPN, and that's just wrong.

Even stupid people are capable of saying something halfway intelligent every once in a blue moon. Joe Morgan is still a moron. Not to send this thread off on a tangent that should be in the rants section, but what is up with these networks putting all of these morons on TV? First Bobby Valentine, then John Kruk, Rob Dibble, Bill Walton, Joe Morgan, etc... Are the networks going out of their way to find the most desparate, dumbest guy that will call a game for the lowest salary? Can't they ever get any intelligent former players to commentate?

Cabrera is a hard one to place for me. I've never had the feeling his future lied at 3b, I have a feeling he's going to be an OFer sooner or later. We all know as Cubs fans that you can't just put any butcher out there at 3b. But then again, Aramis was known as a butcher when we got him, but he's come far enough along to make us think he's going to stick there. Maybe Cabrera will too. I've never seen Wright play 3b enough to judge whether or not he looks to stick there.

How is that clear? Rolen's Career: .284/.376/.515 Ramirez Career: .277/.329/.481 For this year and next I'd take Rolen after that Ramirez. That's a little misleading, considering Rolen's numbers include his prime, and Ramirez's numbers only include developmental years up through 25 and no prime years to boost his numbers.

Maybe I'm not reading the vibe from some of these posts right, but I don't think Dope's future should have had any impact on extending Lee. There's maybe a 1/1,000,000 chance right now that Dope will ever approach the season DLee had last year. By the time he's out of options, it should be about the last year of DLee's deal? He could be traded, DLee could go sour and waive his NTC clause and be traded in 3 years, there's still alot of possibilities out there. I wouldn't worry too much about Dope's future yet, it's a little premature.

I'd take a 25 year old Rolen over a 25 year old ARAM, but it'd be a tough decision to make. I'd take 2006's ARAM over 2006s Rolen though in a heartbeat.

I'm happy they made this deal, but I'm surprised Hendry went 5 years. He's been reluctant to go that far before, but now he's set the precedent. Will Aramis walk if he doesn't get 5 as well? Will Hendry refuse to go that long considering he's been more injury prone?

My money is on IMB!'s guess now that I've thought about it for a bit. Agreed...that's why he has to go and "warm up" so early in the game.

you can download old games if you subscribe to MLBTV.

I woke my dad up... and I live 3 states away!

No love for Wuertz? I thought we broke camp this year with 11 pitchers.

Thome went deep again today with his 3rd homer of the year, giving the Sox 3 homers for the year. :D

Yup...you just can't take him off EARLIER than 15 days. He can stay on there for 16, 20, 180 days, whatever.

Good point...anyone have the starting lineup yet? Considering that we're up 2-0 in the series, and Dusty doesn't like to show opposing teams up by keeping our starters in to go for the sweep, this just might be a forfeit lineup behind Marshall in his MLB debut against our hated rivals to close out the first home series of the year. G**, I hope not...

Fixed. :D What goes around comes around, though... I'd be packing my own hot water heater for the games at StL. If the water is that bad, I'd just go back to the hotel to shower. It's not like you get nearly as grungy playing baseball as basketball, hockey, or football and need to shower as soon as the game is over (unless you're the catcher...). In an average game, an average guy probably only runs maybe 1/4 to a half mile or so throughout a game, and that's probably a little generous. I don't think the visiting team should ever expect four star accomodations at an opponents ball park. I like the fact that our visitors clubhouse is a dump.