When the Giants Come to Town, It's Bye-Bye Baby

10.20.2008
LOLFox

PM UPDATE! Add this to the list of reasons to love Matt Stairs (vid-link tip to Fire Joe Morgan):

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The last thing the Fox network needed this fall, what with the economy headed toward Gomorrah and advertisers wondering if they should rely entirely on Internet spam and the network already on the hook for a gaschmillion dollars for the World Series broadcast rights, was a Phillies-Rays matchup.

I guess a Brewers-Rays Series would’ve been worse, ratings-wise. But I nitpick. Phillies Nation, if there is one, is no vast traveling diaspora of disgruntlement and entitlement, though it certainly has its rabid tens of thousands among its metro-area millions. The Tampa area is at least two-thirds comprised of 80–year-olds who will grab your ear and force you to listen to stories about The Mick, Scooter, and Teddy Ballgame. To most casual baseball fans, Evan Longoria is just a typo.

I’ll certainly try to tune in whenever parentally possible with the McCarver-Buck blather on perma-mute, but imagine how much of America has mentally clicked over to the NFL, Nascar, and the scintillating new season of Survivor: Subprime Exurb Island. No amount of Fox up-close-and-personal vignettes of Rocco Baldelli’s mitochondria disorder, no doubt accompanied by washes of synthesized strings, will change America’s channel.

All I can say to that is “Waaaah.” Fox is paying back the karma bank big-time for so many venal sins, and I’m not even including the existence of Sean Hannity. There’s the aforementioned broadcasting team, there’s the 8:30 pm start time for East Coasters, even on weekends for frick’s sake. There’s the wide array of stupid-cams, with the apotheosis coming this year for the first time (I think): allowing the cameraperson to run onto the field and follow a batter as he jogs toward home plate at the end of his home-run trot.

Are we grumpy yet?

Unfortunately, the only alternative is radio, where Jon Miller this post-season has seemed stiff and Joe Morgan more checked-out than ever. I probably listened to 25 random innings among the seven-game Rays-Sox series, and I kept count of the interesting Morgan observations: One. He noted that the Sox infield shift against lefty slugger Carlos Pena had softened a bit after Pena dropped a bunt hit down the third base line, but it would make for complications if Youkilis had to cover second base on a force. Sure enough, the next batter hit a grounder to second, Youkilis had to cover the force, and the Sox barely got the out.

Then Joe went back to sleep. Most of the time he mailed in comments like, “You see, that’s what leaders do,” when Sox captain Jason Varitek hit a key home run in Game 6 after struggling at the plate most of the series. Let’s hope the Rays and Phils keep him awake. For me and the 2,314 other Americans tuning in, it should be a fascinating World Series.

Got an early over-under on the number of home runs the Rays and Phillies will hit at Citizens Bank Bandbox? Will you be watching? Discuss.



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9 Comments

| Leave a comment
Chris | October 20, 2008 1:37 PM | Reply

I'm actually a little excited for the Series. I've got Rays fever and the only prescription is more cowbell!

Terrible broadcasting aside, I think it should be a competitive and exciting set of games.

Matt | October 20, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply

I will be watching because it's two very good teams who, Pedro Feliz excluded, do the little things right and I enjoy watching both of them. I will also be watching because of the distinct chance that, if ratings are terrible, Bud Selig is going to hire Tim Donaghy to ump every Red Sox playoff game from now on to make sure Boston never misses the World Series again.

Brian | October 20, 2008 2:47 PM | Reply

I'm actually extremely excited for this series. I'm so sick of Yankees-Red Sox crap after living with fans from those teams for 4 years, so it is a refreshing break to have two new teams in. There are likable players in the series, including Bay Area grown talents like Rollins and Burrell. The Phillies also have Eyre if you're a fan, and sorry but I still like Feliz. Though he never learned to hit a breaking ball, he played hard for the Giants for years without complaining about being shuffled around everywhere (including catcher), and eventually turned into a gold glove caliber defender. Not to mention the entire Rays team is exciting and fun to watch, as well as young and likable. And now that I live in the Philadelphia area, there should be a lot of excitement here over the series. Have to say I'm rooting for the Rays, though. And one last point - the Rays should give us hope for the future. That is what happens when you get high draft picks for a few years in a row and draft well, like the Giants have the last 3 years.

Zo | October 20, 2008 4:14 PM | Reply

I'm looking forward to it. Two great teams full of exciting young talent. I've seen Papi, I've seen Manny, and I've seen Joe Torre. Maybe if Joe Torre had a mohawk, but he doesn't because he is not cool enough.

50andstillfly | October 20, 2008 4:17 PM | Reply

I echo Brian's sentiment about the Rays giving our boys hope for the future (if only we had a GM). I like some of the Phillies players (esp. Rollins and Hamels, and there are great stories on the Web about Burrell), but I can't forgive Pete Happy's failure to live up to his billing as the farm system's "best" prospect until Cain came along. I am a NL dude at heart (hate the DH) but I look forward to watching Upton, Longoria, Pena et al rocketing shots out of Citizens'.

Bayside Baller | October 20, 2008 7:51 PM | Reply

This is the first series that I truly am excited for in a while. I'm hoping for a long, competitive series.

I really don't know who to go for. I really like both teams. Both teams have great young hitters. Rays have some awesome young pitchers. Phillies have Scott Eyre and Feliz(I'm not a hater now that he is gone). I'm usually purely a NL fan, unless its a NL team I despise.

Screw TV ratings, real baseball fans have to love this series matchup.

rocketdog | October 20, 2008 10:39 PM | Reply

A stiff John Miller is worth a million billion McBucks. Squared.

Thanks for the post. Fox sucks.

KM | October 20, 2008 11:00 PM | Reply

I always listen to Jon Miller & Joe Morgan on the radio for post-season games, even if the audio is mismatched to the game I'm watching. But yeah, Miller has been a little off his game this October -- for one thing, I'm hearing way more mistakes (e.g., "Manny Aybar" for Willie). Maybe he's tired --and he couldn't have been happy to have the ALCS go 7 and keep him from getting a break in CA before the WS. Joe is just flat and grouchy and unlike mid-season TV games, he sounds like he's in no mood to debate anything with Jon (over strategic decisions or whatever).

ELM | October 20, 2008 11:14 PM | Reply

You heard it here first: I predict ESPN goes with a new broadcast team soon. Perhaps not in '09, but I wouldn't be surprised. Miller n Morgan have been at it for a loooooong time. Time for some change we can believe in, and selfishly for us, free Miller to do the Giants' weekend broadcasts.

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