first pitch: 5:05 p.m. PT
television: ESPN
matchup: Chris Young (1-0, 2.13 ERA) vs Randy Wolf (1-1, 3.75 ERA)
preview: Padres.com
Major League Baseball is branding this as the “Jackie Robinson Game.” As such, it will be televised on ESPN at a time that makes no sense whatsoever. Every member of the Dodgers will be wearing #42 in Robinson’s honor.
Others have pointed out the absurdity of “unretiring” a number that was retired in perpetuity (unless that word doesn’t mean what I think it means). Robinson deserves every possible accolade we can give him, and then some. That said, there are probably better ways to celebrate one of the game’s true pioneers. None, of course, will generate as much revenue as this — think of the uniform sales.
Anyway, you may want to find an alternate feed today if possible. There’s a real good chance the ESPN broadcasters won’t even acknowledge the Padres.
The ESPN announcers won’t be worse than listening to Vin Scully the last 2 nights.
I have to agree with you Mark. Normally I love listening to Vin because he has a great voice and is usually very impartial, but I just could not stand all the stories this weekend. Although I disagree that the ESPN announcers won’t be worse. They will be.
They won’t be much worse was my point…
I may have to mute the game and turn on the radio tonight.
I don’t think the ESPN announcers will be so bad. Jon Miller does a good job, and remember he’s a Giants lifer. I’d expect no love for the Dodgers. And you can do far worse than Joe Morgan…
Re: 5, you can do worse, but his vendetta against any quantitative analysis is baseball drives me a bit crazy.
One “analysis” he cited how stats could be deceiving was saying that two hitters could have averages of .280 vs. .300, but saying that the .280 hitter could be a better player. I think, sure, he easily could have a much higher OPS, but Joe’s logic was that it if the .280 hitter did better with guys on base he was much more valuable, and the .300 hitter had an “empty” average. So he does not speak to the commentary I like to hear, but his perspective as a player, and a good one, seems to entertain enough folks to keep him there.
I was listening on XM last night. I didn’t think Vin did a bad job but I think he repeated a lot of the Padre stories. I liked the one with Chris Young though, had a law firm negotiate his contract extension saving a lot of $$…
BZ? You sure? I don’t think you can do ANY worse than Morgan… The guy’s an intellectual mullet.
Joe Morgan is the most annoying announcer ESPN has. If the Giants are the team on team playing that night, he can’t stop talking about Barry Bonds. If the Giants haven’t won a game in a week and Barry Bonds is on the DL and they aren’t even playing that night, all Joe Morgan has to talk about is Barry Bonds.
Joe Buck is a smug asshole, but I’d much rather hear him and the fox crew than the guys with ESPN.
7: He has turned into a complete Dodger homer. Saying Friday night that the game was between the 2 NL West Champions. Saying the Padres were lucky to get 1 run after having the ba ses loaded etc…
Hate hate hate Joe Morgan and Joe Miller. I was reading the first posts talking about “The bad ESPN guys” thinking “please not it be those two guys please please please.”
What I want in broadcasters are dudes that I’d want to sit down with and watch a baseball game. The Padres announcers are perfect in that regard. They know what they’re talking about, but they are also legitimately fun guys that I’d really have a blast hanging out with. Vin Scully has his great moments because it’s like watching a game with your dear ol’ grandpa. But when your grandpa keeps forgetting that he’s told you the same stories over and over it can get annoying.
Those ESPN guys might know their stuff. But they’re creepy boring old men!!!! Imagine hanging out with those two in your living room. And they won’t shut up about the significance of the poster on your wall and keep telling bad jokes about their respective weight problems. And then your buddy walks in and he’s looking at you like, “Dude, why the crap are you watching a baseball game with a couple of MBTA workers?” and you feel all awkward and stuff.
No thanks man. No thanks.
It could be worse, they could have Chris Berman do the game.
Why is it that the wider the audience, the worse the announcers? I’ll still take ESPN over Fox though, at least they have fewer annoying sound effects and cartoony graphics.
Anyone else feel that earthquake a few minutes ago?
excuse me…
anyone hear Gammons?
Supposedly one of the reasons Pierre signed with the Dodgers was b/c of Jackie Robinson…
Hmmm… I can think of 55 million reasons why he signed with the Dodgers & Robinson isn’t one of them.
RE #8, These things are a matter of taste, of course, but in my book Tim McCarver is a few rungs below. A debate for the ages…
10: No, being a complete homer is when the announcers yell at a fly ball to get out, as the Padres announcers did a couple of days ago.
Nothing like seeing Chavez Ravine so empty for a huge occassion.
11 — you hit the nose on the head. Well said.
I don’t mind Miller. Joe Morgan annoys the cap out of me.
What are the odds of anyone on the Pads getting some props tonight?
I guess it doesn’t matter — anything honoring Jackie can’t go too far in my opinion. I was at the Mets game in ’97 when they did the ceremony there, it was pretty cool.
Selig and Aaron were just laughing together. No doubt chuckling about how neither one is going to show up when Barry breaks the record.
HA HA!
CY got some brief love for his thesis on Jackie.
It’s still a little shocking that on this day of all games, Dodger fans can’t show up on time.
Joe Morgan is one of the worst analysts in any sport. Have you guys ever read one of his chats on ESPN? It’s incredible just how bad he is. Anyone who says otherwise just isn’t paying enough attention.
I think it’s incredible that Robinson stole home 19 times. That’s unbelievable.
23: How many times did he try to steal home? Anybody know?
Tell me I didn’t just see Jesse Jackson.
what time is first pitch — anyone know?
25 — did they even keep track of caught stealing back then?
What changed that people don’t steal home as much anymore? Surely back then an out was still one third of an inning, a run still was worth one point, and the bag was 90 feet away. Was it the pitchers? Did they shorten up their delivery to prevent that kind of thing? We players leaner and faster?
please, please tell me that we wont end up having to hear from Jessie Jackson….
Nice job J-Hud!
I kind of prefer when an announcer is a homer. I like watching a game and hearing the announcers root for a ball to get out while I do the same. Though of course it’s annoying when you’re not rooting for the same team a la Vin Scully.
Mike Cameron with the 42 and the high pants…very cool…
Let’s play ball!!
30: exactly. I expect it from the Padres announcers and the other teams…but to hear everyone go on and on about how great Vin Scully is at announcing a game, I expect better from him. And hearing some of the things he said over the last two games makes him no different from any other home team announcer.
“Rod Carew stole home 17 times, which is a testimony to Rod’s instincts and quickness, but pitchers at that time worked more from the windup than they do now,” Henderson noted in his autobiography Off Base. “Now they keep runners closer to third base by working from the stretch.
Cameron still in the 3-hole???
I agree that anything honoring Jackie is worthwhile… He didn’t just help change baseball, he helped change America. I love that my son knows all about him.
Robinson was caught stealing home 12 times. I think that’s probably a net negative.
33: I usually like Vin Scully, but his repetition was getting really annoying last night. Someone hit the nail on the head when they said it was like watching the game with your grandpa who’s starting to go senile
I remember in the 80′s it was still fairly common to use a full windup with a man on third. At some point managers had to realize the risk greatly outweighed the benefits of stealing home. If you have a good baserunner on third and a pitcher up with two outs it might be worth a shot.
Was that an Efus (sp?) pitch? a 65 mph curve?? what pitcher throws the slowest pitch?
NOG with a walk? Oh boy, this is gonna be a weird game, I can feel it.
In one of Morgan’s recent chats he was asked if Felix Hernandez was ready to compete for a Cy Young Award or if he was a few years away still. Morgan responded that Dwight Gooden was the best young pitcher he’d ever seen.
42: Do you disagree?
That was all he said in response to the question.
Joe was playing the “old man” card, where you pretty much just say whatever you want, regardless of the question…
What the hell was that????
Thanks Martin.
Alright Adrian!!!!!!!!
one more big hit here….c’mon KG
the good thing is Wolf threw 24 pitches that inning…