National Media Members Are Just Now Noticing How Bad Joe Morgan Is

Friday, July 20, 2007



It's pretty funny how slow Mainstream Media reacts to certain things. I guess it has a lot to do with not wanting to ruffle any feathers, but you would think in a business as critical as Sports Reporting that more items like this would surface. I mean I've been trumpeting this for a year, and FJM has been at it since 2005. What's the delay? If something is that horrible you should say something. Well someone has....

New York Post writer Phil Mushnick has "Had His Phil of Joe Morgan" (Get it? Phil instead of Fill...you know...his name? Hilarious). I poke fun, but it's refreshing to see the rest of the world catching up. From his column....

The year, Morgan told us, was 1964, that calamitous season when the Phillies blew a 61/2-game lead with 12 games left by losing 10 straight. Morgan said he made his major-league debut late in '64, against the Phillies. And it was in that game that his RBI single beat the Phillies, extending their infamous losing streak to eight or nine.

Morgan added that Phillies manager Gene Mauch was so upset he threw over the buffet table in the clubhouse, hollering that his club had just been beaten by "a Little Leaguer!"

Great story. But unless Morgan was confusing himself with Reds rookie infielder Chico Ruiz, it never happened. As several readers were moved to write, the Phillies played the Reds, Braves and Cardinals during that losing streak; Houston wasn't in the mix.

Furthermore, Morgan, though called up in 1964, did not have an RBI that season for Houston.

And he did not make his big-league debut in '64, either. That came Sept. 21, 1963, when he went 0-for-1, pinch-hitting against the Phillies.
Welcome to the club Phillip, and just so you know.....THIS HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE GAME (And interview and ESPN Chat)!!!!! Someone please do something about this guy. He's ruining Summer Baseball viewing for me and the rest of the Country.

I'm instituting a new rule. If you are an ex-athlete and you can't remember the year in which your first start occurred was....you're fired. Right there in the studio and on-air. This one rule alone would get rid of Joe Morgan, Tim McCarver, Bill Maas (prior to his arrest), Shannon Sharpe, Paul Maguire, and hopefully Sean Salisbury. A boy can dream right?

Had Our Phil Of Morgan (NY Post)

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 10:40 AM

18 Comments:

AA --

I think Had Our "Phil" was more a play on the fact that he was talking about the Phillies, rather than a play on his name. Take it from someone who's been reading his work regularly for more than 10 years.

Binny said...
Jul 20, 2007, 11:37:00 AM  

While I'm as happy as you are to see that people in the print media world hate Joe Morgan too, its a bit arrogant to claim that they took after AA and FJM. Phil Mushnick's "Equal Time" has been running for years (yes before AA was around) and his articles look alot like your posts. Get over yourself.

Anonymous said...
Jul 20, 2007, 11:40:00 AM  

The game itself has always been the secondary story with Morgan; it's about him, and him only. He's one of those "I played and you didn't" guys who thinks his shit doesn't stink.

Anonymous said...
Jul 20, 2007, 11:44:00 AM  

Mike - I don't think anyone is talking about hating Joe Morgan the person. To me at least, thats a different thing than hating Joe Morgan the announcer.

Further, I'm not sure that AA is saying that Mushnick is following anyone's lead or copying anyone. Instead, I believe AA is saying that Mushnick seems to be just now coming around to the idea that Morgan is a terrible announcer (and chatter and writer). And in that sense he's late to the table.

I would also argue that there are certainly many people who have hated Joe Morgan's announcing since long before 2005 when the fabulous FJM started.

I don't sense a grab for credit here as you (Mike) seem to. I think this is more about the MSM finally picking up on something that lots of people (bloggers and non-bloggers) have known for a long time.

mattymatty said...
Jul 20, 2007, 11:55:00 AM  

Thanks Matty, that's exactly the point. Sorry if that didn't come across, but I thought the first paragraph took care of that.

SOTG- You're probably right, but either way it's cheesy.

Jul 20, 2007, 12:04:00 PM  

What a surprise--a member of the mainstream media is late coming to the party!

J Rose said...
Jul 20, 2007, 12:35:00 PM  

Joe Morgan's response:
"Ryne Sandberg sucks."

Problem I have with Morgan (and a few others like Joe Buck) is beside being brutal to listen to they're horribly arrogant. I can live with 'meh' announcing from someone who seems to mean well like Matt Vasgersian, but when you suck AND think your crap doesn't stink, that's more than I can handle.

Kyle said...
Jul 20, 2007, 1:34:00 PM  

I am a regular reader of Phil Mushnick, and he has been ripping on Morgan for years.

Most of his critiques of Morgan have been that he is a blowhard who makes up stuff as the game goes on, like baserunning decisions and mound conferences. Basically, he thinks that Morgan is such a know-it-all that you would think that he can read minds or lips of the players all of the way from the broadcast booth.

Anonymous said...
Jul 20, 2007, 2:12:00 PM  

Call me crazy, but I never want Joe Morgan the announcer to go away. A world without him in it would just be too scary for me to contend with.

Jul 20, 2007, 3:40:00 PM  

Kei Igawa is ruining my summer of baseball.

GMoney said...
Jul 20, 2007, 3:47:00 PM  

Phoenix Arizona Auto Insurance, Car, Home Owner, Life Insurance Quote

That was some team the reds had in the 70's though. Them and the Pirates were a couple of entertaining franchises.

Anonymous said...
Aug 8, 2007, 11:47:00 PM  

I would like to add Gary Thorne to your list of bad announcers. He started doing Orioles games this year, and it's painful to listen to. I've never listened to any of his hockey games, but he has no business covering baseball.

Anonymous said...
Aug 9, 2007, 12:09:00 AM  

Yeah, Thorne can do that to you.

Anonymous said...
Aug 9, 2007, 12:15:00 AM  

Joe Morgan sucks. Pure and simple. His condescending voice and patronizing manner makes me want to puke. I would rather listen to a game on radio than sit through a "bullshit" broadcast by this idiot. I loved him as a player when his mouth was kept shut. I pity davey and all the other reds who had to put up with this arrogant sob.

David said...
Oct 4, 2007, 10:59:00 PM  

Tonight Joe Morgan explained to all of us watching the Red Sox at Minnesota that the SLOWER the pitcher threw his pitch, the MORE TIME the batter had to see it and that the FASTER the pitcher threw his pitch, the LESS TIME the batter had to see it. Just imagine! Captain Obvious has mesmerized me once again. I may will never be able to watch baseball again. Thanks, Joe... you idiot.

Anonymous said...
May 11, 2008, 11:54:00 PM  
This comment has been removed by the author.
tom said...
Oct 24, 2008, 12:46:00 AM  

I thought I was all alone wondering how this guy ever got the job, and has held it so long. I remember listening to him on TV in the mid-90s, and doing exactly what John in Boston says about explaining the obvious. And he does this in such a way, as if he's telling you some golden nugget of wisdom. It's just too much. Who hired this guy, why is he still announcing important games? Is it a conspiracy or maybe a way of "connecting" with other stupid fans? Let me say on a positive note that he was a semi-great player, but like most players, please please please stay away from the microphone...

tom said...
Oct 24, 2008, 12:51:00 AM  

The John Madden of baseball...enough said.

Mike Schaefer said...
Apr 12, 2009, 9:20:00 PM  

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