ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Open Thread (With A Hint Of The NBA On TNT)

Sunday, April 20, 2008

(posted by One More Dying Quail)


I love that picture of Jon Miller. Rarely do we see a national sports broadcaster look so thoughtful, so pensive, so certain that of all the games he has called in his long and storied career, TONIGHT'S will be something special.

Or something like that.

This here is your open thread for all comments related to tonight's Sunday Night Baseball contest pitting the Metropolitans of New York against the Phillies of Philadelphia. Any thoughts on the NBA Playoffs, be they about the ongoing Sixers-Pistons tilt or the upcoming Hawks-Celtics matchup, are also more than welcome. Basically, say whatever the hell you want in the comments. Talk it out. Have some fun. Just keep it cleanish.

We had a good start to this thing last week. Let's keep it rolling. Joe and Jon need us.

Lots of confusion last inning because, somehow, Frank Thomas only played in five All-Star Games. Not noted was the fact that first base was pretty stacked in the American League during Thomas' prime. When you're up against Cecil Fielder, Mark McGwire, Tino Martinez, Mo Vaughn, Jim Thome, Rafael Palmeiro, etc. during your prime, there are going to be seasons in which you don't make the cut.

"I've always said that going headfirst is the most dangerous slide you can make." - Joe

My memory isn't what it used to be. Wasn't he extolling the virtues of the headfirst slide last week?

Didn't Joe Morgan say last week that is was safer to slide head first? Now this week its the most dangerous slide in baseball. He's not even trying to make sense anymore. - Kyle

Okay, so I'm not nuts. Phew.

According to Joe, Hanley Ramirez is really good. According to Jon, he's fabulous.

Tonight's lovefest will center around Chase Utley, with a side order of David Wright.

"I knew Ted Williams. And you, sir, are no Ted Williams." - Joe

Just kidding. He didn't really say that. But he DID just spend two minutes talking about the loop in Ryan Howard's swing and how it means he has a lesser margin for error than other players - such as Chase Utley or Ted Williams. Now, given Howard's high strikeout totals and inconsistent batting average, he might have a point. On the other hand, Howard and his flawed swing has hit 105 homeruns in the past two seasons.

I should have counted the number of times Joe and Jon uttered the words "Chase Utley" and "David Wright" tonight. This is getting silly.

So is Ted Williams the first player that Joe has praised that he didn't play with or against? - Scott

Fun little fact: according to Baseball Reference, there is one degree of separation between Joe Morgan and Ted Williams. Gary Geiger played with Ted on the 1960 Red Sox and with Joe on the 1970 Astros.

"The Braves won today. They beat Atlanta." - Jon

Really Jon? The ball needs to be there before the baserunner for it to be an out? Thanks for that gem. - k nick

The ball has to be there before the runner for there to be an out? NO WAY JON!?! thank you for that wonderful analysis. - pickitup


I love that those two comments arrived at exactly the same time.

Nice play by Ryan Howard to field a sharp ground ball and get the out. And you know who was there to back up the play? Chase Utley. He's amazing.

"Jon, he may end up being the greatest hitting second baseman ever." - Joe, talking about Luis Castillo. I kid, I kid.

He's good, yes, but he has a LONG way to go before he can be considered better than Rogers Hornsby. A LONG way.

I also love the fact that everytime Joe is making a point on-camera, Jon looks awkwardly at the camera as if to say "Yeah, guys...I know. I hear it, too." - Adam

Wow! I have choice for Celts vs Hawks...Gorman/Heinsohn or Stockton/Fratello. Hmmmnnnn. Go to the "sideline reporter tiebreaker". Sorry, TNT. No Cheryl on Comcast. - Monty

Are you kidding me? This is no contest - Tommy Heinsohn was created for playoff basketball. The farther the Celtics advance, the greater the chance of his head exploding. He's fabulous.

Did Mythbusters show that sliding headfirst makes no difference then sliding feet first? Someone help me out. - anonymous

If you attempt to slide feet first, you will probably be out. If you attempt to slide head first, you will probably die. The best way to go into a base is slowly, with your hands up, and hope the fielder takes pity on you.

Posted by One More Dying Quail at 7:41 PM

31 Comments:

Excellent phrasing, omdq. "the Metropolitans of New York against the Phillies of Philadelphia." too bad Phillies isn't short for...anything. Like philanderers, or something.
Should be a ton of good posts this eve..what with all these major-type sports/AA competing. Good times. Again.

Monty said...
Apr 20, 2008, 8:20:00 PM  

What can I say - I just read a book about Howard Cosell and it obviously effected me deeply.

Although he totally would've come up with something better for Phillies.

Apr 20, 2008, 8:24:00 PM  

Maybe. Cosell was great like that..but even he would struggle with that one.

Monty said...
Apr 20, 2008, 8:29:00 PM  

Didn't Joe Morgan say last week that is was safer to slide head first? Now this week its the most dangerous slide in baseball. He's not even trying to make sense anymore.

Anonymous said...
Apr 20, 2008, 8:51:00 PM  

So is Ted Williams the first player that Joe has praised that he didn't play with or against?

Anonymous said...
Apr 20, 2008, 9:05:00 PM  

Really Jon? The ball needs to be there before the baserunner for it to be an out? Thanks for that gem.

Anonymous said...
Apr 20, 2008, 9:25:00 PM  

The ball has to be there before the runner for there to be an out? NO WAY JON!?! thank you for that wonderful analysis.

Pickitup said...
Apr 20, 2008, 9:25:00 PM  

Last week, Jon Miller looked like a hot dog with his Mustard Yellow shirt and Ketchup Red tie.

This week, he looks like a bowl of custard.

Adam said...
Apr 20, 2008, 9:40:00 PM  

Am I the only one who finds all these close ups of the mouth piece thing kind of creepy.

Anonymous said...
Apr 20, 2008, 9:41:00 PM  

I also love the fact that everytime Joe is making a point on-camera, Jon looks awkwardly at the camera as if to say "Yeah, guys...I know. I hear it, too."

Adam said...
Apr 20, 2008, 9:41:00 PM  

Did Joe just say that Utley may end up being the best hitting 2nd baseman ever? You mean even better than the immortal Joe Morgan? He must have meant best other than himself.

Anonymous said...
Apr 20, 2008, 9:45:00 PM  

I hate how the cameraman is allowed to follow the runner down the third-base line. I don't think they should be allowed on the field, much less that close! Just watch, one day he'll be out there and get hit by a live ball or get run over or something...

Jay said...
Apr 20, 2008, 9:46:00 PM  

He was thinking triple all the way Joe? It looked to me like he didn't turn it on until he rounded 1st, but what do I know, I didn't invent baseball like you.

Anonymous said...
Apr 20, 2008, 9:55:00 PM  

jay-Channel that hate to those that deserve it. Namely, Morgan, Miller(insert Jon or Reggie or Cheryl), et al.
Wow! I have choice for Celts vs Hawks...Gorman/Heinsohn or Stockton/Fratello. Hmmmnnnn. Go to the "sideline reporter tiebreaker". Sorry, TNT. No Cheryl on Comcast.

Monty said...
Apr 20, 2008, 10:00:00 PM  

Tommy Point for omdq!

Monty said...
Apr 20, 2008, 10:07:00 PM  

Did Mythbusters show that sliding headfirst makes no difference then sliding feet first? Someone help me out

Anonymous said...
Apr 20, 2008, 10:07:00 PM  

No, the Mythbusters tested whether sliding was really faster than going in standing up. Of course, sliding was faster, because you have to start to slow yourself down very early if you are to stop standing on the bag (whereas, in a slide, the friction between you and the ground slows you much more quickly). I agreed with the result, but I didn't like their experiments since none of them were athletic enough to (1) run fast or (2) slide even remotely correctly.

Jay said...
Apr 20, 2008, 10:14:00 PM  

Johnson going in, misses. - Dick Stockton

TJX said...
Apr 20, 2008, 10:21:00 PM  

Ah thanks Jay, I totally "misremembered" the experiment.

Anonymous said...
Apr 20, 2008, 10:22:00 PM  

Why does every basket catch have to be called a "Willie Mays catch?" Church was running in to make that catch; it looked nothing like Mays', which was over-the-shoulder, going back, about 450 feet from the plate.

Jay said...
Apr 20, 2008, 10:26:00 PM  

Can someone please tell Jon he's putting the em-PHA-sis on the wrong syl-LA-ble. Its BEL-tran not bel-TRAN. Joe's usually the one making up his own words.

Anonymous said...
Apr 20, 2008, 10:39:00 PM  
This comment has been removed by the author.
Monty said...
Apr 20, 2008, 10:43:00 PM  

Joe Morgan completely forgot why the hell he was bringing up JC Hartman's book after that worthless argument with Jon Miller about whether Miller remembers who JC Hartman was. You could hear Morgan restart his story about the book, and then pause, and realize he didnt know why he was talking about it. Thankfully Miller spared us by immediately cutting to Peter Gammons.

Pickitup said...
Apr 20, 2008, 10:52:00 PM  

"I personally do not like the two strike bunt"-Joe

I wonder why not?

Sam said...
Apr 20, 2008, 11:19:00 PM  

Celtics win! (I love Tommy, btw. Occasionally reminds me of listening to Mr. Most with the tele on mute). Maybe I'll catch the tail end of SNB. Naaaaaaaah!

Monty said...
Apr 20, 2008, 11:20:00 PM  
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nic Hoch said...
Apr 20, 2008, 11:21:00 PM  

Miller isn't pronouncing Beltran wrong. Technically, he's right -- it's Bel-TRAN, not BEL-tran -- but that doesn't change the fact that he sounds pompous in doing so. "Look at me, yo hablo un poco EspaƱol!"

Jay said...
Apr 20, 2008, 11:23:00 PM  
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nic Hoch said...
Apr 20, 2008, 11:25:00 PM  

@monty:

I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum: I still can't believe Mr. Big Not choked (along with the rest of the Pistons) and I missed most of a good SNB game, and could someone tell the Pistons' marketing department Thundersticks are so 2002?

Apr 21, 2008, 12:17:00 AM  

I was confused on that Frank Thomas All-Star deal as well. But wasn't it because they didn't have the DH spot till '89 and then only in AL parks?

Anonymous said...
Apr 21, 2008, 2:13:00 AM  

Is there any way someone could possibly splice together the two clips of Joe Morgan contradicting on the headfirst slide?

I just think that'd be a perfect post to provide any new Joe-haters an example of the crap they've been (luckily but unfortunately) missing the last couple of years.

Anonymous said...
Apr 21, 2008, 4:42:00 AM  

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