I don't know if you were watching the NBA pregame show on ESPN last night, but both Jamaal Mashburn and Avery Johnson handed out gifts to various NBA teams for a bit (The Spurs got anti-aging cream....SO CLEVER!). Well ESPN is doing the same thing for Baseball, but they're amping it up a little bit by bringing you Santa Kruk multiple times throughout next week.

Among the ingenious gifts that Kruk will giving teams during Sports Center segments included (but are not limited to):

Chicago Cubs gift – a goat catcher (akin to a dog catcher), since the goat is to blame for no World Series win since 1908
New York Mets – power tools; the Mets had the least homers in majors last season
Kansas City Royals – umbrella and lots of rain, so Zack Greinke can pitch every game
Pittsburgh Pirates – tickets to a Sister Sledge concert, to return to the glory days of "We Are Family"
Washington Nationals – eight clones of Ryan Zimmerman
Los Angeles Dodgers – cooking lessons with Giada, so she can teach them how to whip up a recipe to beat the Phillies
Houston Astros – a NASA rocket scientist, to figure out what's gone wrong

Peter Gammons is an amazing reporter, but this ESPN spot (which debuts today) illustrates some of his tricks for getting the information he wants. The main one being the use of carrier pigeons....

Too funny. There are others, featuring Karl Ravech, Steve Phillips and John Kruk, but unless they talk about the Krukster's mullet, they're probably not better than that one.

I was checking out the end of Baseball Tonight last night and they decided to run a recap of the entire week of the show. Since I didn't watch it much, and I knew many of you hadn't either, I pressed record. Not only do you get a recap of all the trades and rumors, but you also get John Kruk slapping Karl Ravech on the ass!

I'm sorry, but the jokes about the Krukster's hair never get old. It looks like Bear Grylls stitched together some grass and moss for a shelter, but it ended up on Kruk's head. Good times, and see how much better Baseball Tonight is ESPN, when you don't have 8,000 on the set? Just Ravech, an analyst and a few writers/reporters, and you're good.

I really didn't want to post either of these on their own (mainly because they're both about Baseball and that's the last thing I want to talk about), but I think they make the perfect post in unison. The MLB Winter Meetings are kicking off this week, which means an inordinate amount of coverage from ESPN. While the network plans to have a handful of people in Las Vegas (seemingly to provide you with up-to-date trade rumors that won't pan out), they'll also be airing a special Baseball Tonight "Hot Stove" editions from 5-6pm on ESPN2 through Thursday night. Karl Ravech and John Kruk will be your hosts and will be joined by a cast of MLB regulars throughout the week.

And speaking of Karl and John, the Krukster sat down with The Morning Call to shed some light on their relationship....

Kruk seems to have a good rapport with ''Baseball Tonight'' host Karl Ravech, but says like with any family, there are some less-than-harmonious moments.

''You better have a good rapport because we're on four days a week from March through October,'' Kruk said. ''If we didn't get along, it would be hard.

''I mean there have been times when I wanted to punch him in the face. And, I'm sure there are times when he'd like to do the same to me. We argue. One time we went three days without speaking to each other, except on the air.

''A lot of it has nothing to do with TV. He might have said something while we were golfing or something like that. It's just like teammates on a baseball team. There were days I wanted to walk into the clubhouse and drop someone and I'm sure someone wanted to do it to me.''

Good times! Seriously though, ESPN does an excellent job covering those meetings. While I could care less about them at the moment, for those that do, it's probably your best option at this point. And last year even had a couple of nice trades to spark your interest as well. Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera both ended up in Detroit during last year's meetings. And while those moves didn't pan out last season, they were certainly exciting at the time.

Kruk the same genuine guy off camera (The Morning Call)

Brian Kenny is dropping these little debates on people almost nightly now and I couldn't be more pleased. First it was Chad Johnson, then Steve Phillips, and now it's John Kruk's turn on the hot seat. Tonight's discussion is of 9-year old pitcher Jericho Scott and the real fun gets underway at about the one minute mark....

The best part of that edition of Sports Center was that Kenny and Jay Harris kept the debate going all the way to the end. And while I'm definitely with the Kruk side of the argument, there should be nothing in the rule book that says Kenny couldn't or shouldn't question the analysts who come on. These little tiffs/debates are about 10x more intelligent than anything that's ever been on ATH, and I usually learn something from them. Like tonight for example, who knew Kruk was once a little league coach? Good stuff if you ask me.

However, Kenny might want to give a bit of warning and he might not want to do try it on Kruk again....he looked a bit

I don't know if this is news to anyone else, but it was to me. John Kruk spoke with the Charleston Gazette recently about a former friend who back in Kruk's playing days was a "drug-possessed, gun-toting psychopath" (his own words). The story is wild and perfect for a Tuesday morning. Here are a few excerpts....

Plummer told Kruk he sold his business for $100,000 and asked if Kruk would mind if he came out to San Diego to visit. Jay Hafer, whom Plummer used as a getaway driver on many of his robberies, had received a $30,000 settlement from a lawsuit after being attacked by a dog. He asked if he could come out, too.

At Plummer's suggestion the three of them rented a house that October. Plummer took out a yearlong lease. Kruk said at the time he was making about $60,000 a year, not a lot of money when you're living in San Diego.

Soon Kruk was hearing stories from Keyser about Plummer skipping town, owing people money, and robbing a local grocery store.

In February 1988 he went to spring training.

"I kept hearing more from spring training. When I got back for the season, I don't know what excuse I made to him, but I said I needed to find my own place," Kruk said. "Then, of course, the FBI comes in right before batting practice and it's 'Holy crap.'"

The FBI questioned Kruk and showed him a picture of Plummer robbing a bank wearing a hat that read, "American by Birth. West Virginian by the Grace of God."

The FBI told Kruk that Plummer believed he was the one that turned him in.

"What I'm hearing from the FBI and other people is that he's a drug-possessed, gun-toting psychopath now. Everyone is telling me, 'He's coming after you,'" Kruk said. "Every knock on the door could be a teammate or it could be him. It scared the shit out of you."

That's not even half of the story, and I urge you to read the whole thing when you get a chance, but holy s**t. First of all, I want that damn hat.....Secondly, you occasionally hear of similar stories involving inner city friends, but rarely associated with two country kids from West Virginia. It's tough to imagine the stresses of an athlete on a daily basis, but when you add outside forces like this it has to be borderline unbearable.

Again, take some time to read through the whole thing and good for John to make it through that whole ordeal. It makes his time with the sirens (above) seem tame.

Baseball star John Kruk one of many fooled by bank robber (Charleston Gazette)

In the pantheon of dumb ideas ala the mini fields on set, and that pointless picture of the week contest they have now, I give you "Playing the Wall" with John Kruk. Via Bugs and Cranks....

Hahaha. How funny is that? You have arguably one of the most unathletic infielders trying to tell current outfielders how to play their position! They couldn't have got Chris Singleton to do that segment? Also, you might want to update that green screen technology ESPN. The Krukster looks like a poor man's Al Roker. Good times.

John Kruk Knows His Outfield Defense (Bugs and Cranks)

This clip starts out as any good old ribbing. Last night Scott Reiss was throwing it to Steve Phillips for one of those stupid mini field demos on Baseball Tonight when things got just a tad uncomfortable. Steve was supposed to be doing a piece on Kosuke Fukudome, but Reiss decided rub Steve's career in his face during the transition.

The joke is pretty funny, but there's one problem. Reiss calls Fukudome, Akinori Iwamura....

The look on John Kruk's face before the tension is priceless but the toss back after the schooling from Phillips is even better. Rule #1 when making fun of someone. Don't botch the lead up before the punchline....they'll jump all over you. And also, that was a pretty messed up dig at Phillips if you ask me.

Oh and Reiss....

Fukudome (OF)- Chicago Cubs (National League)
Iwamura (IF)- Tampa Bay (American League)

I am an unabashed fan of College Softball. For some reason 200 foot fences and players high-fiving at the mound after every out is extremely exciting. Anywho, the Women's College World Series is starting up this Thursday and none other than John Kruk will be an analyst for most of the games on ESPN.

ESPN’s coverage of the entire Women’s College World Series – up to 17 games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com beginning Thursday, May 29 – will feature ESPN’s John Kruk as a game analyst on 10 games, including the best-of-three Championship. Kruk, an analyst on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight studio show and select MLB games, will work with Beth Mowins and analyst Jessica Mendoza, a 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist and member of the U.S. team headed for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

ESPN’s 27th consecutive year of televising the event will also include Eric Collins and analyst Michele Smith, a two-time U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist (2000 and 1996), calling games. Smith will work as a field-level pitching reporter on the best-of-three Championship. Holly Rowe will serve as the field reporter on every game.

That's a very interesting collection of announcers, but it could be pretty fun. Here's the schedule if you care about that sort of thing.....

Thursday, May 29

1 p.m.- Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Florida- Collins, Smith, Rowe (ESPN)
3 p.m.- Virginia Tech vs. Texas A&M-Collins, Smith, Rowe (ESPN)
7 p.m.- Arizona State vs. Alabama- Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe (ESPN)
9 p.m.- Arizona vs. UCLA- Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe (ESPN)

Friday, May 30

7 p.m.- Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner- Collins, Smith, Rowe (ESPN2)
9 p.m.- Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner- Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe (ESPN2)

Saturday, May 31

Noon- Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser- Collins, Smith, Rowe (ESPN)
2 p.m.- Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser- Collins, Smith, Rowe (ESPN)
7 p.m.- Game 6 loser vs. Game 7 winner- Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe (ESPN)
9 p.m.- Game 5 loser vs. Game 8 winner- Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe (ESPN)

Sunday, June 1

1 p.m.- Game 5 winner vs. Game 9 winner- Collins, Smith, Rowe (ESPN)
3 p.m.- Game 6 winner vs. Game 10 winner- Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe (ESPN)
7 p.m.- Game 13* - If Necessary- Collins, Smith, Rowe (ESPN2)
9 p.m.- Game 14* - If Necessary- Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe (ESPN2)

Monday, June 2

8 p.m.- Championship – Game 1- Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Smith, Rowe (ESPN2)

Tuesday, June 3

8 p.m.- Championship – Game 2- Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Smith, Rowe (ESPN2)

Wednesday, June 4

8 p.m.- Championship – Game 3*- Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Smith, Rowe (ESPN2)

* If necessary

(Via ESPN PR)

So it was Steve Phillips Birthday yesterday and the guys were nice enough to buy the guy a cake and present it to him on set. Kruk made the mistake of passing the cake to Phillips to cut it, but he immediately wanted it back....

I love the tone in the Krukster's voice when Steve Phillips says he wants to see Kruk take a huge bite and he respond, "I'm going to if you ever give it to me." Get it in ya!

(Thanks to reader JH for the heads up)

If you thought the first one was cheesy....

Occasionally cheesy can be good but these are just downright bad. It's not really the acting or the dramatization itself, but more the writing. A buried suitcase and hot sauce turning into "bringing the heat"? Okaaaaay. I did enjoy the Steve Phillips slam of the rosin bag and Karl Ravech winking at me though.

I was wondering what Wade Boggs has been up to and thanks to ESPN we'll get to find out. He and other HOFers will be added to Baseball Tonight on certain dates through July.

ESPN’s Baseball Tonight – the only nightly national studio show devoted solely to MLB highlights, news and information – will feature Hall of Famers as guest analysts on select Sundays throughout the 2008 season beginning with 18-year MLB veteran Wade Boggs on Sunday, April 13. Boggs will appear on the 12:30 and 7 p.m. ET shows, leading into the Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Taco Bell telecast featuring two of his former teams – the New York Yankees (1993-97) at Boston Red Sox (1982-1992) – at 8 p.m.

Additional Hall of Fame players to appear on Baseball Tonight will include Juan Marichal (May 11), Phil Niekro (May 25) and Rod Carew (July 13).

Boggs will be on with Karl Ravech, John Kruk, and Steve Phillips for the 12:30 show and he'll be with Chris Berman, Kruk, and Phillips for the 7pm edition. Seems like a fun idea and anything that keeps John Kruk from talking is alright by me (I kid, I kid). But seriously....great idea Baseball Tonight. Oh and I think it's time you renamed the home run segment after EY's "Souvenir City" catchphrase. Just one man's opinion.

Update: Buck Showalter is also back on the program now giving the network 40 different analysts to choose from.

(Via ESPN PR)

I haven't decided whether this is a good idea or not. Either way, it's still pretty entertaining. Via SBD....

SNY prior to tonight’s (last night's) Braves-Mets game at Shea Stadium will distribute 35,000 baseball cards created by Upper Deck featuring SNY’s Mets broadcast team of Kevin Burkhardt, Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, Julie Donaldson, Keith Hernandez, Lee Mazzilli and Matt Yalloff. Each pack distributed will also include an entry card for a chance to win ’08 season tickets.

Are the New York broadcasters that popular that you would even want a trading card from them? Seems like a waste of money to me, but I wouldn't turn them down. I also can't wait until the market gets flooded, and like real baseball cards, they start coming out with the crazy inserts. Here's a few ideas off the top of my head....add yours to the comments if you'd like....

• A Chris Berman Jersey card, but with a portion of a Leather Coat attached.
• A curl of John Kruk's crusty hair in place of a crusty stick of gum.
• A Set of different Craig Sager Suit cards with a piece of one of his more famous ones on each card.

P.S.- On the back of the Keith Hernandez card in block lettering it says, "I'm Keith Hernandez."

There are tons of things that distract me while I'm writing items for this site. Things like work, telephones, outlook notifications, and people just to name a few. Flys though....they usually don't bring my typing to a screech halt.

But for Karl Ravech and Baseball Tonight they do...

Yeah Karl....as big as a bat, and I'm pretty sure John Kruk is used to flies hanging around him. Product in your hair attracts them like...well, flies...to honey.

MLB at Random (Sports at Random)

Don't know if anyone saw Baseball Tonight last night, but it seems that their debating this whole Barry boycotting ESPN games thing. SbB is reporting via The SJ Mercury News that Barry Bonds could possible be boycotting ESPN televised games. He's missed three in a row and people are starting to raise an eyebrow.....

Is Barry Bonds boycotting the Worldwide Leader?

The left fielder has paused his home run chase all three times the Giants have been on ESPN this season, under odd circumstances that might seem odder when taken together. (The Home Run Derby could be considered a fourth instance.) It's just a theory, but we'll be sure to check in on that Sept. 7 game against the Dodgers, or sooner if ESPN picks up any other games.

Well Karl Ravech and the Krukster weighed-in on the subject last night.....

Ravech: "Barry said yesterday, `I don't need a day off.' This is, I believe, Game 3 in a row that the ESPN cameras have been there and he hasn't played. I can't believe there's any connection. That wouldn't be right to the team."

Kruk: "You would hope not."

Ravech: "There's no way."

Kruk: "You would hope he doesn't dislike us that much that he would sit out games."

Here's my two cents. Is Barry just going to wait for games that FOX is doing on the weekends, or only local Giants broadcasts? Can't ESPN do live look-ins for every at-bat??? Seems to be a little much ado about nothing.

Here's my theory (that really isn't a theory, but probably fact)....You think he might be waiting for the 8 game homestand coming up after the Milwaukee series this weekend??? That sounds more plausible to me, but anything is possible with Barry....as Brooks points out....

Why would Bonds dislike ESPN? Perhaps he was watching SportsCenter Monday when anchor Steve Levy, upon seeing Bonds behind a chain-link fence, remarked "There's a behind-bars joke there somewhere".

The comment was later edited out of the broadcast for morning replays.

Smooth ESPN....real smooooooth. I guess we might get a clue when FOX covers the Giants' game Saturday against the Brewers.

ESPNERS WONDER IF BONDS IS BOYCOTTING THEIR GAMES (Sports by Brooks)
Bonds theory of revolution (SJ Mercury News)

There are so many articles out there on how far Baseball Tonight has fallen. Some blame it on John Kruk....others can't stand Steve Phillips, but as a whole the show has just lost that panache it once had. And with that said, I'm giving you the video to prove it.

Karl Ravech was away interviewing the President and the show seems to fall apart for a few seconds after the Braves-Pirates clip. Enjoy.....

Ummmm Fernando??? HEY VINA!!!! You're up dude!

TBS gets the National League Championship Series starting this year, and they've done one of the smartest things I've seen from a broadcast stand point in a long time. I completely forgot that they signed a 7 Year Deal to broadcast the ALCS and NLCS (they alternate years with FOX). Well what have they done you ask?

They've just gone out and signed two soon-to-be Hall of Famers (which I alluded to before.). TBS will then magically place them in the booth right before they get enshrined.....

Ripken has signed a multiyear deal and will serve as the cable network's top studio analyst alongside host Ernie Johnson for coverage of the 2007 Division Series games and National League Championship Series. Ripken will also be in the studio next season as part of the still-to-be-named Atlanta-based show that will precede the TBS Game of the Week. The cable network will carry 26 regular-season Sunday afternoon games beginning in 2008.

Gwynn will partner with play-by-play announcer Chip Caray on TBS' No. 1 broadcast team. He and Caray will call this year's Division Series and NLCS. Both Gwynn and Ripken are expected to make their TBS debut July 1 for coverage of the MLB All-Star Selection Show.

Talk about a hell of a move. Two things here....one, I'm pretty sure I and every red-blooded American has a man-crush on Cal Ripken, so A+ with that choice. Two, Tony Gwynn was a pretty damn good analyst and commentator for ESPN.

In my eyes ESPN really screwed this one up. Gwynn was above average in the booth, but he was great as a guest on Baseball Tonight. Seriously, has Dusty Baker ever said anything intelligent or insightful on the show? Worst. Hire. Ever. You've also got worthless stooges in John Kruk, Orestes Destrade, and Fernando Vina. To tell you the truth I only stop the remote when I see Buster Olney or Peter Gammons talking. They're about the only ones on that Network that ever have anything interesting to say.

Great job (and PR move) by TBS, but here's one more tip. Hire Harold Reynolds. It's obvious that he's been screwed by ESPN. People will love the move, and you'd have the perfect booth. A good PbPer in Caray.....An offensive/hitting analyst in Gwynn....and a defensive analyst in Reynolds. You add Cal Ripken to the pregame with the best host in the business in Ernie Johnson, and that's a winner.

Trust me....you would by far and away destroy any other broadcast in baseball (especially FOX), and most likely every sport. (Probably a tie with EJ, Kenny, and Barkley before an Albert/Kerr game)

Am I wrong? Let me know.

TBS Lands Ripken and Gwynn (SI.com)

(Special thanks to Ben for the link)

Alternate Title: ESPN Fantasy Baseball....WTF?

From Fanhouse comes a video sooooo bad I don't even have words. I'll just list those involved and you can see for yourself.

John Kruk (Dio anyone?), Peter Gammons (I actually thought he was into music), "Brandon" Arroyo (I'm not surprised), Gary Sheffield (on drums...really?), The Florida Marlin (staring at girl's asses), and Carlos Lee.