Showing posts with label The Greatness That Was Dusty Baker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Greatness That Was Dusty Baker. Show all posts
The Homerun Derby Is Back, Back, Back!
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
I really have no idea why I watch the nonsense that is the Homerun Derby every single year, but it's almost become a rite of passage for me. Every year Chris Berman gets more and more ridiculous and the recent of Joe Morgan has made the broadcast borderline unbearable, but for some reason I watch every minute.
Well there's good news for those of you who like train wrecks! The duo of Berman and Morgan are back, but they've brought along a few friends. Everyone welcome to the broadcast, Steve Phillips and Rick Reilly!!!
Chris Berman will host the Derby (also available in high definition on ESPN HD), joined on the field by Hall of Famer Joe Morgan and analyst Steve Phillips. Baseball Tonight host Karl Ravech will also provide commentary with analysts Peter Gammons and John Kruk and ESPN The Magazine’s Rick Reilly. Erin Andrews will report and provide interviews on the field. ESPN will utilize 20 cameras to capture the excitement of the Derby, including the use of “Ultra Mo,” a replay device recapping action at 1,000 frames per second.Hopefully they can keep the broadcast under 8 hours this year and just for the fun of it let's relive some of the Best of the 2007 Derby....
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“It could be a national “Holiday” by the time we’re done here”- Chris Berman on Matt Holliday
“I walked up to him in the batting cage today and I was speaking to most of the players and I said….Who is that?”- Joe Morgan on Alex Rios
“Albert Winnie the Pujols”- Chris Berman
“We have many dollars invested in this project….I just hope someone hits one over the wall”- Kenny Mayne on his kayak project (no balls were hit in the Cove)
“I think that one landed on Treasure Island”- Chris Berman
“I saw you jamming out there with the Crows”- Dusty Baker
“It was the Counting Crows!”- Chris Berman
“You were counting em’ too!”- Dusty Baker
“It’s off the platform in right centerfield….how interesting is that”- Chris Berman
“There’s a rainbow!”- Dusty Baker
Broadcasting Loses One Of Its Brightest Stars
Sunday, October 14, 2007
(posted by OMDQ)
Today is a day of mourning: one of the all-time great media personalities of our era, Dusty Baker, is leaving his gig at ESPN and returning to the dugout as a manager after a one year hiatus. He will take over as the skipper of the Cincinnati Reds, a team that hasn't finished above .500 since 2000 or experienced postseason play since 1995. Cincinnati will be the third team on Baker's managerial resume. He fearlessly guided Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants for ten seasons, leading the team to one National League pennant (2002), two division titles and six second-place finishes. He left San Fran to take over the Cubs in 2003, winning the Central division and coming within five outs of a World Series appearance.
Tangentially related fact: according to Baseball-Reference.com, Baker's real name is Johnnie B. Baker, Jr. Please don't ask me to explain why, because I don't think I can, but that is one of the most awesome names ever.
Light a candle for Dusty, sports fans. We'll still be able to see him as he leads the Reds through the stormy waters of the always tough National League Central division, but it won't be the same as hearing his excellent and insightful commentary on ESPN ever night. That, and his seemingly natural ability in the broadcast booth, will be sorely missed.
Photo: Barry Bonds and Darren Baker
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