There's throwing people under the bus, and then there's this. Following last night's Rays win, Ernie Johnson decided to pose a question to the rest of the crew about where Fenway got it's name. He of course went to the only former Red Sock on the set, Dennis Eckersley, and just watch the look on his face. Via Sox & Dawgs....

Now that is funny. EJ's Neato Stat of the Night also brought us the Kenny Smith car jumping moment, so it's pretty much a must watch at this point.

Ernie Johnson Throws Eck Under The Bus (Sox & Dawgs)

Thanks to Ian from Sox and Dawgs for sending these videos along, as they show the hard-hitting work that TBS is doing with the ALCS. First, a Craig Sager sideline report on what really matters in the game: how much gum Terry Francona chews.

There may actually be a reason he goes through that much, but it requires a bit more inquiry: did Tito chew tobacco back in the day?

And second, this Bon Jovi theme they're using has gone way too far now.



The Be Flats, everybody!

I don't know what it is, but I'm kind of anti website interviews. Don't get me wrong, I think other sites do it well, but there just aren't enough people that I like to do them on a regular basis. I've of course interviewed Gus Johnson, and one Shred Nugent, so I usually save questions for people I find intriguing. One of those people is Detroit Tiger, and now TBS Postseason Analyst, Curtis Granderson. With more and more athletes attempting to blog, it takes someone extra special to catch my attention on these tubes. Athlete blogs have become a bit cliche and watered down, but Curtis' site on ESPN is a must read along with Donovan McNabb's blog on Yardbarker and Chris Cooley's website.

He not only gets things outside of Baseball, but the guy is just fun to watch both on and off the field. Fanhouse has been posting interviews with the entire cast of Inside MLB on TBS, but I wanted to save a spot for the real star of the show. Here are the highlights from a brief chat with MLB's newest member of the media, Curtis Granderson....
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Awful Announcing: Before we get into the tough broadcasting questions (kidding), how did the offer from TBS actually come about?
Curtis Granderson: I'm not sure where the option came from. I was asked last year if I would want to give it a try and it was only a two-day gig, so I figured why not? After that, an offer came in from ESPN for four days, and then again the Division Series round was offered this year. So considering that it wasn't for the entire playoffs, I gave it another shot this year. I play in a long season, so it's nice to get a break. Broadcasting for an entire month still I think may be tough for me.

AA: In all honesty, I've been extremely impressed with your transition to the media side of things. How much practice did you get beforehand? Did you get to sit down with the rest of the guys, or were you just talking to yourself in front of a mirror?
CG: There really isn't much practice that goes into it before a show. It's more research. There are topics put out there and then the games themselves. The highlights speak for themselves, and then the other stuff we slightly go over before we actually see it live. So when a topic about hitting comes up, I was expecting it, and I relate it to the highlight we just saw and my previous experience in the same situation.

AA: It's extremely tough to put together a studio show, it took Inside the NBA years to get it right, what do you think Inside MLB's high points are, and what do you think the team needs to work on?
CG: I think the high points are the Hall-of-Fame cast they put out there. That experience you just can't match. The best thing for the show is time. As they get to the five-year mark of doing it, and testing what works and doesn't, it could become an even better show.

AA: I think one of the toughest things for ex and current players or coaches, when they try to work on the Sports Media side of things, is that they're too vanilla. Almost like they're holding punches back and they are rarely critical of coaches, other players, or even friends. Have you noticed yourself holding anything back, or is Ernie Johnson just asking you the right questions?
CG: I have to remember that I'm still currently playing the game, and I'm not a seasoned vet like some other guys in the game, so I have to be careful with what I say, because I have to play against these guys the next season. I am also our team's player rep and talk to a lot of other players around the league about numerous issues that aren't reported about, so I need to keep that trust with them as well.

AA: The base stealing segement last week was extremely interesting and was expressed in a way that I hadn't heard before. Did you come up with the plan, and if so, how easy/hard was it for you to get your mindset across?
CG:All the different segments actually come from the TBS production staff. Their minds are always working from a fan standpoint of trying to figure what the fan wants to see and learn about the game of baseball. They come to us with the idea and we give the baseball knowledge of it and then we put it on camera. I like that stuff because it teaches the fans a little more about the game. For example, why a base stealer may not try to steal a base.

AA: We've noticed more and more athletes putting themselves out there on the internet as of late. Is this a noticeable trend in the league and do you chat with other athletes about their ideas or plans?
CG: I think it is just what has happened over time. Everything can be found on the internet, so players feel that we can put ourselves out there too. I have talked to Nate Robertson and Todd Jones about their blogs, and other guys about how they either love or hate things like MySpace or Facebook, because of all the fake pages people make about us. Other than that, there really isn't much discussed about it.

AA: Speaking of the internet, How's the ESPN blog?
CG:The blog was fun again this season. I start to run out of ideas, so I give all a lot of credit to all those bloggers that can come up with different ideas and keep it fresh all year.

AA: Anything else exciting we can look forward to from Curtis himself? Is broadcasting something you think you could continue? Following a long career (and multiple 30-30 season) of course.
CG: I'm not sure about the broadcasting thing. I have enjoyed it but never really planned on doing it as a career. Once my baseball career ends, we'll see where everything is and it could be a possibilty. Otherwise, I am starting to plan my celebrity hoops game and charity weekend for next year. It will take place Jan. 16-17 in the Detroit area, and you can look for announcements to come soon at www.grandkidsfoundation.org.

AA: Last question.....What are your thoughts on the ALCS (airing on TBS) and NLCS, and who's your pick to win it all?
CG: The two teams I picked from the beginning are out (Cubs and Angels), so I'm not sure if people want me picking their teams now. After watching the first rounds, I want to give the edge to the Dodgers and Rays, but I think it would be very exciting to see the Dodgers and Red Sox with all the stuff surrounding Manny.
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Many thanks to Curtis' management for helping get this together, and I certainly meant what I said above. The guy just gets it, and for a current player to step in with the likes of EJ, Cal and Eck....and actually outshine all of them....is very impressive.

(P.S.- I've been debating an interview segment on AA, but I really don't want to waste your time. Offers are out there, so let me know in the comments or by email if you'd like to see more of these in the future.)

Hey TBS finally listened to me! I told them to pick up HR for the Playoffs last year but they were probably (and understanably) waiting out the whole lawsuit thing. Reynolds and current NESN analyst Dennis Eckersley will join Cal Ripken and Ernie Johnson this Sunday at 2pm for the unveiling of the All-Star teams....

“We are excited to add analysts to our studio show with the on-air credentials and on-field experience of the caliber of Harold and Dennis,” said Jeff Behnke, SVP and executive producer for Turner Sports. “We look forward to providing their insights and opinions as fans and players around the country learn who will be representing their teams in the 2008 MLB All-Star Game.”

During the telecast, TBS will exclusively reveal the All-Star Game starters elected by fan voting, as well as the player selections and manager picks to round out this year’s AL and NL squads. Throughout the hour-long telecast Reynolds, Eckersley and Ripken will provide in-depth review and analysis.

Random but certainly interesting. As far as "Selection Shows" go, the MLB All-Star Game doesn't really top the list, but with that many different personalities involved I might have to check it out. Hopefully this leads to HR getting a role in this year's playoffs because I'm not watching his random interviews on MLB.com.

Oh and TBS, no Tony Gwynn is a good move.

I don't think I've watched an MLB All-Star Selection Show in years (that's what the Internet is for), but in case you care here's everything you need to know about TBS' All-Star Selection Show....

The 2008 American League and National League MLB All-Star Teams will be revealed on Sunday, July 6th on the MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Chevy, televised exclusively on TBS at 2 p.m. ET with Ernie Johnson (host) and MLB Hall of Famer Cal Ripken (analyst). The AL All-Star squad will have a total of nine elected starters and the NL All-Star team will have a total of eight elected starters, as determined by the fan balloting program. The NL will also select 23 reserves and pitchers and the AL will select 22 reserves and pitchers as determined by the “Player Ballot” and the two All-Star Team managers in conjunction with Major League Baseball.

You may remember that last year the ESPN jumped the gun by airing the picks before TBS and MLB punished them by forcing Baseball Tonight into the studio. Hopefully ESPN keeps it in their pants so to speak this year because I don't know what I'll do with myself if I don't get to see John Kruk live from Yankee Stadium.

I don't know how many games TBS is covering for the Playoffs, but they seem to be hiring a ton of people for their coverage this October. They already had Cal Ripken (pregame) and Tony Gwynn, Chip Caray, and Joe Simpson (not Jessica's father) on the roster, and now they've rounded out their expansion draft with five more broadcasters.

Don Orsillo (told you about this last week)
Steve Stone
Bob Brenly
Ted Robinson

....and last but not least......

Dick Stockton!

The only pairing that TBS has released is Tony Gwynn and Chip Caray, but I'm telling TBS right now.....make it Stockton and Orsillo, Simpson and Stone, and Robinson and Brenley. I completely botched those pairings......Stockton and Orsillo are PbPers so that wouldn't even work. Since we believe in 2nd chances here at AA let's try that again.....

Caray/Gwynn, Orsillo/Stone, Stockton/Brenly (great team), Robinson/Simpson

P.S.- Skip Caray was more than likely going to be involved with the TBS Playoffs as well, but he was in the hospital for a few weeks with congestive heart failure. He is just now getting back in the Braves booth, and AA wishes all the best to him and his family and hopes for a speedy recovery.

TBS Take A Step In The Right Direction (Awful Announcing)

Two great players enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY today. Tony Gwynn, who seemed to always put the ball in play when he was up to bat, and Cal Ripken, who was always there, every day, period.

After the jump, we'll read the reaction to this auspicious event through the words of newspaper columnists from San Diego, Baltimore, and Cooperstown itself.

In addition, we'll fit in some coverage of the other big event today: Arena Bowl, baby!!!!

The Cooperstown Crier gives us the welcome news that local residents aren't jaded by living in the shadow of the sport's ultimate destination. Some Cooperstown residents are going gaga because their favorite players are going in the Hall today. This, from Gwynn superfan Frank Vito:

This weekend, Vito hopes to get a chance to talk with Gwynn when he serves as a driver for the Hall of Fame. "I'm hoping maybe I get to pick him up at the airport in Albany, and have a chance to talk to him the whole way back," Vito said. "That would really be a dream come true."

And the HOF librarian is a former Baltimore resident:

"It kind of comes under the responsibilities of the job, which is kind of neat," Gates said. "I had fun speaking with Ripken about the longest game when he was with Rochester." Baseball's famous "Longest Game" between the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox lasted a record 33 innings and took more than eight hours to complete. The game began on April 18, 1981, and the teams played until after 4 a.m. before the game was suspended and resumed on June 23 with Pawtucket winning, 3-2.

Ripken was 2-13 in the game, and, of course, played in all 33 innings.

Said Gates: "It's kind of fitting that the Iron man played in the longest game in baseball history."

Our very own weekend editor One More Dying Quail once worked at the HOF, so I'll bet he enjoys this weekend on a personal level as well.

Let's check the reaction in the San Diego Union-Tribune. Gwynn played 20 ultra-productive seasons as a Padre. He now coaches the San Diego State baseball team, and his son now plays for the Brewers. He still can't believe this is happening to him:

“We were talking at breakfast this morning,” Gwynn said. “Here's Jim Palmer, Tom Seaver, Carlton Fisk. For me, still, it's like 'Wow. Look at these guys here.' . . .

“We're in awe. We're still in awe. The fact that you're going to be inducted doesn't change that all that much.”

From the Baltimore Sun, Maryland's native son and most famous Oriole also goes into the hall today. Cal Ripken, The Iron Man, says he's awed by his induction, but it's still second on his list of career moments.

Ripken said the Hall induction falls behind the Orioles' 1983 championship in his list of career highlights. He spent his career putting the team first and said he has enjoyed stepping back and appreciating what he achieved.

"It endorses who you are as a player and what your contributions were," he said of entering the Hall. "And it doesn't take into consideration the team. Being elected to the Hall of Fame is about your career pretty much and your impact on the game."

It may rain in upstate NY today, pushing the ceremony back until Monday, but that won't dampen these guys' spirits any.

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And in even bigger news, today is Arena Bowl number something-or-other, and the San Jose Sabercats take on the Columbus Destroyers. For some people, this is life or death sports action. Here's a great primer on the sport from the Columbus Dispatch:

The team now has its own fight song, though.

Destroyers Battle Cry, written by Christian rappers Domonice Thompson and Clay Armstrong, made its debut this week.

The Columbus artists, who perform onstage as CeriOus, said they wrote the song about all of life's battles.

"It also translates into football," Thompson said.

And the San Jose Mercury News is watching for signs of a letdown in a team that unexpectedly lost in the American Conference championship game last year. They think this year's version has a not-so-secret weapon:

The Destroyers have gotten superb play from quarterback Matt Nagy, who is no stranger to the playoffs. Two years ago, he was the losing quarterback when Colorado beat Georgia in the ArenaBowl.

In a league in which defensive stops can be more unusual than a cool summer day in New Orleans, Nagy will probably have to play extremely well to keep pace today. SaberCats quarterback Mark Grieb has thrown 15 touchdowns and just one interception through two playoff games.

And if the MSM coverage of the event doesn't float your boat, I highly recommend that you check out It's Still Football. They've been blogging the Arena League all season long in hilarious fashion, and somehow wrangled press credentials for the big enchilada. They're taking reader suggestions for features and interviews, so hop over there and check them out.

Enjoy what's left of your weekend!

--Extra P.

Since Baltimore is such a dreadful city these days and the O's are worthless all we've been hearing about in the area is "Caaaal going to the Hawwwl" (Baltimore speak for Cal Ripken going into the Hall of Fame). The guy was even on QVC last night getting rid of some pillows and whatnot from his closet.

Well anywho, the Baltimore Sun has collected some quotes from the people around Ripken, and they are exactly what you expect them to be....all but one. See if you can pick it out....

"More than any other player in its history, Cal Ripken understands what makes baseball a great game. It's not the great players, but the great fans."- Steve Phillips (Aww!)

"He emptied the bucket, then walked around the field retrieving all the balls himself; there was a nation of baseball fans and some clubhouse kids who would have done this for him, but Cal did it -- his penance, it seemed, for his slump. Then he returned to home plate, and started over, hitting balls into the twilight."- Buster Olney (Good story Busta Bust)

"He had this boundless energy. He'd wrestle his teammates in the dugout, and finally we turned to Earl [Weaver] and said, 'Please, please, please put him in the lineup.'"- Mike Flanagan (Coming from the best GM ever!)

"When Cal arrived in the clubhouse before the game, we were set up to meet him to conduct a brief interview. I looked at him with a straight face and said, 'Cal you think you might get in tonight?' Cal laughed, and then we had a great interview for the telecast. Next time I saw him, he thanked me for, at least for 30 seconds, letting him laugh and relax on that unbelievable night."- Chris Berman

What a dick! He takes one of the best moments in the history of the league, and makes it entirely about himself. Seriously, could you be more into your own "beached whale" of a self?

Announcing Rule #1- Do not put yourself above the game or its players

Thoughts on Ripken (Baltimore Sun)

Don't know if you got a chance to see the All-Star Selection Show on TBS over the weekend, but if you didn't.....you didn't miss anything. The program, which was Ripken and Gwynn's debut for the station, was lackluster and was absent of any energy whatsoever.

Both stated that Bonds should be in the ASG, but neither gave any other opinions that were noteworthy. God bless Ernie Johnson for trying, but this might be like pulling teeth by the time we get to the MLB Playoffs.

"Yes, there's a shadow that's hanging over top of him. The commissioner and Hank Aaron are torn whether they should celebrate the breaking of the all-time home run record," Ripken said Tuesday. "But when I think of Barry, I think of him as an All-Star player."

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In related ASG news.....Another great idea from ESPN has Kenny Mayne in a Kayak for the Homerun Derby. He'll be using some sort of underwater camera used in the America's Cup races. There's no over/under set yet for the number of times he uses the phrase, "Your puny ballparks are too small to contain my gargantuan blasts!"

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)