RedBird Ramblings: April 1st, 2007
Oh how terribly appropriate it is that this is the first day of Cardinal Baseball - perhaps we'll have EPSN2 open up a new window and announce that the 5-0 lead in the top pf the 5th inning is a cruel April Fool's Joke?
Today's game was just summed up so far by Tony LaRussa in a Manager's Comment segment where the Mets are truly using their hitters to their advantage in this game. My goal with these writings will be to provide some commentary in regard to not only the Cardinals, but the presentation of the game, the commentators and my general feelings about the follow-up to the 2006 Championship Season for the St. Louis Cardinals. Let's get straight to it.
-- Joe Morgan: I have to tell you that I was really looking forward to watching this game - until I learned that Joe Morgan was going to be one of tonite's main commentators. While no one can deny the skill that Morgan brought to the field during his payer days, he has to be easily one of my most hated television commentators. His perspective in general is just so completely negative, regardless of whatever team he's refering to, that it makes me want to change the channel. In particular was the short questions he had to Cardinal coach Tony LaRussa recently. "What's wrong with Carpenter tonite?" "How do you feel about your rotation this year are they doing alright?" Another that really disturbed me, was when he says that "Albert Pujols has to be the best he's ever been for the Cardinals to repeat." Right - thank you Captain Obvious. He also then ladels in Scott Rolen with the same comment and just the thought that they WON'T try to be their best is insulting to two warriors that led the Cardinals to the pennant last year. Here's another great one: "As you can see, Carpenter, because he's a fastball pitcher, is falling off to the 1st base side and is unable to field those balls being hit back up the middle." Joe, EVERY SINGLE PITCHER, falls away to the side (to the 1st base side for righties, and the opposite for lefties", and isn't necessarily WHY Carpenter, or any other damn pitcher in the history of baseball. GaaahD! While they may seem mundane, when you consider the frequency of his negative comments, it's only the top of the iceberg for Morgan's lackluster style that just makes me want to grab an AM radio and listen to our local play-by-play when games include his name on the roster of televised commentary.
-- HD inna' House! While my family just acquired a great HD television to replace a 14 year-old friend/television that died recently, I sadly have to report that I don't get to watch tonite's rout in HD. Why EPSN2 isn't carrying this game in HD is beyond me. Does anyone have anymore details about that? After having been watching HD for most of the week when I have my very short opportunities to watch TV - I didn't realize how "hard" it would be to revert back to regular televsion even though it's on an HD screen. I wonder if I'm just missing a channel listing someplace or seomthing.
-- Bitching About Age: You might not believe it, but I've counted 14 different references to player ages during this game so far, into the top of the 6th inning. How about CONGRATULATING players that may be older (41, 37, 33, 31 - good gawd, my 37th birthday is tomorrow. I would be a dinosaur were I a professional athlete apparently. All of these were initiated by Joe Morgan adding again to the relative negativity of his participation in professional sports commentary.
-- Albert Looks Outstanding: I'm not sure if it's that he's let his goatee flesh out, or that he's got a more chiseled chin via his different workout process this season, but Albert looks OUTSTANDING today. It really is special it is to be a baseball fan living in a city that has such a great sample of a player of the game. I look forward to seeing where he's going to go this year as he adds to his continually growing career total numbers.
-- Outstanding Crowd: We always talk about how people don't "understand St. Louis Fans" and I have to continue to aspouse this. I've been to 5 other professional major league opening day games, and seen even more on television, and there IS something both indescribable, nor matched about St. Louis opening-day baseball fans. that I can't put my finger on. Can you help me describe it here for others that are reading? Chime in below
-- Redbird Wrap: As we wrap this edition, it's currently 5-0, and I hope to be able to log on later on this evening to be able to provide you with some more details and information about a late-inning win for the Cardinals, but sadly I doubt it. I will without a doubt, enjoy the next Cardinal game that I can only hope will not feature the negative theatrics of Joe Morgan, and will include positive numbers escalating our Cardinals to their first "W" in the Win column.
Today's game was just summed up so far by Tony LaRussa in a Manager's Comment segment where the Mets are truly using their hitters to their advantage in this game. My goal with these writings will be to provide some commentary in regard to not only the Cardinals, but the presentation of the game, the commentators and my general feelings about the follow-up to the 2006 Championship Season for the St. Louis Cardinals. Let's get straight to it.
-- Joe Morgan: I have to tell you that I was really looking forward to watching this game - until I learned that Joe Morgan was going to be one of tonite's main commentators. While no one can deny the skill that Morgan brought to the field during his payer days, he has to be easily one of my most hated television commentators. His perspective in general is just so completely negative, regardless of whatever team he's refering to, that it makes me want to change the channel. In particular was the short questions he had to Cardinal coach Tony LaRussa recently. "What's wrong with Carpenter tonite?" "How do you feel about your rotation this year are they doing alright?" Another that really disturbed me, was when he says that "Albert Pujols has to be the best he's ever been for the Cardinals to repeat." Right - thank you Captain Obvious. He also then ladels in Scott Rolen with the same comment and just the thought that they WON'T try to be their best is insulting to two warriors that led the Cardinals to the pennant last year. Here's another great one: "As you can see, Carpenter, because he's a fastball pitcher, is falling off to the 1st base side and is unable to field those balls being hit back up the middle." Joe, EVERY SINGLE PITCHER, falls away to the side (to the 1st base side for righties, and the opposite for lefties", and isn't necessarily WHY Carpenter, or any other damn pitcher in the history of baseball. GaaahD! While they may seem mundane, when you consider the frequency of his negative comments, it's only the top of the iceberg for Morgan's lackluster style that just makes me want to grab an AM radio and listen to our local play-by-play when games include his name on the roster of televised commentary.
-- HD inna' House! While my family just acquired a great HD television to replace a 14 year-old friend/television that died recently, I sadly have to report that I don't get to watch tonite's rout in HD. Why EPSN2 isn't carrying this game in HD is beyond me. Does anyone have anymore details about that? After having been watching HD for most of the week when I have my very short opportunities to watch TV - I didn't realize how "hard" it would be to revert back to regular televsion even though it's on an HD screen. I wonder if I'm just missing a channel listing someplace or seomthing.
-- Bitching About Age: You might not believe it, but I've counted 14 different references to player ages during this game so far, into the top of the 6th inning. How about CONGRATULATING players that may be older (41, 37, 33, 31 - good gawd, my 37th birthday is tomorrow. I would be a dinosaur were I a professional athlete apparently. All of these were initiated by Joe Morgan adding again to the relative negativity of his participation in professional sports commentary.
-- Albert Looks Outstanding: I'm not sure if it's that he's let his goatee flesh out, or that he's got a more chiseled chin via his different workout process this season, but Albert looks OUTSTANDING today. It really is special it is to be a baseball fan living in a city that has such a great sample of a player of the game. I look forward to seeing where he's going to go this year as he adds to his continually growing career total numbers.
-- Outstanding Crowd: We always talk about how people don't "understand St. Louis Fans" and I have to continue to aspouse this. I've been to 5 other professional major league opening day games, and seen even more on television, and there IS something both indescribable, nor matched about St. Louis opening-day baseball fans. that I can't put my finger on. Can you help me describe it here for others that are reading? Chime in below
-- Redbird Wrap: As we wrap this edition, it's currently 5-0, and I hope to be able to log on later on this evening to be able to provide you with some more details and information about a late-inning win for the Cardinals, but sadly I doubt it. I will without a doubt, enjoy the next Cardinal game that I can only hope will not feature the negative theatrics of Joe Morgan, and will include positive numbers escalating our Cardinals to their first "W" in the Win column.
posted by Mike Wilkerson - 2GuysTalking at 8:19 PM
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