Baseball Tonight

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Like:

Jason Stark

Mike McFarland

Dave Campell

 

Dislike:

Kinney

Reynolds

Showalter

Dibble

Kurkjian

 

Don't care either way:

Gammons

Ravech

Branson

[Guest jimmy no nose]

I hate Dibble. I feel indifferent towards all the others pretty much. They seem to understand baseball and have some good opinions sometimes.

[Guest MentallyNormal]

I'm with jimmy no nose. Dibble is a moron. I remember him sitting their talk smack about how Shawn Estes was not a man for not hitting Roger or something. Well Mr Dibble you're the guy that threw a ball into the stands an hit some lady.

[Guest The Man in Blak]

Actually, I like almost all of the Baseball Tonight crew. Jason Stark and McFarlane occasionally get on my nerves, but overall, they have a very well-rounded crew that adds up to a show that I actually anticipate more than Sportscenter.

[Guest alkeiper]

Jayson Stark I like, Rob Dibble I can't stand, and the others fall somewhere in between. Anyone watch ABCNews? It seems like the Starks have an entire family of journalists.

[Guest Mad the Swine]

Like:

 

Harold Reynolds

Chris Berman (whenever he's actually on)

 

Indifferent:

 

Brian McRae

 

Dislike:

 

Buck Showalter

Dibble

McFarlane

Jon Miller (whatever segments feature him)

[Guest DrTom]

The only guys I don't care much for are Jeff Brantley and Mike MacFarlane. Unlike a lot of you, I like Rob Dibble on that show. Maybe he's a jackass, but I think he's a good commentator in that format, and he was 100% right about Estes needing to drill Clemens.

[Guest MaxPower27]

I think that Ravach talks too much, the experts hardly get to talk with him on the show.

 

Showalter comes off as a cock, he knows his shit, but it's kind of like, "Your with me or against me, no middle ground"

McFarlane is probably my favorite, as his all around knowledge of the game and laid back way of talking make for a good show.

Jay Stark is Mr. Stat man, as all he rattles off are numbers, no real knowledge, just memerization.

Reynolds has good shows, and bad shows. I like him, but I can see why some people don't.

Gammons is good, if not just for trade rumors.

Berman is sooooo annoying. I hate the homerun derby because of him, Whenever ESPN broadcasts a Red Sox game, he is usually PBP announcer, so I have to mute my TV.

Dave Campbell is knowledgable and know his stuff.

Dibble is a goddamn fool and should be pulled from the show.

[Guest meanmaisch]

Like- Showalter, Reynolds, Stark, Kurkjian, Gammons, Jeff Brantley

 

Indifferent- Dibble, Campbell

 

Dislike- McFarlane- he was a decent player and he always pimps catchers, but his monotone sucks and his segments seemed so forced.

 

Hate- Berman- I can't stand this guy, whether he's covering baseballl or not. He's all about nicknames and making himself sound important.

[Guest undisputedjericho]

I hate Gammons. He just babbles on about all these trades that teams are going to make, and of course, none ever happen. And he looks like a 70 year old puppet/turkey/Paul Mcartney's father.

[Guest Some Guy]

Like- Showalter, Reynolds, Stark, Kurkjian, Gammons, Jeff Brantley

 

Indifferent- Dibble, Campbell

 

Dislike- McFarlane- he was a decent player and he always pimps catchers, but his monotone sucks and his segments seemed so forced.

 

Hate- Berman- I can't stand this guy, whether he's covering baseballl or not. He's all about nicknames and making himself sound important.

I agree with you except Cambell would go into my dislike list.

 

Berman doesn't even know the player's names a lot fo the time, if your not one of the guys who has been given "the honor" of having a stupid nuckname he couldn't care less.

 

I don't really like any of the regualr hosts, the non-experts. They don't seem to know what they're talking about and are basically just "yes men" for the Baseball guys.

 

BTW the best segment of the show is definately "Web Gems."

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Reynolds is such an asskisser to the players. He lets frienship get in the way of the facts.

 

Buck Showalter still wants to manage so he won't question any manager.

 

Dr.Tom. Dibble wasn't right about the Estes hitting Clemens. Throwing a shutout and getting a win did more for the Mets. Bobby Valentine even said it himself, he also mentioned that Tino Martinez was hit the next inning. This was a non-story the media blow out of proportion.

[Guest jimmy no nose]

My problem with Gammons is that he'll never commit to anything or put his name behind something. Every day he'll say something like "I've heard from someone close to the situation that a deal MIGHT go down". It's so annoying.

[Guest DrTom]

Dr.Tom. Dibble wasn't right about the Estes hitting Clemens.

 

Dibble was absolutely correct. Clemens had hit Piazza twice and thrown a bat at him. As a pitcher, you're obligated to protect your star players from that kind of abuse. A BP Fastball behind Clemens' knees doesn't count. Estes should have reared back and thrown his best heater right into Clemens' face. That would have settled it. Who cares if he gets thrown out? The point has been made, and the issue has been settled.

[Guest Some Guy]

My problem with Gammons is that he'll never commit to anything or put his name behind something. Every day he'll say something like "I've heard from someone close to the situation that a deal MIGHT go down". It's so annoying.

If he said that a deal was done and going to happen for every rumor he hears he'd look like an idiot when they didn't. There are hundreds of trade rumors in July and then more in Auguts of those dreds about 15-20 at most actually get done. You can't report rumor as fact, it's bad jouranlism and unfair to the fans of the teams involved in the rumors. Say you're an Indians fan and Gammons reports that Jim Thone is undoubtably going to Boston for Casey Fossum and Trot Nixon as the rumor was. You'd probably be pissed at the Indians for getting rid of their biggest star and then when the deal didn't happen you'd be pissed at Gammons for lying to you about the trade.

 

And yes Estes should have hit Roger, but not in the face. A good fastball in the back or shoulder would have sufficed. I don't think Estes even throws hard enough to do too much damage anyway though, but I'm not sure.

[Guest The Man in Blak]

And yes Estes should have hit Roger, but not in the face. A good fastball in the back or shoulder would have sufficed. I don't think Estes even throws hard enough to do too much damage anyway though, but I'm not sure.

"If you can't do something right, then don't do it at all"

[Guest MaxPower27]

Dr. Tom, there was nothing to settle anymore. Estes wasn't even on the team when Piazza/Clemens happened, so it's of no interest to Estes really. Estes got his revenge by pitching a great game, and hitting a homer off of Clemens. Let it go. I hate Clemens, he was a dick for doing what he did, but let it go.

[Guest The Man in Blak]

On a related note, is it just me or is there a LOT more discussion of "pitcher retaliation" and "protecting your stars" than usual this year?

[Guest alkeiper]

I'm surprised Showalter hasn't gotten another manager's job. He built the Yankees' dynasty, all the current home-grown guys except for Soriano came up under his watch, and he built the Diamondbacks as well.

[Guest The Man in Blak]

That probably comes from the fact that most people attribute the Yankee's supremacy to Steinbrenner and the D'Back's success to Johnson & Schilling. Ignorant thoughts, but they're the ones that I hear often.

[Guest MrRant]

On a related note, is it just me or is there a LOT more discussion of "pitcher retaliation" and "protecting your stars" than usual this year?

I always thought it was kindof babyish to "protect the star". Kind of reminds me of "He hit me so I hit him back"

[Guest Some Guy]

On a related note, is it just me or is there a LOT more discussion of "pitcher retaliation" and "protecting your stars" than usual this year?

I touched on this in another thread. IF any of your players were intenionally hit without provocation then the pitcher has the obligation to hit the next batter he faces. I don;t agree with waiting until the star comes up to drill him, either do it leading off the next innning or with 2 outs in the next inning.

 

The Red Sox have gotten into a bunch of shit for crappy teams (Tamoa, Baltimore, and Texas) picking fights with them. The Rays hit Hillenbrand and Nomar on purpose the night after Nomar doubled in the 9th and Shea hit a pinch GS. They got hit for doing their jobs well. SO Frank Castillo hits the next D-Ray hitter he faces and he gets suspended, but the Ray's pitcher who started the fight didn't. Scott Ericson intensionally hit Manny Ramirez, so Lowe hit the next batter he faced and a brawl ensued and Lowe got suspended but Ericson, who started it did not. John Burkett hits the first two Rangers of the game and then gives up 4 or 5 runs in the 1st inning, making it pretty obvious that he didn't exactly have pinpoint control and it was accidental. Who would want to hit the first 2 batters that you face with A-Rod and Palmeiro coming up? SO the Texas pitcher hits the next Sox batter and we get warnings. Then the next night Derek Lowe has a perfect game going through the first 3 innings, he stumbles on the mound and hits A-Rod. So the Texas pitcher hits the next Sox batter. Why? Did they think that Lowe didn't want to possibly throw a perfect game?

Protecting your players is necessary, but it gets taken way too far. The problem is that not only do Texas, Baltimore, and Tampw not know how to play the game well on the field they don't even know the "unwritten rules" of the sport. It gets pathetic.

[Guest bob_barron]

Estes and Piazaa both hit homers and the Mets kicked some ass.

 

That's the important thing. They improved in the standings.

 

The issue is pretty much closed and I don't think the Mets really care anymore

[Guest DrTom]

Estes wasn't even on the team when Piazza/Clemens happened, so it's of no interest to Estes really.

That doesn't matter. Estes has an obligation to protect his teammates. If he's unwilling to do it, he should find a new team to pitch for. I think Bobby V should have gone over the "strategy" beforehand (as in, "You're going to drill him in the face, right?" "Yeah.'"), and if Estes was unwilling to do that, he should have altered the rotation and found someone who was.

[Guest bob_barron]

He rattled Clemens and the Mets won the game and the now the whole thing is over

[Guest DrTom]

I don;t agree with waiting until the star comes up to drill him, either do it leading off the next innning or with 2 outs in the next inning.

I think that, if your star was hit on purpose, you should return the favor in kind. If the Yankees are headhunting on a day when a couple of their starters are resting, what good does it do for the other team to retaliate by hitting Enrique Wilson? Or Ron Coomer? "Yeah, you hit our superstar, but we hit your scrubby backup infielder! Take THAT!"

 

The things you mentioned about warnings and suspensions, SG, comes from the fact that umpires are poorly-trained when it comes to dealing with hit batsmen. I've seen one player get hit with an offspeed pitch, and both benches are warned. WTF? Who hits someone with a curveball? If a guy on Team A gets hit in a manner that looks intentional, then the same has to happen to a player on team B. Then the issue is settled, so the ump can dole out his warnings. But to warn both benches after one player is hit robs the other team of their chance to retaliate and not get a pitcher ejected. The umpires just don't know how the game works sometimes.

 

As for the suspensions, I think it's obvious Bob Watson doesn't know what he's doing.