You're walking on thin ice, mister.

Thanks for making the Big Red Machine winners, Sparky.

Rumor has it that Sparky actually made a bet during the honoring of the 30th anniversary World Series ceremony back in 2005 that he would hold his breath until the Reds won another playoff game. Looks like he didn't make it.

Thank the dear sweet Jesus above.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5782045

Hence me liking that it's safe to watch baseball on ESPN again.

Ahhhh! Didn't see that.

I wonder how the new broadcasts will work, though. I can't imagine them getting worse, but this is ESPN.

They could have fucking sock puppets and it would be better than Joe Morgan.

I would watch the hell out of that.

Just curious, have you listened to him recently? I hated him too, and then caught the two of them on the radio a lot during the playoffs, and was surprised at how much I was enjoying listening to the game. Maybe he just feels the need to be extra annoying on TV.

I just keep imaginfing the pregame, 2 sock puppets with the field behind them.

"THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG GAME TONIGHT!!!" Moving side to side, mouth flapping.

The telestrator would be hilarious, because if they did it, they would go all out, the the sock puppets would only be able to use their mouths, so they are holding the pen trying to show something and the line is all crazy and messed up, and they are talking so it's like "grbabaha brabble bribbleb braggrba"

"Hey Steve, how do you feel about that last decision there" "Well Bill, being a sock puppet I never did play in the bigs, but I did use to be the sock for the Long Island Ducks back up catcher!"

Or maybe there is more time for him to fill on TV? I don't know. I do kind of feel bad for the guy, but then he says things like "Wins and losses are how to measure pitchers."

You felt bad for Joe Morgan? Why?

Just curious, have you listened to him recently? I hated him too, and then caught the two of them on the radio a lot during the playoffs, and was surprised at how much I was enjoying listening to the game. Maybe he just feels the need to be extra annoying on TV.

I'm pretty sure you're the only one who still listens to sports on the radio.

SATS, you're killing me.

Because everyone in the free world wants to punch him in the face when they see his face appear on ESPN broadcasts.

I'm just glad I don't have to hear Carlos Beltran's name pronounced like the guy is going to the dentist:

And now here's Carlos Beltrahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhn at the plate. Man that strep test went well.

Dentists don't give strep tests!

That is how dumb those guys make me.

110% not true. On nice summer nights I'll actually go outside with a few beers and a cigar and listen to a baseball game on the radio as opposed to sitting in the house watching the tv

Ok, Gramps.

You couldn't just go with it? Fuck, man.

Oh I'm sorry perhaps I should act young and hip and with the times. I'll go grab my night vision goggles and remote control car!

Baseball is better on the radio, by a long shot.

Don't forget to bring a sweater for those chilly nights. Maybe you'll find a Werther's Original in the pocket that you can give to the neighborhood children while you put them up on your knee and tell them what gas cost when YOU were a youngin.

Watching baseball on television and paying attention is for stupid people. At least on the radio you can look at something exciting while you listen.

That was a low blow.

by this logic...you would feel sorry for Brett Favre?

oh this is gunna be good...

do you have a tiny transistor with the stained yellowing single ear bud? That would be old school right there.

No way. I think I am in the minority with my hatred. Do you know how many people idolize and fawn over him? Deadspin writers had their lives threatened for exposing Brett's winky. Lives threatened!

damn tea partiers that's who they are!

No just a small pocket radio, no earbud

Eh. Not when you have to listen to John "I'm worse than Chico and Doc" Sterling and Suzy "Georgie Girl" Waldman.

Oh yeah, Yankee fans should never listen to the radio. Ever.

Yeah, it's so miserable.

The Rangers radio broadcast is usually good. Kenny Albert and Dave Maloney (who needs to just get on the TV broadcast already, jeez.)

I prefer to bust out my boombox and hit the turbo bass.

You know, I have to say, even I was thinking this season, "eh, maybe Sterling's not so bad". The "signature" calls are painfully awful, but when he's just calling the ordinary happenings of the game, he's got a pretty good rhythm.

But yes, mostly I listen to baseball on XM. During those fleeting moments when I think that baseball isn't dead to me, that is.

I grew up listening to Bob Murphy on the radio in addition to watching Ralph Kiner on TV. And then we had Howie Rose and Gary Cohen, who were better than anything on TV by leaps and bounds for the Mets. I'd put the TV on mute and put on the radio. I still do this for national broadcasts.

And I'll put on the radio in the other room (since I don't have TVs in more than one room) if I'm going around doing things in various rooms at home during games.

John Sterling, like that idiot Mike Emrick, is in love with the sound of his own voice. Just call the fucking game asshole. I don't need nor want your wordy exposition on so and so's hitting stance of whatever the fuck you're riffing about. All I want to hear from you is what is going on with the play.

He's got to talk about something on the radio, and it can't always be the play because there's time between pitches and batters.

Not that I like him...I'm not a fan.
I remember during the subway series one season they had Howie team up with Sterling at one point during the game on WFAN. And while waiting for Sterling to show up, Howie said "I hope he shows me the photos of his kids—high, far, gone."

That's what the color commentator is for. I'd rather hear stats and how the player has been pitching/hitting in the past few games/starts than half the dopey shit he says.

I WISH he actually bothered to talk about what players looked like and described ANYTHING that was happening on the field.

Instead he talks about what he would do "If I was Joe Girardi" and crap like that. Or he's singing some shitty old Broadway tune to Suzyn.

All that being said...their broadcast is so jammed up with sponsored moments that it's hard to blame them for being distracted.
"Tonight's 3rd pitch of the game is brought to you by Tri-State Auto Mall" that stuff is incessant.