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player ready...The opening of the playoffs might be the best day of the year in baseball. Three games, one of them an afternoon affair, and they all mean something. That’s our kind of marathon.
TBS handled the chores for the first time Wednesday, sparing viewers from having to listen to ESPN’s Chris Berman call postseason games.
Perhaps the best part of watching TBS all day were the ads for Frank Caliendo’s new show, “Frank TV.” His John Madden impersonations and version of Al Pacino reciting “Who’s on First” were priceless.
That isn’t meant as a knock to TBS, because the network did a competent job Wednesday. It wasn’t spectacular, but TBS had all the nuts and bolts in the right places, although I don’t think that leadoff gizmo served much of a purpose.
The studio show gave White Sox fans their first look at Frank Thomas as an analyst. “The Big Hurt” probably discovered that sitting in the hot seat could be as challenging as trying to face Josh Beckett.
Thomas was a bit soft-spoken at times, and like most current players who moonlight as analysts, he wasn’t going to offend anybody.
When prodded about who is tougher to hit against, Beckett or the Angels’ John Lackey, Thomas wouldn’t commit, knowing he will face them next year.
Thomas, though, was spot on in predicting the two-day layoff would take the steam out of Philadelphia’s bats.
Cal Ripken, meanwhile, was much improved off his studio performance Monday night. He seemed looser with his comments, scoffing at the notion that Cubs manager Lou Piniella, known for his temper, could calm down Carlos Zambrano. He also tried to draw more out of Thomas.
However, it did seem strange seeing Ripken, in a suit, hit the floor while demonstrating the right way to slide into home plate.
Host Ernie Johnson is one of the best conductors in the business. He had to work overtime when Beckett’s quick gem left him with nearly an hour to fill before the beginning of the Cubs game. Believe me, that couldn’t have been easy.
It was great to see Steve Stone back in the analyst’s chair, particularly in a game in which a pitcher like Beckett dominated. Speaking of pitchers, Cubs fans probably weren’t thrilled that an ex-New York Met, Ron Darling, will be the analyst for the Arizona series, sitting beside veteran play-by-play man Dick Stockton.
Like Stone, Darling, a former pitcher, was the right person in the booth for a game featuring Zambrano and Brandon Webb. Early on, Darling noted how Zambrano stalks around the mound and his need to regroup if he starts struggling with his control.
Cubs fans, though, probably winced at TBS’ repeated showing of the Zambrano-Michael Barrett fight at the top of the game.
They have seen it plenty of times, and it is old news for them. But it isn’t for the rest of the country, and the footage is about as compelling as it gets for baseball.
If the Cubs move on, fans will be seeing the brawl tape many times in the postseason. Get used to it.
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