Francona lands new gig...

[SeaDogStat]

From CBSsports.com:

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22297882/32524305

By Evan Brunell

Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona will replace broadcaster Tim McCarver in the booth for ALCS games 1 and 2, Fox Sports announced.

McCarver is undergoing a minor heart procedure and will be able to return for Game 3, slated for Tuesday, Oct. 11. Game 1 is Friday night on Oct. 8.

McCarver is a finalist for the Ford C. Frick Award, which is the Baseball Hall of Fame's award for broadcasting excellence. The other nominees are Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Tom Cheek, Ken Coleman, Jacques Doucet, Bill King, Graham McNamee, Eric Nadel and Mike Shannon.

McCarver and broadcasting excellence...uh huh...

McCarver better hope his doc is Cardinals fan at least

[Sharky]

Wow. Two very interesting bits of news.

1) Tito lands the broadcasting gig. Good for him. Also good for us, as we won't have to hear McCarver.
2) McCarver up for the Ford Frick Award? Not that the award is a Nobel Prize or whatever, but doesn't this diminish the award for all of the legitimate recipients? McCarver is an @ss and a lousy broadcaster. I'm even charitable in leaving his mammoth ego out of the discussion.

[BuckyBuckner]

2) McCarver up for the Ford Frick Award? Not that the award is a Nobel Prize or whatever, but doesn't this diminish the award for all of the legitimate recipients? McCarver is an @ss and a lousy broadcaster. I'm even charitable in leaving his mammoth ego out of the discussion.

If I were one of the other nominated I would withdraw my name because I would not want to be put in the same group as McCarver.

[mgwiz22]

I've read a lot of negatives about McCarver on this site. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. When he was an announcer for the Mets, along with Ralph Kiner, I always enjoyed his work. I never thought that his work on national telecasts was as interesting, but I do not believe that he deserves to be insulted.

[BuckyBuckner]

I've read a lot of negatives about McCarver on this site. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. When he was an announcer for the Mets, along with Ralph Kiner, I always enjoyed his work. I never thought that his work on national telecasts was as interesting, but I do not believe that he deserves to be insulted.

Consider this. During a game on Fox, the Yanks were playing and it was the 9th inning and the score was lopsided. This was a few years ago when Jose Molina was on the Yanks and he plays the final inning at third base. McCarver comments that he probably doesn't have a third basemen's glove and the camera pans in on the glove. They notice that it is a Robinson Cano glove. McCarver then noticed that Cano is still in the game and blurts out, "Whose glove is Cano using?" Buck of course says nothing cause he's dumber than McCarver (an impressive feat). A minute later McCarver considers this a little further and comes up with the theory that Cano probably has multiple gloves. This from a former baseball player. He's an idiot.

[BuckyBuckner]

It ain't just folks here that don't like McCarver.

[mgwiz22]

Neither McCarver nor Buck has ever struck me as being dumb and they are both knowlegable baseball men. I suspect McCarver was making a joke. I have heard bad baseball announcers. The one I liked least of all was Gary Carter but that didn't make him stupid it simply made him an announcer I didn't like.

[Sharky]

Neither McCarver nor Buck has ever struck me as being dumb and they are both knowlegable baseball men. I suspect McCarver was making a joke. I have heard bad baseball announcers. The one I liked least of all was Gary Carter but that didn't make him stupid it simply made him an announcer I didn't like.

I also listened to McCarver for years as a Mets announcer. If you also managed to catch broadcasts when Ralph Kiner and Tim McCarver teamed up, I'm amazed you don't see the issue. It's not that McCarver is dumb; it's that he has a ridiculous ego and inserts himself into each broadcast.

Ralph Kiner was an infinitely more accomplished player -- the Albert Pujols of his day. But he never made a broadcast about himself and his accomplishments. He had far too much humility and class for that. I know that "color commentators" are expected to offer some insight from playing days. But there is a world of difference between sharing insights ("In this situation, a pitcher might try to follow a pitch at eye level with one in the dirt, because...") and needless boasting ("I won an award because...").

And he was dumb, too.

[mgwiz22]

I simply have to disagree with the two of you about McCarver.

[Long John]

I also listened to McCarver for years as a Mets announcer. If you also managed to catch broadcasts when Ralph Kiner and Tim McCarver teamed up, I'm amazed you don't see the issue. It's not that McCarver is dumb; it's that he has a ridiculous ego and inserts himself into each broadcast.

Ralph Kiner was an infinitely more accomplished player -- the Albert Pujols of his day. But he never made a broadcast about himself and his accomplishments. He had far too much humility and class for that. I know that "color commentators" are expected to offer some insight from playing days. But there is a world of difference between sharing insights ("In this situation, a pitcher might try to follow a pitch at eye level with one in the dirt, because...") and needless boasting ("I won an award because...").

And he was dumb, too.

Agreed. Granted its a hockey reference, but Joe Michelletti (sp?) is a fantastic color commentator for the Rangers on MSG. Rarely does he talk about himself as a player, but rather uses his experience as a player to analyze the game for the fan and provide further insight into the continuing play as well as suggest possible strategies to pursue going forward.

[rant]There are rare times during a broadcast when McCarver attempts to do any of this. I honestly think his dementia has kicked in so much that he forgets what he's doing half the time. He makes many simple mistakes that someone color commentating on a high-profile game should not be making.

I don't hate the man. He could be as nice as pie in person. I've never met him and I won't judge him as a person. But my opinion is that I'd rather stick my nostrils together with Crazy Glue than listen to Tim McCarver on another baseball broadcast. It's not personal. I just have higher expectations for someone color commentating a national broadcast.[/rant]

[Jefe]

I find that McCarver not only doesn't add anything of value to a baseball broadcast, he actual reduces my enjoyment of it. I just find him abrasive. He's not as bad as Ken Harrelson, but there's just too many better alternatives to justify him having this high-profile gig year after year.