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Larry Milbourne

Archive for category Announcers/Broadcasting

Ads Could Put SNY Viewers Over The Edge

May 15

Posted by Jerry Milani in Announcers/Broadcasting, New York Mets, New York Yankees | No Comments

If you watch enough baseball games on any regional sports network, you’ll start to get way too familiar with the commercials that run over and over and over, night after night after night.  One company invariably buys up a bunch of inventory and after every inning, it seems, the same ad keeps appearing.  For sure, this is true of YES and SNY, the Yankees’ and Mets’ RSNs.

Three years back, it was hair tonic ads featuring someone named Giuseppe Franco and “stars” like Gary Busey that YES viewers were treated to endlessly.  “Hey, I’m Giuseppe Franco.  I’m not putting my name on something that doesn’t work.” For such a scammy advertiser to get such play, there must be a lot of 40ish and 50ish guys falling for it.

Then YES upgraded to Ford’s Derek Jeter commercials, the ubiquitous “That Jeter, he’s got an Edge” phrase annoying fans as the Yankees closed out the old Stadium.

Last year didn’t have a “signature” ad that I can recall easily, but this year the Jeter Edge ads are back.  But not just on YES.

I’ve seen the ads played a lot on SNY during Mets games.  Now, if I were a Mets fan, I’d be chapped.  If as a Yankee fan I saw David Wright sugar water ads over and over on YES, that would hardly ingratiate me towards that company.

I asked a couple of Mets fan friends at Foley’s the other night what they thought of it, as the commercial played on the screen above us, and while one agreed with me I was surprised to find that the other wasn’t too upset.

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We Interrupt this Pledge Drive for Pirates vs. Yankees

Mar 14

Posted by Jerry Milani in Announcers/Broadcasting, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Sports on TV | No Comments

Most of the time if I can catch a Spring Training game on TV, it’ll be a YES Network broadcast with the Yankees announcers and from a Yankees perspective.  And though there are a few ticket-sales purchases in those broadcasts, they are not too intrusive.

I realize that the Yankees broadcast more than a dozen Spring games, so they can spread the sales pitches over a bunch of games.  And that the Pirates only have a couple of games sent back to Pittsburgh in March.  But today’s Yankees-Pirates game, shown on Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh and simulcasted on MLB Network, seemed to spend more time pitching Pirates season ticket plans than following the action.

Now, I hope that the Pirates sold thousands of tickets today; for sure, there is plenty of inventory.  Prices were extremely reasonable (some plans had tickets priced in the $7 and $8 range, good luck finding anything like that in points East like New York, Boston or Philadelphia.  There were even some extra goodies for fans buying certain packages — Bill Mazeroski signed baseballs and Roberto Clemente jerseys.

Having a team rep or two in the booth for a couple of innings at the beginning of the game was fine, but did we really need to go Live! from PNC Park, talking to random ticket office personnel as they fielded calls, PBS style?

For sure we are spoiled in New York today.  I remember in the late 70’s, even into the 80’s, that many regular season games weren’t televised.  Spring games were a rare treat, usually a game against the Mets and one or two others, if that.  Last week, one of the XM Home Plate announcers was talking about how until recently most teams would broadcast just one or two Spring games back home and they would make sure to play all the starters in those so as to look best for potential ticket buyers.

The Pirates looked great today, shutting down what was some of the Yankees regular lineup, then scoring a bunch of runs off Jonathan Albaladejo and former Angel Dustin Moseley.  Hopefully Bucs fans weren’t turned off enough by the constant sales pitch to stick around and see it.

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Flaherty to be Honored as Irish-American Sports Good Guy

Mar 2

Posted by Jerry Milani in Announcers/Broadcasting, Awards, New York Yankees | 1 Comment

Former Yankee, current YES Network broadcaster and all-around good guy John Flaherty will be honored on Monday, March 15, with the inaugural Halligan-McGuire Irish American Sports Good Guy Award.  Former N.Y. Ranger Dave Maloney is also receiving the award, named for Dick McGuire, the legendary St. John’s and New York Knicks star and NBA Hall of Famer, and John Halligan, the Rangers and NHL public relations executive, historian and author.

The luncheon benefits Fordham University, alma mater of Halligan and yours truly, among others.

The details from our friends at YES Network and Gallagher’s:

Former Yankee Catcher, YES Network Analyst and New York City Native John Flaherty Heads Honorees at Halligan-McGuire Irish American Sports Good Guy Awards Luncheon on Monday, March 15, at Gallagher’s Steak House to Benefit Fordham University Featuring Irish Culinary Delights

***Remembering Two Irish-American Sports Legends In N.Y., Dick McGuire And John Halligan***

New York, March 2 — Two beloved New York sports figures of Irish American heritage who recently passed away will be remembered at a St. Patrick’s week benefit luncheon. On Monday afternoon, March 15, at 12:00 noon at Gallagher’s Steak House in  New York City, Dick McGuire, the legendary St. John’s and New York Knicks star and NBA Hall of Famer, and John Halligan, the Rangers and NHL public relations executive, historian and author, will be honored with the creation of the “Halligan-McGuire Irish American Sports Good Guy Awards.”  John Flaherty, former Yankee and YES Network analyst; Janet Halligan,   John’s loving wife of 41 years; Teri McGuire, Dick’s loving wife of 54 years; and Dave Maloney, the former Ranger and 1050 ESPN Radio Rangers analyst, will be the inaugural honorees at the luncheon to benefit Fordham University.

Tickets are priced at $75, and include a three course luncheon menu and a donation. For information and tickets call Cirillo World at 212-972-5337 or email johnnycigarpr@aol.com. Gallagher’s Steak House is located at 228 West  52nd Street (between Broadway and Eighth Avenue) in New York City (212.245.5336).

New York City native Flaherty enters his sixth season on the YES Network broadcast lineup as a field reporter, studio analyst and game analyst for Yankees telecasts. Though Flaherty was drafted by Boston in 1988, he is perhaps best known to Yankees fans for his 2004 pinch-hit walk-off single that ended a 13-inning regular season game against his former team, the Red Sox.  In the 2005 season, he became Yankees ace Randy Johnson’s catcher, in addition to backing up Jorge Posada. Flaherty played in over 1,000 games during 14 Major League seasons.

Born in the Bronx, a product of the Rockaways and a long time Dix Hills, Long Island resident, McGuire was a part of the Knicks organization for 53 seasons as a player, coach and scout. The St. John’s University star was one of the most selfless players in NBA history. The deft-passing McGuire was a five-time all star and led the Knicks to three straight NBA Finals in the fifties. His number 15 was retired to the Madison Square Garden rafters in 1992, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame the following year. A native of Bergenfield, NJ, and a longtime resident of Franklin Lakes, Halligan began his career in the Rangers publicity office in 1963, upon graduation from Fordham University. Over the next 20 years his role expanded to include vice president of communications and business manager.  Halligan left the Rangers for a public relations position with the NHL in 1983, before returning to the Rangers in 1986. He went back to the NHL in 1990 before retiring in 2006. He wrote several books, including “100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters” and “Game of My Life: New York Rangers.”

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Fordham gets another in broadcasting

Feb 23

Posted by Jerry Milani in Announcers/Broadcasting, New York Yankees, Sports on TV | No Comments

Those who know me are aware of my sometimes unhealthy devotion to my alma mater, Fordham.  I’m one of the die-hards who have been to most of the hoops home games despite a two-win campaign (the four men’s teams I follow are a combined 17-88 in 2009-10), my ring tone is the Fordham fight Song, “The Ram,” and I occasionally lurk among the lunatic fringe that populates the Fordham sports message board.

So today I can be a proud Ram in noting that longtime New York Times writer Jack Curry has joined the full-time broadcast ranks, signing on with YES Network as a Yankees studio analyst, program contributor, and a columnist on YESNetwork.com.

Not just because he went to Fordham (or necessarily because he’s been at The Times), but I’ve always found Curry to be insightful and accurate, and I think he’ll be a great addition to YES.  I worry for the newspaper industry in general that so many of the top sports columnists and reporters have migrated over to the TV and dot-com world, but with YES, SNY, MLB Network and ESPN all putting out quality baseball shows, it’s never been better for viewers, particularly in metro New York.

The public radio station based at Fordham, WFUV-FM, has been the training ground for dozens of top broadcasters, particularly in sports.  Vin Scully, Michael Kay, Mike Breen, Bob Papa, Spero Dedes, Charlie Slowes, John Giannone, Ed Randall, Mike Yam, Ryan Ruocco, and Sal Marchiano are the most notable.

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MLB.TV is Back!

Jan 28

Posted by Jerry Milani in Announcers/Broadcasting, Sports on TV | No Comments

MLB.TV is one of the five best inventions I’ve caught on to in the last few years (I’d put Netflix, XM Radio, the DVR and the iPod Shuffle there for me as well).  Any baseball game being played (well, except the Yankees and Mets), home or away broadcasts, split screens, archives, highlights, radio calls, etc. etc., all on my computer?!?!?  For $120 bucks for the whole year!?!?

Today MLB.TV announced that the 2010 version of its awesome service is now available.  For those of you with fancy iPhones and iPads and iWhatevers, you can get your MLB.TV to go; I’ll have to settle for the Dell XPS screen or monitor (I can connect it to my TV too but it doesn’t look quite as clear)…

Just getting to listen to Vin Scully do games makes it worth it enough, but I like putting 3-4 games on at once and checking out the different broadcasts (some better than others).  It’s nice after a Yankees game to put on a few innings of Scully and check out the other West Coast games at my leisure, or maybe watch Zack Greinke or Tim Lincicum throw.

Pitchers and catchers in 20 days!

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A Cur Dog and a Curmudgeon

Jan 7

Posted by Jerry Milani in Announcers/Broadcasting, Awards, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, books | No Comments

Here are a couple of links to stories I posted in the last couple of days at Baseball Digest… One is a review of the fine book Happiness is Like a Cur Dog, by former Pirates player and broadcaster Nellie King.  King is a guy that I must admit I had never heard of before seeing a notice a few weeks back about his book.  There were some great stories — the best ones were about guys King encountered in his minor league days — and a great slice of what it was like in the bushes in the 40s and 50s.  An easy and highly recommended read.

The other is a quick news piece on the Thurman Munson Awards dinner on Feb. 2, which I will be working and covering for B:B.  I’ll try to get a pic with Sweet Lou at least.  Piniella was my first favorite player — I remember my dad taking me to a game in 1977, when we lived in upstate N.Y. and going to a game was a rare treat and an all-day commitment.  We spend the morning with a roll of some kind of cardboard paper and brown paint, printing out LOOOOOOOOOOOOOU, which I dutifully held up each time he came to bat.  I liked how he hit, but I think I liked more how Frank Messer or Phil Rizzuto would always have to say, “They’re not saying BOOOO, they’re saying LOOOO” every time the crowd would serenade him.

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