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Larry Bowa

Archive for category Sports on TV

“Mets Yearbook” A Treat For All Baseball Fans

Aug 5

Posted by Jerry Milani in Movies, New York Mets, Sports on TV | 5 Comments

A few weeks back I stumbled upon a Mets Yearbook film on SNY.  It was from the late 70s, chronicling one mediocre-or-worse Mets squad, but with an optimism and hopefulness that the coming year would be better.

I immediately went to the search function on my DVR and programmed in dates and times for future airings of other years’ films.

I don’t remember these in their original run — and though I’m more a Mets hater than fan, I just love these films.  The 1963 film has great footage of the last breaths of the Polo Grounds, and ‘64 touted the opening of the marvelous Shea Stadium, universally hailed as the great modern multi-purpose park.

The films are a treasure trove of footage, from stars like Seaver and Mays all the way to “the next big things” like Mike Vail, Steve Henderson and John Milner.

Opening Day always got a disproportionate amount of screen time devoted to it, probably because even in their worst years, the Mets managed to win their lid-lifter.  Events like Banner Day, Helmet Day and Old Timer’s Day — yes, the Mets had them then, and there were even Yankees (gasp!) invited

The films were always forward-looking, even though they recounted the title year — so guys who didn’t figure in the 1979 plans were nowhere to be found in the ‘78 video.

I particularly enjoyed a featurette in one of the shows on Dave Kingman, trying to humanize the famously surly slugger, showing him talking to camp kids in addition to his prodigious homers.

It’s not really fair to have BaseballReference.com open, clicking on players as they are mentioned in the series, but it certainly is fun to look back 40+ years in some cases and see what happened to those guys.

If the Yankees did such a video series, I’ve seen only a ‘77 season recap and a WPIX feature called “It Don’t Come Easy” reviewing 1978.  I think films of those mediocre and poor CBS Yanks teams would be great as well, and I hope that if YES Network has those somewhere, and rights to use them, that they’d consider putting them on.

But that might be a bit to ask for the Undefeated Yankees Classics network.

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Wondering about the West Vest

Apr 5

Posted by Jerry Milani in Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Sports on TV | 1 Comment

Major League umpires took quite a hit last year, with missed calls getting even more attention than normal, it seemed.

And in last night’s Yankees-Sox game, there was Angel Hernandez blowing the first close call of the season, ruling Mike Cameron out on a bang-bang return to first on a Marco Scutaro liner.

At least he waited until the second inning.

But my umpire-related commentary toda is not about that play or the home plate work by Joe West, which I found to be quite good last night, even for Joe West.  I wonder though, what arrangement must have been in place for him to clearly display “West Vest” on his inside chest protector.

The West Vest is an apparatus developed by the 33-year MLB ump that offers umps better protection, and according to the company Website is used by more than 90% of the big league umpires and is the only chest protector endorsed by MLB.  And with all the injuries suffered by arbiters in recent years, anything that helps protect them is great by me.

But if a player were to invent a piece of equipment, would he be able to have its name displayed so prominently in a national televised game?  The “Pedroia Destroia” shoes with 5-inch lifts?  The “Ramirez Radar” for tracking fly balls?

I’ll be interested to see if the name is as visible on the other umps in today’s games, and if that exposure is part of MLB’s endorsement.

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For Starters, Yanks-Sox a Hit

Apr 4

Posted by Jerry Milani in Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Sports on TV | No Comments

Jack Chesbro

“You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you’re a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.” - Joe DiMaggio

For most of the 30+ years that I have been a baseball fan, I’ve looked forward to Yankees Opening Day almost from the last game of the previous season.  Because the Red Sox have been the Yankees’ Opening Day opponent only four times in the past 36 years, it seems like the matchup is a rare one.  The Yanks have opened on the West Coast, in Tokyo, and against Central and Western Division teams, but only in 1985, 1992 and 2005, and now tonight, have the Yanks and Sox gone at it in game one, since 1973.

But the teams have actually met 29 times in the opener, with New York holding an 18-10-1 advantage.  Just about every other year from 1917 through the 1930s, the rivals squared off for the first game, though not with the same anticipation as the 2005 game presented.  That, of course, was the first meeting between the teams after Boston’s first World Championship in 86 years (when they also opened the following season against the Yanks), and of course the Red Sox’ historic comeback from 0-3 in the ALCS.  That day, Randy Johnson beat David Wells as the Yanks won, 9-2.

The first time the two franchises met in the season opener was 1904, when the Highlanders’ Jack Chesbro won the first of his A.L.-record 41 games, beating none other than Cy Young, at the old Huntington Avenue Grounds, the team then known as the “Americans” coming off the first World Series title in 1903.  The Yankees won 14 of the 16 Opening Day matchups with Boston from 1923-1960, when expansion and increased air travel made it less likely that the teams would meet in the opener.  Indeed, they have played just seven times since then, the Sox winning five.

Some have argued that the Cincinnati Reds should host he first game of the year, as they did for more than 100 years because of their status as the first recognized major league team.  I think this former tradition, while nice, is easily usurped by a showcase of one of the two or three biggest rivalries in the game in prime time on ESPN on Sunday night.

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All-Time N.Y. Baseball Team (Part 1)

Mar 31

Posted by Jerry Milani in History, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Sports on TV | 1 Comment

MSG Network is selecting its All-Time New York Baseball Lineup with an online game and on-air panel show discussing their choices, one position per week, through May.

The panelists on the show are Fran Healy, Gary Carter, Sparky Lyle, Will Leitch and Steve Hirdt.

I just caught on to this today, so I missed out on voting on the catchers and first basemen.  The game has a complicated points system based on which players contestants select vs. those of the panel (you’re supposed to pick a top five).  The prizes include signed baseballs from legendary players, and Ford sponsors the contest.

They list the catchers, first basemen and second basemen that are considered, but not the other positions, I suppose to get users to have to come back each week, which I think most will forget to do.  So I’ll do those positions for now — and the ones the panel has picked so far.

CATCHER
Nominees: Mike Piazza, Gary Carter, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Jorge Posada, Bill Dickey, Thurman Munson, Al Lopez, Elston Howard and Roger Bresnahan.

My Picks: Berra, Piazza, Carter, Dickey, Campanella
Note: It’s tough to compare eras, and as important as defense is to the position, it’s difficult to rate.  Berra has all those World Series titles, Piazza is the best offensive catcher of all time and Carter and Dickey combined both.  I went with Berra and the championships.
MSG Picks: Berra, Campanella, Piazza, Posada, Carter

FIRST BASE
Nominees: Lou Gehrig, Bill Terry, Keith Hernandez, Don Mattingly, Johnny Mize, Hal Chase, Gil Hodges, George Kelly, Ed Kranepool, Tino Martinez
My Picks: Gehrig, Mattingly, Hernandez, Terry, Hodges
Note: Surprisingly not as strong a field as you would think for such an offensive position.  Gehrig is so far and away ahead of this field that first place has no debate — he’s probably the most accomplished 1B in MLB history.  The rest are kind of a toss-up, but the fact that Kranepool and Chase are even on this list speak to the strange lack of 1B depth in NY.
MSG Picks: Gehrig, Hernandez, Mattingly, Mize, Terry

Frankie Frisch

SECOND BASE
Nominees: Tony Lazzeri, Joe Gordon, Jackie Robinson, Bobby Richardson, Frankie Frisch, Willie Randolph, Billy Martin, Jeff Kent, Felix Millan, Billy Herman
My Picks:  Robinson, Frisch, Gordon, Lazzeri, Richardson
Note:  Not much debate here.  Robinson is pretty clearly ahead of this field, which is kind of light (Felix Millan?  Jeff Kent?).

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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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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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‘The Club’ Could be Mightier than ‘The Pen’

Feb 19

Posted by Jerry Milani in Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Sports on TV | No Comments

MLB Network announced today that it will debut a new reality series this summer, entitled The Club, which will follow the front office personnel of the Chicago White Sox, in much the same way last year’s program The Pen did with the Philadelphia Phillies’ relief corps.  I saw a few episodes of The Pen and really liked it.  I thought it was a pretty raw look at the day-to-day of being a major leaguer, and the unique aspects of being a relief pitcher.

I hope and expect that The Club will be even better.  Though The Pen did a good job with the topic of what is like to be a player, that ground has been pretty well covered in books and documentaries.  Front office machinations are less known by fans, and I think a lot of fans — myself included — will be surprised by all that goes on at the highest levels behind the scenes.

The Club is scheduled to premiere on MLB Network on Sunday, July 4 at 8 p.m.

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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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Cohen, Hernandez, Darling Team Up for ‘Pitch In’ Foundation

Jan 6

Posted by Jerry Milani in New York Mets, Sports on TV | No Comments

I did a charity event with Ron Darling this summer at Gallagher’s Steak House in N.Y., which was quite well received.  Darling and Bobby Ojeda had great stories to tell and were in good spirits despite the Mets’ struggles.

So it’s not surprising to read that Darling and his broadcast teammates Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez have formed the Pitch in for a Good Cause Foundation, which according to its Website is a non-profit organization that sells tickets to special Mets events, T-shirts, baseball caps, bears and mugs with one objective in mind: to give back to those who are less fortunate.  Cohen’s wife Lynn spearheaded the efforts to get the Foundation started and has been integral in its success.

This week, the Foundation announced that its 2010 recipient would be The Nourishing Kitchen of New York City, which provides free meals and cooking classes for low income families in East Harlem.

Congratulations to the SNY team on their efforts — along with the Yankees Hope Week program, it’s good to read about the New York teams and their personnel giving back.

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On the passing of George Michael

Dec 24

Posted by Tom Biro in Sports on TV | 5 Comments

Picture 11This morning, while heading to Pike Place Market for breakfast and to pick up some items for Christmas dinner, I caught music & culture columnist / critic Touré mentioning the passing of sportscaster George Michael on Thursday morning. His comment really struck home for me, as while I hadn’t ever really thought about it that way, he was spot on about how “The George Michael Sports Machine” was really the precursor to the show that many millions of sports fans watch every day – ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”

I remember countless late Sunday evenings where I watched “Sports Machine” in my bedroom as a teenager, getting an awesome wrap up of the week that was. One notable part of the show was the “button” that turned on the “sports machine,” on-set, as the highlights began to run. Simple props, really, but it really drove home the point for me as a television show.

It’s definitely a sad day for me as Michael was a part of my sports fan “growing up” time, and while the show wasn’t necessarily “appointment television” for me, I really enjoyed it. For those of us who didn’t grow up in today’s always-on sports highlights universe, it’s definitely interesting to look back on what came before where we’re at nowadays.

There are lots of articles and columns talking about Michael and his career today, but it seemed most appropriate to point to this piece from the Washington Post’s Adam Bernstein, written with some perspective of Michael’s “home” market of Washington, D.C. The WaPo has also opened up a spot for comments about George Michael on its Post Mortem blog.

[update 3:57pm]

Check out this promo, ca. 1985, for the “Sports Machine” — it’ll be interesting to those of you who never saw it, via ballhype.

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