Friday's six-pack
The six announcing crews I most enjoy listening to on Major League Extra Innings package........(Note: For whatever reason, announcers for the Padres are almost never on the package, so can't include them, but it would be excellent to hear the great Dick Enberg call a game.)
6) Dan Orsillo/Jerry Remy, Red Sox-- They seem to genuinely like each other; better on road, away from parade of charities that sometimes make Boston home telecasts seem like a telethon.
5) Darin Sutton/Mark Grace, Arizona-- Grace is a classic; he's brought his kids into the booth, has handicapped NFL games during a dull game. He has fun working. Too bad the Snakes are so horrible.
4) Dick Bremer/Bert Blyleven, Twins-- Still mystified why Blyleven is not in Hall of Fame, but thats another story for another day.
3) Glenn Kuiper/Ray Fosse, A's-- Getting run over by Pete Rose in '70 All-Star Game was best thing for Fosse; he got traded to Oakland, won two World Series rings as a player, still works for them behind mike.
2) Gary Cohen/Ron Darling, Mets-- Mets divide their telecasts, with a 3-man booth for bigger games. Not a big fan of Keith Hernandez, who is the third member of team. Darling is baseball's best analyst.
1) Duane Kuiper/Mike Krukow, Giants-- Like hanging out with bunch of buddies watching a game together. To me, the best pairing.
Honoroable mention: Tom Grieve is an excellent analyst, one of the best but Rangers' play-by-play guy is so annoying, its like listening to some 5-year old doing a game, so they didn't make this list.
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Friday's List of 13 (+3): Our weekly look at the National league
16) Pirates-- Coming into Thursday's games, prospect Pedro Alvarez was 1 for 29 when he had two strikes in count, 6-17 in his other at-bats. Can be a dicey thing, trying to decide if a kid needs to go back to AAA, or if he can work out his problems at the big league level.
15) Arizona-- Fired manager Hinch Thursday, begging the question, why the hell did they ever hire him? He had zero managerial experience. From what you read, if you like reading between the lines, this could quicken a return to the rotation for Brandon Webb, who wasn't a happy guy when the Snakes fired the previous manager, Bob Melvin.
14) Astros-- Why would anyone want Roger Clemens pitching in a Home Run Derby? He threw in the Texas League derby this week, but you just know the guy is wacky enough to deck someone who hits one out, and is so competitive that he's not going to be happy serving up meatballs, even to his own kid. Not surprisingly, very few balls left the yard.
13) Cubs-- Cubs allowed five runs in a three-game series vs a Pirate team that had lost 17 consecutive road games, and still lost two of three, then they lost 3-2 at home Thursday to a kid making his first big league start. Cubs have eight guys making $12M+; notice I didn't say earning $12M.
12) Nationals-- I tied my fantasy game last week because Carl Crawford missed the last four games (lost total bases by 2) so I didn't play CC this week, since he was hurt. He's 8-16 this week. That noise you hear is my head banging against the wall.
11) Brewers-- Prince Fielder has knocked in only 18 of 236 baserunners so far this year (7.6%). Here's how he's done up to this season.......
2009-- Drove in 95 of 507 baserunners (18.7%)
2008-- Drove in 68 of 431 baserunners (15.8%)
2007-- Drove in 69 of 409 baserunners (16.9%)
2006-- Drove in 53 of 394 baserunners (13.5%)
2005-- Drove in 8 of 41 baserunners (19.5%)
You'd figure Fielder to have a better second half, no?
10) Marlins-- They bring up 20-year old prospect Stanton without having him play in AAA, then they fire the manager so they can bring in a bigger name, but Bobby Valentine's demands aren't met, so now they're stuck for the rest of the year with a neophyte manager who has three coaches that have never been in the big leagues before. What a debacle.
9) Giants-- Lost six games in a row, scoring total of 12 runs; they're 1-7 in last eight games, losing last seven times Pat Burrell started, winning when he sat out a game. With Bengie Molina gone, they're now using a rookie catcher to handle their excellent starting pitchers. A disappointing team.
8) Rockies-- Have nothing on Colorado, so I'll let you know that Seattle is 14-13 when either Lee (7-4) or Hernandez (7-9) starts, 19-32 when any of their other pitchers start. Shouldn't they just sign Cliff Lee? Then again, the Indians and Phillies should have signed him, too.
7) Phillies-- Utley is out eight weeks, Polanco is on DL; they're 3-7 in last ten starts by Halladay, after they won six of his first seven outings. Phils starting pitchers have thrown 485 innings, 2nd-most in NL, How long can they expect 47-year old Jamie Moyer to carry their staff?
6) Dodgers-- If LA contends deep into the summer, they'll look at the HR Casey Blake hit in 8th inning Monday night as a huge turning point in this season. Dodgers had blown a 6-2 lead in 9th inning Sunday, had lost eight of last ten games, but Blake's HR propelled them to sweep of the Giants.
5) Cardinals-- Holliday has never knocked in less than 16% of baserunners in his career; when last we checked, 130 PA ago, he was at a woeful 9.7%, but has it up to 12% now, so he figures to have a strong second half.
4) Mets-- So now Reyes is hurt again, tweaking his back on the artificial turf in San Juan; someone educate me on why the Mets agreed to play in a minor league stadium, then not get an off day before they played the next series, in Washington? The three games in San Juan were their only three games this season on artificial turf.
3) Reds-- When Cincy beat Roy Halladay Wednesday, it was its first win in nine games when they gave Aaron Harang less than six runs. Dusty has the Redlegs in first place despite a bullpen that ranks 23rd in big leagues in ERA. Reds are T1 in runs scored at home, 25th on the road.
2) Padres-- San Diego has 3.26 ERA on road, 0.18 better than anyone else in big leagues. In an unrelated matter, did you know the AD at Georgia is paid $550,000 a year? Never heard of the guy, until he got nailed for DUI this week in a car with a 28-year old who.......isn't his wife. Whoops.
1) Braves-- 28-8 at home, have still played five less games at home than on road. With Jurrjens back in rotation, Atlanta poised for a big run with All-Star break just ten days away. They'll need a healthy Heyward after the break in order to hold off challengers in NL East.
