Commenting on the commentators: Diane Pucin looks at the Angels-Red Sox Game 1 telecast
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Diane Pucin takes a look at the highlights and lowlights from TV’s handling of Game 1 between the Angels and Red Sox. You can also follow Mike Penner’s live inning-by-inning updates of the game by clicking here.
Could there be worse timing?
So there’s a commercial on TBS about Captain Morgan liquor and how there are 40 shots in the bottle. You know, because the bottle with only 20 shots couldn’t possibly be enough.
This is followed directly by an ad by Fox and TBS for post-season playoff coverage that begins by saying, ‘Every game the Angels honor their teammate Nick Adenhart.’
You know, the teammate killed by an allegedly drunk driver.
Are there no adults in charge of these things?
Just laughing
Buck Martinez did make a funny comment about how hard Ramon Ramirez would have to work to walk Angel slugger Vlad Guerrero after Guerrero had flailed wildly at a pitch way away from the plate. Guerrero didn’t walk. He did single though.
Just wondering
As Torii Hunter was just plunked on the elbow by Red Sox pitcher Ramon Ramirez, analyst Buck Martinez quickly said that there was no reason why Ramirez would throw at Hunter. Um, how about that three-run homer Hunter hit, the one that has given the Angels a 3-0 lead?
Totally wrong twice
Replays show first base umpire CB Bucknor couldn’t more wrong. Twice. To the disadvantage of Boston. Angel Howie Kendrick should have been out twice at first. Once, Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis tagged Kendrick in the stomach about a second before Kendrick hit first base. Just now Youkilis stabbed an errant throw from third and landed on first about, oh, two seconds before Kendrick reach the bag. Bucknor will not be popular in Boston.
You heard it twice again
Buck Martinez is getting a bit annoying with his repetition. Torii Hunter just made ‘an emergency swing.’ And then again, ‘That’s an emergency swing.’ Martinez seems to really like his phrases. Likes his phrases.
You saw it twice
The last out of the second inning that is. Looked like Boston’s Jacoby Ellsbury lined out to Angel pitcher John Lackey for an inning-ending double play. Everybody ran off the field, Ellsbury included. But if you watched closely, you could see home plate umpire Joe West signaling that Angel catcher Jeff Mathis had interferred. TBS went to all its commercials. And then came back with, yep, Lackey still on the mound and Red Sox runners on first and second. Nonchalant as can be, play-by-play man Don Orsillo (did we let you know that he’s a regular Red Sox announcer?) mentioned that, oh by the way, the second inning hadn’t ended after all. And the TBS graphic showed only a runner at first. But the inning ended again. So we got extra commercials!
You heard it twice
Analyst Buck Martinez has said it, early and often. Angel pitcher John Lackey is not overpowering any more. And most of the pre-game montage was over Red Sox winning plays against the Angels. Not that it wasn’t truth in advertising. Oh, and Martinez has already said three times that Lackey has ‘touch and feel.’ Is that better or worse than not being overpowering?