Cws
 

I see Harold Reynolds is wasting no time misinterpreting rules again in the College World Series. When Harold learns a rule, it will be his first.:)

One thing the seem to be constantly and consistently misunderstanding in this year's CWS is when they appeal a runner not tagging up and the players just throw the ball to the base the announcers say something like, "In College, they don't have to throw it to the pitcher first like they do in the pros."

I've heard this at least 3 or 4 times in the tournament.

Harold said that "the runner can't just plow over the catcher, unless he has the ball."

I said, "huh?"

and then harold said "i get a paycheck whether or not i know the rules, im harold reynolds"

And a handsome paycheck it is...

Reynolds also said the umpires called a balk when the umps were calling for the tarp to be put on the field for the rain delay. Remember, no one was on base. Speaking into a microphone multiplies the definition of "assume" by about ten.

For some reason I find most of Reynolds' faux paus's to be amusing and forgivable. McCarver, on the other hand, seems to combine at least as much rules ignorance as Harold with a thinly veiled hostility towards umpires that I just can't stomach.

You cannot tell me that you guys really expect an announcer to know what they are talking about when it comes to rules do you?

Peace

when ive been blessed with the auditory presence of steve stone for most of my life...you get used to expecting people to know what they are talking about. stoney is regarded as one of the best "baseball men" ever, as im sure most of you know. when he says something, you can take it to the bank. cant say the same for a lot of the other announcers/commentators.

Why not, Jeff? He makes a hell of a lot more money as a commentator then we do as umpires. It's not rocket science for crying out loud.



Tim.

Was it McCarver, during the George Brett incident when they laid the bat across homeplate to measure it, said something like "what they are trying to do is see where the ball would have hit the bat."

Might have been Bobby Mercer, not sure if he was commentating back then...

help?

Some thoughts for your price of admission:

1) Yes, I expect that the person commenting on the game actually understands the nuances, rules and intricacies. Much like I expect the guy who cooks my meal to have washed his hands before touching the prep area. It kind of goes without saying.

2) Reynolds has been doing this for a long time and regularly confuses the rules of LL, OBR and NCAA. That said, it is the only time that my ears actually enjoy listening to him. He is the car crash on the side of the road...you listen just because you know it's bad.

3) To lighten the load on a Saturday night, I recall one of my favorite announcers doing a little rain delay theatre at Wrigley some years back. Harry Carey was wasting time as Arnie Harris panned through the crowd and spied a couple love birds in the upper deck. I have heard it so many times yet I can never recall the exact words. Something akin to: "Ahhh, love at the ol' ball park. He kisses her on the strikes and she kisses him on the balls." He lost it and the giggles that followed make me cry each time I hear it. Reynolds should listen to those old tapes.

Yeah, Harold makes some mistakes now and then.

But I like him. At least he remembers how to play baseball.

If you start disliking any commentator, just watch a game being called by Joe Morgan, and you will appreciate everybody else.

http://firejoemorgan.blogspot.com

If you ever need a side-splitting afternoon, go through the archives here.

Here in Mets fan-dom, we are so spoiled with Howie Rose, Gary Cohen, and we were with the late Bob Murphy. Talk about 3 guys who know the rules, understand what's going on, and often cite specific examples/rules when they are applicable.

I'll never forget Harold in the pre-cellphone days in uniform at old Municipal Stadium in Cleveland talking on a payphone in the concourse!