Comments on: In Case You Haven’t Been Keeping Up With Current Events http://wickedclevah.com/2008/06/08/in-case-you-havent-been-keeping-up-with-current-events-9/ a red sox blog, because the whiner line makes all of us look bad Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:59:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: wicked clevah · A Gentlemanly Response: Dave O’Brien http://wickedclevah.com/2008/06/08/in-case-you-havent-been-keeping-up-with-current-events-9/#comment-400 wicked clevah · A Gentlemanly Response: Dave O’Brien Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:11:50 +0000 http://wickedclevah.com/?p=86#comment-400 [...] to Quincy’s own Dave O’Brien for his courteous and respectful response to my criticism some days back. Rather than popping off as a national scribe did at one point in [...] [...] to Quincy’s own Dave O’Brien for his courteous and respectful response to my criticism some days back. Rather than popping off as a national scribe did at one point in [...]

]]> By: Dave O'Brien http://wickedclevah.com/2008/06/08/in-case-you-havent-been-keeping-up-with-current-events-9/#comment-398 Dave O'Brien Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:32:52 +0000 http://wickedclevah.com/?p=86#comment-398 Thanks for giving me the opportunity to explain why I, ( and I think any honest baseball announcer,) will always describe a no-hitter in progress as exactly that. First, my ego isn't so huge as to believe I can influence the play on the field by "jinxing" it, as you put it, from the booth That is simply ridiculous. I always thought the announcer who refused to say the words "no-hitter" was behaving self-importantly. But more to the point, my job is to tell you what I see, not to worry about what you may hold as a baseball superstition. Let's say you leave the restraunt, get in the car and turn on the radio, just in time to hear the 3rd out in the top of the 7th ... Lester is 6 outs away from a no-hitter ... But the play by play guy isn't TELLING you that, because ... he doesn't want to jinx it for the pitcher? Well, if you are not listening closely, you may not pick up on those preferred "code" phrases, designed to avoid calling it what it is. Now we've got a problem. You may not return to the game at all. You may go home and turn on HBO, and then get to read about "John Lester's No-Hitter" in the Boston Globe the next morning, or catch it on the 8:00 am "SportsCenter." How would you feel then about the announcer's reporting skills? You see, a no-hitter is an event, a rarity in baseball. Would I describe a hitter going for the cycle as merely being "3 for 3, with one of everything except ... you know ... the last one ..." Or would I do my job and say: "He's a double shy of the cycle."? Wouldn't you want to know? As a listener, don't you want the information? By the way, I've called 7 no-hitters in my 18-year major league broadcasting career. In every one of them, I've used a variety of phrases to describe the run-up to the moment, i.e. "He's not allowed a hit ... Not one batter has reached on a hit ... Nothing in the hit column through 6." I did in my innings during the Lester no-no as well. But I've always thought it silly to avoid using the actual words, "no-hitter", and I disagree with the thought that we should because it is "generally accepted." It isn't. Many, many announcers - concerned more for the integrity of reporting the moment than childish fan backlash - routinely use "no-hitter" when they see one in progress. I always will. By the way: Lester did indeed complete the no-hitter. Even when an announcer said the words. And the Red Sox did indeed sweep the Rays, even when an announcer said that was happening. No jinx in either case. I would debate my use of tenses with you, because I work very hard to be correct in my use of the language, but as I cannot recall precise instances to debate, I'll have to pass at this time. I don't believe I ever said "the Sox WILL sweep this series", unless I qualified it with: " .... with a win here today." But I could be wrong. Lastly, allow me to clarify my Red Sox radio schedule. Though you are correct in implying I won't call all 162 games, I am considered "full-time" on Sox radio. I'll call about 135 games. That is pretty darn close to "Red Sox only." I will do every game possible, given my ESPN Wednesday Night duties. Even my partner, Joe Castiglione, will not call every Red Sox game. I may have national TV responsibilities, but usually they take me away just one night per week. I'll call many more games on Red Sox radio than Jon Miller, Vin Scully or Skip Caray will for the Giants, Dodgers or Braves. My hope is that Sox fans will appreciate having an announcer who is in demand nationally, and this will be a point of pride, not a negative. I was born in Quincy and raised in New England, so my heart is with the Red Sox, but I'm blessed to be able to work for ESPN as well. I don't see that as a split loyalty, or in any way an issue. Vin Scully, Jack Buck, Jon Miller - scores of announcers have worked a national slate and their own ballclub at the same time. Thankfully, my Entercom Radio/Red Sox employers see it as a feather in the cap, and ESPN does as well. I find your complaint fascinating, however: Why would you want an announcer you "don't particularly care for" to be "Red Sox only"? That sounds like a contradiction. All the best, and Go Sox! - Dave O'Brien Thanks for giving me the opportunity to explain why I, ( and I think any honest baseball announcer,) will always describe a no-hitter in progress as exactly that. First, my ego isn’t so huge as to believe I can influence the play on the field by “jinxing” it, as you put it, from the booth That is simply ridiculous. I always thought the announcer who refused to say the words “no-hitter” was behaving self-importantly. But more to the point, my job is to tell you what I see, not to worry about what you may hold as a baseball superstition. Let’s say you leave the restraunt, get in the car and turn on the radio, just in time to hear the 3rd out in the top of the 7th … Lester is 6 outs away from a no-hitter … But the play by play guy isn’t TELLING you that, because … he doesn’t want to jinx it for the pitcher? Well, if you are not listening closely, you may not pick up on those preferred “code” phrases, designed to avoid calling it what it is. Now we’ve got a problem. You may not return to the game at all. You may go home and turn on HBO, and then get to read about “John Lester’s No-Hitter” in the Boston Globe the next morning, or catch it on the 8:00 am “SportsCenter.” How would you feel then about the announcer’s reporting skills? You see, a no-hitter is an event, a rarity in baseball. Would I describe a hitter going for the cycle as merely being “3 for 3, with one of everything except … you know … the last one …” Or would I do my job and say: “He’s a double shy of the cycle.”? Wouldn’t you want to know? As a listener, don’t you want the information? By the way, I’ve called 7 no-hitters in my 18-year major league broadcasting career. In every one of them, I’ve used a variety of phrases to describe the run-up to the moment, i.e. “He’s not allowed a hit … Not one batter has reached on a hit … Nothing in the hit column through 6.” I did in my innings during the Lester no-no as well. But I’ve always thought it silly to avoid using the actual words, “no-hitter”, and I disagree with the thought that we should because it is “generally accepted.” It isn’t. Many, many announcers - concerned more for the integrity of reporting the moment than childish fan backlash - routinely use “no-hitter” when they see one in progress. I always will.
By the way: Lester did indeed complete the no-hitter. Even when an announcer said the words. And the Red Sox did indeed sweep the Rays, even when an announcer said that was happening. No jinx in either case. I would debate my use of tenses with you, because I work very hard to be correct in my use of the language, but as I cannot recall precise instances to debate, I’ll have to pass at this time. I don’t believe I ever said “the Sox WILL sweep this series”, unless I qualified it with: ” …. with a win here today.” But I could be wrong.
Lastly, allow me to clarify my Red Sox radio schedule. Though you are correct in implying I won’t call all 162 games, I am considered “full-time” on Sox radio. I’ll call about 135 games. That is pretty darn close to “Red Sox only.” I will do every game possible, given my ESPN Wednesday Night duties. Even my partner, Joe Castiglione, will not call every Red Sox game. I may have national TV responsibilities, but usually they take me away just one night per week. I’ll call many more games on Red Sox radio than Jon Miller, Vin Scully or Skip Caray will for the Giants, Dodgers or Braves. My hope is that Sox fans will appreciate having an announcer who is in demand nationally, and this will be a point of pride, not a negative. I was born in Quincy and raised in New England, so my heart is with the Red Sox, but I’m blessed to be able to work for ESPN as well. I don’t see that as a split loyalty, or in any way an issue. Vin Scully, Jack Buck, Jon Miller - scores of announcers have worked a national slate and their own ballclub at the same time. Thankfully, my Entercom Radio/Red Sox employers see it as a feather in the cap, and ESPN does as well. I find your complaint fascinating, however: Why would you want an announcer you “don’t particularly care for” to be “Red Sox only”? That sounds like a contradiction.
All the best, and Go Sox! - Dave O’Brien

]]> By: wicked clevah · Predicting Pedro: The Bad News, The Good News, and The No News http://wickedclevah.com/2008/06/08/in-case-you-havent-been-keeping-up-with-current-events-9/#comment-395 wicked clevah · Predicting Pedro: The Bad News, The Good News, and The No News Sat, 14 Jun 2008 05:35:10 +0000 http://wickedclevah.com/?p=86#comment-395 [...] the request hour here at wicked clevah, so indeed, let’s chat about Dustin [...] [...] the request hour here at wicked clevah, so indeed, let’s chat about Dustin [...]

]]> By: sog http://wickedclevah.com/2008/06/08/in-case-you-havent-been-keeping-up-with-current-events-9/#comment-394 sog Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:24:15 +0000 http://wickedclevah.com/?p=86#comment-394 i'll take a look at Pedro tomorrow: i've gotten a bunch of comments on that. i’ll take a look at Pedro tomorrow: i’ve gotten a bunch of comments on that.

]]> By: ahl http://wickedclevah.com/2008/06/08/in-case-you-havent-been-keeping-up-with-current-events-9/#comment-393 ahl Fri, 13 Jun 2008 01:16:24 +0000 http://wickedclevah.com/?p=86#comment-393 Can we talk about Pedroia? It seems like he hasn't had a hit in a month... Can we talk about Pedroia? It seems like he hasn’t had a hit in a month…

]]> By: Geof F. Morris http://wickedclevah.com/2008/06/08/in-case-you-havent-been-keeping-up-with-current-events-9/#comment-392 Geof F. Morris Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:42:05 +0000 http://wickedclevah.com/?p=86#comment-392 Amazingly, I'd somehow missed seeing a really good recap of what the hell happened with the fight ... hadn't even had time to look it up on YouTube. So thanks for this week's. :) That said, give me a hockey fight any day of the week. Amazingly, I’d somehow missed seeing a really good recap of what the hell happened with the fight … hadn’t even had time to look it up on YouTube. So thanks for this week’s. :)

That said, give me a hockey fight any day of the week.

]]>