12/04/24
April 16, 2004
The baseball season got underway in earnest tonight - when the Red Sox and Yankees met at Fenway for the first of 19 games scheduled this season. Boston won 6-2 in a game which included a non-homer by Manny Ramirez, errors from Jeter and Giambi, great pitching from Tim Wakefiled for Boston, and a most annoying feature from Fox (effing 'Scooter').
I was there! I was there!
posted by jerseygirl at 10:50 PM on April 16, 2004
I can do a first person recap tomorrow (with pictures) if anyone is interested, but right now i need to defrost, and wash up for bed.
posted by jerseygirl at 10:54 PM on April 16, 2004
The baseball season got underway in earnest tonight I was wholly unaware the other 27 teams had no bearing on baseball.
posted by wfrazerjr at 11:13 PM on April 16, 2004
Boston and the NYY should break off and form their own league. Then they could play each other 162 times. Think of the ratings! Then, the winner of the Boston-NYY Pennant could play the American and National League champions in some kind of complicated three horse series that no one understands. But think of the ratings!
posted by molafson at 11:27 PM on April 16, 2004
I was there! I was there! Grrr. Lucky dog. and a most annoying feature from Fox (effing 'Scooter'). I thought scooter was a joke at first. Unbelievable.
posted by justgary at 11:59 PM on April 16, 2004
that whole broadcast was a joke. There were countless errors, including the first run of scooter having no sound, incorrect facts stated by the morons, the 2nd inning opening with a 5-1 1 out ticker up top, and Enrique Wilson's stats flashing up for Tony Clark's at bat. The game also featured a pathetic display of not being able to hit lobbed pitches by the Yankees. I swear my blood pressure must have been up 40 points throughout the game. Posada doing the Mattingly impersonation against Wakefield was kind of cool though, and it worked... How in the HELL did they give ARod a hit on that easily reached grounder (where he was out at first anyway)? That's a joke. He is sucking so far. The whole team is sucking so far. It's ridiculous. Giambi is the only one getting on base, and even that is mostly via walk.
posted by Bernreuther at 12:15 AM on April 17, 2004
Someone fill me in- "scooter"?
posted by hincandenza at 01:33 AM on April 17, 2004
yeah. What Hal asked. This scooter, it vibrates? ;)
posted by scully at 07:18 AM on April 17, 2004
including the first run of scooter having no sound I thought that was the only thing that went right for the crew. (I'll let someone else explain scooter. After he "taught" me all about the knuckle ball, I tended to try to ignore him.) Sox manager Terry Francona made all the right moves in his first Yankee test. He's sticking with the WWGD method. When he has to make a move, he thinks, "What Would Grady Do?" then does the opposite. That's why Alan Embree came in to pitch to Hideki Matsui with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth. Embree fanned Godzilla on three pitches. It would have been a perfect time for the crew to bring up the absurdity of arod playing 3rd after jeter's error, but of course, nothing.
posted by justgary at 08:06 AM on April 17, 2004
I was there! I was there! Sorry to say* you missed the story of the game then (not Scooter who is Fox's flaming hockey puck redux): apparently Fat Joe (or his twin) is a huge (ha!) Red Sox fan, cuz he sat dead center about three rows back for 8 innings. "Sat" is incorrect: he mainly stood, shouting into his celly and waving at the camera. Amazing Fox didn't start projecting faux billboard ads onto his enormous shirt. I would like to personally congratulate whoever nutted up and complained to security-- he got walked out in the top of the ninth. Bernreuther, I'm with you completely. I noticed each of those errors as well. I know it's the first broadcast of the year, but get it together. And memo to whomever runs Fox's HDTV baseball production: talk to the football guys. Having the picture flip between widescreen (centerfield and baseline cameras), not widescreen (home plate camera, replays) and streched to fit widescreen (replays going to commercial) is enough to churn one's stomach. Pick one of the formats and stick with it. It's distracting. * Ok, not really. Congrats on getting tickets. N.B., as a Red Sox fan, in no way do I think the season begins or ends with a Sox-Yanks tilt. In fact, I can't stand MLB's insistence on the teams meeting so early in the season. The local Fox Sports pregame show had a discussion of how much better it is for the two teams to collide after a month or so.
posted by yerfatma at 09:17 AM on April 17, 2004
Before we bury Fox, I do want to say the flight-path for pitches trick was way kewl.
posted by yerfatma at 09:18 AM on April 17, 2004
Sorry to say* you missed the story of the game then (not Scooter who is Fox's flaming hockey puck redux): apparently Fat Joe (or his twin) is a huge (ha!) Red Sox fan, cuz he sat dead center about three rows back for 8 innings. Nope. I taped it. All bases covered as it were.
posted by jerseygirl at 09:22 AM on April 17, 2004
'Scooter' is a computer graphic-driven talking baseball which in this case was used to try to explain the action of a knuckleball. From a home-plate perspective, you saw a strobe-effect of a knuckleball pitch, darting down, out, up, and all the while an annoying cartoon voice (I guess it's the guy who does SpongeBob SquarePants) says stupid stuff like, "I'm a knuckleball. I go in, out, and all about. I don't know where I'm going, but either do the batters. Heh-heh-heh-heh." During the first run of the Scooter feature, the sound was barely audible. They tried it again a second time, only, when the feature, which runs maybe 15 seconds, was over, viewers saw Wakefield throwing to first to complete a ground ball out. Covering live action with anything on tape is annoying to veiwers, but even worse when it was a stupid talking baseball. Before we bury Fox, I do want to say the flight-path for pitches trick was way kewl. I would agree, except that the flight path was the same for the five-or-so times a pitch is shown during each run of "scooter". It would have been better to have different flight paths, thus accentuating the unpredictable nature of a knuckleball, and it wouldn't have been that hard. Scooter who is Fox's flaming hockey puck redux Great observation, yerfatma. That flaming puck was as annoying and insulting to hockey fans as 'Scooter' will become to baseball fans. Here's a link to a CNN/SI story with more about Scooter, but it's really not that important. I hope it goes the way of the dodo bird, and fast. the 2nd inning opening with a 5-1 1 out ticker up top Yeah, I noticed that, too, and was very confused. I thought maybe we had missed a lead-off HR or something during commercial. It would have been a perfect time for the crew to bring up the absurdity of arod playing 3rd after jeter's error, but of course, nothing. You're right, but also keep Jeter's nice dive to his right in mind. That was shortly before his through-the-wicket error. Posada doing the Mattingly impersonation against Wakefield was kind of cool though, and it worked... I must admit I missed what you're talking about. Someone please explain. I was wholly unaware the other 27 teams had no bearing on baseball. There are 27 other teams? I know, I know. Just trying to stir the pot a little.
posted by msacheson at 09:37 AM on April 17, 2004
I only caught the last "scooter" segment in the ninth - "This is a fastball." What the f---? I wonder if Phil Rizzuto can sue Fox for such a horrible misuse of his nickname.
posted by brewdudepa at 09:39 AM on April 17, 2004
You're right, but also keep Jeter's nice dive to his right in mind. True, but I'm betting arod makes both plays. Of course, as a red sox fan, I have no problem with arod at third and jeter at short. I wonder if Phil Rizzuto can sue Fox for such a horrible misuse of his nickname. I was thinking the same things last night. Poor guy.
posted by justgary at 10:51 AM on April 17, 2004
I think today's matchup is as big, if not bigger. I only wish we were watching Schilling and Mussina last night instead!
posted by jerseygirl at 12:42 PM on April 17, 2004
i can't take all this hype this early in the season. i'm gonna go watch freddy adu instead.
posted by goddam at 12:54 PM on April 17, 2004
Yeah, Adu's a great way to get away from all that excessive hype.
posted by rcade at 01:07 PM on April 17, 2004
what is up with Mussina today?
posted by jerseygirl at 01:12 PM on April 17, 2004
except that the flight path was the same for the five-or-so times a pitch is shown during each run of "scooter" Not that flight path thing, the one where they showed Wakefield on the mound and then overlayed a dozen or so replays of the pitch at different points so you could see the path of the previous pitch. As a Mr. Show fan, I'm cool with doing the voice of Spongebob and I understand the need to make some real money, but I can't imagine Fox is paying enough to justify giving up all those cool points.
posted by yerfatma at 02:34 PM on April 17, 2004
what is up with Mussina today?
posted by yerfatma at 02:39 PM on April 17, 2004
Yeah, Adu's a great way to get away from all that excessive hype. sorry, forgot the sarcasm tag.
posted by goddam at 05:56 PM on April 17, 2004
Damn you, wily Internet trickster!
posted by rcade at 06:00 PM on April 17, 2004
oops, forgive me ... Trixter. Man, next I'll need help spelling Deaf Leopard.
posted by wfrazerjr at 08:40 PM on April 17, 2004
I had chalked Mussina's earlier troubles up to a combination of pressing for win 200 and Japan-trip jet lag, but now that he's got the milestone monkey off his back, I'm not sure what could be wrong with him. I do think that he was getting squeezed a little by Wegner, but not enough to account for the total freak-out in the 2nd inning. Scooter reminded me of Poochie from the Simpsons -- a soulless creation of network execs looking for something "hip" and "edgy". We're talking about a totally outrageous paradigm. Ugh. Horrible. Even the lip sync was bad. Who are they trying to appeal to? Wouldn't kids be more excited to learn from a real-live baseball player than from a poorly animated baseball?
posted by Jugwine at 09:07 PM on April 17, 2004
Wouldn't kids be more excited to learn from a real-live baseball player than from a poorly animated baseball? Jugwine, how can the network execs impress each other and earn their huge salaries without constant innovations? Not to mention putting food on the table for the staffers of the small digital effects company that surely ccreated Scooter.
posted by billsaysthis at 10:33 PM on April 17, 2004
msach - against wakefield Posada abandoned his usual hands out, bat straight up and angled forward in favor of the slow stretch back, bat resting on shoulder, extra crouch, and exaggerated looking the ball into the glove - it was exactly Mattingly's style and mannerisms. The announcers even pointed it out, the only helpful thing they said all night. After Wake came out, he resumed his normal stance. I guess he just figured it'd help him be more patient... something all the Yankee hitters could have done. Contreras is such a wuss. He's so dominant and attacks hitters, but if they're wearing Sox uniforms he's afraid of them, even with a 7-1 lead. Disgusting. can't even last and pick up a W when you got 7 runs. Hopefully the bullpen holds the Sox off and Brown is Brown tomorrow... that'll make a lot of things better. ARod is now 0-10. Anyone else get the feeling that if he was on the Sox he'd be hitting about .400 because that team has fun and is relaxed? I was reading an old Maxim last night while cleaning and saw a Giambi article from when he was with the A's, talking about how he led the team in all their hijinks and how they had the most fun in baseball - he needs to do that with the Yankees... they seem like just a bunch of emotionless drones coming to work every day, and there's no looseness that would probably help them be more productive at the plate. The 3rd was a pretty good indicator of what can happen when this lineup is hitting right though... If ARod ever wakes up, look out. It's nice to see Lofton out and Lee in - now Joe should switch Wilson for Cairo and this is the best possible Yankee lineup.
posted by Bernreuther at 03:11 PM on April 18, 2004
so... chemistry counts then.
posted by jerseygirl at 03:57 PM on April 18, 2004
maybe just a little.
posted by Bernreuther at 07:38 PM on April 18, 2004
While I agree that the hype surrounding the Yankees-Red Sox match-up seems to overshadow the rest of the league, you have to give them some credit. I have the MLB extra innings package and with the exception of the Cincinnati-Cubs series this weekend, the atmosphere in all those other parks doesn't even compare. I could hear every BALCO and steroid chant whenever Giambi came to the plate, and I'm in my living room in Atlanta. Maybe NESN just has the field miked up differently, but the sounds of the ballpark come through loud and clear.
posted by usfbull at 09:30 PM on April 18, 2004
the chant was "You used steroids!" One of my other favorites was when Jeter, man of [seemingly] a thousand errors this weekend, came to the plate was "Pokey's Better!" the mics don't do it justice. it's really loud in the park, you know they can hear it too. as far as i can tell, and i spend a lot of time looking, there are only two mics, one on each top corner of the backstop...
posted by jerseygirl at 10:17 PM on April 18, 2004
The "Pokey's Better" chant was awesome. I have to admit smiling at "A-HOLE!" as well.
posted by yerfatma at 11:15 AM on April 19, 2004
Great series, but the season didn't need the Yankees and Red Sox to play before it began "in earnest." Ugh. Now I officially hate all big-market teams. Except for the ones that don't know how to spend their money, like my Rangers.