I know Joe Buck was busy listening to the sound of his own voice, which was used Thursday on the World Series off day to announce an NFL game, but could Buck have put a little effort into informing the TV viewing audience that stuff was happening off camera, out of sight of the incessant HDTV flash closeups during crucial parts of the 18 inning game that dragged on for 7 hours, 20 minutes largely because of the perpetual drama queen behavior of pretty much all the pitchers and baseball players? This event ended about 3:30 AM on the east coast.
Yes, Joe Buck tells you that this guy is pinch hitting but does Buck tell you for whom or what happens in the field because of it? Compounding the problem of Buck's indifference to details that might interrupt his narrative ramblings are the MANY commercials between innings. By the time baseball returns we've forgotten who pinch hit and are oblivious to fielding changes.
OK, I wasn't listening to Joe Buck much because I recorded the game and was, of course, fast forwarding furiously between 90% of pitches trying to simulate a baseball game and my recording ran out in the 14th inning while I was watching the next morning. But I thought maybe some visual aid might be appropriate, if that wouldn't be too much trouble for the production staff. Something like putting the names of the starting players on screen occasionally with the names of substitutes next to them, at least for the non-pitchers.
Did everyone know that Red Sox outfielders switched positions several times? Did Joe Buck inform his listeners, as distinct from mere viewers like me? When the Red Sox starting catcher Christian Vazquez suddenly wound up at first base I wondered what had happened to starting first baseman Mitch Moreland.
Much of the confusion resulted from both managers trying way too hard to ... I don't know what. Each completely wasted a pitcher by using him for only one batter. When Red Sox manager Alex Cora relieved starting pitcher Rick Porcello with two out in the 5th inning and a runner on first, I thought:
- What? Cora is depriving Porcello of a chance for the win if the Red Sox take the lead in the 6th.
- Porcello was the second scheduled batter in the 6th, so Cora could have pinch hit for Porcello and not wasted lefty Eduardo Rodriguez on one batter.
- I thought that Porcello should scream at Cora and tell him the get the heck back in the dugout and stay off my (Porcello's) mound.
Dodger manager Dave Roberts did the same thing but in the 12th inning! He knew the game was in extra innings and he still wasted a pitcher with this double switch:
Ryan Madson replaces Chris Taylor (2B) pitching and batting 8th
Enrique Hernandez replaces Pedro Baez (P) playing 2B batting 9th
Here's the stuff that announcer Joe Buck should have told his audience:
World Series, game 3
Friday, October 26, 2018
Start Time: 8:09 p.m. ET
Attendance: 53,114
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Game Duration: 7:20
Night Game, on grass
Dodgers 3, Red Sox 2 in 18 innings
5th Dodgers lead 1-0 on Joc Pederson's home run
Red Sox Eduardo Rodriguez replaces Rick Porcello pitching and batting 9th
6th
Red Sox Blake Swihart pinch hits for Eduardo Rodriguez (P) batting 9th
Red Sox Joe Kelly replaces Blake Swihart (PH) pitching and batting 9th
7th
Red Sox Ryan Brasier replaces Joe Kelly pitching and batting 9th
Dodger Matt Kemp pinch hits for Walker Buehler (P) batting 9th
8th
Dodger Kenley Jansen replaces Matt Kemp (PH) pitching and batting 9th
With two out Jackie Bradley homers for Red Sox to tie the game 1-1.
Red Sox Matt Barnes replaces Ryan Brasier pitching and batting 9th
Jackie Bradley moves from CF to LF
Mookie Betts moves from RF to CF
J.D. Martinez moves from LF to RF
9th
Andrew Benintendi pinch hits for Matt Barnes (P) batting 9th
David Price replaces Andrew Benintendi (PH) pitching and batting 9th
J.D. Martinez moves from RF to LF
Jackie Bradley moves from LF to CF
Mookie Betts moves from CF to RF
Craig Kimbrel replaces David Price pitching and batting 9th
Jackie Bradley moves from CF to LF
Mookie Betts moves from RF to CF
J.D. Martinez moves from LF to RF
Dodger Brian Dozier pinch hits for Kenley Jansen (P) batting 9th
Dodger Austin Barnes pinch runs for Yasmani Grandal (C) batting 7th
10th
Dodger Pedro Baez replaces Brian Dozier (PH) pitching and batting 9th
Dodger Austin Barnes moves from PR to C
Red Sox Ian Kinsler pinch runs for J.D. Martinez (RF) batting 4th
Red Sox Eduardo Nunez pinch hits for Rafael Devers (3B) batting 6th
Ian Kinsler moves from PR to 2B
Eduardo Nunez moves from PH to 3B
Brock Holt moves from 2B to LF
Jackie Bradley moves from LF to CF
Mookie Betts moves from CF to RF
Jackie Bradley moves from CF to LF
Mookie Betts moves from RF to CF
Brock Holt moves from LF to RF
11th
Red Sox Steve Pearce pinch hits for Craig Kimbrel (P) batting 9th
Red Sox Heath Hembree replaces Steve Pearce (PH) pitching and batting 9th
Brock Holt moves from RF to LF
Jackie Bradley moves from LF to CF
Mookie Betts moves from CF to RF
12th
Dodger Ryan Madson replaces Chris Taylor (2B) pitching and batting 8th
Enrique Hernandez replaces Pedro Baez (P) playing 2B batting 9th
Dodger Scott Alexander replaces Ryan Madson pitching and batting 8th
Red Sox Nathan Eovaldi replaces Mitch Moreland (1B) pitching and batting 3rd
Sandy Leon replaces Heath Hembree (P) playing C batting 9th
Christian Vazquez moves from C to 1B
13th
Red Sox go up 2-1
Dodger Dylan Floro replaces Scott Alexander pitching and batting 8th
Dodgers tie 2-2
14th
Dodger David Freese pinch hits for Dylan Floro (P) batting 8th
15th
Dodger Kenta Maeda replaces Joc Pederson (LF) pitching and batting 1st
David Freese moves from PH to 1B
Max Muncy moves from 1B to 2B
Enrique Hernandez moves from 2B to LF
16th
17th
Dodger Julio Urias replaces Kenta Maeda pitching and batting 1st
Dodger Clayton Kershaw pinch hits for Julio Urias (P) batting 1st
18th
Dodger Alex Wood replaces Clayton Kershaw (PH) pitching and batting 1st
Dodger Max Muncy homers off Nathan Eovaldi to win the game.
No comments:
Post a Comment