ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball: Time for a Call to the Bullpen

When the Chicago Cubs' Sunday night ball games are televised on ESPN, my husband and I have two choices:

1. Watch the game on mute and turn on WGN radio, hearing every play happen five seconds before it's actually shown on TV or --

2. Suffer through three or more hours of irrelevant drivel and unabashed self-love by ESPN "Sunday Night Baseball" commentators Jon Miller and Joe Morgan.

During Cubs Sunday night games on ESPN, Cub fans are used to enduring hour upon hour of Miller and Morgan discussing every other major league team but the Chicago Cubs and whomever they might be playing. In a Sunday night Cubs/St. Louis Cardinals game earlier this season, I specifically recall an entire inning spent discussing -- ad nauseum -- A-Rod's injury. No, sports fans, you didn't miss a trade. Neither the Cubs nor the Cards have acquired a new third baseman. Miller and Morgan just happen to believe that news on the Yankees' superstar's health is of greater interest to viewers than one of the most heated rivalries in the National League.

Tonight, another headline grabber stole more than an inning's worth of the commentators' attention. True, this time the player was at least somewhat relevant to the game at hand (the Cubs were playing the Dodgers, and the tabloid fodder was Dodger Manny Ramirez). Ramirez recently received a 50-game suspension for violating the MLB's Performance Enhancing Drug policy. In the late innings of tonight's dismal Cubs loss, Miller and Morgan more or less ignored the game being played on the field in favor of dissecting the league's policy on allowing suspended players to play in the minor leagues prior to returning to major league action.

I'm sure this debate between the commentators was of more interest to Dodger fans than to us lowly Cub fans. But I'd also be willing to wager that Dodger fans prefer this kind of analysis to come from their well-informed, homegrown local analysts, much as I prefer Pat Hughes and Ron Santo discussing Carlos Zambrano's ejection and subsequent suspension for attempting to toss an ump and demolishing a Gatorade machine last week.

The truth of the matter is, real baseball fans aren't tuning into ESPN on Sunday nights to hear Jon Miller talk about every other team in the league or Joe Morgan talk about his own career in the game (or, lately, to hear Morgan fight with Steve Phillips about the Mets or Carlos Beltran). Much like the way true political junkies choose C-SPAN and NPR over FOX News and Rush Limbaugh, we're trying to follow the game, broadcast by experts who are actually attentive to the subject matter they're being paid to cover. It's like tuning into a talk show to catch the news: instead of the details and facts you seek, you're bombarded by noise. Sometimes, a silent moment and a poignant image are all fans need to appreciate a big event in a ball game. There aren't many -- if any -- silent moments on ESPN's Sunday Night coverage.

I think it'd be a refreshing change for ESPN to swap in real color analysts, one from each team, to cover the game. Pair Phillies' analyst Chris Wheeler with Pat Hughes when the Cubs go to Philly. Pair White Sox commentator Steve Stone with Minnesota Twins analyst Bert Blyleven when the Twins come to the South Side. Not only will it draw more viewers; it'll allow the rest of us the privilege of watching the game in real time and giving our mute buttons a much needed rest.

Comments

[mab8663]

For once a White Sox fan (me)and a Cubs fan agree!!! I now live in DC and MLB.TV has been a lifesaver. (though listening to the Hawk is no great prize either but at least I can watch the Chisox).

Joe Morgan and Philips did the same during the Rangers-White Sox game last month-completely ignoring the game at hand and blather about the Red Sox, Yankees Dodgers - standard operating procedure for these two.

I think ESPN really means Eastern Seaboard Propaganda Network-seriously, don't you find it offensive that ESPN calls the Red Sox "the Nation?"- I mean, really. My only solace over the years was watching Chris Berman literally beak down when my White Sox swept the "Nation"in the 2005 ALDS on their way to a well deserved World Series win.

PS-My cross town prediction-White Sox take 2 of 3 at Wrigley and sweep at the Cell.

[babar77]

I still miss Steve Stone. It kills me to know he's covering White Sox games. All because a bunch of whiny losers that happen to be the Cubs that year lead by chief whiny loser himself - Dusty Baker - couldn't take a little well thought out criticism from a man who knows what he's talking about.

[Raiderfan0524]

On ESPN, there are only three places in the world where baseball is played: New York, Los Angeles and Boston. The Phillies are the World Freakin' Champions, but if you want to hear anything about them, you have to deal with the gangsters at Comcast and their SportsNet channel.

But it could be worse. You could be forced to hear Joe Buck and Tim McCarver on Fox all of the time. I think those two are still mad that the Phillies beat the Dodgers (and Manny Ramirez., proving that the "Baseball is played in only three places" thing applies to them as well) and then went on to win the World Series. Most of us watched the games with the sound down and Harry Kalas blasting from the radio.

But I like your suggestion of pairing national and local broadcasters, although I'd rather have Scott Franzke or Larry Anderson representing the Phillies than Chris Wheeler.

But if it's a Dodgers game. Vin Scully should have the booth all to himself. I've heard him call games when I've visited Los Angeles and it's pretty amazing. He doesn't need a co-star. His grasp of baseball factoids and the voice stand on their own.

[RobinSeattle]

Up in the Pacific Northwest, ESPN has given us a lot of Giants games in the past, so that city has to join your list to make it four. Not sure why they would pick a SF team when probably most of the folks in my neck of the woods are from SoCal.

[Raiderfan0524]

I agree with you about that. I used to visit Seattle a lot and most of the folks I met there were from SoCal. I would think they'd show more Angels, Podres and Dodgers games if anything.

I wish they'd show more Mariners games. I love watching Ichiro and my favorite ballplayer in the whole world, Ken Griffey Jr., is back in the place he never should have left. That's incentive enough for me.

(Oh, and thanks for Raul Ibanez. He's playing like a man possessed here in Philly and has won over some of the nation's toughest fans because of it.)

[mab8663]

HuffPost's Pick

As a favor to all mankind, Vin Scully should be dubbed "Ambassador of Baseball Broadcasting" and be lent out to broadcast a game for each team during the season so all of baseball fandom can enjoy his broadcasts.

[RobinSeattle]

I basically like Jon Miller, but his butt kissing of Morgan got old years ago..

Also, when is ESPN going to get some Asian-American announcers and commentators? Right now, Asians seem to be aliens ineligible for announcing at ESPN.

[booktone]

Remember, the network is really called YESPN: all Yankees, all the time. Nearly every SportsCenter leads with a pinstripes story. A-Rod generates more air time for them when he's hurt than Albert Pujols does in a whole season.
As for irrelevant drivel, it's a tradition. I once recall Phil Rizzuto discussing the gnocchi at some Italian joint in NYC --- while the Yankees scored four runs. Not once was the action on the field addressed.
I'm a lifelong Red Sox fan. and even I get sick of the Red SOx-Yankees rivalry talk. Tell us about the Cubs-Cards, or Dodgers-Giants, anything!

[stratdude]

I agree with you 100 percent about announcers talking about everything else except the game they are supposed to be calling. I quit listening to Dick Vitale for the same reason. Several years ago, I was watching an Indiana University game on ESPN and Vitale, instead of commenting on the IU game at hand, talked for several minutes about the University of Michigan' football team's new locker room. (I don't remember who IU was playing, but it wasn't Michigan). That was the last straw and I haven't listened to him since.

[countfloyd]

"Dead air" is unacceptable on TV now with all the channels and let's face it baseball doesn't exactly move at breakneck speed. Radio is by far the better medium for baseball because the emphasis isn't on filling every second with talk. The announcers match the leisurely pace of the game.

[rwext]

National announcers in all sports are horrendous.I would much rather listen to the opposing teams home announcers ...And Morgan and Miller are nauseating..Years ago NBC did a football game where Bryant Gumbel spoke only at the end of the quarters and it was the most enjoyable game

[Lita Smith-Mines - Huffpost Blogger]

When the Mets play Sunday nights I make it a point to have work to do so I can sit at the computer and hear Howie & Wayne call the game on WFAN radio. My reaction to the way Miller & Morgan call a game is the same as to fans in the ballpark who do the wave while the action is unfolding: both are distracting and add zero to the game.

[Aramingo]

If you can pony up the bucks for the MLB package available on most cable systems, you can watch either teams broadcast. I like to watch the game called by the anouncers for whichever team is at bat.
You can mix and match. The hell with ESPN.


BTW: MIller does a pretty good job for the Giants. Maybe Morgan brings out the worst in him.

BTW2: You've gotta catch one of Morgan's rants about Sabremetrics (sp?).

BTW3: Boy, do I miss Harry Kalas.

[BoVandy]

I don't even watch Sunday night baseball anymore. In fact, I don't watch ESPN anymore. MLB Network, and WGN are the only ways I'll catch the Cubs. I can even point to the day when I decided not to listen to Miller and Morgan.

It was when the Yankees and Cubs were playing an interleague game a few years ago. M&M launched into a three hour debate as to whether Babe Ruth called his shot.

Yeah guys, because NO ONE has ever thought to discuss that.

That wasn't THE reason I stopped watching them, but it was the straw that broke the camel's back

[GarryK]

I disagree. I thoroughly enjoy this broadcast team. Every week.

[Tulsaslim]

ESPN knows it can't SHOW the Yankees and/or Red Sox every Sunday night but that doesn't stop them from spending every Sunday night TALKING about the Yankees and Red Sox.

Heck, It's ESPN fer chrissake.

[Badger84]

I'm happy I am not the only person who noticed the Yankees/Red Sox overkill. ESPN anchors and reporters, with few exceptions, are empty, pompous shills for the network and fawning sycophants to the athletes they cover. They are convinced they are witty and celebrities in their own right. I know it is not the right season, but there is no entertainment value in watching Dick Vitale s*ck up to Bobby Knight.

[zacdenver]

One more thing -- I almost fell out of my chair when I was forced to AGREE with two points Morgan made! First, that trading Mark DeRosa was a huge mistake and made it look like Cubs' management was panicked into it by the Dodgers' sweep in the playoffs last season; second, that allowing a MLB player (Manny Ramirez) to get playing time in the minors before his full 50-day suspension was served is bogus. As Morgan said, "That means it's a 40-game suspension." God, I hate myself for quoting Joe Morgan on anything!

[Brett Ashley McKenzie - Huffpost Blogger]

I must agree with you (and, sadly, Joe Morgan) about the DeRosa trade. That broke my heart. His bat would really be a big help right about now.

[zacdenver]

You are so right! Living in Denver, however, my wife and I cannot turn to WGN Radio, as you do. [We choose not to subscribe to MLB.com's radio feed.] Over the years, it seems obvious to us that Joe Morgan has some intense dislike for the Cubs. I don't get it. His Reds teams used to beat the crap out of the Cubs back when he played, so it's not like they used to work him over, or something. And Jon Miller appears to be an uninformed boob who finds six different ways to say the same thing, inning after inning. It's almost like Miller & Morgan "announce" the game with the idea that their audience has never seen baseball before. Even though I was sad to see Steve Stone depart, I'm pretty happy with Len and Bob on WGN-TV.

Lots of times we'll be watching this stellar pair and they'll be talking about something so off the wall that my wife will turn to me and ask, rhetorically, "Is there even a baseball game going on?" And who was that Steve Phillips guy last night?