A member of the Buck family will not call MLB games this season for the first time since '60FOX SPORTS
Joe Buck can rest a bit with the conclusion of the World Series, as last night's Game 5 marked the end of an "incredible" schedule he has maintained "over these last three weeks," according to Fox' Thom Brennaman. Since Oct. 11, Buck has called 12 MLB games and three NFL games over an 18-day stretch. Brennaman said the combination of travel and switching between sports has been "mindboggling.” Fox’ Troy Aikman, who called the three "TNF" games during that stretch with Buck, said during yesterday's Packers-Rams game, “I halfway expected him to show up here this afternoon.” Brennaman said he “wouldn’t have been surprised” (“Packers-Rams,” Fox, 10/28). Buck said, "Since I have have been at Fox this has been the most intense schedule for me, just going back and forth with the two sports." He added, "I get people want to talk about this but you just do your reading and prepare and watch the game and see what you see and say what you say. It’s really not that big a deal" (THEATHLETIC.com, 10/29). NFL Network's Dan Hellie on Twitter wrote Buck is an "absolute stud" for his performance. Most NFL play-by-play voices "spend an entire week to prep for 1 game." Buck called a "football game and 4 World Series games in one week at an incredibly high level." Hellie wrote those criticizing him should "step off" (TWITTER.com, 10/27). In Chicago, Phil Rosenthal wrote Buck did a "solid job" calling the World Series. His baseball and football work for Fox are "better than most people give him credit." He is an "upper-echelon network announcer no matter what one might read on social media." If anything, Buck "suffers from overexposure this time of year between the NFL and baseball's postseason" (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 10/26).
A LITTLE MISUNDERSTOOD: In Boston, Chad Finn wrote there is no way Fox' John Smoltz "hates baseball," which is why it is "such a drag that he sometimes comes across that way on Fox' World Series telecasts." Smoltz' "chronic lamenting of the impact of analytics" on MLB fuels "plenty of commentary on Smoltz's commentary that suggests he does not much enjoy the sport." The perception that one of the sport's "highest-profile broadcasters feels that way -- and is using the stage of the World Series to literally broadcast as much -- is not good for anyone" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/28). In N.Y., Phil Mushnick wrote what Smoltz has "described during this and last postseason as 'pitchers trying to extend the strike zone,' used to be known as trying to make batters swing at bad pitches" (N.Y. POST, 10/28).
TRUE WARRIOR: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth notes ESPN's Dan Shulman was "battling with a sore throat" and laryngitis and was not able to call Game 5 for ESPN Radio. Shulman revealed on Twitter that ESPN's Jon Sciambi "flew across the country" to call Game 5 (L.A. TIMES, 10/29). Hoffarth wrote Shulman's voice before yesterday had been "a bit dicey at best the last couple of days, even before calling 18 innings of World Series Game 3 on Friday night." Hot tea refills "came as the innings replicated to help Shulman tame his sore throat" (LATIMES.com, 10/28).
NAILING THE SHOT: THE ATHLETIC's Richard Deitsch writes Fox World Series Director Matt Gangl did "beautiful camera work" when he stayed on the shot of Red Sox P Eduardo Rodriguez "slamming his glove to the ground" after Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig’s three-run homer in the sixth inning of Game Four. Gangl on how the shot happened said, "It is something probably over the last eight to 10 years I have talked to my center field camera operators about and that is if there is a no-doubter home run, as Puig had, I want to linger on the shot as long as I can." He added, "I have used that shot before but that was by far the biggest emotions on both sides I’ve seen from it. ... You can’t anticipate that Rodriguez is going to slam his glove but when he does, it really pays off the whole thing" (THEATHLETIC.com, 10/29).
WORTH THE RISK: AWFUL ANNOUNCING's Matt Clapp writes ESPN following the Red Sox' World Series win last night "decided to go live" to Red Sox manager Alex Cora's speech during "SportsCenter" with Scott Van Pelt. But "just over 30 seconds later, a screaming 'F--- YEAH!' from at least one player (or coach etc) was heard loud and clear on ESPN." Van Pelt said, "There was a 1,000 percent chance someone was going to cuss. 1,000 percent. I mean it's after midnight, unless you're out at west, and if so it's cable and we're sorry. The minute you open up the mics you get what you get." Clapp writes to commend ESPN for "not being afraid to show a very cool live moment of a team celebrating a championship, while being fully aware some adult language could/would likely come with it" (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 10/29).
NOTES FROM THE PREGAME: In Boston, Nick Cafardo wrote Alex Rodriguez "really carries that Fox pregame and postgame show" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/28). Rodriguez and the rest of the Fox studio show appeared as "Simpsons" characters during the Game 4 pregame show. Fox' Kevin Burkhardt in the segment said, "In honor of the World Series, we have a special guest from 'The Simpsons.' We asked for Homer and Bart, but they sent us Milhouse." Fox' Frank Thomas asked, "What's a Milhouse?" Rodriguez, Thomas and David Ortiz all give Milhouse some hitting tips before it gets hit in the head by a pitch. Thomas: "Guys, he's not moving." Rodriguez: "Aye caramba, run!" ("MLB on Fox Pregame," Fox, 10/27).
