Greatest Single Baseball Call

Here on the East Coast, one of the single greatest things about "Extra Innings" is coming home at 10:30 at night, cracking open a beer and watching a Dodgers game live from Chavez Ravine. Still the best baseball voice out there.

 

Piotr, we certainly agree on Joe Buck vis a vis Schapp, who is just a grandstanding hack of the lowest order.

We do, however, disagree on McCarver. I think he's pretty damn good. Sure, he's lost something off his fastball, but the man knows his baseball. He's certainly easier on the ears than Bill "I'm toking up every commercial break" Walton.

 

"If the Phillies win this game, I am walking home"

 

I can't remember who was at bat, and I'm really not sure who the pitcher was, though I think it was Sele. Throws a curveball that just doesn't break, to a good hitter, and Sean McDonough, with the pitch STILL IN FLIGHT, goes, "ugh." And no words necessary for the moonshot that may or may not have dinked off the Citgo sign. [/Boston-centric loooser]

 

Where have you gone, Jim Rooker ?

 

I grew up on Dodger broadcasts, anchored by Scully with Drysdale, Porter, etc. No color man. Just Scully (or the others) talking to ME and the other listeners about the game. I really enjoy that conversational style, and so as far as I'm concerned, any color commentator hinders the game. Those with cable get Braves and Cubs telecasts, and I remember being in college and just hating that those idiots would talk about everything but the game, and then talk about the game in a half-assed way.

Scully is about the game, nothing else. Not the dork next to him . . though he does way too many "hey, look at that kid eating ice cream!" throwaways during televised games. Of course, the Dodgers' fortunes haven't exactly been special since that Gibson year, so I can't blame him for looking at kids.

WE can agree to disagree on McCarver. I just hate his Dierdorf-like tendency to harp on BS for entire games.

 

I loved the fact that he actually lived up to his wager and walked later in the season.

 

Me too. Of course, the shame of that was that it didn't take much longer for the Bucs to tell Rook to take a walk himself while they brought in the insufferable Kent Derdivanis. Ouch.

 

I forget the score of that game

 

Actually, Denkinger's best moment came in Game 7. Round about the time the Cardinals -- who had blatantly given up -- trailed 11-0, Whitey Herzog came out to give Denkinger a piece of his mind, which got him tossed. He ended it with something along the lines of "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here right now."

Denkinger's immediate reply: "Well, if your team wasn't hitting .180, we woudln't be here right now, either."

I hope that chapped Whitey's ass more than coughing up a world series.

 

I saw your reference on the front page. My point was, that was the 13th one listed. I just don't understand how that happened. I realize there were a few jokes thrown in, but how does anyone not see the title of this thread and immediately go, "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"

(P.S. "You never wash your hands." "You should have been my mother." Who gets that reference?)