FP Baseball Philosophy, Hypothesis, Theory and Wisdom 101

[spidernat]

  I like to take shots at FP and Carpenter because they say some dumb and annoying crap sometimes but they don't get to me as they apparently get to some of you. They have so much air time to fill that sometimes I feel like I have to give them a pass for some of the crap they say.

[DPMOmaha]

was that before or after he was a Radomski client?

No idea. He was clearly on the downward slope of his career.

[Baseball is Life]

Most players think along those lines.

Probably true but they don't go around talking about how they're infatuated with their stats. Gotta play it cool.

[Baseball is Life]

  I like to take shots at FP and Carpenter because they say some dumb and annoying crap sometimes but they don't get to me as they apparently get to some of you. They have so much air time to fill that sometimes I feel like I have to give them a pass for some of the crap they say.

Truth. They have to blather on for hours on end every night and they're bound to to repeat themselves, make mistakes, not be funny, etc. It's actually surprising they don't get on my nerves even more. The only thing that rubs me the wrong way is Carp's bad home run calls but I've gotten used to them.

[GburgNatsFan]

I wouldn't mind it at all if they just announced batters and the results of plays for a few innings a game.  Every once in a while they are uncharacteristically silent for an at bats, you can hear the stadium noises, etc.

I like it.

[tomterp]

One of the things FP was known for was sign stealing. He was apparently pretty good at tipping pitches to the batters, which is likely part of why he hit in front of Barry Bonds for a while.

He's excellent at reading signs and other nuances of the "inside" game, and he's at his best when he shares his observations in this vein.

A few years ago he was repeating the nonsense about humid air being heavier (i.e. more dense)  than dry air and thus the ball wouldn't travel as far, which is BS.  But after getting pounded for a few days  he must have consulted the Googler and to his credit he stopped with that misinformation. 

I would say he's mildly annoying at times but not so much enough to complain about it. 

[imref]

have we all forgotten

[tomterp]

Only from World Series or All-Star games. "Hi ever-body! This is Mel Allen". Followed by "And this is Red Barbah..."

I grew listening to Bob Wolff and Arch McDonald, but there are no recordings of their broadcasts.  "The Real Bob" donated more than a thousand hours of his broadcasts to the Smithsonian. Then, Hank Thomas, grandson of Walter Johnson, asked about Nats' broadcasts that "The Real Bob" did from 1947 to 1960, Wolff said that none of those were saved.

Wolff was fantastic.  NY Times article in which it mentions him donating 1,400 recordings (1000 hours) to the Library of Congress.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/sports/baseball/bob-wolff-a-broadcaster-who-saved-his-work-has-much-to-share.html

[monkeyhit]

I miss Ernie Harwell. On a hitter taking a third strike. "He just stood there like a house beside the road."

[Ray D]

Who did the radio for the expansion Senators in the 60s (other than Shelby Whitfield who is mentioned in this thread)? Seemed like different pairings every season. I recall Warner Wolf and Ray Scott. Who else?

First few years, Dan Daniels and Ron McClain.  McClain was good, Daniels not too good.  Then, along with Shelby Whitfield was Ron Menchine. I thought both were bad.  I think that was pretty much it.

 Warner Wolf and Ray Scott were never on the radio, they were on TV (for the very few televised games).  Warner did do Maryland football on radio in the 60s and did a good job at it considering how bad they were in the 60s.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

best radio pair the Bosox ever had was Ned Martin and Mitlen's Jim Woods.  They only lasted a year or two but they were canned because they would not do promos during at bats.

[mitlen]

I believe FP reads this site.    I'm hopin' he gives us some good material this evening.    While he's readin' this, I hope he'll consider a chat with us at some point.    He can IM me and I'll set it up with the mods/Chief.    Carp is welcome to take a shot as well.

[welch]

Bob and FP seem to fill every second with talk. I prefer the announcers who let the game play out. Do we need to hear how many times Ryan Zimmerman has hit a grand slam? Or that a three-run homer from Bryce Harper would put the Nats five runs ahead? Or that a 3 - 2 pitch with runners on is important?

[mitlen]

Bob and FP seem to fill every second with talk. I prefer the announcers who let the game play out. Do we need to hear how many times Ryan Zimmerman has hit a grand slam? Or that a three-run homer from Bryce Harper would put the Nats five runs ahead? Or that a 3 - 2 pitch with runners on is important?

That may be the nub of the "problem".     I commented on Bob's fly ball "miscalls" to let the action come to you  ...   don't anticipate.    C & D have an advantage in as much they can make things up but they're calls are not usually over hyped.

[welch]

Here is a Senators broadcast from May, 1968: Nats / Boston. Dan Daniels, John McClain, and maybe Warner Wolf doing the last few innings.

[Baseball is Life]

have we all forgotten

Dear God, that s.o.b was THE worst. A total douche on the air and with the fans.

[awbb]

That may be the nub of the "problem".     I commented on Bob's fly ball "miscalls" to let the action come to you  ...   don't anticipate.    C & D have an advantage in as much they can make things up but they're calls are not usually over hyped.

I have listened to very little C&D but my favourite call of Charlie's was on Tommy Milone's homer in his first Major League at bat. It was like was like someone just switched him over from 33 to 45rpm.

AND that same play highlighted an FPism: "Officially the coolest thing..."

Yer tiz:

[mitlen]

I have listened to very little C&D but my favourite call of Charlie's was on Tommy Milone's homer in his first Major League at bat. It was like was like someone just switched him over from 33 to 45rpm.

AND that same play highlighted an FPism: "Officially the coolest thing..."

Man, the names in the dugout/bullpen sure have changed.

[spidernat]

Probably true but they don't go around talking about how they're infatuated with their stats. Gotta play it cool.

In that regard, FP is just saying what the overwhelming majority of players are thinking. The idea that they don't care about their stats is just nonsense. Stats are money for them. That's why players approach official scorers in hopes of changing an error call into a hit so that their OBP gets a boost ().

The only thing that rubs me the wrong way is Carp's bad home run calls but I've gotten used to them.

Even that doesn't bother me. I find it funny.

Bob and FP seem to fill every second with talk. I prefer the announcers who let the game play out. Do we need to hear how many times Ryan Zimmerman has hit a grand slam? Or that a three-run homer from Bryce Harper would put the Nats five runs ahead? Or that a 3 - 2 pitch with runners on is important?

Believe it or not there are some fans watching that may need that information. Not everyone is as "knowledgeable" about baseball as you.

[awbb]

Believe it or not there are some fans watching that may need that in formation. Not everyone is as "knowledgeable" about baseball as you.

Yup. I'm clueless.

[mitlen]

Believe it or not there are some fans watching that may need that in formation. Not everyone is as "knowledgeable" about baseball as you.

I think about that on occasion even as the unfolding of the game itself happens.     I wonder if that's part of their process.    Think they're trying to "lure" fans in?    There was a guy from Poland who used to work for IBM.    He'd stop in the shop and we'd BS.   One day he said, "Can you explain baseball?"      crap, I was stumped.

[spidernat]

   There was a guy from Poland who used to work for IBM.    He'd stop in the shop and we'd BS.   One day he said, "Can you explain baseball?"      crap, I was stumped.

  That happened to me once with a group of Russians. I had never realized how difficult it was to explain something that seemed so simple and natural to me.

[hotshot]

First few years, Dan Daniels and Ron McClain.  McClain was good, Daniels not too good.  Then, along with Shelby Whitfield was Ron Menchine. I thought both were bad.  I think that was pretty much it.

 Warner Wolf and Ray Scott were never on the radio, they were on TV (for the very few televised games).  Warner did do Maryland football on radio in the 60s and did a good job at it considering how bad they were in the 60s.

Ray, I think that is Warner Wolf on the radio broadcast (late innings) posted by welch. Thought I recalled him on the Senators radio team. Also, think Tony Roberts (who later did Notre Dame football for several decades) did some 1960s Senators broadcasts too.

[Baseball is Life]

In that regard, FP is just saying what the overwhelming majority of players are thinking. The idea that they don't care about their stats is just nonsense. Stats are money for them. That's why players approach official scorers in hopes of changing an error call into a hit so that their OBP gets a boost ().

Someone said it earlier in this thread, but the fact that FP was a fringe player probably fed to his obsession with daily (key word here is daily) stats and keeping his butt off the bench. I don't think a guy like Harper worries too much about going 1-4 vs. 0-4. He knows he'll in the lineup the next day no matter what. FP? Not so much.

[Ray D]

Ray, I think that is Warner Wolf on the radio broadcast (late innings) posted by welch. Thought I recalled him on the Senators radio team. Also, think Tony Roberts (who later did Notre Dame football for several decades) did some 1960s Senators broadcasts too.

Yes, Tony Tony Roberts, definitely.  I get him and Ron Menchine mixed up.

I'm listening to the broadcast, they just announced the umpires, and guess what?  At first base: Nestor Chylak.