Grades for ESPN baseball analysts

This guy graded the most common baseball analysts on ESPN.

Here's my grades for the guys he graded:

Eric Young - C - Decent analysis and knowledge, but his voice and excessive use of "Souvenir City" ruin him for me.

Buck Showalter - C+

Karl Ravech - A

John Kruk - D

Steve Berthiaume - C+

Peter Gammons - B+

Chris Berman - F - "Back back back back back" and his silly nicknames have gotten old.

Orestes Destrade - C

Orel Hershiser - C

Tim Kurkjian - B

Jon Miller - B-

Joe Morgan - F

Buster Olney - B-

Steve Phillips - F

Jayson Stark - B

Fernando Vina - C

Rick Sutcliffe - C

Eduardo Perez - C-

Chris Singleton - A+

Here's my grades
Eric Young - B

Buck Showalter - C

Karl Ravech - A+

John Kruk - B+

Steve Berthiaume - C-

Peter Gammons - B-

Chris Berman - A (his old **** is still entertaining :)

Orestes Destrade - C

Orel Hershiser - C

Tim Kurkjian - A

Jon Miller - B

Joe Morgan - C

Buster Olney - D

Steve Phillips - F----

Jayson Stark - B+

Fernando Vina - C+

Rick Sutcliffe - F

Eduardo Perez - B

Chris Singleton - B+ [/QUOTE]

boomer annoys me, both in baseball & football

I'd give Jon Miller an A-. Although he doesn't add much insight (he's the play by play guy, he's not supposed to) he has shown that he knows quite a lot about baseball (Like pronouncing players' names correctly)

Of course, even Michael Jackson would seem like a good analyst while working alongside Joe Morgan.

No, I've got an idea here. The Joe Morgan and Tim McCarver Show. Each week, Tim and Joe interview influential people in the world today, but in the end only really tell long, boring anecdotes about playing baseball in the 1850s (no, that's not even hyperbole, they're just that old and senile that they forgot)

Morgan is entertaining, but he really says some dumb stuff, which is part of the entertainment factor in my mind.

I don't especially like Sutcliffe with his constant "Guess what?" Other than that, the only one listed that ever annoys me is....

Chris Berman. Years ago, I kinda liked his imaginative nicknames. But it seems to me now that he has just become a caricature of himself. Its like he CAN'T call a player by his real name, at any point. No, he has to use his own special nics to the point of extreme irritation. "We were expecting a big game from Jake daylight-come-and-you-got-to Delhomme. Smith catches this 22 yard touchdown pass from Jake daylight-come-and-you-got-to Delhomme." Then, just seconds later....."On fourth and goal, its all in the hands of Jake daylight-come-and-you-got-to Delhomme." Gawd, does he have to say that garbage EVERY time?

But the worst of Berman.....far, far worse than anything else he does.... is that constant schreeching "whoop...whoop" anytime a football player fumbles, or misses a tackle or something. Gawd, I literally have to turn off the sound.

The "back, back, back...." thing doesnt bother me, for some reason. I wonder how many sports fans know why he says that on any fly ball that has a chance to get out. Its his impersonation of a famous world series call, when Al Gionfriddo robbed Joe Dimaggio of a homer to help save (temporarily) the series for the Dodgers. Anyone who hasn't heard the call (Red Barbers) can do so at this link.......

http://www.thedeadballera.com/AudioPageGionfriddo.html

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Originally Posted by Swampdog

The "back, back, back...." thing doesnt bother me, for some reason. I wonder how many sports fans know why he says that on any fly ball that has a chance to get out. Its his impersonation of a famous world series call, when Al Gionfriddo robbed Joe Dimaggio of a homer to help save (temporarily) the series for the Dodgers. Anyone who hasn't heard the call (Red Barbers) can do so at this link.......

http://www.thedeadballera.com/AudioPageGionfriddo.html

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Yeah, but still, it really loses its luster when it is done repeatedly. On every home run. Every day.

All I know is:

Steve Phillips: F--------------------

Fernando Vina gets a big fat F from me for for that ugly *** combo moustache/goatee thing he has. That's F as in Ferretface, which is what I think every time I see him on TV.

he reminds me of Bonds, he is soo big now.... He is a steriod ferretface ;)

Interesting.

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Originally Posted by beerchaser

Fernando Vina gets a big fat F from me for for that ugly *** combo moustache/goatee thing he has. That's F as in Ferretface, which is what I think every time I see him on TV.

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But that thing is groomed so perfectly, how can you not like it. :)

Singelton isn't bad. I saw him on baseball tonight for the first time a few nights ago and actually thought he was decent.

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Originally Posted by jcbarr

But that thing is groomed so perfectly, how can you not like it. :)

Singelton isn't bad. I saw him on baseball tonight for the first time a few nights ago and actually thought he was decent.

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Yeah, he's really good. He gives you the perspective of a former big league player, without the bubbling nonsense of a guy like John Kruk. And he actually offers insight into how a certain play worked and what not. They need to use him more.

Heh - Steve Phillips being an analyst is a funny paradox.

He couldn't evaluate players well as a GM - what makes ESPN think he can evaluate players well as an 'expert' analyst (which is part of being a GM is it not?)

I, too, give him an F.

Berman...I can't believe he's still around. But yeah, F for him too.

Kurkjian, Gammons, and Stark are about the only baseball guys ESPN has that I like, though I don't watch as much now with the internet with the information I can't get from a TV show (at least not one I've seen).

Kruk - he always sounds like he's mad. Like he's upset that they made him come to work that day. :)

Kruk irritates the **** out of me. Gammons is probably still my favorite.

I can't stand Jon Miller. He just babbles and babbles. I'll take Morgan's idiocy any day over Miller.

Krukster is fine. I can stand him cause he takes the air out of his own tires from time to time.

Personally I love listening to Kevin Kennedy and Rob Dibble on XM 175.

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Originally Posted by Pavelb1

I can't stand Jon Miller. He just babbles and babbles. I'll take Morgan's idiocy any day over Miller.

Krukster is fine. I can stand him cause he takes the air out of his own tires from time to time.

Personally I love listening to Kevin Kennedy and Rob Dibble on XM 175.

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Ive caught Dibs and Kennedy a few times, and quite liked them, as well.

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Originally Posted by boomboom

Chris Berman - A (his old **** is still entertaining :)

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I never found it particularly entertaining to begin with.

He's actually pretty knowledgeble IMO, (although moreso about football than baseball), but you rarely see that because he has to do his schtick, and then it's time for a commercial or for someone else to talk.

Berman - F---------------------------------------------------

I enjoy Berman's 2-minute Drill segments during football season, but he gets annoying for a whole game.

Joe Morgan is one the least knowledgeable analysts out there. He often openly admits to not having seen certain teams this year. For instance, somebody asks if Andruw Jones can break out of his slump, and what he's doing wrong. organ answers "Well, I haven't seen the Dodgers play this year..." How is this even remotely possible? The #1 baseball analyst on ESPN, the largest sports carrier in the world, has not seen a Dodgers game this year? It's like he sleeps from Monday thru Saturday, and just wakes up to call Sunday Night Baseball. At least some of the things he does are unintentionally funny.

Tim Kurkjian knows what he's talking about, and Karl Ravech keeps it moving as the host, so they're both solid.

Fernando Vina's hair is AMAZING :)

Kurkjian, Gammons, and Olney irritate me with their voices. While informative and knowledgable, the voices kill the deal for me.

Berman needs to ride off into the sunset.

I like Morgan. Certainly not the best at what he does but he has a soothing voice and at times is funny - doesn;t matter if he means to be or not.

Phillips sounds like he knows what he is talking about but as has been pointed out, wasn't the best GM, so what makes him an expert?

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Originally Posted by beerchaser

Fernando Vina gets a big fat F from me for for that ugly *** combo moustache/goatee thing he has. That's F as in Ferretface, which is what I think every time I see him on TV.

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But isn't this thread grading on insight, rather than image?

I love Berman like a brain tumor.

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Originally Posted by Rongar

But isn't this thread grading on insight, rather than image?

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No. You can grade the guys however you want. I used both insight and their image, sound, whatever. For a TV personality, the way they present themselves is huge.

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Originally Posted by HoustonGM

No. You can grade the guys however you want. I used both insight and their image, sound, whatever. For a TV personality, the way they present themselves is huge.

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For me, the only question is: "Do they know the game, and can they impart that
knowledge to me"

For the rest, "the onus is on the recipient" to ignore such trivia as long whiskers;
fat face; grating voice; whatever

Tonight on Baseball Tonight, Buster Olney, Steve Phillips, Tim Kurkijan, and Eric Young had an incredibly intelligent and interesting discussion on the danger of MLB players using maple bats.

So to all of you people who hate the BT crew, maybe you should reconsider...

I like Erric Young :)

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Originally Posted by metsguy234

Tonight on Baseball Tonight, Buster Olney, Steve Phillips, Tim Kurkijan, and Eric Young had an incredibly intelligent and interesting discussion on the danger of MLB players using maple bats.

So to all of you people who hate the BT crew, maybe you should reconsider...

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Give them a topic that is actually about the game of baseball, and not the dangers of bats, and they'll EPIC FAIL, like when Steve Phillips proclaimed Cliff Lee the best left-hander in the American League back in 2006.

Gammons i like, Kurkjian is good also, and I find Kruk very entertaining. Olney gets a little too political sometimes, and my god, doesn't anyone feel bad for that poor guy (name escapes me) who they assigned to Bonds-watch the last five years.

Personally, I miss the old early '90s Braves TBS crew. Skip Caray, Pete Van Weiren (sp?), Don Sutton...man, they were the best in my memory...all due respect to Jack Buck and Bob Uecker (I never had the chance to hear them day in, day out)

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Originally Posted by chuckwillard

Gammons i like, Kurkjian is good also, and I find Kruk very entertaining. Olney gets a little too political sometimes, and my god, doesn't anyone feel bad for that poor guy (name escapes me) who they assigned to Bonds-watch the last five years.

Personally, I miss the old early '90s Braves TBS crew. Skip Caray, Pete Van Weiren (sp?), Don Sutton...man, they were the best in my memory...all due respect to Jack Buck and Bob Uecker (I never had the chance to hear them day in, day out)

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That man would be Pedro Gomez, and I have grown to hate seeing him because of those several years of reporting on what Barry had for breakfast on July 1st blah blah blah.

He's almost as bad as the Ed Werder Cowboy beat...why are the Cowboys the only team, in any major sport, to have their own ESPN beat reporter?

Obviously, because there's interest.