Yankees 7, Indians 2

Morgan’s Slow Start
Hurts NBC Telecast

NBC Starts Strong, Though, with Short But Sweet Pregame Show

By George Stahl

While the Yankees knocked the Indians out early in the game, NBC analyst Joe Morgan staggered through the opening innings until he got his legs under him and eventually regained his title as one of the best analysts in baseball.

Morgan’s partner, Bob Costas, had another solid game, hitting viewers with a flurry of stories, stats and overall smoothness. Costas clearly was ready to go from the opening bell, unlike Morgan.

It seemed like last week’s hectic schedule, in which Morgan did seven games in four cities on three different networks, finally caught up with him Tuesday night. It was amazing last week to watch and hear Morgan effortlessly move from one venue, network and partner to another.

But Morgan struggled early Tuesday to make his points and to make them clearly. In the Yankees game-winning first inning, he tried to make the point that pitchers facing New York have to take advantage of the count when it is 2-2, not 3-2, when the Yankees’ excellent hitters have the advantage. It was a good point, but Morgan unfortunately had a tough time effectively explaining it.

Another time, when the game was 2-0, he said the Indians want to hold the Yankees to only one more run because they don’t want to give up “three, four or five runs.”

He also made some flubs, such as calling Cleveland “Houston” once; referring to this as the Division Series, when it is the League Championship Series; and suggesting that Indian second baseman Joey Cora stole second, when it was shortstop Omar Vizquel.

Morgan also made English teachers around the country cringe when he talked about how pull hitters hit more to one side than “all the other two fields.” Eek!

Viewers could tell something was up because Morgan was unusually silent the first couple innings. While Morgan certainly isn’t as afraid of silence as Fox’s Tim McCarver is, he was noticeably missing at certain points. Maybe he knew then that he wasn’t at the top of his game.

But as the game progressed, so did Morgan’s analysis. By the middle innings, he was up to his normal standard as arguably the best analyst in the business. He explained that fans shouldn’t be amazed by Chad Ogea’s good performance in relief of starter Jaret Wright, noting how much easier it is coming in down a lot than starting a game at 0-0.

Morgan also explained how Vizquel “deflects” the ball to his throwing hand when he fields a grounder, instead of just catching it with his glove. Later, he said was surprised by the success that an off-speed pitcher like Ogea had because he thinks the Yankees have a tougher time against hard-throwers like Wright.

Costas, though, is a hard-throwing announcer who also can change speeds. He isn’t afraid to give his opinion, and he certainly is adept at maneuvering the conversation to get in a good story or stat. And he had his best stuff going Tuesday night. Some of his better offerings:

• Costas noted that Yankees rookie Shane Spencer is one of two players to hit 10 or more home runs in a season with less than 100 at-bats. The other person? A fella named Ted Williams.
• He quoted former baseball manager Lefty Phillips (Who?) who once remarked that “Our phenoms ain’t phenominating.”
• Costas correctly pointed out that it is foolhardy to compare current playoff records with those from 30 or more years ago because back then the World Series was the only playoffs. And World Series pressure is a lot different than pressure in the League Championship Series or Division Series.

Things that make you go hmm: 1. Morgan on Yankees rightfielder Paul O’Neill, “He is one of the most underrated players in baseball today.”
2. Costas saying that Yankees manager Joe Torre feels Tim Raines is better against the high fastball, which Wright throws, than Chili Davis.
3. Morgan, after an excellent defensive play by the Yankees Derek Jeter, “When people say today’s ballplayers are bigger, stronger and faster. They are correct.”
4. Both Costas and Morgan believe Yankees manager Joe Torre should be American League Manager of the Year.
5. Morgan said all of the Yankees numbers from this season are great but you still have to play smartly and well to win in a short seven-game series.

Good graphics: 1. Wright allowed 17 first inning runs in 32 starts in 1998.
2. Wells had 33 minutes of rest between the first and second inning
3. Wells had thrown a first-pitch strike to nine of the first 14 batters.
4. The Indians have lost seven straight opening games of playoff series (although NBC should have shown how many of those series the Indians came back to win. Morgan speculated that it was four of the seven.)
5. The biggest upsets in League Championship Series history, based on difference in wins, were the 1987 Twins over the Tigers (13 wins difference) and the 1973 Mets over the Reds (17 wins difference).

This led to a good interchange between Costas and Morgan because Costas referred to the Reds as Joe Morgan’s Reds. Morgan corrected Costas by saying those were the Johnny Bench or Pete Rose’s Reds. It was Morgan’s Reds in 1975 and 1976, when they won two World Series.

Morgan later talked about how he told his former Reds manager, Sparky Anderson, that he never wanted to play in tight defensively on a wet Astroturf with a big hitter batting. He said came to this decision after Dave Parker nearly hurt him in a similar instance.

Good lines: 1. Morgan, on the Indians’ Manny Ramirez being a very smart hitter but not as smart a runner or fielder, “He’s not a Phi Beta Kappa in right field.”
2. After Indians leftfielder David Justice made a diving catch on Tino Martinez line drive, Costas said, “If you ask Tino Martinez, he might say this is an in-Justice.”
3. Morgan, during the middle innings, “I can’t remember the last good swing that I have seen from an Indians hitter.”
4. Costas, over a shot of Yankees reliever Mariano Riviera in the bullpen, He’s “wearing oven mittens in case he has to move a pie tonight.”
5. Morgan, on Yankees pitcher David Wells getting reprimended for wearing Babe Ruth’s old hat, “That’s why they call it a uniform.”

Nice touch: Costas and Morgan properly remembered former Orioles shortstop Mark Belanger, who died earlier in the day from cancer at the age of 54.

Bad touch: NBC ignored the Colorado Rockies’ naming Jim Leyland, the former Marlin manager and defending World Series champion, as their next coach.

Unanswered questions: 1. Why did NBC show division series stats for some batters in their first at-bat and season stats for others? NBC should, at some time, show season and playoff stats for all players.
2. Is NBC so short of commercial time that it has to add commercials during game coverage? Twice, NBC showed short commercials (one for “Crime and Punishment” and the other for “Friends”) in between batters. Brutal.

Grade: B-, Morgan and NBC have been much better.

By George Stahl

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NBC’s Pregame Show Short But Sweet

NBC’s SunAmerica pregame show covered all the necessary items in its short lifespan. NBC started by showing the Yankees dominance over the Indians this year, and then Joe Morgan suggested how the Indians could win Game One (although Bob Costas seemed to have ask how the Indians could win the series).

After a commercial break. Keith Olbermann interviewed Indians manager Mike Hargrove, while Jim Gray talked to Joe Torre. Both announcers sought answers on the Jaret Wright issue, which was the most talked-about topic going into Game One. Some Yankees consider the Indian pitcher a head-hunter after a couple pitches this year, but both managers downplayed the issue.

Overall, a very fine abbreviated pregame show.

By George Stahl

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To post a comment on our review, go to the Speak Out page.
To e-mail your opinion to George, click here.