A rhetorical question, I know Arnie is dead.

My question is where is the next Arnie Harris?

The next time the Sox or Cubs technical crew(s) capture a throw to first on a pick off move, or show us that 3 guys are covering third base on a throw from the outfield, will be a first in a long time. Are they too busy getting the next promotional shot ready or what?

Why focus on the pitcher after he attempts a pick-off... show us the play!!

That said, keep up the gratuitous T&A shots now that Cooler seems to have joined the aforementioned Mr. Harris. (Moment of silence for Cooler)

I;m going to agree with you. Video production has gone down tremendously since Arnie Harris left the Cubs Broadcast crew. I don't remember missing nearly as much, if anything at all, as much as I have the past few years watching some of this bad technical video direction these days.

Was it just me, or was Sunday's WGN production REALLY terrible? Pitches missed to start an inning, and even a couple of outs, plays shown with swinging cameras looking for the ball, and absolutely horrible directing of which cameras to use to catch anything.

I was contemplating drinking a few cans of Mountain Dew to watch Len and Bob on Comcast, bet then I came to my senses.



Would it be possible to have some sort of professional baseball broadcast in Chicago? Can we get that, huh? Geez...

Teddy had some comments about the overall quality of the broadcasts in his latest column.


Visually, Comcast triumphs
Ch. 9's camerawork, analysis lacking as Cubs win off field too

Published July 2, 2006

It's only five letters long. But Angel Pagan's last name gave White Sox TV analyst Darrin Jackson fits before Sunday's game.

"Defensively for the Cubs," Jackson said, "Murton, Pierre and Pago … Paguh … not PAY-gun … Puh-GONE is in right field."

Jackson shouldn't feel too bad. He was simply part of a WGN-Ch. 9 broadcast that stumbled the entire game.

Four times a year these interleague affairs give Chicago viewers the chance to sample both telecasts, like eating the filet at Gibson's and Morton's on the same night.

And the Comcast SportsNet production team charred its competition Sunday. CSN used better camera angles for key plays (on Derrek Lee's first-inning double, WGN showed Juan Pierre crossing the plate, not the live ball in the infield) and replays (only CSN showed Pierre's poor jump from first on an apparent botched hit-and-run in the fourth). It should be noted, though, that CSN, functioning as the "home" broadcast, had two extra cameras at its disposal.

WGN missed the final out of the top of the fourth and Alex Cintron's error to start the bottom of the fifth. (CSN missed that one too.) And how about when Ozzie Guillen visited the mound to console Mark Buehrle after Neifi Perez's first-inning double? If you were tuned to WGN, you never saw it.

Also, what's with WGN's excessive shots outside Wrigley? Yes, we know what the Addison "L" platform looks like.

OK, enough. Let's look at some key calls from Sunday.

Top of the 1st

Action: A.J. Pierzynski reaches out to poke an RBI single to left.
Reaction: Hawk Harrelson: "What a job by A.J."
Bob Brenly: "Boy, when you're going good, you're going good. Pierzynski just throws his bat at the ball [and] finds grass in left field."
Comment: Mr. Lightning Rod fires up the analysts.

Bottom of the 1st

Action: Ronny Cedeno reaches on a bunt toward first.
Reaction: Harrelson: "There's a bunt. Get over there, somebody." Darrin Jackson: "No defending that. Perfect bunt by Cedeno."
Len Kasper: "That's how you teach it, right?" Brenly: "Absolutely. … Buehrle caught spectating a little on this play. You either have to go for the ball or go for first base."
Comment: Brenly's right. But Buehrle wasn't going to beat Cedeno to the bag anyway.

Bottom of the 1st

Action: Perez doubles down the left-field line.

Reaction: Jackson: "We saw this happen … in Minnesota. Everything that Mark Buehrle threw up there was getting hit hard. That's when (scouting analyst) Mike Gellinger said, 'Hey, you're giving your pitches away.' Maybe we have a similar situation because … the Cubs are teeing off."
Brenly: "The Cubs are being extremely aggressive against Buehrle, knowing he likes to throw strike one and then expand the strike zone. So they're not going to give him that opportunity. Hacking at a lot of first pitches."
Comment: The NL's wimpiest offense bludgeoning Buehrle? I'd be suspicious too.

Bottom of the 1st

Action: Carlos Zambrano takes Buehrle deep.
Reaction: Harrelson: "This is the worst inning I've ever seen Buehrle have." Jackson: "Again, they're teeing off on the first pitch as if they know what's coming."
Kasper: "Zambrano deep to left … and it goes! That is his third of the year. … Wow!" Brenly: "Who are these guys?"
Comment: Good question.

Bottom of the 4th

Action: Pierre nabbed in a rundown.
Reaction: Harrelson: "There goes the runner. They have him caught in a pickle; yes, they do. And … he gone."
Brenly (watching a replay): "That was a hit-and-run. Juan Pierre looking back the whole way. He got a poor jump at first base, a definite tipoff that that was a missed hit-and-run sign by Cedeno at home plate."
Comment: Good stuff by Brenly. Assuming he's right.

Top of the 7th

Action: Scott Podsednik hustles into second on a liner off Cedeno. Cubs seem confused.
Reaction: Jackson: "That was something you might see in a circus. Acrobatics all around."
Brenly: "If Podsednik had taken a peek to third, he could have kept going … there was no one on the bag."
Comment: Why be greedy?

Top of the 7th

Action: Jermaine Dye caught looking on Roberto Novoa's 2-2 curve on the outside edge.
Reaction: Jackson: "Oh, no. Oh, no. Jermaine Dye walking away in a huff over that last pitch, and I don't blame him."
Brenly: "Good breaking ball. … Dye can't believe it."
Comment: Neither can I.

Bottom of the 8th

Action: On his 25th birthday, Pagan homers for the second time off Cliff Politte.
Reaction: Jackson: "There's something that Politte is offering that he truly likes."
Kasper: "(Singing) Happy birthday to you."
Comment: Next on "American Idol" …

tgreenstein@tribune.com

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EGG,
Was that you on the radio to MJH today?

No, I dont really call into shows. I called into B&B back when they started and they were talking about some sort of high school baseball discussion, so i lent my "expertice" as I was currently playing. Other than that, I called into the T-Dub show when I was about 13 talking about Jamie Navarro.

Now, I work from my car and travel all over, so I listen a lot, but cant really call or email much.

I know you didnt ask for all this....oh well

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