Jim-Jim and Rob-Bob
For the second straight year, MASN used the innovative approach of sharing announcers for our two Interleague series with the Nats and Orioles.
We hope you enjoyed it - now let me tell you what makes it work.
For the play-by-play guys like Jim Hunter and myself, we have to check our egos at the door and know that the ex-players/analysts will have tons of thoughts on the teams and how they play each other.
Jim and I filled in the spaces this past weekend while Jim Palmer and Rob Dibble broke down the Nats and O's - especially their pitching - and provided great insight throughout the three games.
For Jim and me, we have gotten used to the fire drill that takes place twice per game. In the middle of the third, I would come over this weekend from the visiting TV booth at Camden Yards, Jim would vacate his spot and I would move in with my scorebook, laptop and other necessities of announcing a game.
Then, after the seventh, Jim returned and the process reversed itself. We had only one accident in the six games; my ice water got spilled on the carpet Sunday, but our stage manager Karen did some quick mop-up work and all was well.
I also have to get used to working with a different producer and director, as Chip Winfield and Doug Yalacki (MASN's Nats producer and director, respectively) had the weekend off and we were led by MASN's Orioles crew. My previous network experience kicked in here, as I've worked with dozens of producers over my 25 years in the major leagues, so it was pretty smooth and seamless.
I also worked with Palmer on ESPN games in the early 90s, so Jim and I have known each other a while and that made things easy. When Jim and Joe Morgan were inducted into Cooperstown in 1990, I hosted the TV special, so we even have a bit of a history together.
In the end, Rob and Jim were great, the crew was outstanding and I hope you all enjoyed the weekend. We have a unique relationship between the Nats and O's with MASN, and the fans I've heard from seemed to like the sharing of the crews these last two seasons.
It's hard to picture the Yankees and Mets doing that, or the Cubs and White Sox, but it's been fun being a part of this interesting MASN baseball family in '08 and '09!
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Categories (click for archive)Bob Carpenter | MASNblogs |
I moved to northern virginia within the past year from NYC. I enjoy both of Masn's crews (although Gary Thorne and Jim Palmer are my favorites). It was a very enjoyable listening to both crews work together, it could never happen in NY, because of rival tv networks and the Met Tv crew really hates the Yanks. One klittle comment Bob, please don't whine about the umps so much, it detracts from your broadcast.
Best.
Walter T
Burke VA
Hello Bob. I'm an Oriole fan, but I root for the Nationals when the two teams aren't playing each other. First of all, you and Rob are great. Obviously I watch Gary Thorne/Jim Hunter and Jim Palmer/Buck Martinez moreso than I watch you guys, but when schedules don't conflict I enjoy you guys a lot. I think that combining the booths is definitely a cool idea, although there's a part of me that still wants to just hear my broadcasters, and I'm sure that Nats fans feel the same way. I think that you guys all did a great job in making it work. I'm sure that you and Jim had your hands full in handling Jim (Palmer) and Rob...! One way or the other, I think that all of the MASN announcers for both teams are really great, and baseball fans in this region are lucky to have all of you.
Count me as one fan who definitely does NOT like the merged announcer booths for the O's-Nats series. Nothing against any of you guys (and gals) either personally or professionally, but a train wreck like this would never happen if it were any other two MLB teams involved. Both the Nationals and Orioles deserve their own HD broadcast and their own set of announcers for EVERY SINGLE ONE of their games. In the software business, when something is not working right they say "that's not a bug, that's a feature." MASN should stop trying to pass off this bug in its coverage as a feature. If it wants to be considered a major league RSN, it needs to start treating all of its teams like major league teams. No ifs, ands or buts about it.
With so many extremely biased sportscasters, it was totally delightful to lister to the six games of combined broadcasters, where both teams were represented, but the focus was on the action of the games and not how terrible the "other" team was doing. Congratulations to MASN on a well thought out, polished presentation!