2009-04-23 Brewers (Bush) at Phillies (Hamels): 12:05 PM CDT [Brewers win, 6-1]

[bigredrobbo]

This entire "thou shalt not mention the no-no" thread is hilarious. It reminds me of another stupid superstition. This one.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enmztm9uMzQ

[liveforoctober]

Obviously I don't believe that anything we say or do in our homes effects what happens on the field... but still, the superstitious part of baseball or any sport is just one of a number of things that makes sports fun for me.

 

I didn't move from the same spot on my couch today from the 4th inning on until the ball hit the foul pole. I had to go to the bathroom like you wouldn't believe. Did my "sacrifice" help or hurt Dave Bush? No. But I had a lot of fun watching the game... and that "superstition" was part of it, and that is what bothers me about some people who "don't believe in superstitions". Of course they don't mean anything. Of course you are allowed to say or do what you please, and I know that me drinking my beer with my right hand instead of my left will not make Prince Fielder any better at the plate... but you know what... what does it hurt if people have fun with it? I really get upset at people who go out of their way to attack people who are having fun with superstitions. Listen, if someone wants to sit in silence and not mention the fact that their pitcher hasn't given up a hit... and if it helps them enjoy the game... why ruin it by mentioning it every other pitch? (Of course that goes both ways... if someone wears the same shirt for 4 weeks without changing or something... I'm going to pummel them... but most of this stuff is innocent)

 

And I think that is where my problem with Brian Anderson comes into play. He has stated that he has to call the game as if it was a normal game... and that means mentioning the highlights to potential new viewers.. and if that means "jinxing" the game for the pitcher... than he has to jinx the pitcher. Well, what is wrong with saying something like "Dave Bush has something special happening right now..." or "You may want to stick around for this one folks... check the box score on your own" ... you can draw attention to it without saying the poison words "no hitter" "no hits" "or hitless" .. like Brian Anderson managed to do 54 times today. Even Bill Schroeder had to put him in his place a little bit when BA starting asking him about the no hitter he caught for Nieves... Schroeder was just saying "I don't want to talk about it right now, I'm not going to do that"...

 

Listen, of course superstition is fake... but if you are really ruining the moment for so many people who are enjoying the game MORE because of it... and if you really aren't benefiting anyone by saying it... than why do it?

[phxMILWfan]

Amen to that liveforoctober. Thanks for saying what I've been trying to say all day.

 

Also here's a clip of our fabulous new sideline reporter and part of the body of work that got him this job.

 

http://www.youtube.com/wa...=RckOtO7iJnU and

[FVBrewerFan]

For me, very simply, it's more about tradition than superstition.

[razzzorsharp]

I agree with many people here. We all do understand that the announcing as no real effect on the game but it did make a very enjoyable game, a little less enjoyable. Bill Hall's play was one of the best I have seen from a fielder this year and Prince and Braun came up big today. Lastly, the Fielder plunk did not seem intentional.

 

P.S.-I also used to microwave my packs of baseball cards for a couple seconds (not enough to melt wrappers) to heat them up and make them better. I knew at the time that it did nothing but to me, that was just part of the fun. There is no need to rain on anyone's parade. I don't go around telling kid's that Santa isn't real even though I know him not to be out of respect for others.

[moofnelson]

... I don't go around telling kid's that Santa isn't real even though I know him not to be out of respect for others.

 

What do you mean Santa is not real?

[bigredrobbo]

Nobody is saying to not be superstitious - if that's your thing, have at it. It's this expectation that the rest of us who just want to know what is going on and don't have a thing about the cracks in the pavement have to join in is ridiculous. Freedom to choose - it's a beautiful thing.

[razzzorsharp]

That's cool for you to choose but my issue is that I feel he shouldn't have that choice. Too many people, myself included, feel as though it is/was unneccessary what he did today and he could have handled it with a bit more class instead of mocking those of us that just don't like it. Examples in the thread have already been given as to how they could have handled it to appease everyone.

[liveforoctober]

Nobody is saying to not be superstitious - if that's your thing, have at it. It's this expectation that the rest of us who just want to know what is going on and don't have a thing about the cracks in the pavement have to join in is ridiculous. Freedom to choose - it's a beautiful thing.

And I doubt you are one of the people who most of us are talking to... but if you enter a room and look at the score and say "Does Bush have a no-no going?" ... I would nod at you. That is cool. But I would say you are in the wrong if you would then turn to me after the next fly out and say "Yes! A NO-HITTER THROUGH 6 1/3! HE ONLY HAS 8 MORE OUTS TO GO!" ... and repeat that for every out. It doesn't bother me that you don't have that superstitious side as I'm sure it doesn't bother you if someone else does... but if you can avoid the references to make the game more enjoyable for someone else, and it doesn't effect you... why wouldn't you? That is my point...

[BrewCrewForever]

It was so enjoyable to listen to this game on the radio at work today. Once the Brewers got up 5-0 and Bush had gotten through 5 hit less I found myself working while the Brewers batted and paying attention to the radio very intently while Bush pitched. It was intense.

[phxMILWfan]

Quite simply the announcers job is to add to the game not take away from it. You may think that a lot of us who enjoy the superstition or tradition during a no hitter are crazy or stupid, that's fine. What Brian Anderson does during potential no hitters is take away from the game. Instead of us crazy people just enjoying the game, we're cringing and yelling at the tv every time he feels the need to say that Bush has a no hitter going. Therefore he's not doing his job. It's not just a few of us on this web site that feel that way either. His partner in the booth was trying to get him to stop. It's a tradition in baseball. I'm sure when he worked for the Golf Network he didn't talk real loud or yell during a golfers back swing. Why does he have to do this? Some of you got a real kick out of him "jinxing" Bush. Would you enjoy someone in any other phase of your life being a jerk just for the sake of being a jerk? The other part of all of this that B.A. should be ashamed of is that he took the focus for some of us away from Bush's performance and put it squarely on his big mouth.

[GormanHarvey]

To me BA is all about BA. And that was quite evident today imo. He should have stuck with golf. I may be in the minority but I much preferred Sutton

[bucksbeat]

It's hard to believe that this is the same Dave Bush that was so bad to start last season. Since last year's All-Star Break he has been great. Honestly a man crush is forming.

[BrewCrewForever]

I would have to say I enjoy BA. I liked Sutton as well, but I think BA is a very solid baseball announcer. Not flashy, but tells me what I want to know and hear.

[razzzorsharp]

Besides this one minor aspect, I also like BA.

[razzzorsharp]

On an unrelated note Bill Hall's play was number 2 on Web Gems, though they called it the 2nd best play of the year behind Ankiel's catch which just happened to be on the same day.

 

(Holy spelling errors Batman!)

[hawing]

Now that I've seen the play on a screen bigger than mlb.com's, I'm astonished (in a good way) at how quickly he got that throw off. Nice, Bill.

[sheethead]

I can't pass on the opportunity to agree with some correct opinions... Brian Anderson is terrible! I would rather just watch with the sounds of the game without constant blabberous, inane comments. Really, I couldn't see that that was a single to left? Flare here, flare there, every where a flare. His fake, blatant homerism also drives me nuts. And I would think BA would be able to judge fly balls at this point in his career. He's called a few hundred games now, time to read the outfielders or something. I wonder if he is standing up every time a fly ball is hit to the outfield. If there was a was to mute the commentary without sacrificing the sounds of the game, I would be all over that option.

 

For those who compare BA to other team's announcers, who cares if they are as bad or worse. So they are bad also, it doesn't make me feel like BA is decent because he isn't as bad as others.

 

Other than BA being terrible, great win and great series. Go Brewers.

[brewerfan82]

I generally really like Brian Anderson, but he does lay it on thick and gets pretty annoying during no-hit bids. I switched my audio source over to Uecker at the end of yesterday's game and dealt with the time lag between tv and radio. I'd rather hear Ueck's call of a no-hit game anyways.

 

By the way, anyone else digging Provus' "Back, track, wall and GONE!" homerun calls? I really like it and I think they picked an excellent choice to fill Powell's shoes!

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

OK I went back and watched the last several innings last night. I defended BA earlier in the thread. Even though I could care less about the superstitions...I will give you he went a little too far. Continuing to talk about it when Schroeder was obviously not happy made the entire dialogue uncomfortable which makes it harder to enjoy. I do like BA and think he's good, not just relative to others, but he stands on his own. However I will grant you that yesterday could have been handled better.

 

Mea culpa.

[logan82]

By the way, anyone else digging Provus' "Back, track, wall and GONE!" homerun calls?

 

No, I think it is lame. He seems good otherwise.

[brewerfan82]

Haha, well I guess I'm a sucker for words that rhyme! The only way it could be better is if it was "Hack! Whack! Back! Track! Wall! Ball! Gone! SO LONG!" But seriously, I kind of like it. Although, I've only heard it called twice so far, so we'll see how it stands after hearing it over and over again.

[GormanHarvey]

By the way, anyone else digging Provus' "Back, track, wall and GONE!" homerun calls? I really like it and I think they picked an excellent choice to fill Powell's shoes!

I kinda like it too. Its better than him calling it the outfield "barrier" or calling bases "cushions"