Curt Schilling - really????

[riseball]

Surely he won't be on tonight. I'll turn the audio off, if he is. And that can't be what the sponsors want. 10-20 yo girls have no idea who he is. You can bet he won't be in the booth during the MLB World Series. He isn't good enough.
So, they assigned him to us. ?!!!

ESPN is not targeting 10-20 year old girls. Watch the ads and you will get an idea of the demographics of the audience. Broadcasting these games has nothing to do with advancing the sport. Folks need to get over it and enjoy the fact that they broadcast more softball this season than the last 10 combined.

 

[dgfred]

Hard to believe that a clueless announcer can make a broadcast so difficult to watch. Not discounting his limited
knowledge of the game-the constant stumbling over his own words was far worse

Announcers can make or break a broadcast... I like to turn off the sound and listen to jams some of the time. Some baseball announcers can put you to sleep... while others say the most stupid things. Listen to Tim McCarver a couple of times.

I will watch Jessica Mendoza any day

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

and so when you watch college baseball, you want Jennie Finch giving her 2 cents about what she would do? He called for a pitch up and in on one occassion where she was saying what he would do and the pitch was a change up for a strikeout. I could care less about his career or his baseball knowledge! It does this sport a disservice to think that it needs a baseball analysis to give it credibility...

I don't watch college baseball. I do think it would be interesting to hear Finch's take on a game, though.

I don't think Curt was needed for "added credibility." I do think that the perspective of a 20 year MLB veteran with 3 WS rings, 6 All Star appearances, a WS MVP, over 3k strikeouts, and a likely HoF'er who also happens to be learning about fast pitch is a great bridge between the world of MLB viewers and the game we come here to discuss. And while it's true that softball isn't baseball, maybe instead of being snobs about it we could actually learn something from a guy like Schilling. Or do you really think none of his knowledge is applicable?

I clearly don't watch the game for the same reasons and with the same intent that some of you do. So what? We should all conform to the Official DFP Viewing Standard for the WCWS?

Yeah, he stumbles over words sometimes in the rush to say what he wants to say. Instead of tuning him out because baseball, maybe tune in and try to decipher what he means.

 

[mann]

So Smith said she would throw down and inside off speed to Haeger. Couple pitches later Haeger drives low and inside pitch out of the park.
Schilling says that with that stance she can't reach the outside pitch. Her 2nd at bat she drives the down and outside pitch for a double. Sorry but all ya all sthu!

The other commentators were saying the same thing, all game long.

I kept hoping for outside so they could become speechless.

 

[dgfred]

Big as she is she can reach about everything.

Down and away kept it in the park

 

[Ajaywill]

I'd rather listen to Schilling, who admits that he doesn't know it all, than Smith and Mendoza, who pretend they do (when they clearly don't)!

...especially when they try to show their rule knowledge....

 

[Cannonball]

I don't watch college baseball. I do think it would be interesting to hear Finch's take on a game, though.

I don't think Curt was needed for "added credibility." I do think that the perspective of a 20 year MLB veteran with 3 WS rings, 6 All Star appearances, a WS MVP, over 3k strikeouts, and a likely HoF'er who also happens to be learning about fast pitch is a great bridge between the world of MLB viewers and the game we come here to discuss. And while it's true that softball isn't baseball, maybe instead of being snobs about it we could actually learn something from a guy like Schilling. Or do you really think none of his knowledge is applicable?

I clearly don't watch the game for the same reasons and with the same intent that some of you do. So what? We should all conform to the Official DFP Viewing Standard for the WCWS?

Yeah, he stumbles over words sometimes in the rush to say what he wants to say. Instead of tuning him out because baseball, maybe tune in and try to decipher what he means.

The Red Above has nothing to do with softball. Heck, then lets have Sabrina Williams comment as well. Perhaps she can teach us a thing or two about tennis along the way. You mentioned that he was "learning about softball." That was apparent. Why would a Women's sport need a man to compare it to a man's sport? I'm not understanding this unless you think, as apparently ESPN Executives believe" that the women can't get it done on their own. Softball is not baseball. Softball pitching is not baseball pitching. Softball defense is not the same.

Per being a "snob," maybe I am but I expect women's sports to be able to stand on their own without male chauvinism. JMHO!

 

[Lenski]

I liked the fact that he was excited to be there. Give him a break, it was his first time announcing at a softball game. So he stumbled on words and showed his lack of knowlege (admittedly). He still had a good time and he did provide some thoughts from a different angle. Hey, it could have been worse!

 

[mann]

Funny.



I did like his comment on the intentional hit by pitch, he said something like if that's what they want to do, as a pitcher, make sure they do not want to do that again.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Part of the problem was/is Shilling positioned as a field analyst and contributing like he was in the booth.

Someone needs to correct the idiot announcer (Mowins?) that keeps saying Wagner is the only senior in the starting line-up - Lauren Sweet is too. They traveled together for their unofficial visit and agreed on the way back to play together at Michigan.