Sunday, June 03, 2007

You Don't Know Jack

Please explain to me the frequency with which I have to watch Jack Welch, former General Electric CEO, on the Red Sox pregame show? Neither I nor Jack Welch resemble Robert Redford, and Welch's grating voice won't displace an announcer from Bangor to Block Island.

His professional or personal credentials aside, does Jack have pictures of Red Sox or NESN management? Is there a reason why the Sox have to ingratiate themselves to this long-time fan? Has anyone heard or seen Welch offer one insight into either the Red Sox or baseball?

Now I can think of a thousand reasons why Jack Welch would want to be on television, and 999 of them involve an insatiable ego. But unless Welch wants to offer up an occasional tidbit of news or information, tell NESN management, "just say no."

What would I like to see more of on Red Sox broadcasts? I'd like to see more 'baseball stories', not lurid hotel stories of the Ball Four vintage, but simple war stories that guys like Remy, Rice, and Eckersley can spin. No, I don't want to hear about guys sitting on birthday cakes, but maybe more about guys who were the best baserunners, had the greatest arms, or hands, or could steal signs. "Inside baseball" stuff, how to read the pitcher to get a better lead, how to stand in the right place to disrupt a baserunner without drawing a call.

Excuse me if I've told this one. When the Bruins trained at Harvard in the mid-seventies, I overheard the following conversation between two players. "What's the definition of a successful road trip?" (Answer:) "When you get laid four times." All of which goes to show A-Rod's antics show neither originality nor novelty. "Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Jack Welsh is truly awful. The guy is 100 years old, brings nothing to the table and looks as if his grandson just picked him up from the nursing home (I don't have anything against older people, just Mr. Welsh). "Voice of the Fan"? Look around Fenway these days. There are a lot of young college kids and "Pink Hats". Sure, there are older fans but I thought NESN was reaching out to a younger audience.

If I could wave a magic wand and make either Jack Welsh or Tina Cervasio go away, I'd pick Tina. Why couldn't NESN have gotten a local person to do the broadcast? Instead we've got a Jersey girl with a Joker-esque smile and an annoying voice (who's not even a baseball fan, BTW)