Wise for YES to Buck-up
BUCK Showalter has the subtle baseball clubhouse ribbing down. When he sees a chance to kid a little, he does it.
This little dash of humor, to go along with his supreme knowledge of the game, made Showalter a good watch this week on YES Network.
That is why if Showalter wants to do more in the future, the network should sign him up. If YES goes through with expanding its brand into radio or podcasts, among other platforms, Showalter could drop knowledge all over the place.
“He’s a baseball genius,” YES president of programming and production John Filippelli said of the former Yankees manager.
This week during the Tampa Bay series, Showalter played well off YES’ regular studio team of Bob Lorenz and Jack Curry.
He went in-depth explaining why a throw from right field by Aaron Judge was so fundamentally sound. When Gleyber Torres got caught off first, he broke down how the Rays executed a rundown perfectly to make the play happen as much as Torres slipping.
But Showalter’s somewhat curmudgeonly managerial persona is what makes his TV presence really click. When Curry used the word “kerfuffle,” Showalter kept bringing it up, reiterating he wouldn’t say it, implying it may come out wrong.
When Curry ended a postgame show using statistics to illustrate a point, he told Showalter the numbers would “dazzle” him. After Curry, who covered Showalter as a New York Times reporter, put forth the info, Showalter deadpanned, “I’m dazzled.”
Showalter, who previously worked at ESPN, is 63, so he may want to manage again. We would have asked what his desires are, but YES did not want him to be interviewed for this column.
If he gets no offers or doesn’t want to return to the dugout, then he would be a strong addition to YES next year.
On the way up: ESPN play-by-player Adam Amin is on the rise. Amin has been promoted to do Thursday night college football with Matt Hasselbeck. Amin, like Hasselbeck, is in the final year of his contract, which makes the duo an interesting combination. Amin may be ESPN’s top pure football play-by-play man, and it wouldn’t be surprising if other networks have interest in him.
NFL shuffle: ESPN and Randy Moss have made a commitment for the future, as the network announced a new deal for the Hall of Fame receiver. It means Moss will be one of the building blocks around “Sunday NFL Countdown” for the future.
For this year, we know who will be with him. Tedy Bruschi replaces Charles Woodson, and Sam Ponder, Rex Ryan, Louis Riddick Jr. and Hasselbeck return. Beyond this season, though, there are strong rumblings ESPN may shuffle the deck. Moss, though, will be at the center of “Countdown.”
Clicker consulting: John Sterling called us back after missing Tuesday’s game and he sounded well. His plan is to go strong the rest of the season and likely beyond.
That said, when WFAN does have to one day replace Sterling in the Yankees’ broadcast booth, it can add Chris Carrino to Ryan Ruocco as a potential option after both passed their tryouts.
Carrino, the radio voice of the Nets, pinch-hit for Sterling on Tuesday and had a relaxed, comfortable sound. For someone who had done just five baseball games seven years ago, Carrino was very smooth with his info and hit the high notes when needed.
Clicker books: “The World’s Fastest Man, the Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor.” Michael Kranish’s book, which describes Taylor as “America’s first black hero,” chronicles the rise and fall of cycling around the end of the 19th century. Papa Clicker says this is a worthwhile read and gives it 4.2 Clickers out of 5.