Time To Fire Tom McCarthy
by pacino on Apr 27, 2009 8:52 PM EDT
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PrintHe crossed a line last night from which there is no going back. During the second inning of the Phillies/Nationals game McCarthy manned the television broadcast, as per usual. When Elijah Dukes launched a home run into Ashburn Alley, McCarthy reacted as though it were the playoffs and and he was part of the Nationals' broadcast. His voice went up, he used his lame 'gone!' catchphrase, and essentially acted the anti-homer. Hell, he almost verbally orgasmed over Ryan Zimmerman's upper-deck shot in the fifth inning.
Alas, none of that was out of step with the rest of his calls over the early season. He's been anything but a fan, and his history as a bonafide Mets fan bares that out. Still, one could almost stand him if he didn't trample over something sacred to Phillies fans...
...Then he decided to do just that. Back to that second inning call: McCarthy, still marveling at the strength of one Elijah Dukes, muttered a line so insane it boggled the mind of many a Phillies fans. The line? Let me quote it verbatim:
"That was Mike Piazza territory!"
Mike Piazza territory (tm). Seriously. Seriously? SERIOUSLY?! To call Ashburn Alley, named after one Richie 'Whitey' Ashburn, MIKE PIAZZA TERRITORY is like a dagger straight to the heart. It's hardly worth mentioning Piazza barely played at Citizens' Bank Park, nailling just two homers as a visiting New York Met.
Oh, a Met. Mike Piazza was a Met. Tom McCarthy is a Mets fan. It goes as far as that. He could've certainly called it 'Ryan Howard territory' and I wouldn't have minded. But to go to Mike Piazza, that's a low blow. Either it's prepared material, which is simply an egregious misstep, or it was something off the top of his head, which is that much worse since the first comparison he comes up with is to a former Met icon.
It's time Phillies front office. Tom McCarthy must be delivered. His time in the sun has set, and someone with a little more fire and passion in their loins for the Phillies franchise must step forward. Scott Franzke comes to mind. Formerly thought of as mercenary filler for the radio, Franzke's become the de facto #1 announcer since the passing of the legendary Harry Kalas. His chemistry with Larry Andersen is undeniable, and his sincere joy at watching the Phillies comes through without becoming obnoxious. He's taken to this team, and many fans have taken to him. It's time to drop the de facto part of #1 announcer.
This is not an idle request. Please contact spalmer@phillies.com if you are as upset as this as I. Some may see this as an overreaction, and it may very well be one; I don't care. This was the last straw.
also posted at huge tiny mistake
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Franzke is an excellent broadcaster and you’re 100 percent right about his chemistry with LA. They belong on TV.
Meanwhile, McCarthy sounds excited about literally everything.
Broad Street Hockey - SB Nation's Philadelphia Flyers Blog. Makin' it look mean since 1967.
I do like those two, but from time to time they get a little too bitter and disgusted for my tastes. LA acts like he never had an ill-conceived approach to a batter before, when I know from firsthand knowledge that sometimes he did.
Honestly, I love the bitter and disgusted thing. But I get bitter and disgusted myself, so I just like having my choir preached to.
by FuquaManuel on Apr 27, 2009 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m with you. I’m not sure if Franzke gets bitter as much as LA… in fact, it could just be LA. But personally, I love that about him.
Broad Street Hockey - SB Nation's Philadelphia Flyers Blog. Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Travis Hughes on Apr 27, 2009 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions
I can't stress enough
how strongly I support any action that gets T-Bag canned.
He’s intolerable. I don’t want a blatant homer—but I damn sure don’t want a Phillies announcer who gets much more geeked up when something crappy happens than when something great happens. He’s also just a lousy announcer: talks way too much, adds no insight, and consistently offers painfully lame transitions from some dumb thing he’s blabbing about to the action on the field.
This isn’t a new thing, either—I couldn’t stand his terrible work last season, and was trying to think about ways to draw attention to it before the “distraction” of the WFC run… after which it didn’t seem as big of a deal. But now we’re stuck with this jackhole for nine innings every night… just painful. I had the Nats broadcast tonight, and as awful as those guys are, I’m deeply grateful that mlb.tv spared me McCarthy’s orgasmic verbal journey into “Mike Piazza territory.”
probably an overreaction, but I did think it odd enough to wonder: did Piazza homer at CBP? If he did, it wasn’t memorable. Simply “new” territory would have been enough. Zimm hit true bombs, for real. I’d call it “Zimmerman Territory” to credit this rising stud.
But as for the announcers, short term, flip the radio and TV teams. Long-term, Scott Graham would be nice to have back. What’s the story of his departure? I read somewhere that it was Harry-related, but then I read later that Graham spoke at HK’s gravesite.
I had also heard something like that. Not sure how true it is, but I heard that he was trying to push his way into Harry’s job or something and that effectively got him canned. After the Phils, he did a lot of meaningless stuff for CN8 and stuff. Now, he does the MLB Home Plate morning show on XM.
Broad Street Hockey - SB Nation's Philadelphia Flyers Blog. Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Travis Hughes on Apr 27, 2009 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Speaking of Graham, I was interested to see that he was asked to give a speech at Harry the K’s “real” funeral – the family-only affair. Link. Indicates some real closeness, something beyond just a close workplace friendship.
Back when the Kalas-Wheeler smackdown was at its height, I vaguely recall reading in some rag (Phillymag?) that Graham had threatened to punch Wheels in the face. I suspect that was his undoing. The team wasn’t ever going to get rid of Harry himself, but you couldn’t side with him and against Wheels.
And I see WL just posted about the same thing, but I’ll post this anyway.
What exactly is Wheels’ purpose anyways? I have been wondering that for a while. He doesn’t have the voice (and skill) to do play by play, and he doesn’t really bring anything to the table as a color man. Seems like a waste.
by FuquaManuel on Apr 27, 2009 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions
comic relief, at this point a poor man’s Tim McCarver. Plus, he’s “huge.”
by Wet Luzinski on Apr 27, 2009 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah. But at least McCarver played the game so he is good for a stupid anecdote every now and then.
Wheeler is a homeless schizophrenic man’s McCarver, and I hate McCarver!
When is a team gonna get a stat geek to do color analysis? That would be awesome.
by FuquaManuel on Apr 27, 2009 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions
It was Phillymag. The article is long gone from the interwebs, but you can see some references to it here.
Regarding Wheeler, it’s just like any other workplace. The guy has been there for forever. He’s entrenched and he has a lot of influence and can throw his weight around. As far as his skill as a broadcaster goes, I don’t think he’s wholly without redeeming value, but if given a choice, I would definitely go with Scott Graham + Replacement Level Colorman over the TMac + Wheels dynamic duo.
then keep Sarge. I love Sarge personally. He has a great voice and he can give a decent insight here and there and he tends to say pretty hilarious stuff.
by FuquaManuel on Apr 27, 2009 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Yah, I’ve warmed to him a bit. On Saturday he was galloping off about dogs in a well-nigh Whitesque fashion. It can be a long, boring game. You need to have that uncertainty that you have when your normally staid uncle gets uncharacteristically drunk and says dumb stuff to keep tuned in no matter how drab the game is.
by Wet Luzinski on Apr 27, 2009 11:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Replacement Level Colorman
Nice. Best post all week.
Remember the Phitans
by RememberthePhitans on Apr 28, 2009 11:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Radio call by Franzke and Anderson of the Ibanez slam is really fun to listen to. Joy, texture, silliness, but the call too. I think they are just enjoying the radio “bench role” without the pressure of trying to fill Harry’s shoes. If I’m running this show, I might let this develop until the all-star break, then pull the switch and put them on the TV.
At the same time, though, they’ve been developing for a while now. They really came into form together last season.
But you do have a point.. pushing them into it so quickly after Harry’s passing could backfire.
Broad Street Hockey - SB Nation's Philadelphia Flyers Blog. Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Travis Hughes on Apr 28, 2009 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions
I was going to post about moving Franzke to the TV booth and booting TMac a few days ago. If anyone has the time to, go back and listen to both of their calls on the Victorino slam against the Marlins. Franzke was jubilent, but still professional. McCarthy was like, “Deep drive, way back, and the Phillies take the lead.”
ON A GAME CHANGING GRAND SLAM HOME RUN HE ANNOUNCED IT LIKE IT WAS THE OTHER TEAM!
For Who? My teammates.
For What? To Win.
How Much? Where do I sign?
Well, Red Barber used to show no emotion and he’s a HOFer. Vin Scully doesn’t show much either. Not that T-Mac can be mentioned in the same sentence as those guys, but emotion, jubilation, etc. aren’t that important in and of themselves.
Of course, if he’s showing emotion for the other team only, then that’s a problem.
I don’t hate McCarthy as much as some, but I do find him to be an across-the-board mediocrity. We can do better (and we would be doing better, if not for workplace politics).
Vin Scully is one of the best cures for insomnia around – as long as you only listen one time through the order
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Apr 28, 2009 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment on T-Mac. On his best nights he’s average, on nights like last night you want to reach through the TV and slap him accross the face. Still, I don’t get the love for Scott Graham at all. While he does have a good voice his conversation was always so dull. And that “put another one in the win column for the Fightin’ Phils” was such a cheesey tag line, I used to race to change the channel before I had to listen to it. Personally, I’d rather see whats behind door #3.
Unfortunately, its likely that we’re stuck with the current line-up for the rest of the season given the booth is already down a man, its best man. Hopefully the Phils do a full reassesment over the course of this year and in the offseason and make the correct calls for 2010 and beyond – promote Franzke & LA, jettison T-Mac or at least minimilize his role, keep the Sarge in his current role, hire a new #2 play by play to slot in behind Franzke, can Wheeler (well, we can hope…)
Shut him up
I was never a great fan of the dead air that Harry and Whitey used to leave on the radio games, but at least they relaized you don’t have to fill EVERY second with blather.
McCarthy won’t shut up!!! And I HATE announcers (like the Sixers have) that praise and parise and praise the opponents, I guess so you won’t mind when your team loses? And McCarthy is very much in that vein – “Wow, these guys are GOOD!” The NATIONALS??? They SUCK, but not so you’d know that if you listen to McCarthy.
He is a pitchman, not a play-by-play guy. He reached his Level of Incompetence (from The Peter Principle) when they had him doing between-inning interviews – and he wouldn’t shut up when he was doing those, either!
There’s a REASON that even the Mets dumped him – and if you listen to their broadcasts on 660 AM, you know that they are pretty damn lousy!
Move Frantzke and LA to TV – at least for 4 to 5 innings a game. We need the reality check they provide.
Dunk the T-Bag
I can’t stand Tom McCarthy. Combined with Wheels, it is truly a horrible duo.
Frantzke and LA are entertaining and both seem comfortable and natural in their calling of the game. I still hear LA blurting out “Yeah!” over Frantzke’s call when Victorino hit the salami off of Sabathia in last season’s LDS. Pure, unadulterated excitement when the Phils do well.
The Stairs homer from the NLCS is probably the best example of Franzke and LA working their magic.
Broad Street Hockey - SB Nation's Philadelphia Flyers Blog. Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Travis Hughes on Apr 29, 2009 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions
I am not a McCarthy fan but “Piazza Territory” didn’t bother me. I took it as him drawing an analogy to other long home runs hit by opposing players. Plus, those were some pretty beefy shots and worthy of some recognition. I agree McCarthy needs to shush it a bit. This isn’t hockey.
by PhillyPhantastico on Apr 29, 2009 10:39 AM EDT reply actions
Sarge
Sarge just looks uncomfortable doing the post game interviews. They need to figure this whole thing out
I watch the games on mute now...
What does it for me is that horrifically annoying homerun call “looooong gone!” Ugh… it takes all the fun out of a homer. He’s just not a good announcer; thats all there is too it. I’ve always wondered why he became the Phillies’ go-to guy. He’s been annoying for a really long time. Lets keep this going and make ourselves heard…
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