if Bobby Valentine winds up manager of the Red Sox, is there a chance he would also be swapping jobs with Terry Francona?
Yes, that’s what we think. And so do other TV/baseball sources who believe ESPN would not hesitate to bring Francona into its “Sunday Night Baseball” booth to replace Valentine should he split for Boston.
If Francona does not return to the dugout in 2012, and is seriously interested in getting into television, Fox Sports did the former Red Sox manager a huge favor allowing him to join Joe Buck for Games 1 and 2 of the Tigers-Rangers ALCS. Francona replaced Tim McCarver, who was recuperating from a minor heart procedure.
Francona, with only one previous broadcast booth experience (it was on the radio), wasn’t just well received by critics and fans alike — they went gaga for him. The extremely positive feedback would provide ESPN brass at least one layer of security if it decided to hire Francona for its marquee “SNB” package. We who ripped Fox for foisting an inexperienced Francona on fans during the ALCS could not resurrect that criticism.
More importantly, the composition of ESPN’s “SNB” booth would provide Francona with adequate cover. Not only would Francona be working with play-by-play man Dan Shulman, who takes a back seat to no voice when it comes to setting up his analysts, he also would be alongside Orel Hershiser, who can inhale plenty of air time with his opinions. Hershiser also has worked well with a variety of partners. He’s a highly adaptable mouth.
There’s something else for ESPN to consider. Even if Valentine returns to “SNB,” will Hershiser? He, along with Steve Garvey, is part of a group interested in buying the Dodgers. While it’s unclear who the moolah-men are behind them, those in the know say this is not some pie-in-the-sky gambit.
Last week, Hershiser made it clear to ESPNLosAngeles.com this Dodgers thing ain’t no joy ride for him. “I’m as serious as my heart beats,” Hershiser said. “The next step in the process is to be approved by baseball to bid on the team. We think with the people and the assets we have in place, we will be a serious contender.”
So ESPN could be looking at losing two “SNB” analysts … or one … or none. Let’s not get side-tracked. If there’s an empty chair in the “SNB” booth, and it’s Valentine’s, here’s another reason Francona would be coveted by ESPN: Buzz factor.
Francona would come to ESPN with spotlight status and, considering how he exited Boston, a touch of controversy too. This is good. It will have fans talking, interested in tuning in to see what Francona has to say. The experiences he would bring to the booth are current. His analysis, fresh. This was evident during his two ALCS appearances.
There is precedence for a broadcaster swapping gigs with a manager. In 1960, the Cubs got off to a slow start under manager Charlie Grimm. Owner P.K. Wrigley moved Cubs radiocaster Lou Boudreau (he had already managed Cleveland, Boston and Kansas City) to the dugout and Grimm went to the radio booth.
ESPN suits would not have to put their selection of Francona in historical perspective. His value has already been established.
IRON HEADS
CBS Sports suits must think Phil Simms Thanksgiving All-Iron award is priceless. That’s got to be the reason they made sure the “prestigious” plaques got a police escort to Cowboys Stadium on Thanksgiving.
All-Iron award? Stanley Cup? Yeah, they got a lot in common. Yes sir, the All-Iron is worth a police escort and whatever taxpayer dough is expended on that detail, right? It would be asking too much of CBS to have its own people schlep the hardware (it sure looked like plastic) to the stadium.
Besides, there would be a viewer revolt if CBS didn’t air incredibly compelling video of the police, who don’t have anything better to do, toting the awards. Blame John Madden for this. He started the Thanksgiving awards craze with his turkey legs. But the Big Man did it with a down-to-earth touch reflecting the holiday spirit. And no police escort.
DO AS I SAY
There musta not been a mirror in Craig Cartoon’s glass house during Brandon Jacobs’ Wednesday appearance on WFAN’s morning show. Cartoon, whose act includes a variety of verbal sewage, began lecturing Jacobs, telling him: “You got to be more sensitive about what you say.”See, there is humor in hypocrisy.
STEPHEN GETS EVEN
While he is known mostly for his NBA analysis and insight, Stephen A. Smith often is a penetrating interviewer. He took this aspect of his game to a stunning new level Thursday working ESPN-1050’s morning shift. In a valiant attempt to break major news, SAS asked his sidekick Skip Bayless the following question: “Did you recently marry Tim Tebow?”
Fortunately it became apparent SAS’ question was in jest. Still he did make a point. Bayless has genuflected so emphatically, so often in the direction of Mt. Tebow his joints must be aching. Bayless, looking to extricate himself from the mess SAS deposited him in, said Tebow is Smith’s “worst nightmare.”Not quite. Well-embedded moles say Stephen A had a dream, a bad dream, and it had something to do with working with Bayless.
WRITE ON, AL
It pays to listen when a guy who has been on top of the heap for many moons, like Al (Exigente) Michaels, riffs on the state of his business. That said, it would be no surprise if some of Michaels’ colleagues at NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” as well as other NFL TV partners, got chilly over his recent essay in Broadcasting & Cable magazine.
Among other things, Michaels wrote: “Here’s a word of caution to my peers and colleagues. Don’t let the technology overwhelm … the game itself. Wall-to-wall talk from the booth or every-two-second camera cuts to fans in the stands chewing fingernails is what will get an audience ready to throw shoes at their television sets.”
Michaels writes the truth. The truth hurts. Especially to those who take credit for re-inventing the way NFL football is televised.