I don't think so. He's going to be good. And that Hawk doing road games is a little weird. But Hawk is a little weird so it fits.

Well yeah, he lives in Granger Indiana which is 100 miles away from Cellular. It's more travel than a road game for him.

I didn't know that. Totally understandable.

To be serious,I think he did a fine job. Great find (maybe) by the Sox.

_________________
favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Why the hell does Hawk live all the way out in South Bend?

_________________

I think one of his kids lives out there, so he wants to be around his grandchildren. Poor things.

_________________
"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

He really sounded like a slightly muted Len Kasper. I have no interest in flavorless guys like Kasper. I won't pass judgement yet, but I'm not enthused.

Stone was really irritating with his continual jokes about collecting the money for the pork sandwiches the new guy was eating. We get it, someone doesn't pick up a check, someone has short arms. Oh and the occasional references to WAR & analytics...Hawk (& his fans must have been amused).

Again, no lasting judgement yet, but a bad start imo.

_________________
There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Stone did this all the time with Harry. Harry always picked up every tab according to Steve. Just a running joke. Hawk would not remember or would say Yaz was better.

sort of bland

_________________
I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

Yeah, Stone has always made cracks about people never picking up the check. Well maybe not with Hawk because he's a jerkwad.

_________________

I thought he sounded fine.

_________________

You'd rather have a meatball ex-player like Hawk or the Royals' Rex Hudler?

_________________
"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

While I like Hawk, I know that his time is passing. I really don't want to hear a stats guy focused broadcast, nor do I want to hear a replay of an early 90's Cubbie broadcast. I don't want a good time Charlie/salad tosser like Kasper. I'm willing to give him a chance to grow into the job, prove that he actually has a feel for the game that shapes his broadcast.

I hope the kid does well, but if he doesn't have it after a reasonable time (2 seasons), I'll want him, Stone & Farmer gone. DJ would be on borrowed time, but that's only in recognition that he has had incredibly difficult partners in this changing market and that I really liked him on the limited national Fox broadcasts I've heard.

_________________
There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

He's fine but Hawk is preferable

I thought the new guy was fairly smooth and generally pleasent. I expect him to get better as the season goes on. I enjoyed him for the most part. Hawk is Hawk, and for all of his faults and with being an easy target to poke fun at, he still brings something to the game. Sox fans and some Cubs fans like myself will miss him when he is gone.

It's Stone's broadcast now. I'm not the world's biggest Hawk fan, but I'd much rather listen to him than Smarmy Steve Stone. Every time I hear Stone I feel as if I'm back in college getting a lecture from some know-it-all professor.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Missed the Bus when Dave Wills left for tampa. The guy was the right blend of professional broadcaster and fan-boy meatball. I never met him in person and wouldn't be surprised if he was a jerk, but I think Wills was a good broadcaster. I wished then and I still wish now he was doing White Sox PBP.

_________________

He's no Jim Deshaies!

_________________
favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

I would think if the Sox offered the full time job, he would take it

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Did David Wills even get an interview with the Sox for the TV home games this year? If he didn't that's pretty telling that the Sox do not like him for some reason. Cuz he had to have asked for an interview.

I'm sure he makes more in Tampa than JR would pay him to be part-time here.

_________________
Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

This Jason Benetti has a great gig this year. Think about it. Week of working and then a week off for pretty much the entire season. No travel, gets to stay in Chicago all year. That's pretty cool. I'm guessing he's getting at least 100k to do the 81 games. Not bad.

I leave work at 6pm most nights, and during baseball season I catch 45 minutes of an east coast night game on XM in the car. The Rays and Orioles broadcasts are my first choice if they are at home. Dave Wills is great in just the way wdelaney72 says - meatball professional - and should have never been allowed by JR to leave Chicago in the first place. That being said... he's established roots in Tampa and just doing part-time TV work isn't going to cut it to get him back. If he came back, Hawk would have had to go.

I don't know if his style would really translate to TV, though, or to having to deal with Steve Stone. He might be better suited as a radio guy, and JR seems enamored with Farmio for some insane reason.

_________________
"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

But it's only gonna be "just the home games" for another year or so. Hawk is close to completely quitting.

And TV money in a market like Chicago for half the games is more than radio money in the Tampa market for 162. I guarantee you that.

True. But Wills is also under some sort of contract, so it's not like he can just leave whenever. For all we know, this two year setup is to sync with when Wills would be available, and Benetti can move to the radio side.

_________________
"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Pretty sure all of these baseball broadcasters have "outs" if offered more money and/or bigger markets.

Kasper was under contract with the Marlins when he left for the Cubs.

Mac used to imply that ESPN was unhappy with Wills anti-Cub stuff.



I guess part of making these guys completely vanilla is having hate for the crosstown rival.

I'm not sure it was the anti Cubs stuff as much as a sober view of the Sox. He was no Ranger in evaluating his own team.

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I think the Sox got sick of Chris Rongey as well. Cuz towards the end of the season Rongey said he wasn't sure if he'd be back. Said it like he wanted to go to 890 but just wasn't sure if the Sox wanted him.

The Sox do a lot of surveys with their season ticket holders. I'll bet one of them had a low approval rating for Rongey for being a dick to the callers.

Could also be that Wills is settled and happy in Tampa.
I guess we'll never know.

_________________