Why does Fox Sports hate baseball fans? – Chicago Tribune
I know Major League Baseball took Fox Sports’ money in exchange for broadcasting rights, but did MLB wonks check to see if Fox Sports 1 had a driver’s license?
Man, this could be one long postseason if Fox doesn’t bring in some adults. When did Fox start hating Cubs fans?
Fox Sports’ broadcast of Cubs-Giants on its FS1 channel Friday night was a whole lot of odd, off-putting angles. The outfield shot seemed like the cameras were on the roof of Murphy’s Bleachers and the replays came from Uncle Morris using his first iPhone.
And you mean Fox can’t afford the strike-zone graphic for every pitch, either?
Plate umpire Todd Tichenor was giving Giants starter Johnny Cueto the other batter’s box and Fox couldn’t show how wide his strike zone was with a simple graphic that every outlet uses and every fan expects?
Oh, wait. Fox finally used the Pitchcast graphic a couple times in the fourth inning. Where had that been? Where is it all the time? Is it a money issue that’s preventing the channel from presenting a complete and professional broadcast? Could Fox afford to use the strike-zone graphic all the time if hadn’t signed Skip Bayless?
Everybody on social media was carving Fox for the broadcast. Get a load of this tweet from former White Sox pitcher Brandon McCarthy: “Is there a chance Fox doesn’t have the rights to this game and they’re actually pirating a security camera feed from across the street?’’
Oh, and where was the replay on Javy Baez’s majestic rainbow of a homer that barely cleared the fence? Broadcasters Matt Vasgergian and John Smoltz talked about it. And talked about it. And talked about it.
But we had to wait five pitches and a second batter to see it. What’s worse, when Fox did show it, we saw better views of Bill Murray cheering than the ball landing in the basket.
As they did with Kyle Schwarber’s playoff homer last year, the Cubs should seal the Baez’s ball in plastic as it sits between the wall and the chain link just so Fox can find it.
This is the product we get on top of a late start with more late starts to come? Fox and MLB wonks will start the ratings-gold Cubs games as late as possible, but at least they’ll make up for it by ensuring that commercial breaks between innings run longer.
Say this for FS1, though: Vasgergian and Smoltz are excellent. Smoltz, in fact, is one of the best going. And MLB wonks should listen to his ideas for changing the playoff structure to benefit properly the team that finishes with the best record in each league
And see if Smoltz has any ideas on camera work.
This is so playoff baseball: Javy Baez made the starting lineup because manager Joe Maddon wanted his defense.
That said, Baez’s defense was there: The tag on the pickoff play and the final out ranging to his right and throwing left as Hunter Pence and his high socks flashed down the line.
The team that wins Game 1 takes the series about 70 percent of the time. Good time for Jon Lester to be the Jon Lester the Cubs bought.
David Ross threw out Gorkys Hernandez trying to steal second in the first inning, then ripped off his mask and stared down the Giants dugout. Don’t make “Grandpa’’ get out of his crouch, people.
In the third inning, Ross picked off Conor Gillaspie. Once a White Sox baserunner, always a White Sox baserunner.
Time for a random Dit-KA.
The beard and the backward batting helmet – Eddie Vedder looked like the stock movie character in the motorcycle sidecar who’ll do anything for whiskey.
The Cubs were lucky not to be trailing in the fourth inning when Buster Posey apparently couldn’t count to two outs. He should’ve scored on what went as a double for Angel Pagan but was more a result of Ben Zobrist looking like a guy making his first playoff start in left when he never got a glove on it. That was Kyle Schwarber circa October, 2015.
What’s up, Rick Wilkins?
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