B.J. Surhoff - Rally Killing Home Run Hitter
dfa's mention of Adam Dunn's rally-killing home runs reminded me of something I heard Tim McCarver say eight or nine years ago about a B.J. Surhoff home run.
I live in New York and McCarver had been the color-commentator for the Mets until 1998 or 1999 when he was fired and immediately hired by the Yankees to do games on YES with Bobby Murcer. That was rich because I got to listen to him sourly bitch about how the Yankees didn't play the game the right way as they were dominating baseball like no one had done so since the 1970's Oakland A's (who he probably didn't think played the game the right way either, playing the game the right way isn't always compatible with winning baseball, you know).
Anyway, at some point during his stay on YES I was watching a Yankees-Orioles game where the Yankees were (surprise) beating the shit out of the Orioles something along the lines of 8-0. At the top of the sixth inning B.J. Surhoff came up to bat and cranked one into the seats. This set McCarver off for the rest of the game about how he didn't see the point of B.J. Surhoff's home run and didn't understand why he didn't get a walk or hit his way on base so he could start a rally. He was complaining about this until literally the final inning when he said that Surhoff killed any chance of the Orioles coming back by hitting a home run in the sixth.
Now this cracked me up for a several reasons. First, the whole idea that there was a better thing for Surhoff to do in that situation than hit a home run. Last time I checked, an inning that starts with a rally-killing home run is guaranteed to produce at least one run for the team at bat. An inning that starts with anything else is not guaranteed to produce at least one run. Second is the idea that Surhoff "meant" to hit a home run. It's like Surhoff saw the pitch and thought to himself "hmm, I could do a few different things with this pitch, I think I'll hit a home run." If that were the case, why would he ever chose anything but hitting a home run? That makes no sense. Now I've never played professional baseball but I'm going to guess Surhoff really thought something along the lines of - "That pitch is right in my wheelhouse, I'm swinging! Holy shit, I hit a home run!" Finally, I was amused by the whole idea that the Orioles were going to come back after being down by a lot in the sixth inning against the World Series champs and that that whole effort was derailed by Surhoff actually scoring.
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i actually remember that game
and i remember thinking “wow, the o’s commentators are idiots”. i also remember i was 16 or 17 years old and the the peak of my distain for the yanks.
i wish this team would hit more of those rally killing homers.
"Don't worry, the fans don't start booing until July." - Earl Weaver
by daveh873 on May 20, 2008 10:59 AM EDT 0 recs
oops...
meant to say yanks commentators.
"Don't worry, the fans don't start booing until July." - Earl Weaver
by daveh873 on May 20, 2008 11:00 AM EDT 0 recs
God...
I hate stupid people. That’s the worst piece of commentary I have ever heard of. What kind of stupid jackass says that it’s a bad idea to score? I’ll bet he just couldn’t score in high school or something and is still bitter. Dumb shit!!!
Improving the ballclub: Not one of Peter Angelos' concerns.-SC Wed Jan 30, 2008
by dayzd toe on May 20, 2008 11:13 AM EDT 0 recs
What kind of stupic jackass says it's a bad idea to score?
The kind of stupid jackass who covers every baseball on Fox every Saturday and has done every World Series in my memory – that’s who.
Tim McCarver and Joe Morgan (and Roland Hemond, for the older fans) are a big part of why I frequently think that dumb people feel comfortable working in and around baseball.
by yurizanow on
May 20, 2008 11:41 AM EDT
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I'm not saying his comment isn't stupid, it is very stupid
but I remember reading in Men At Work that Orel Herschiser sort of agrees with this. It’s sort of like a clean slate with no runners on base and as a pitcher you can start over without having to shorten your delivery pitching in the stretch.
Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words—"mank" and "ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
-Jack Handey
by jobe on
May 21, 2008 1:01 AM EDT
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It doesn't matter
I’d take a guaranteed run over the posibility of 3 runs or something.
Improving the ballclub: Not one of Peter Angelos' concerns.-SC Wed Jan 30, 2008
by dayzd toe on
May 21, 2008 9:30 AM EDT
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dear god do i hate McCarver.
"Daddy, is Hevan like BIRDLAND?"
"No son, Hevan is BIRDLAND."
by BENNY BIRDMAN on May 20, 2008 11:31 AM EDT 0 recs
Favorite Timmeh! moment
He’s doing a WS game with Palmer and Al Michaels (yes, I am THAT old).
There’s a sign that spells out ABC with some stupid acronym for the netowrk praising the telecast. Can’t remember what it said, but anyway, here was the exhcange…
Timmeh!: Hey, look at that. Jim, can you read what that sign says?
Palmer, in a flat monotone….”No, Tim, why don’t you tell me?”
Add in Al Michaels’ barely stifled laugh, and it was a classic McCarver moment.
"I wasn't here for the losing years. But it feels a little like the days with Earl in charge and John Lowenstein smashing birthday cakes in the middle of the clubhouse with a bat." - John "T-Bone" Shelby
by duck on May 20, 2008 12:50 PM EDT 0 recs
If memory serves me right
It was Mets-Astros in ‘86, which also produced this classic
McCarver: I just don’t feel the energy that was here last night.
Michaels: Well, the game hasn’t started yet.
You can't fix stupid. Stupid is forever.
by sluggo 2.0 on
May 20, 2008 3:56 PM EDT
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wow.
You would make a girlfriend-from-hell, with a memory like that.
But yes, I actually watched that game.
by Y Not on May 20, 2008 2:32 PM EDT 0 recs
I hate Tim McCarver
I hope B.J. Surhoff manages the O’s someday.
A mind without purpose will walk in dark places.
by NHZ on May 20, 2008 3:22 PM EDT 0 recs
yeah.. BJ Surhoff was a GREAT character for the Orioles
He’s one of my all-time favorites that played for us… Don’t know how he’d do as a manager though. He seems a bit like too much of a nice guy. Could be mistaken though.
by Y Not on
May 20, 2008 4:55 PM EDT
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McCarver's an idiot.
Took too many foul tips to the head.
by timg56 on May 20, 2008 6:25 PM EDT 0 recs
McCarver
TM: “We had our friends at Stats, Inc. check and see whether more multi-run innings came with a lead off homer or a lead off walk. You would think that a lead off walk would lead to more big innings than a lead off home run. Not true. A lead off home run, this year, has lead to more multi-run innings than lead off walks. It’s against conventional thinking.“
It’s almost like OLN hiring me to talk about the fucking dog shows. I once had a dog, ergo I am qualified.
Librarians are hiding something
by dfa on May 20, 2008 7:19 PM EDT 0 recs
What's WRONG with you people?!? Tim McCarver is my idol, and I wish you'd all stop badmouthing him.
Sincerely,
Ferd Manfruhhh
Rah Rah Rasputin / Lover of the Russian queen
There was a cat that / Really loved Birds. -- Boney M
by Titov on May 21, 2008 3:00 AM EDT 0 recs
I'm reading his book right now
Needed a laugh break from the heavy sh!+ I’ve been reading.
Has to be the most ironic title in the history of baseball books
Tim McCarver’s Baseball for Brain Surgeons
...one more dying quail a week and you're playing in Yankee Stadium...
by 33 on May 21, 2008 7:56 AM EDT 0 recs
Sam must've read that
Improving the ballclub: Not one of Peter Angelos' concerns.-SC Wed Jan 30, 2008
by dayzd toe on
May 21, 2008 9:32 AM EDT
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