38Cliches.com

The Old Site IS Back

2007-09-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

www.38cliches.com

Please go there.

From The Mailbag

2007-09-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

A reader sent me a thoughtful discussion of the Glenn Geffner mess a couple of days ago. With that reader's permission, I am reprinting it here.

So, after reading your blog for many months now, I have summarized my
opinions the following way. There are two sets of concerns: Legitimate
Complaints and Overblown Complaints. I have summarized them here, and
as like before, I do not wish to be identified by name or email, if you
chose to publish any of this. Anyhow, my complaints are summarized as
follows:

LEGITIMATE COMPLAINTS
Although his job title and lack of skills are serious issues, I don't
believe them to be the legitimate complaints. The Red Sox broke up a
team with good rapport and installed an unqualified announcer into the
broadcast booth. I have summarized the real issues, as know them, as
legitimate complaints here:

1. His voice is not fit for the job. Unfixable. You either have it or
you don't. He just doesn't sound right and there are plenty announcers
they could have chosen who DO sound right.

2. He has zero rapport with either Castiglione or O'Brien. At least
Castiglione and Trupiano had a great rapport. I think the Sox haven't a
clue how important rapport is. Do they even realize the damage they've
done?

3. He's not good yet because he doesn't have enough experience. This
means he was not and is not ready for an MLB gig. The voice issue(see
#1), however, might preclude him from EVER being qualified.

4. He didn't earn this job. All indications are that Lucchino promised
him the job and pushed it through. Got to hand it to him for his
loyalty to his employees, huh? But let's see if Larry has the guts to
make the right decision in the off-season, hopefully letting him go with
more class than the Trupiano departure.

5. He's not as good as Trupiano. I hear there are people who didn't
like Trupiano, but you have to admit Trupiano was far better than this.

6. His pre-2007 broadcasting experience is suspect. They claimed that
he had experience at all levels, but I must be missing something.
Lesser standards in San Diego? Was this resume fabricated so that he
would appear to be worthy of the job?

7. He's not even as good as Jon Meterparel, and that's saying quite a
bit because Metarparel's game calling skills are atrocious.

OVERRATED COMPLAINTS
I get frustrated when I hear the following issues at the top of the list
of complaints. These should be mentioned, but I think the legitimate
complaints, above, comprise the real issue. The following are the
overrated complaints, and should be subdued compared to the larger issues:

1. His small talk and inability to skillfully blend stats and facts into
the broadcast is no doubt bad. But we can't nit pick these things
without sounding petty. Besides, take one of the things he says that
sounds stupid, and imagine them coming out of Joe or Jerry's mouth last
year. They'd probably have a laugh(because they had rapport) and move
on. Instead, when he says his stupid things(albeit more frequently), we
judge him based on his skills and reputation, and he doesn't have enough
of either to get away with it. Don't get me wrong, he's bad, but the
other real problems merely amplify THIS lack of skill.

2. The fact that he still holds a job with the Red Sox front office is
getting WAY overblown. Sure, this might taint his opinions and
jeopardize the objectivity of the broadcast, which is in no doubt a
major issue. But this issue is correctable. If the Sox removed this
transgression today and thought that this would make us all happy, then
we'd be stuck with this guy who STILL has all the real flaws intact!

That's it. Thanks for listening. Oh, and I've love to hear a response
from the Sox on any of these issues.

[end]

I realize that I have overstated the significance of Geffner's front office role, but it's something that really gets under my skin. The fact that it is correctable doesn't make it right. In fact, the fact that it is so easily correctable and disprovable shows a degree of arrogance, in my view.

Thanks to the reader for the letter. I hope you enjoy it, too.

Merry Christmas (subtitled: "You're Welcome")

2007-09-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Well, ain't that a kick in the the shorts, Glennski?

Dave Scott of Scott's Shots reliably reports that

a source familiar with the specifics of Dave O'Brien's contract has confirmed that "Obie" will be in the Sox radio booth for at least 135 games next season. The source also verified that stalwart Joe Castiglione will be returning and that Geffner's role will be either greatly reduced or non-existent.

Tra-la, tra-la

Scott notes:

This, once again, is a sign that the front office actually does listen to its fan-base. Geffner was a gaff, but it was also reward for some dedicated service. If the Sox can launch Geffner into another market for further polishing, it would be a win-win for all involved. He's not without tools, he just needs to get more reps.

(If you say so)

Scott also acknowledges that this modest little blog spoke up early and often about l'affaire Geffner. Dave actually emailed me last week when the blog was down, so I appreciate the support.

In any case, it ain't over until Glenn Geffner squeaks his last, so please add to the pileonathon at the Sawx and Dogs petition. There are some hilarious comments, which lead me to believe that I have not been posting in vain all year.

lc

The Petition

2007-09-20T12:24:00.001-07:00

As mentioned in a previous post, Sox and Dawgs has a petition going to dump Geffner.

It is really gaining steam.

There are some fascinating comments by people who are taking the time to vote, which I will try to reproduce here.

I am a professional actor and acting teacher at Northwestern University. I have worked as a performer and teacher and public speaker for 20 years in theaters, TV, film, commercials, and voice overs. I have some sense of a persons ability as a public speaker/broadcaster. Geffner is flat out atrocious. His sense of framing the drama of the game, of description, of timing, are bad. The quality of his speaking voice, from its resonance, and particularly to its enunciation are horrific -- purely amatuer. I was stunned when I first heard him, and thought he was a one day emergency fill in. I have stopped listening to games when he is in the booth. It is almost an absudity that he has the position -- he IS NOT A PRO. Period. The conflict of interest, what with his other position, adds fuel to the urgency of replacing him.

After working in minor league baseball, I can assure you that most, if not all Eastern League radio guys and the interns who serve as color commentators, were and are better than Glenn Geffner. It infuriates me that I am forced to listen to such a low quality product. It was bad enough that the team unceremoniously dumped Sean McDonough over Thanksgiving weekend. Stop branding everything as part of the nation and forcing us to take it. Absurd.

Geffner sounds like he is broadcasting a college baseball game when it's cold and wet and we are watching the game from the car in the parking lot.

Geffner is horrible. He lacks charisma, baseball knowledge, emaotion, and every characteristic associated with a good play by play announcer.

Geffner has completely ruined the experience of listening to Sox games on the radio. His style is so generic and boring, it sounds like he's reading PSA's instead of calling a game. Please get rid of him

Geffner provides too much robotic, encyclopedic analysis and not enough real, experienced baseball analysis and commentary. He throws far too many stats and facts at you and not enough description of the game. Also, the most annoying part of his delivery and dialogue is the fact that he rarely changes his tone or voice.

Man, I thought I was the only one. Glenn Geffner is horrible. It's an insult to me as a true Red Sox fan that I have to listen to him on a nightly basis when I'm in the car. He brings absolutely nothing to the table.

've been meaning to write this letter all summer. As a diehard Sox fan (my entire life) who lives in California, I rely almost entirely on the radio for Sox game coverage. Mr. Geffner is possibly the most annoying announcer I have ever heard. Every game he calls makes me moan with disappointment. I only turn the volume up for Joe C. Please , I beg of you, give us some relief. Joe Castiglione is fabulous- he's the voice of summer and a big reason I continue to follow the Red Sox.

The long, silent breaks kill me. I still look at my stereo at times, wondering if my children unplugged it. Summer Red Sox baseball on the radio used to be one of life's great joys.

I often refer to Geffner as "the intern" that the Sox hired. Glad to hear I'm not the only one.

Glen Geffner has to go. The radio experience has been turned upside down. And not for the better. Please look into a replacement for him.

Geffner is pathetic, get rid of him

I'm not even a Sox fan - I'm a Yankees fan, and this guy sounds BRUTAL

Thanks

2007-09-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

Wow.

This thing was shut down for a week, and today the traffic is back to normal. I didn't expect that.

Even my friends from from Red Sox Administration checked in at 1:32 pm.

Domain Name

merrimack.edu ^? (Educational)

IP Address

216.195.206.# (BostonRedSox)

ISP

CTCCommunications

Location

Continent	:	North America
Country	:	United States (Facts)
State	:	Massachusetts
City	:	Boston
Lat/Long	:	42.3451, -71.0993 (Map)

Language

English (United States)
en-us

Operating System

Microsoft WinXP

Browser

Internet Explorer 7.0
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1)

Javascript

version 1.3

Monitor

Resolution	:	1152 x 864
Color Depth	:	32 bits

Time of Visit

Sep 20 2007 1:32:00 pm

Last Page View

Sep 20 2007 1:32:08 pm

Visit Length

8 seconds

Page Views

Referring URL

Visit Entry Page

http://38clichesnew.blogspot.com/

Visit Exit Page

http://38clichesnew.blogspot.com/

Out Click

Read the text of their impassioned plea here
http://soxanddawgs.com/?p=2273

Time Zone

UTC-5:00

Visitor's Time

Sep 20 2007 1:32:00 pm

Visit Number

21,635

Do The Right Thing

2007-09-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

Sawhx and Dawgs has started a petition to release Glenn Geffner from the earthly bounds of the Red Sox broadcast booth.

I support that.

Read the text of their impassioned plea here.

Vote early and often here

[update]

Even the 17 percenters at Boston Dirt Dogs are piling on Geffner

lc

Bitter? Not Trup

2007-09-20T06:21:00.001-07:00

Well...........

He might be.
Read between the lines here.

Trupiano watches some Sox games on TV, but can’t bring himself to tune in a radio broadcast and has not been to Fenway Park this year. “I won’t set foot in it,” he said, “unless it’s in somebody else’s employ.”

Trupiano has done every major sport, and would work in any of the major sports, but broadcasting baseball remains his first choice. It would mean another summer of nonstop work, which would suit him fine.

Ok, he is fucking pissed.

Don't blame him.

lc

Let's See If They Are Paying Attention

2007-09-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

This space gets frequent visits from the Red Sox administrative offices.

So, here's a message to them, from a posting on the radio message board:

Someone PLEASE tell Geffner that Bobby Kielty's last name is pronounced KELL-ty, not KEEL-ty. Bobby said so to Tina Cervasio in an interview on NESN when he joined the team. Seems to me a VP of Communications would know these sorts of things.

You're welcome

lc

Shaw's

2007-09-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

Over at a radio message board, a discussion has ensued concerning the awkwardness of Glenn Geffner interviewing last weeks Shaw's kids winner last week.

I have spoken of this before, but it appears others are just catching on.

Could this have been the worst moment in Boston radio over the past ten years?

Glen Gefner interviewing a seven year-old Yankees fan that won a Shaw's contest and got to speak on the radio yesterday. Any questions about Gefner's talent can now be put to rest. It was an uncomfortable moment for all involved, made Shaws, the Red Sox and WRKO look bad and most importantly; took away from the ball game.

And to make matters worst, the kid, when he would actually speak, had better pipes than Gefner. Way to go, RKO!

[and]

Anyway, I heard Joe C. say [during Bucholz' no-hitter] at one point "Glenn has gone down into the locker room in case
we need to talk to Clay" and I thought thank God! The "call" will be done by Joe C. and not Glenn!
I think he prob would have done the 9th anyway, but still.

Geffstock Cancelled

2007-09-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

O'Brien has reappeared, inexplicably (or not) absent for the last 9 or 10 games.

Maybe they sent Geffner out for cannolli and changed the locks.

Yup, It's A Day Game

2007-08-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

And that means a semi-live blog of that honk, Glenn Geffner, on the radio, until I wear out.

[bottom first]

Joe has effectively squashed any effort of Glenn Geffner to speak.

Unfortunately, Geffner has brilliant insight into the whole Francona-wears-a-shirt thing.

In typical Geffner fashion, he says "rules are rules", but "Tito is always freezing in the dugout"

Is he?

[top 2nd]

merciful silence

[bottom 2nd]

something about a shift.

Joe says that Glenn made a good point between innings. Of course he did.

Joe mentioned that the Francona-wears-a-shirt thing was "Mickey Mouse". I guess that frightened Glenn.

Glenn is worked up about the fashin pleece. Shut up.

[top 3]

Glenn on the mike and sounds like he is inside a barrell. He talks wicked fast, and just said that "The Yankees have the only run in the ball game, a single by Derek Jeter in the first".

A special shout out to the reader who just visited this site on a referral from a Google search for "hate Glenn Geffner"

Glenn says that the RS didn't hit the ball very hard last night, and then mentions Ortiz' moon shot.

[bottom 3]

He speaks in a slurring fashion

"The Yankees have seen a lot of Curt Schilling since he came to the Red Sox in 2004"

What is that supposed to mean?

[top 4]

"If you're asking Manny how long he is going to be out, it depends on who you are asking"

Wait a minute, if you are asking Manny, isn't that who you are asking?

Honest to god, I am not making this stuff up.

Joe and Glenn are basically talking past each other.

Now, Joe has quit talking. Don't blame him.

Oh No He Didn't. Glenn just said if the RS win another game they are guaranteed a .500 season. That's the hackiest line a broadcaster can utter.

[bottom 4]

Oh boy. Now we have the constant barrage of pitch count talk, and it's only the bottom of the 4th.

[top 5]

punchin' out.

Eeek A Glenn

2007-08-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

It's pretty funny where the only mention of Glenn Geffner in the mainstream press in the last three months is his girlish reaction to The Rat In The Booth last night. It's a bit like a Serious Actress and Musician like Paris Hilton being only known for not wearing panties. It's just not fair, is it?

The Hartford Courant quotes Glenn as saying: "I am not a student of vermin"

Or baseball.

The Globe recounts the The Great Rat Incident in which Glenn Geffner shrieked and moaned like a schoolgirl:

The only loss of composure, it seems, took place in the Sox radio booth, where veteran Joe Castiglione suddenly bolted while partner Glenn Geffner was doing the play-by-play.

"I thought it was something I said," Geffner said.

Castiglione, it turns out, was spooked by a rodent.

"It was either a mouse or a small rat," Geffner said. "It had crawled up right where Joe was sitting."...

"They trapped it," Geffner said. "They showed it to us in the ninth inning."

And Sawx and Dawgs, who have joined the Geffner pileonathon wondered out loud: "No word on whether the mouse, or rat, was there to replace Glenn Geffner behind the mic...In the middle of the 6^{th they found the rat, well it was a mouse, below the WRKO Radio booth. Castiglione was bailing and Geffner was basically standing on his chair like a lil’ hairless girl.

Can't wait for somebody to post the video.....}

Weird Take On O'Brien

2007-08-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Somebody finds fault with O'Brien "cross-promoting" ESPN work on local Red Sox broadcasts.

Probably not a faithful listener; otherwise they would know that everything but the Civil War is cross-promoted on RS Radio.

Of course, that writer also states:

Yankee radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman is an oasis in the desert of nationally oriented broadcasters foisted on local baseball fans.

But they are hard to listen to.

lc

It Couldn't Last

2007-08-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

As I post this, Glenn Geffner is in the midst of his, uh, triumphant return to the broadcast booth with Poor Old Joe.

So far Glenn has talked very very fast ( I honestly can't understand him).

He has been engaged in a 3-inning bit about mice and how he doesn't like them. [update: 4 innings]

Enough About The Mouse! What lame bullshit.

lc

As I post this, Glenn Geffner is in the midst of his, uh, triumphant return to the broadcast booth with Poor Old Joe.

He's A Problem

2007-08-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

Glenn Geffer is a problem

Welcome To The Future

2007-08-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

If reports in the Globe are correct, Clay Bucholz will pitch Game 1 of today's day-night cash grab vs. The Angels. Jacoby Ellsbury will be called up to play in Game 2.

I've seen Bucholz pitch a couple of times in the minors and he is the real deal. A lot of nasty stuff making the batters crazy.

It will be fun.

lc

Glenn In The Dunking Booth

2007-08-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

While the Real Announcers call the game (in amongst promoting the Jimmy Fund), Glenn Geffner, Vice President, Communications is doing his best impression of Suzy Kolber with an occasional drop-in from Somewhere with Somebody Famous who wants to talk about the Jimmy Fund.

Here's a great exchange he had with Tim Daly:

Glenn: "It's great to see you back at the ballpark. You and your wife Anne have worked so hard over the years for the Jimmy Fund"

Daly: "This is my first trip to Fenway, and it's a real thrill."

More Phil

2007-08-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

Legs

The legs are so important.
In golf, they're very,
People don't realize
How important legs are in golf,
Or in baseball,
And football, definitely.
Track.
O, in track.
All-important.
Jumping.
Soccer.
Is there anything, what?
Is there anything where the legs
Are not the most important?

This Just In

2007-08-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

Dave O'Brien is a pleasure to listen to.

Whatever

2007-08-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

I didn't listen to the radio last night.

The Red Sox won.

RIP Scooter

2007-08-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

Phil Rizzuto died Monday night, at age 89.

He was a ballplayer and a broadcaster for many years. I heard it said today that "people born in 1860 would have lived long enough to see him play and people who live until 2060 will have memories of him broadcasting"

That's a run, my friends.

He was a broadcasting partner of the great, if phlegmatic, Mel Allen and later adapted his style to be the comfortable old uncle who came to dinner and told stories about the game.

Here's my post of April 4 of this year, talking about Rizzuto:

A couple of authors put together a book a few years back, entitled O Holy Cow, which composed some of his calls in poetic form.

Here's a favorite,

I Really Should Be Going Home

It's very chilly.
As a matter---
I'm telling you,
I've been freezing.
My hands are cold.
I have low blood pressure anyway.
And arthritis.
I really should be going home.

Seventh Inning, bases empty, two outs, KC at New York, 7/24/83

Link on Amazon

[edit] NYT obit
lc

No Reason

2007-08-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

Nice win by the Sox last night, but where was Dave O'Brien?

No Monday Night Baseball. No football (the real football), unless Obie was calling something on ESPN45 that my cable doesn't get. [update: according to Ken at Fang's Bites "Dave was doing the Houston - LA Dodger game on ESPN2." I tapped out after the Little League game]

No, we were force-fed Glenn Geffner who is sounding like a meth-addicted gecko (apologies to meth addicts and geckos)

The Vice President, Communications of your Boston Red Sox persists as an announcer, with no disclosure of his role. An officer of a company has what is called a fiduciary duty to his company. That means that he can't undermine the goals of the organization, or he can be sued.

According to Wikipedia:

A fiduciary duty is the highest standard of care imposed at either equity or law. A fiduciary is expected to be extremely loyal to the person to whom they owe the duty (the "principal"): they must not put their personal interests before the duty, and must not profit from their position as a fiduciary, unless the principal consents. The fiduciary relationship is highlighted by good faith, loyalty and trust, and the word itself originally comes from the Latin fides, meaning faith, and fiducia. When a fiduciary duty is imposed, equity requires a stricter standard of behavior than the comparable tortious duty of care at common law. It is said the fiduciary has a duty not to be in a situation where personal interests and fiduciary duty conflict, a duty not to be in a situation where their fiduciary duty conflicts with another fiduciary duty, and a duty not to profit from their fiduciary position without express knowledge and consent. A fiduciary cannot have a conflict of interest. It has been said that fiduciaries must conduct themselves "at a level higher than that trodden by the crowd."

For us dummies, that means that he is legally bound to state total bullshit about the Red Sox to avoid undermining their value.

I am not saying that announcers have to approach a game like Walter Cronkite, but they need to have, and we expect them to have, some objectivity. The failure to disclose his role is abhorrent.

lc

Tick, Tock

2007-08-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

Much discussion over the weekend concerning the rumor that Entercom wants Glenn Geffner out. It's only a rumor, but there's that whole smoke/fire construct that generally makes sense.

Yet, he is still here.

I'll wager a ham sandwich that Obie is back on ESPN tonight and that Glenn 3x5 Geffner is back spewing factoids on the Red Sox Broadcast.

Now, those of you that think that "3x5" is actually 3 feet by 5 feet, referring to LG dimensions, just stop that right now. We are friendly people on this blog.

But I digress. The evidence is that Geffner does not work for Entercom, but is still part of RS Administration. The proof is only circumstantial

We have discussed the evidence previously.

The Cleveland Indians in their 2007 Media Guide list Glenn Geffner as "Vice President Communications" for your Boston Red Sox. That's this year, folks.

He is also listed as VP Communications in the 2007 Giants Media Guide

Why not give Glenn a call at his RS office and show him that you care. Positive calls only, please.

617-226-6491

or his mobile phone

617-645-0963

Milestone From The Millstone

2007-07-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Well, Glenn Geffner called yet another game last night, a really exciting game at that (1-0 RS over Tribe).

You might have divined from listening to his play-by-play that it was the 100th game of the season. About 30 times.

Now, in fairness (and I always try to be fair to the Little Feller), he achieved his own milestone during the game. Sit down kids, and hold on to your hats: Glenn Geffner called an exciting play in real time! It was the play on which Youk grabbed a bunt attempt down the first base line and pegged it to second on a close play for the out. Geffner actually called they play as it was happening in synchronicity with the action. This is as opposed to his usual call, where he watches what happens on the field and then tells us what just happened, often consulting replay so as not to offend real baseball people.

I also learned that Glenn Geffner worked out at the hotel with members of the Counting Crows and they are "in shape". There's a mental picture I don't need to have painted within 45 minutes of having ingested my evening meal. Glenn then had to give us his trademark coda: "Life on the road is tough, you know". Hopefully, not long for you, pal.

Meanwhile, here's something from the old LC mailbag, which is reprinted here with permission from the writer:

I'm a die hard, life-long baseball/Red Sox fan for close to 40 years. I abhor the mere mention of the farcical, bush league "Red Sox Nation" and its incessant promotion (including the nightly three hour NESN marketing/promotion campaign that serves as Red Sox broadcasts). Call me a baseball traditionalist, I guess, as I am interested in what goes on on the field and not in the stands. But I digress.I just wanted you to know that you are 100%, right on about how disgraceful and annoying Glenn Geffner (GG) is. A radio baseball announcer is supposed to paint a picture for the listener through the ebbs and flows of a game and a season. He couldn't do this if his life depended on it and he makes Trupiano (who I actually liked) seem like Ernie Harwell or Vin Scully.His incessant, insipid, nonsensical and nonstop statistical-based and hackneyed storytelling is absolutely nauseous. He sounds like he should be doing games on a college radio station. Does he have compromising photos of Lucchinno? Can't Red Sox management take a tape from one game (he's already done far too many) and use that for his next resume/job posting? Keep up the crusade and hopefully, someone from Red Sox management will read your blog and pull the plug on GG before poor Castiglione or O'Brien winds up drunk during a broadcast.

Answers follow:

Does he have compromising photos of Lucchinno? Got to be worse than that.

Can't Red Sox management take a tape from one game (he's already done far too many) and use that for his next resume/job posting? RS adminstration frequently visits this blog. They aren't idiots.

Keep up the crusade and hopefully, someone from Red Sox management will read your blog and pull the plug on GG before poor Castiglione or O'Brien winds up drunk during a broadcast.
Behold the power of grain alchohol.

"Like Dressing Up A Pig"

2007-07-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

I was copied on a long, pain-filled email to Dave Scott, of Scott's Shots, concerning the whole switch to Geffner. With the author's permission, and respecting his/her request for anonymity, I am including it here. I try to answer some of the questions at the end.

[start]

I see there is a groundswell of disdain for Geffner. A great example is the blog
38cliches.com(cc'd in this email), where we find a refreshingly honest
and thorough opinion of the topic.

First, I don't know much about the departure of Jerry Trupiano. And I
have a problem with that. Count me in as someone who liked Trupiano.
I'm not sure why they broke up the tandem, familiar voices, and rapport
that I've grown accustomed to. Normally, things like this are covered
by the media because it's a big issue affecting most of the fans. But,
since most of my source of varied opinions comes from the papers and
sports radio, I haven't heard much about this. Is it a coincidence that
the coverage of Trupiano wasn't really addressed by WEEI on the air? But
that's not the point.

Here's my real problem. Nobody can explain why they let go of Trupiano
at the SAME time they expanded the team to three people. I can
understand the hiring of O'Brien. He's a professional. But Geffner
clearly is not. Sure, people have suggested he stop being merely a
conduit of the media guide and that he slow down, but that's like
dressing up a pig. His voice is not fit for broadcast and I can't even
explain the pattern of word emphasis he employs. He doesn't have a
likable radio presence, and such, he's not fit for the booth. There's
the old expression that "he has a face for radio", which can now be
adapted to "he has a voice for print media".

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit that I knew it was a bag
job from the beginning. I knew he was an inside man and has been on the
fast track for a few years now. But when I first heard of this move, I
told everyone I knew that I wanted to give this new guy a chance. After
all, he must be qualified, right? Well, I gave him that chance, and I
just don't like it. The bag job just makes it even worse, because he
might not be as accountable for his lack of talent and may have a longer
leash than otherwise entitled.

So, I needed to vent to someone. You wrote about the issue, so you're a
great place to start. I have two questions:

Where are the answers?
Where is the outrage?

First off, I am flattered that you would include me in a sentence with Dave Scott, who does a great job picking morsels out of the teeth of the Boston Sports scene. And, I have to say that, with a vehicle that does not reliably pick up WEEI, or its various sister stations, I don't know about the refusal to talk about Trup or Geffner. One or another poster has commented that they are a little hard on Geffner, but that seems unlikely to me.

It is peculiar in another sense, namely that as a "three man team" Joe seldom mentions O'Brien when he is not there and [needless to say] Geffner never mentions him. The sole exception is the stupid President of Red Sox Nation (PORN) where Joe occasionally credits Geff and Obie as his "campaign managers". There is no sense of "teamness" And, certainly, for the last two weeks, we have been subjected to Geffner's mind-numbing note card readings.

In short,

1. The answer is that Larry Lucchino does what he wants, and Geffner is his safe boy.

2. I am outraged.

lc

Dave and Glenn, Day 4

2007-07-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

Glenn is subdued. Dave as well. Glenn cannot get away from the note cards.

What I have learned so far:

The Blue Jays' pitcher spells his name Litsch.

Dave likes "The Tale of The Tape" for home runs. Glenn doesn't. Or, wait a minute, he does, but only would if there is consistency in measuring it between ballparks. The matter is closed. Two minutes later, Glenn says, to sum it all up, I would like it if there was consistency between the parks.

Also, I learned during that exchange that The Tale Of The Tape is like eating a hot dog, since according to Glenn, you like it, but don't want to see how they came up with it. Folks, I am not making this up....

Dave likes The Police, and thinks its members are good musicians. The Police is (are?) not Glenn's cup of tea, although Glenn's wife likes the Police. I'm dying to know what bands Glenn fancies, but I'm guessing he's not into death metal.

Glenn thinks the word "bat-boyed" is a verb, as in "Litsch bat-boyed for the Devil Rays just 4 years ago". Dave, to his credit, says, "Is bat-boyed a word?" Glenn assures him it is. I doubt it.

I also learned a whole lot about whatever is written on Glenn's notecards.

Dave announces the sell out at Fenway and has a call-back to Geffner's brave prediction of same on Friday night. (see this post)

God, this is brutal.

Glenn Geffner Goes Back To San Diego?

2007-06-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

Right. Off day. Obie and The Good Joe performed well for two straight days.

Now the circus is off to San Diego, where Glenn Geffner made his "chops" as a MLB announcer. I honestly can't imagine him in the same zipcode as Jerry Coleman.

And, it turns out Coleman agreed. Here's a report from 2005 which described Coleman's reaction to "being forced" to share the mike with Geffner:

There is [in 2005] definitely a mutual respect in the booth, which wasn't the case in 2002, when Padres media relations director Glenn Geffner was thrown into the mix as a third voice in spring training.

Geffner was competent and had several years experience as a minor-league play-by-play man, but he was basically forced on Leitner and Coleman and was effectively frozen out of the booth.

Geffner has landed on his feet as media relations director for the World Champion Boston Red Sox.

Geffner's departure was after a single year. The headline in 2002 was "Geffner Jettisoned"

ouch.

Tanks fer nuffin', Larry

Of course, Geffner earned his bones in Boston taking on the hard-hitting issues like whether Theo Epstein would attend a high school prom in Maine

Glenn Geffner's Night

2007-05-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Game Two in Tejas was prototypical for Geffner: Swallowed words, runtogetherphrases, and little to offer that he hadn't already prepared.

I think it affects Joe as well, because I swear Joe read the same anecdote about some guy named Fisher and his knuckleball in consecutive half innings. I could be wrong, Joe, and if so, I apologize

Joe and Glenn have now fallen into a pattern of asking the other a question, which the other ignores. It's rather painful.

Aggregation

2007-05-05T11:58:00.001-07:00

Now, for your reading pleasure, a summary of opinion from the I Miss Jerry Trupiano thread:

"Geffner talks too much. He talks for talking's sake. He is drowning in cliches."

"In regards to Glenn... I don't think he's very good and not subject to improve."

"Sounded like one of the dorky guys that shows up when Mike and Mike are on vacation"

"Geffner just sounds like a empty suit, talking head spewing clichés."

And finally, "The blog, 38 Cliches, that I've linked to above is quite merciless on Geffner, but IMO, the guy deserves it for his amateurish calls."

Aggregation

2007-05-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

May 2 v. Oakland

2007-05-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

There are only so many ways to say that Glenn Geffner lacks the chops to be a big league announcer. Even so, I said it again

Really, it's annoying habit that Geffner has, to tell us about the batter that was just up in order to exhaust his note card information.

When Joe is back on the call and the tone of the broadcast changes from eager look-ma-I'm-on-the-radio to "hey friends, here's the Red Sox Game"

A footnote from the May 1 game (blown save by Papelbon). The 9th was called by Joe C.
Geffner did not make a noise. I thought maybe he had to leave for his other job catering the post game spread in the A's clubhouse. But, with the unexpected tie of the game, Geffner was on the call in the 10th, reading the lame Dunkin Donuts extra innings copy (just like Trup) with minimal input from Joe. To state the obvious, there is a weird dynamic in the call, having little to do with Geffner's lack of skill.

lc

Where's Geffo?

2007-04-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

Mercifully, LG is not in the rotation today either. JoeC and O'Brien sound good, again.

Lest you get too excited, it has been reported that Geffner in on pace to do 100 games (+/-) in place of O'Brien this year. With our luck, they will all be in the heat of the race, not in April, where we could wash away the memories.

An update: apparently, when Geffner is not on mike riveting RSN, he is Gopher Boy. Joe thanked Glenn Geffner during the 8th inning for looking up the record for most strikeouts by a Red Sox rookie in his first appearance. I think he has found his calling.

lc