Afternoon update: Phillies release lefty Bill White

White, 31, was out of baseball in 2009 and last pitched in 2008 as a member of the Texas Rangers, where he combined to go 4-1 with six saves and a 3.48 ERA in 51 relief appearances between Triple-A Oklahoma and Class-A Bakersfield. He appeared in eight games for Texas in '08. A non-roster invitee at the start of camp, he was among the first cuts. (the move was first reported by CSN’s Jim Salisbury via Twitter).

Comments

[Terry Harmon]

"He had a lot of potential. I see him one day as a broadcaster and maybe someday a national league executive."

nostradamus

Oh, not this Bill White!

[DennyBones]

tough news, but if he gets to President Obama quick I'll bet he could be come "Law" White :)

[DennyBones]

Bummer. But if he get's to the White House quick I'll bet he can become "Law" White :)

[Gsl]

I wish we could listen to Schmidt instead of Wheeler every game. It is so much more pleasant it is ridiculous.

[donc]

Wheels and his moronic cohorts are the only thing I don't look forward to when it comes to baseball season.

[MG]

Give me 9 innings of Wheels over TMac. BTY - Have the Phils formally announced the radio/TV schedules for the broadcasters yet?

Personally, I would love to hear Franske/LA for 9 innings on the radio and let TMac/Wheels/Sarge take the 9 innings on TV.

[MG]

Still don't understand why Wheels has so much vitriol directed his way every season. While he yammers on too much and didn't play the game, he does know the Phils & their history well. Plus, he actually does add something to the broad as a color guy. Besides maybe a tip on food, you don't get much from Sarge.

[A-Train]

I wish they had brought Todd Kalas up from Tampa.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Denny-still not funny the second time.

[donc]

Franzke is the only broadcaster they have who is worth a damn. He's really good. Kind of a young version of Harry.

[clout]

Totally agree with MG and donc re: Franske/LA. That's the A team.

[Burt Lavallo, friend to all]

this line from a joe posnanski article today on the twins:

"There really is something encouraging about playing for a team that you know is trying to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox and Phillies ... and something utterly discouraging about playing for a team that feels overmatched. With the signing, the Twins announced that they are not backing down."

the fact that the phils are routinely referred to this way now is yet another sign - if indeed we even needed one - that it's a golden age we're living in right now.

[Bubba]

Saw in the Zo Zone today that Schmidt is going to broadcast 1 regular season this year.
Really enjoy when he's on the air. He and Sarge can exchange opinions and barbs.
Love having HOF on air personalities.

[kilbillrain]

Burt...Link please

[doubleh]

Bubba: Sounds like an audition to me. Schmidt has always wanted to find another way back into this game--maybe this is it. He can't be any worse than Sarge.

[timr]

Oh man, even though I'm not in Philly to hear the games much, the idea of Schmidt as a broadcaster is really exciting.

[Clay Dalrymple]

I have to watch the games via the Extra Innings package and, believe me, I often root for getting the non=Phillies feed, rather than TMac and Sarge.

[Burt Lavallo, friend to all]

killbillrain: yes, my bad:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/joe_posnanski/03/22/twins.postcard/index.html#?eref=sihp

[AL]

I'd rather Sarge than Wheels simply because Sarge has a positive outlook on most things, despite seemingly lacking a few brain cells at times.

[Kutztown Fan]

Right now I'd listen to almost anyone as long as a regular season game was playing. April 5 can't get here fast enough.

By the way, I just made a friend who has a full season ticket plan (vs my paltry Sunday plan in right field) and sells tickets - 4 seats in section 122. WOO HOO!

[Colin_K]

@ Clay D...same boat for me, so true...sadly the Phils broadcast wasn't even an option a few years back when Harry was still around...now bleh' except for the rockies guys...I would rather watch it muted than hear those terds.

[awh]

From the previous thread:

""Maybe I'm jumping the gun on Raul, but I think a .260-.270 average and 15-20 homeruns is likely, which isn't all that great considering his contract.

Posted by: GM-Carson""

Carson, if that's all Raul does then he won't be worth what he's being paid. The Phillies have another player who is capable of delivering that same line: Ben Francisco.

However, I am of the OPINION that Raul will be just fine this season. I have no concrete reason why, and I don't like to amke predictions, but I would not be suprised to see Raul perform somewhere around his norms for the last 5-6 years.

[awh]

I don't know why there is such vitriol directed at Wheels - he's not the problem. the problem is the endless blather from McCarthy the Mets fan.

But I agree about Franzke and L.A.

They are the A-Tea of Phillies broadcasters, and should get their time on the TV broadcasts as well.

"Dave Montgomery, do you hear me? You will be doing a service for your listening and viewing audience by rotating your broadcasters.""

[MG]

AL - Sarge actually kind of grew on me too because of his personality. He actually has a fairly good repore with TMac. His moniker though of being 'Cap'n Obvious' still stands though. You will learn nothing about baseball if you are even a casual fan by listening to Sarge.

I am willing to give TMac one last chance this year. He has had enough time to develop a feel with his broadcasting partner & Kalas isn't around anymore. My bet is you get more of the same canned schtick and too much blathering though.

TMac isn't the worst sports broadcaster in Philly (Tom McGinnis for the Sixers has that going hands down with his ridiculous hyperbole and over-the-top commentary) but at this point he hasn't shown or bonded with the Philly fans in any way.

This is his 3rd year of a 5 year deal. Really kind of a "make it or break it" year for TMac because he will be their play-by-play on TV and likely for a few innings on the radio too.

[awh]

Oh, adn one more shout out ot dave Montgomery:

"If you think T-Mac and Sarge are so great, why not share them with the radio audience as well as with the TV audience?"

[Jonesman]

I have not been impressed by Schmidt so far in the booth. I don't see what he gives you that Sarge doesn't. On Sunday Schmidt actually said that with two outs and nobody on a pitcher should strike out on purpose, so your lead off hitter can lead off the next inning. That is just monumentally dumb.

[Jonesman]

Although it was good ST game filler to listen to him and Sarge talk about hitting.

[clout, friend to no one]

Burt: Good post, good point.

[clout]

Based on his spring training stats, Ryan Howard will hit .356 with 35 HRs this season.

[clout]

Jack will note Howard's drop in HRs as evidence that he'll be washed up by age 34.

[awh, friend to some, despised by many]

clout, which would be better for Howard?:

.356, 35 HR, 135 RBI

.270, 50 HR, 155 RBI

[clout]

awh: Assuming his walks are the same in each example, I'm guessing the latter produces the better OPS+.

The guy I want to hit .356 is Rollins. That would bump his OB up to a respectable .366.

[Bay Slugga]

Franske's call on the double by Rollins of game 5 is one of my favorite of all time. Gives me chills every time.

[PhillyBlunt]

McCarthy is a Mets Fan.

[NEPP]

****The guy I want to hit .356 is Rollins. That would bump his OB up to a respectable .366.****

You really think he'd walk that much?

[TNA]

I get all the color commentary I need from BL Game Chats. Play-by-play is not bad either if you can't watch/listen to the game and Gameday is malfunctioning for some reason.

Would you say that expectations for this season are higher than any previous season heading into Opening Day? Even with the Lidge/BP cloud hovering over the team I hope the players aren't cowed by Great Expectations. Fortunately, the expectations for this team have grown organically, as opposed to expectations for a team that buys a whole bunch of high-priced FAs all at one time.

[brett]

There's nothing better that watching an opposite field bomb off Howard's bat.

[NEPP]

http://www.csnphilly.com/03/23/10/Electric-Arm-Prospect-Jarred-Cosart-Exci/landing.html?blockID=203038&feedID=704

I assume a good number of you saw this...Jarred Cosart should be an interesting one to watch.

[toddzilla]

oppo-boppo another reason to hate t-mac

[grumpy gramps]

The person I would like to see join the Phils broadcast team when he retires is Chris Coste.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Alright, I' went thru 10 comments and quit. I can't imagine Schmidt being a good broadcaster but, I'd love to hear him try. I've hated Wheels since he was paired with Andy Musser. He's a GD know-it-all. I far preferred Jim Barniak on PRISM to Wheels and jimbo sucked donkey d!ck. Still, at this day, 3 decades after he started, I have to respect the comb over. Wheels is family.

[aksmith]

I listened to Schmidt the last couple of televised games and really enjoyed it. Nothing like the sandpaper coming from Sarge. Loved Sarge as a player and he seems like a nice guy, but Schmidt was a pleasure. And he seems to really enjoy discussing strategy, which is like kryptonite to Sarge.

Don't mind Wheels. TMac is annoying. LA and Franzke would be much preferable. But putting Schmidt in the TV booth really did improve it.

[PHIinBK]

I unfortunately only have access to Mets/Yankees drivel on a daily basis. But I will say that their analysts are light years ahead of what's on in Philly. Gary Darling is a self important ass but he and Keith Hernandez can disect a ballgame and bring something to the broadcast. Michael Kay is wickedly Yankees-centric but he knows the game too.

Sarge is more annoying to listen to than Joe Morgan and that's pretty tough competition.

[denny b.]

"Franske's call on the double by Rollins of game 5 is one of my favorite of all time. Gives me chills every time."

Yep. It was perfect. Some guys would have butchered that and gotten too excited (or started watching the action to much and not said enough). He built the drama up and let it loose as the winning run crossed the plate.

He and LA are great. I love hearing LA cheerleading in the background, while Franske does the play-by-play. That is good stuff. And NOBODY rips an umpire (and somehow gets away with it) like LA.

My favorite is "CB Bucknor STINKS and should not even be in the major leagues". LA always seems to get that blast in at least once a series, when CB is in town. He's right too.

[GBrettfan]

Chris Coste would be a good commentator. I'm hoping for Scott Eyre, however. Although he may go with a national thing like MLBonXM, they seemed to really like his commentary there. He's a funny guy, very personable and entertaining.

[Iceman]

Not going to join in the T-Mac or Wheels bashing (though I'll say in the former's defense, T-Mac started to grow on me a bit in September).

But I would rather listen to Franzke and LA any day of the week. Bay Slugga and dennyb also pointed it out: that call of the Game 5 walk-off was as close to a 10 out of 10 as you can get. There's disbelief at first in his voice, as it was clear when the ball split the OF on a trip to the wall that the game was over. Personally, the bar I was at started jumping around and throwing drinks in the air as soon as we saw where the ball was going.

But the perfection in Franske's call is that he's 1) Successfully avoiding being sucked in by LA's cheerleading beside him, and 2) The rising action in his voice as the play reaches its conclusion along with the short commentary afterwards was like it was written 10 minutes prior in preparation for that specific play. When I went home I listened to it the first time and have listened probably 100 times since. It's the perfect call.

Other than that, overall I just think the guy is easier to listen to and has a very good chemistry with LA. But I'm willing to give Oppo-Boppo T-Mac one more year to grow on me here, as he did have to take over without warning for a legend early last year. Don't care who you are- that's going to affect your performance somewhat.

[Klaus]

T-Mac's all-consuming instinct for corn-ballery makes watching the games a trial. It's as though I'm witnessing a Disney production. I'd 1000 times over prefer listening to Wheeler monologue--and I'm no great fan of Wheels (although, like MG, I've never quite understood the motives behind the Wheels hate).

[EastFallowfield]

Time to vote for Beerleaguer, if so inclined