Video: Eskin unhappy that Halladay doesn't talk

Beerleaguer: Now that I think of it, the last time I heard Halladay speak, he was trying to decipher David Aldridge's weird, awkward, garbled line of questioning following his NLDS no-hitter. I also can't remember the last time a Phillie said something - off the cuff - that was particularly insightful or compelling. "We are the team to beat," may be the last. Or maybe the time Jamie Moyer voiced his frustration over his 2009 bullpen demotion, which was, if memory serves, immediately criticized by the very same media. If you want honesty and spontaneity from your Philadelphia athletes, try following a few of them on Twitter. Apart from that, they'll follow the same "aw shucks" script, and it seems like the Phillies, in general, have become quite good at being intentionally dull and avoiding newsgatherers, particularly the one in question here.

If Doc doesn't speak on non-pitching days - and I'll take Eskin at his word on that - he wouldn't be the first. In my embarrassingly limited experience, players are extremely reluctant to carve out bonus time for the growing media hoards swarming the locker room. Maybe Halladay's shy. Or busy with his workouts. Or maybe he just doesn't like reporters or gigantic high-def cameras in his face. As long as he's winning 21 games, why should anyone care? And as a consumer of news, I'd rather have the journalist's time spent telling us what the Phillies are doing to win us a championship.

Comments

[Matt]

Video not working?

[Matt]

Nevermind, it is.

[phanatic's brother]

Its Howard Eskin.

[NEPP]

Eskin is a worthless POS...discuss.

[phils and nova]

shut the eff up howard.

[GTown_Dave]

If Halladay had a Twitter account Eskin would be pissed off that Halladay's Tweets didn't contain 200 characters.

[MikeD.]

that meeting between halladay and larsen contained so many "thank you's" - it was kind of awkward.

[brad]

Which Phillies are active on twitter? Also, Eskin can STFU.

[michael]

i wish howard eskin would quit talking to the media on his non-game days.

[Conshy Matt]

so it's ok for big red to "talk" w/out saying anything - or more accurately, say the same things over and over again - but eskin is mad that halladay won't talk to reporters?

my guess: charlie has let the players know what a jerk eskin is and they avoid him like the plague.

hence, his phillies digs vs. his eagles praise.

[J. Weitzel]

A couple of Eagles are on Twitter.

[Andy]

Maybe Eskin would like to volunteer for that Pitchers/Catchers session where the guys limber up and practice throwing inside.

[brad]

Does anyone have access to ESPN Insider. I am curious what Keith Law says about the Phillies organizational rankings and players, but not curious enough to pay ESPN. Story is here: http://tinyurl.com/4lagtr5

[jv]

Eskin's just mad that he can't sit in the dugout next to Charlie like he does with Andy Reid.

Doc's pitching speaks volumes...

[Will Schweitzer]

Maybe his job isn't to be a media personality, but the best pitcher in baseball.

Maybe he just doesn't acknowledge Eskin as a professional journalist, or a human being worth speaking to.

Maybe he just didn't have anything to say that he hadn't already said, and saw no reason to waste anyone's time by repeating the same old platitudes.

Maybe we ought to discuss ANYTHING other than this.

[Willard Preacher]

Last time he spoke, t-shirts were made when he uttered the word "Funner." I can't blame the guy for being gun shy if/when he speaks he comes away with minor embarassment. I'll take a quiet assassin, thanks though Howard, you douche.

[RSB]

But this was okay for his buddy Steve Carlton, who didn't talk at all for years.

I've seen plenty of quotes from Halladay, and he always says the right thing. Has he ever stormed off without comment after a bad outing? The guys media should reserve their complaints to the ones who do this, and leave stand-up players like Halladay alone.

[Scotch Man]

I don't care if Halladay beats up old ladies on his off time. Win me 21 games, I'll forgive ya!

[GM-Carson]

Eskin is a complete toolbag. I wish Charlie woulda whooped his ass a few years back.

[GM-Carson]

Haven't heard Halladay's voice about the Lee signing, but I remember reading stuff Zolecki wrote that read Halladay was pretty damn pleased to have him aboard. Eskin attacking Halladay in this manner is completely uncalled for. Fire the useless f*ckwad.

[Not Ralph]

arg -- Eskin says crazy stuff so people talk about him. Just move on. here please mock/attack/discuss this instead:

Contreras lied about his age,
Feliz was a great defensive third baseman,
The Abreu trade was a win - win,
Bo Diaz was a great catcher,
Clout = Heather,
Phils had to trade Lee because of the money,
Phuture Phils fan list of top 25 is awesome,
Francouer is a great hitter.

[Ted]

Eskin- what a loser.
He looks like he needs a good meal. Must not be eating too well since the Eagles free buffet shut down for the year.
I hope he isnt able to inject himself into another controversy. He knows what to do to get attention like bash Penn State and Notre Dame on the radio and sit back and watch the calls light up. Don't fall for it Roy!

[awh]

Howard who?

[Bedrosian's Beard]

I wouldn't be shocked if Eskin was encouraged to bring this up by someone from within the Eagles organization (I'm an Eagle fan as well) to try to stir the pot a little bit.

Eskin is a POS with/out an Eagle instigation.

[toddzilla]

brad- Keith Law ranked the Phillies as the 5th best farm system. Not to shabby.

[Will Schweitzer]

"Contreras lied about his age, Feliz was a great defensive third baseman, The Abreu trade was a win - win, Bo Diaz was a great catcher, Clout = Heather, Phils had to trade Lee because of the money, Phuture Phils fan list of top 25 is awesome, Francouer is a great hitter."

I'd sooner discuss all of the above while laying in a bucket of sh*t than to lend any credibility to Eskin. He's the Paris Hilton of Philadelphia - there is no reason we should have to know his name. Useless f*ck.

[Conshy Matt]

ok, long post (from ESPN):

As it has the past two years, this complements my annual Top 100 list of prospects. This ranking includes only players who are still eligible for the Top 100 prospects ranking -- that is, players who still retain rookie status for 2011.

A system that recently "graduated" a number of top prospects -- Florida and San Francisco are two recent examples, with Buster Posey, Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison -- will rank lower on this list because I'm considering only what is currently on the farm. It's a snapshot look rather than a look back over a year or two of farm productivity. So if you see a team at the bottom, it might be because its system recently graduated or traded good prospects in the past year. Of course, it also will reflect teams that just haven't done a very good job of stocking the system.

Within each system, I considered the entire list of prospects but gave much more weight to top prospects -- particularly high-impact prospects -- than to organizational depth based in average to fringe-average prospects. I also considered how much major league value each organization is likely to produce the next few years. So a system with high-impact prospects who are relatively close to the majors ranks high even if the system lacks depth in second- and third-tier prospects. Of course, a couple of impact prospects plus organizational depth is ideal. With that all clear, on to the list:

1. Kansas City Royals
About a month or so after Dayton Moore took over as the Royals' GM, he told me that he was alarmed to find how little pitching inventory he had in his new farm system and that addressing that vacuum would be a major priority for his front office. The phrase "Mission Accomplished" has acquired an ironic connotation of late, but if anyone could use the phrase earnestly to describe his own efforts, it would be Moore, as the Royals have arms coming out of their ears.

That's particularly impressive when you consider that Kansas City's top two prospects are bats, and there are some solid position player prospects further down in the system. But what truly sets the Royals apart, and not just this year but from prospect lists of years past, is their stable of left-handed pitchers. Southpaws are harder to find and valued very highly by most front offices, meaning the Royals have promising arms for their own use as well as a hoard for future trades if they find themselves in the running for a playoff spot. They've acquired those arms every which way they could -- mostly through shrewd drafting (Mike Montgomery in the sandwich round, Chris Dwyer in the fourth, John Lamb in the fifth), but also through trades and on the international front, where they've become major players since Moore took over. And Kansas City will add another impact player with the fifth pick in this year's draft, and probably will graduate only one or two prospects to the majors before we reach 2012. It's to the credit of Moore, the Royals' amateur scouting staff (led by J.J. Picollo after two solid drafts by Deric Ladnier after Moore took over), their international scouts and player development that a farm system that was a borderline laughingstock has, inside of five years, turned into the toast of baseball.

2. Tampa Bay Rays
Probably second even before they dealt Matt Garza, they're now No. 2 with a bullet and not far behind Kansas City for No. 1. They're absolutely loaded, with top-end talent near that of K.C., but not the extensive depth of prospects the Royals have. The Rays have focused on arms and impact bats in the middle of the field, mixing in the occasional corner bat (Josh Sale), but mostly recognizing that replacement level is so low right now for certain positions and roster spots that there's still some hidden value to be found. They also boast more picks in the first three rounds of the 2011 draft than any other club, so look for the prospect-rich to get richer.

3. Atlanta Braves
Those top three Latino arms keep marching to the big leagues, and the Braves will produce at least two other rookies who'll spend all or most of 2011 in Atlanta in regular roles. They have a knack for getting good young talent back in deals and signing players off the waiver wire and scrap heap, including Arodys Vizcaino as a sort of throw-in to the Javier Vazquez trade.

4. Toronto Blue Jays
A year ago, I wrote that the Jays might have ranked last without the talent infusion from the Scott Rolen and Roy Halladay trades. In the past 12 months, they saw a few in-house guys take steps forward, traded for another impact prospect in Brett Lawrie and had another solid draft, to the point that I left some likely big leaguers off their Top 10 for lack of room. The organizational turnaround in the year-plus since Alex Anthopoulos took over as GM has been impressive.

5. Philadelphia Phillies
Their low-A club in Lakewood, N.J., was as loaded with tools prospects as any club in the minors; you could dream on four or five of its hitters, at least three of its starters, and even a 'pen guy or two. And the Phillies keep stuffing the system with that sort of high-upside player despite one of the smaller draft signing budgets around. This after all the deals to help secure their enviable starting rotation.

[+] Enlarge
Kirby Lee/Image of Sport/US Presswire
The Mighty Trout.6. Los Angeles Angels
They have the top prospect in baseball in Mike Trout, a catcher and reliever who should help the big club in 2011, and a ton of depth in A-ball and short-season, including a very promising haul from the 2010 draft led by infielder Kaleb Cowart and right-hander Cam (son of Steve) Bedrosian. I know Angels fans aren't happy with the team's offseason, but there's a lot of help on the way.

7. Minnesota Twins
A sneaky-good system, it's not loaded with big names but boasts a few impact guys and a ton of depth. This is more than just the Twins' usual assortment of strike-throwing fourth starters and speedy outfielders, a testament to good drafting and some major investments in the international arena, where they've been as aggressive as any club.

8. Cincinnati Reds
I had said in the 2009 season that they would start to compete in 2011 as the young talent reached the majors. Well, it got there faster than I expected, and they started what should be a long run of contention, bolstered by the next two waves of prospects. They have above-average prospects in the middle of the diamond and a number of big-tools teenagers from Latin America down in the low minors.

9. New York Yankees
Gary Sanchez had a tremendous debut season, Dellin Betances and Andrew Brackman got healthy, and Manny Banuelos saw his stuff tick up and they're backed up with a lot of back-end starter depth. They rival Toronto for the best catching depth in the minors and took a couple of intriguing guys later in the 2010 draft, one of whom I'll discuss Friday.

10. Seattle Mariners
Top-heavy with Dustin Ackley and Michael Pineda and strangely light on international talent below that, even though that is a historical strength for the club. The Mariners have a couple of possible fast-moving relievers, led by Stephen Pryor and Tyler Burgoon, who could make an impact in the next 24 months.

11. Boston Red Sox
The Sox traded away their top two prospects for Adrian Gonzalez, but boosted on the back end with three first-round talents added in the 2010 draft (their actual first-rounder, Kolbrin Vitek, plus Anthony Ranaudo and Bryce Brentz). As usual, their low-minors teams were strong, with the Greenville rotation quietly loaded with intriguing arms.

12. Texas Rangers
The top-ranked system the past two years, the Rangers used up a lot of that talent to win the AL pennant this year, either on their roster (Neftali Feliz, Mitch Moreland, Derek Holland) or in the Cliff Lee trade (Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke). Still very strong in Latin America, they were more slot-conscious than usual in the 2010 draft.

13. Arizona Diamondbacks
I admit to liking this system more than most, but I loved their 2009 draft haul and several of those players had strong full-season debuts. Jarrod Parker's promising return in instructional league -- with velocity as good as ever and improved lower-body strength -- is also a factor in putting them in the top half of arm systems, given that he's their one impact prospect who might see the majors this year.

14. St. Louis Cardinals
Extremely top-heavy, followed by a lot of extra-guy depth -- fifth starters, quality relievers, fourth outfielders, a few of whom will take steps forward and become solid-average big leaguers. A very productive Day 1 in the 2010 draft boosted them.

15. Colorado Rockies
It was a tough year in 2010 for three of their top four prospects, as well as talented but chronically hurt Hector Gomez, but I still believe very strongly in Tyler Matzek's future, and it sounds as if Christian Friedrich is good to go for 2011.

16. San Diego Padres
Moved up at least a half-dozen spots after the Adrian Gonzalez trade, which made up for an unsigned top pick in 2010 and the continued struggles and bad reports on 2009 first-rounder Donovan Tate. Like Arizona and Milwaukee, San Diego will benefit from having an extra pick in the 2011 draft, one that features one of the top college pitching classes in memory and a potent high school crop to boot.

[+] Enlarge
Peter Aiken/Getty Images
Jason Kipnis is a bright spot for the Tribe.

17. Cleveland Indians
Cleveland finally broke out of its slot-or-bust financial strategy in the 2010 draft and took some fliers on guys whose stock fell after tough springs. Within the system, the Tribe's top arm, Hector Rondon, went down and had to have Tommy John surgery, but right-hander Jason Knapp (acquired in the Cliff Lee trade) returned from a shoulder injury and Jason Kipnis established himself as one of the top second-base prospects in the game.

18. Oakland Athletics
Their top two hitting prospects had disappointing seasons, although Chris Carter recovered in the summer and earned a call-up. There's a fair amount of position player depth here but very little pitching, with command lefty Ian Krol the only arm I have among their top 10 prospects.

19. Washington Nationals
This represents a ton of progress since Mike Rizzo took over as GM. He inherited a farm system that couldn't begin to fill the major league team's needs. Ownership opened its wallets beyond the first pick in August, adding three more players in the team's Top 10.

20. Chicago Cubs
A top-10 system before the Garza trade, the Cubs probably would place more guys in the 101-150 range than any organization except the Royals. They're loaded with high-floor players who have the potential to be above-average or better big leaguers but aren't there yet. Considering all the picks they've given up to sign free agents, it's remarkable how strong the system still is after the giant trade with Tampa Bay.

21. Pittsburgh Pirates
This system consists of a few high-end prospects, including three teenage power arms, followed by a dropoff. The big investment in prep arms in 2009 hasn't yielded any major prospects yet, although it's early.

22. Los Angeles Dodgers
Almost every major prospect in this system regressed this year, led by Chris Withrow, who lost his command and then his velocity by August. On the positive side, the Zach Lee signing was huge for them.

23. San Francisco Giants
Consider that they graduated two critical members of the 2010 World Series-winning roster. As a whole, they've been very productive near the top of the draft despite rarely going over slot, but the lauded 2008 draft class below Buster Posey took a collective step back in 2010.

24. Baltimore Orioles
This group was probably the most surprising ranking to me as I went through the process. The O's have produced a ton of potential impact players who no longer qualify here -- including Brian Matusz, Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold, and Chris Tillman -- but the system at this moment is two Top 30 prospects and no one else I'd put in my Top 150. The lack of international talent in the system stands out.

25. Detroit Tigers
Detroit landed a first-round talent -- top-half in my opinion -- in the sandwich round with Nick Castellanos, giving them two high-ceiling impact guys at the top of the system, but much of their minor league depth is in power relief arms.

26. New York Mets
Earth to Fred Wilpon: This is what a strict adherence to slot recommendations will buy you. Parsimony has its price.

27. Houston Astros
The Astros are slowly getting better through the draft and some dabbling in Latin America, but it sure would have been nice to see them get more in return for Roy Oswalt.

28. Chicago White Sox
It was hard to get to 10 names for this system, but it will produce at least two players who'll help the major league club try to win the AL Central this year.

29. Florida Marlins
The Marlins graduated Logan Morrison and Mike Stanton, leaving two good-not-great prospects in the system and not a whole lot else to excite you. Their top prospect, Matt Dominguez, has a major question around his bat, and their top draft pick from 2009, Chad James, had a so-so year and missed time in 2010 with a sore shoulder.

30. Milwaukee Brewers
The first organization to fail to place a single prospect on my Top 100 list since I first produced these rankings in 2008 ... although landing Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke is a pretty good excuse. Even before those trades, however, their system as a whole wasn't strong, with a lot of pitchers failing to progress once in the system. They might need one of those arms -- Wily Peralta, perhaps, or Amaury Rivas -- to increase his value this spring for a possible July trade.

[MisterZoomer]

This is just more last ditch efforts of Eskin trying to remain relevant as:

1. 97.5 steals 610's market share.
2. The Phillies steal fan attention from the Eagles, which is his bread and butter.

You think Halladay won't talk to you? Try talking to him now!

Late props to Jeltz FTH, NEPP and Clout on some good points educating me on some aspects of the Napoli-Francisco deal, all done in a very polite manner :)

[Unikruk]

Well, that might just have the early lead for most inappropriate comment of the year.

[Unikruk]

Oh, and we really should be trying to poach Tampa's scouts and talent people. Imagine what they'd be capable of if they played in the northeast.

[pb]

Doc spoke with foxsports a few days ago. I posted it in the comments of a previous post then

http://msn.foxsports.com/video/?vid=f2434b4e-9f0f-402b-af78-2bf6d696de19

[Cats]

Halladay had an interview on foxsports, he gave his thoughts there on the rotation. But really who cares, Halladay is a man who speaks through action not words. He's the best pitcher in baseball and if he does not want to talk to that blow hard Eskin I am perfectly fine with it.

[awh]

This has been posted before:

http://msn.foxsports.com/video/MLB

Halladay did an interivew with Randy Sparage of foxsports.

Take a look. It's under the MLB listings in the menu of videos on the right side.

[awh]

pb, you beat me with a better link! :)

[NEPP]

Is it a coincidence that the Royals are the top farm system in baseball only a couple years after Mike Arbuckle went there? Clearly the guy is pretty good at building up farm systems.

[NEPP]

I used to love Doc Halladay but Eskin is completely right. Doc is dead to me now and I hope we cut him outright.

[ZT]

NEPP: Its a shame that he had to go after not getting the job. I'm kind of surprised that our farm system is still pretty good, at least according to KLaw's ranking. Everyone always attributed the fruits of the farm system to Arbuckle, but it seems that the farm is doing just fine under Rube and Chuck Lamar. That is saying a lot despite the trades for the aces in the rotation.

[NEPP]

Well, Marty Wolever was the day to day guy under Arbuckle and he's highly regarded in his own right.

Its just interesting to see that Arbuckle wasn't just a flash in the pants. He's Moore's top advisor on scouting/player development. Its good to see him continue to do well.

[Not Ralph]

To bad Klaw is biased and hates all phillies prospects until they get traded to another team, otherwise the Phils would be ranked numero uno.

[jason.tp]

Can we please replace that video image with Bruntlett's rain delay face?

[pb]

how many of the those guys were acquired while arbuckle has been there? I mean he's only been there for 2 years correct, all of them can't be his doing, can they

[HammRadio]

I'm just waiting to see someone pan the klaw article with a "typical beerleaguers overvaluing the farm system" comment. Does KLaw now like Toolsy players??? Or is just this crop of toolsy players are better than previous toolsy players.

RE: Eskin. I get his point when he explained on the radio that the conduit to the fans is the media... but unironically bashing all the people tweeting him their anger. When as JW pointed out that more and more athletes are controlling (er, in some cases uncontrolling) their message via social media leaving old school guys in the dust (or having to pick up the pieces).

I personally don't want to get to a point where EVERY player has a twitter (or if they do, I don't want to FOLLOW everyone of them) But Howard is wrong that there's this HUGE wall blocking info from getting to fans.

If you went back in time and told your 12 year old self (assuming you were born before 1985) that you could follow the starting quaterback of your favorite team and get a reply to a message or you could follow a highly valued prospect on your own team as he moves through the major leagues or even converse with a young player from a division rival in some electronic forum, your head might explode. And of course all the p0rn.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

"flash in the pants"

I think you mean: "Flash in the pan".

[NEPP]

****how many of the those guys were acquired while arbuckle has been there? I mean he's only been there for 2 years correct, all of them can't be his doing, can they****

No, not at all but a good number are under his regime...especially if you count guys acquired via trade (as the scouting dept probably has a good bit of say on who to target). He's not 100% the reason they've doing so well but clearly he's not hurting his reputation any.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Should be considered how much money the Royals put into signing draft picks compared to other teams, such as the Phils. Total guess, but i'm sure they put more money into this than the Phillies do. Should be noted that since they draft so high every year, they have to spend more money on bonuses for high picks.

[NEPP]

I wonder how much the Rays are gonna dump into the Draft this year? They have 12 of the top 75 picks or something crazy like that.

You gotta figure on them spending something like $12-15 million to sign all of them.

[Bonehead]

I never understood Eskin's status and longevity in Phila sports media. For me, when he appears, its an immediate channel change.

I would love if there would be some sort of backlash against him that would knock him off the airways. But, alas, he instead would somehow probably find a way to use it as publicity to his benefit. I guess its best to ignore him and keep changing the channel.

[SRK]

Halladay could become a mute, just keep winning 20 games and up. That is all that matters!

[Kiko Garcia]

Eskin is such a dope and is one of the things I do not miss since moving from Philly. Agree w/ Carson--I wish he'd done been beat up by Cholly.

[Zaahida]

Reporter found dead due to a fastball-related injury to the head.

[Willard Preacher]

Funny, Halladay has NEVER had a reputation of being especially talkative. Not sure why this blowhard would be upset about this, other than to make himself the "news" (yet again).

Wow Greinke would have had anxiety issues from this douche, alone....

[Hugh Mulcahy]

I'm not even going to play the video. I lost contact with Eskin 20 years ago and remember him mostly from WMMR. When I hear him on the radio, now, it strikes me that he's affected an exaggerated accent and pseudo-playa persona that he didn't have 25 years ago. Am I imagining that?

[ozark]

Eskin is Reid's flunky. Reid certainly is open and forthcoming. Eskin is a moron who appeals to morons. How in the world he has enjoyed such notoriety is one of life's great mysteries.

[Bob]

Some guys are just not inclined to be chatty or provide controversial sound bites.

Some might possibly be self absorbed jerks. OTOH they just might be, quiet by nature, cautious about being misquoted, apprehensive about hogging too much of the spotlight, a whole host of totally legit reasons for being circumspect about what they say. I think after games they ought to maybe be available for a few questions, but it ain't their job to be charismatic or quotable in interviews, or to provide inside dirt.

After Halladay's no hitter in the playoffs, in his post game interview his first order of business was to compliment Chooch. That says all that needs to be said for me about the kind of guy he is. In sports or in life, there is rarely a shortage of blowhards in any situation, but you can always use more guys for whom actions speak louder than words.

[Jon]

Jesus, Eskin's a brat. He's honestly the worst thing about Philadelphia . . . and he doesn't know a damn thing about the Phillies. He spent Spring training last season mispronouncing Ross Gload's name and calling him a nobody.

[awh]

ozark, the answer to your mystery is simple.

Think: LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR

[clout]

Mister Zoomer: As you spend more time here, you'll find that "polite manner" is my credo.

[PhillyJoe]

the crazy thing is that I would take Eskin over Cataldi anyday... I honestly think Cataldi has a negative impact on philadelphia sports in general and philadelphia's reputation as a sports city...

[Scott]

A few weeks back I guess I blocked video from NBC, since a Cliff Lee interview posted was not loading right, and slowed the site down. As such, no Eskin video for me, and that's a blessing.

[awh]

PhillyJoe, a piece of advice:

Don't bother with WIP. They are hardly informative to the informed fan. If you want any type of insight to the Phillies don't waste your time listening to that station.

Your time is better spent surfing this blog and some of the others JW has links to on the left.

You'll learn a lot more and you won't have to waste time listening to endless commercials about condoms, strip clubs and erectile disfunction. :)

[awh]

Philly Joe:

P.S. It's why I stopped listening to WIP years ago. If I do listen, it's ESPN.

[Jim]

Only a dooshnozzle like Eskin could possibly find some way to have a beef with someone like Halladay. What a waste of oxygen.

[AL]

Is the Lakewood team really in NJ as noted in that Keith Law excerpt/article? I could have sworn it was Florida.

Also, does anyone else find it funny that Juan Castro is immortalized as making that last out for Hallday's perfect game and will be seen in every highlight until the end of time?

[BobbyD]

"They are hardly informative to the informed fan."

Great way to put it. If you actually follow sports you learn nothing you didn't already know. Some of the hosts aren't that bad, but the callers make it unlistenable.

[Rich D]

On Monday December 13th I was listening to Eskin (a painful experience to be sure) and he was rhapsodizing about how Philadelphia was a football town. That night, the news about Cliff Lee broke, and for the next three days, it was all Phillies and Lee talk on WIP. I don't know if Howard notices that there is a palpable buzz and excitement for the Phillies throughout the area. I didn't get that impression about the Eagles this past season. Yet, Eskin's show is practically an info-mercial for the Eagles.

[Lake Fred]

Why is it that every time the TV news shows the mug shot of the Tucson, Arizona killer, the image that pops in my mind is Bruntlett's rain delay face?

[Old Phan]

Is Eskin even relevant?

[Andy]

LF - hmmmmmm...

There is undenial similarity of expression. Pretty bizarre, actually.

[awh]

"What a waste of oxygen."

Jim, that is the perfect way to describe WIP. Brilliant.

[NEPP]

****Is the Lakewood team really in NJ as noted in that Keith Law excerpt/article? I could have sworn it was Florida. ****

Yup, they play at First Energy Park: 2 Stadium Way, Lakewood NJ

[Willard Preacher]

And yet, it somehow filled a day (albeit a light posting day) of commentary on Beerleaguer. Polarizing as he may be, there's a reason Eskin is what he is, and that JW posted to this site.

That said, I'll probably not be able to sleep tonight, anticipating tomorrow's discussion on Mini-Mart as 25th man or Kyle Kendricks peripherals.

[krukker]

You're right, LF. The resemblance is uncanny...

[Willard Preacher]

Now I DEFINITELY won't sleep tonight...

[MPNPhilly]

Old Phan: yes, if you are trying to determine the relative humidity inside Big Red's trousers. Otherwise, no. The guy made up a total lie about AI and was suspended for it. He's a joke.

[NEPP]

Why why why would Eric Bruntlett kill all those people?!?

Was he that upset to be released?

[Old Phan]

I can see not being happy with the Gnome's baseball skills, but comparing him to a homicidal maniac?

[cut_fastball]

I actually like and respect the following WIP "personalities":

* Ray Didinger. Probably the most brilliant football mind/journalist in the USA; unrepentant truth teller about the Eagles; writers' honor roll in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio amongst other things.
* Glen Macnow
* Rob Charry. Eagles basher and Phils lover; unrepentant truth teller.
* Hugh Douglas. Rob and Hugh on a dead, no-sports Saturday/ Sunday are often hilarious. Hugh actually speaks a lot of truth about Reid and the Eagles, and will never veer off-topic/ speak about stuff he’s clueless about.

I have to listen to the radio to survive my job, and 97.5 The Fanatic is just too friggin' weird. I make it a project to avoid Eskin's WIP PM drive-time spot.

At that time, I'm an NPR fan. I will occasionally dip my toe in the juvenile 97.5 The Fanatic/Mike Missanelli crap.

BTW, I know this is a baseball blog. However, IMHO, Macnow, Charry and especially Didinger are great Phil's fans. Just my $0.02.

[Willard Preacher]

NEPP, actually, the fact that he IS so frequently released is what made him think he could get away with it.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

I "like" Macnow, but more often then not, he's just fluff. He can't really go too deep into the Phils farm system, but that's typical of WIP.

[NEPP]

****I can see not being happy with the Gnome's baseball skills, but comparing him to a homicidal maniac?****

We're clearing just kidding around.

Gnome is a World Series hero. 2 game winning runs and all that.

[Chris in VT]

Eskin is a complete waste of time...this has been true de at least a decade, and his personal life has shown him to be as crappy a person as he is a sports commentator.

As for the Howard/Pujols question from the last thread, I think it's a waste of time, to be honest. I don't think there's any way it actually happens, but if it did it would actually be a win-win scenario in some ways. The Cards could never justify dumping Albert for prospects, but they could at least make an effort at dumping Albert for a former ROY/MVP in Howard as still trying to win, especially since Ryan's from St Louis. The Phils have the resources to sign Pujols long-term, and they have shown much more of a willingness to get these kinds of deal done than the Cards.

That being said, I find it quite interesting that there are suddenly rumors about Pujols' age floating around the interwebs. Rob Neyer, for instance, brought this up in his ESPN chat just yesterday, with some speculation that this might be the reason the Cards are reluctant to commit 10 years to Albert. Apparently insider talk has spiked that the Cards "know" Albert is actually 34 or 35...(Schweitzer warning)

[Jbird]

Pujols graduated from high school and went to JC here, the age question is a little ridiculous. . . still, I wouldn't want to be paying him $30 million when he's 41.

[NEPP]

But but but...he's latino so he MUST be lying about his age.

[Will Schweitzer]

Chris: the "insider talk" isn't surprising in the least. It falls right into line with the stereotype that the age of every Hispanic ballplayer (and only Hispanic ballplayers) is questionable. The goofballs who perpetuate these rumors are the "birthers" of the baseball world.

As for Eskin, this makes two things this week that the entire BL community has agreed on.

[Chris in VT]

I agree about Pujols and the age question. I just think it's interesting that this is suddenly coming up now.

[NEPP]

I call BS on the age thing. If it were true, it would have come up well before now.

There has never been a hint of it before. Giving him a 10 year deal at his current age is just as foolish so it makes sense that a mid-market club is leery to go more than 7-8 years.

[MisterZoomer]

Clout - I'm here plenty, I just don't talk much. I made the comment based on a previous complaint I made on the stand offish nature of many people here.

NEPP - having high draft picks doesn't hurt the Royals either. I'm not saying that don't do a good job, but it sure helps.

[doc joe]

That was the most pathetic commentary by the irrelevant Howard Eskin. He is a true phillie hater and an Eagles apologist. Roy is all class, a solid citizen and family man and fyi Howard, he won the Cy Young. I could care less if he speaks to the media at a card show! By the way Howard, where is Andy while all his coaches get fired. Any comments?

[NEPP]

****NEPP - having high draft picks doesn't hurt the Royals either. I'm not saying that don't do a good job, but it sure helps.****

I completely agree. Though those can still be flubbed.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Making light of that guy from AZ doesn't offend me. I'm all for black humor. But, you gotta have something good - something g-danm funny - before you plaster that ugly mug on the page.

[MG]

This is just largely schtick to fill a couple of minutes because there really isn't anything that interesting right now on the Philly sports scene. Nothing more.

[Mister Zoomer]

NEPP - absolutely - the Pirates seem to do it rather regularly.

[awh]

BS on the age thing. Pujols has lived in the US as a kid, and went to HS and JC here. If age was an issue it would have come up long before this.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Didn't Pujols live in the same town Marti Wolever was from (or even lives)?

[Bowlcut]

The rain delay pics made me think of the little know and highly rare T-Mac and Sprout The Chicken photo. I plead that this be worked into a beerleaguer post of the future because it is too good not to be.

For those who haven't seen.

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/6127/tmacandsprout.jpg

[kuvasz]

Eskin? Isn't he the guy who would smear himself with dog excrement just to get noticed?

[Meyer]

Can we trade Eskin for Vernon Wells?

[Lake Fred]

Krukker, thanks for posting the two photos. It was less scary when it was just in my mind. Blown up on my computer screen is awesome. I love the flashing rain delay message under Bruntlett's face. However, the post of this thread belongs to clout when he wrote:

"Mister Zoomer: As you spend more time here, you'll find that "polite manner" is my credo." I enjoy good laughs in the offseason. What else is there to do?

If Halladay ever divorces his wife, her reason for the divorce will be:

A.) He never talks.

B.) Chicks dig the long ball.

C.) This post scares me: "Reporter found dead due to a fastball-related injury to the head."

D.) I think Cliff Lee is cute!

E.) I'd like to chase Utley!

F.) All of the above.

The correct answer is F.

[Jbird]

Meyer: I think we'd have to eat some of Eskin's salary.

[Jbird]

Lake Fred: you left out "running away to DC with Jayson Werth"