Check out Joe Morgan's ESPN Chat today!

[boc4life]

Just think about how less entertaining the baseball world would be without Joe Morgan. I hope he continues broadcasting forever.

[legend42]

I agree Morgan is a complete dimwit when it comes to stats, and he's a neanderthal when it comes to thinking about the game, BUT there are several things that make him bearable, at least for me:

- he usually works with Jon Miller, who is so magnificent, especially at bringing Joe's strengths (reminiscences, actual in-game analysis), even if he does seem to be getting increasingly annoyed with Joe lately...

- Morgan has a genuine passion and respect for the game, which goes a long way for me. I still remember when he went to Havana to announce that Orioles/Cuba exhibition game, and they did a featurette of him just talking baseball with a bunch of Cuban players, coaches, and everyday people. Would anybody rather see Tim Kirkjian do a segment like that?

- There is SOME merit to his Moneyball criticism during playoff time, when it is more important to be able to manufacture runs against better pitching, that cannot all be attributed to small sample size. Even if the magnitude to which he asserts it is off by several degrees.

- There are almost no other commentators who are SABR-friendly either, at least at the level that most of us statheads would appreciate.

- At least he's not in-your-face obnoxious the way some color guys are. He's fairly easy to tune out when he starts stammering through one of his inane monologues.

- He IS indisputably one of the best players to ever play the game, and his on field insights- like analyzing a base stealer's thought process, a middle infielder's footwork around the bag, etc- can be interesting and worthwhile.

- Finally, who would you rather have in the booth for a game? Buck/McCarver or Miller/Morgan?

[David H]

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What does he do that's better than your avg color man?

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[prohornblower]

Morgan also never says a kind word about Craig Biggio. He is bitter towards the Astros organization, and probably bitter that Biggio, another 2nd-sacker, will soon join him in the HOF.

Biggio, last season, ran out of the baseline to avoid a tag from the 2nd-baseman (and was not ruled out), and Morgan went on and on about it for 2 innings, commenting on close-ups and going "You see there, he ran out the base line, his foot touched grass, he should have been out right then and there. But he wasn't. He wasn't called out. He was allowed to reach 2nd-base safely. Even though his foot touched the grass, he wasn't ruled out, which prolonged the inning for the other team." Doesn't sound like much but it is one anecdote which exemplifies his hatred of Biggio, which is a microcosm of hating the Astros as a whole.

Honestly, I had no problem with JM up until about a year ago when this forum, as well as FJM began bringing to light some of the ignorant statements he makes. Biggio hatred notwithstanding. Now it is hilarious to read about the stuff he spews out. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Karak567]

I read FJM every day. I love that site.

[DrewDevil]

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It's actually infuriating that Joe Morgan hates on the stats that made him one of the best second basemen to play the game.

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Bill James says Morgan is the best 2b of all time and that it's not close.

[kidcolin]

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It's actually infuriating that Joe Morgan hates on the stats that made him one of the best second basemen to play the game.

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Bill James says Morgan is the best 2b of all time and that it's not close.

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kyle's original statement is actually sort of infuriating. I get what he's saying, it just sounds awful and wrong when written that way.. probably because it is wrong. That stats don't make Joe awesome, Joe being awesome at baseball makes Joe awesome.. the stats are just evidence after the fact.

[Boris]

good post legend.

another reason I kinda like Joe Morgan is the existence of FJM. The constant unfunny nitpicking negative A-hole commentary is something I despise.

[Dudd]

Pointing out incompetence is not nitpicking.

[sightless]

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good post legend.

another reason I kinda like Joe Morgan is the existence of FJM. The constant unfunny nitpicking negative A-hole commentary is something I despise.

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so you hate FJM? But like Morgan, because they nitpick the insane things that he says?