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Maybe, I'm old school. Alright, I AM old school.

But when it comes to the playoffs and World series, everything should be the best. The players, the umpires, the announcers, the fans, everybody.

Last night, I had my headset on listening to the Braves-Giants game on XM.

It was the Braves broadcasters and I really used to like the Braves announcers. Ernie Johnson and Skip Carey were fun and were not afraid to speak their minds about the vulnerabilities of their own team.

Skip Carey is no longer with us and Johnson is on the tv side for the playoffs, so I think I was listening to Don Sutton last night.

I haven't heard him in a long time and I never heard him identify himself, but I think I recognized the voice.

First, I was amazed at how much whining he did when something did not go the Braves way. I remembered him as being more professional.





Anyway, after the Giants scored their run with a steal by Posey that was missed by the umpire, we were treated to a mention of it every chance he could bring it up.

The steal call was originally described as a "close play".

But, armed now with the advantage of slo motion and replays, Sutton droned on and on about the call and how it had been missed.



When a Giant tried stealing a base later, he had this call-

"Their goes Huff, the pitch is taken high, the throw down to second, and this time umpire Paul Emmel gets it right, he's out"



I was thinking how truly classless to call a play like that.



I've been told by several coaches that there is nothing we can do about what we perceive is a bad call on the field, just go out and do the best job we can do ourselves.

Apparently, Sutton did not have the same coaching.



[ October 08, 2010, 08:20 PM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

I wonder if Sutton missed seeing the complete lack of offense by the Braves or was the image of the Posey play still too firmly etched in his mind.



When I fought, my coach always told me to never leave it up to the judges.

Sometimes I think that the broadcasters forget how hard it is to be an umpire, because they have the benifit of instant replay.

The game is so fast now adays... I think it may be a good idea for MLB to bring in young more athletic Umpires.. same thing with NBA 60 year old men have a hard time keeping up with the game.

oh doughboys, quit your whining. look at it this way- the white sox could be in the playoffs. besides- forget sutton, did chip carey even notice posey stole second?

Damn I wish I could disagree!

Ah yes Don Sutton, I grew up watching him pitch.

I was actually at a game where he pitched a one hitter. He was a good pitcher but not great. I remember he got into a clubhouse fight with Steve Garvey. Steve came out of it with scratches to the face. I guess those long nails helped Sutton nick the ball. Which of course is breaking the rules. Than again so was taking speed, beanies,

white crosses whatever you want to call them. They did that too back than. But the point is how funny to see him outraged by a call.

Dan,



You may get a kick out of this but I have actually as you term it "chested" Sutton.



A little background Sutton's oldest daughter hung on the outskirts of our crowd in the mid 90's. Smoked like a chimney, cussed like a sailor, and pretty much thought like a dude when it came to sex.



Fast Forward to the ballpark and Sutton coming in is always known as pretty moody most days good but bad days are very bad. He is very particular about being surrounded when people ask for autographs. He insists upon one single file line. On this day he was surrounded and got sideways in a hurry. First thing he does is bless out an obvious burn victim for selling his autographs. The guy obviously sells autographs, is very easy to remember b/c he is disfigured but how in the hell else can he earn a living it is that bad. So a few people are taken back by that.



A little boy asks him for his autography obviously very intimidated. He does not say thank you or anything at all. We have all seen it and obviously the kid just is scared. Sutton begins to lecture him right in front of his dad about manners. Just completely over the top. I cannot resist and said Don I know your daughter and you should be the last person lecturing people about how to raise children. I still remember the steam coming out of his ears. It is the most scared I have been since I came face to face with Patrick Welsh in Tampa a few years ago



With that said Paul Emmel blew 3 calls in that series all against the Braves.

Great stuff, if anybody needed a chesting, Sutton was the man.

Given the choice on a meet, face to face, give me Patrick over Sutton every time

Emmel was bad, Sutton awful.