Joe Buck Does Not Suck

That's right, I said it. I've never liked Joe Buck, and I'm not saying he's good. But I don't think he deserves all the criticism he gets. The hatred. The absolute vitriol heaped upon him. I'm not really sure where all that came from.

For my purposes here, I'm referring to his baseball announcing. I don't have the interest in or knowledge of football to comment with authority on his play-by-play work in that realm. But for baseball, is he really that bad?

My criticism of Buck has always revolved around his monotone. Whatever was happening on the field, he seemed to speak with the same cadence and volume. He would say things like "...and Cole Hammels pitches around some trouble in the 4th..." and then later "...a three-run homer from Chase Utley has tied this game in the bottom of the 8th..." And he'd be at pretty much the same excitement/volume for both. This is a completely fabricated example, but go read those "quotes" again in Joe Buck's voice. Surely you see what I'm talking about.

But, no joke, he's totally improved on this over the last few years. Go back and watch highlights of the 2014 Playoffs. There's genuine excitement in his voice.

Yes, when he's calling Cardinals games, he's probably a little biased. But I do believe he knows the game and has insights to deliver. Really, I think he has been severely held back all these years by Tim McCarver, who is an idiot, plain and simple. Thankfully, McCarver retired after the 2013 playoffs. Unfortunately he was replaced by Harold Reynolds, who is not much better.

I know it's fashionable to hate on Joe Buck. And I know he has a very punchable face. But what, really, is your problem with him?

The Gianasty

I wrote this is 2010, and this in 2012. So I feel like I should spew my Giants thoughts again, now that I have another SF Chronicle to frame. In a separate post-2010-title post, I wrote that having won one World Series, the new goal should be to become the team that wins so much, everyone outside of San Francisco hates them. I think we’re getting there(!).

Three titles in five years. Soooo weird. I think this points to why baseball is my favorite sport. I can come up with plenty of reasons why basketball and football are better games. But baseball is just so delightfully unbelievable*. Travis Ishikawa—a guy who was this close to retiring mid-season—hitting a home run to send his team to the World Series? And this comes after Michael Morse—in like his second at bat in a month—hits a game-tying homer in the bottom of the 8^th?? Nah, dog. That ain’t real.

[*Or, if you’re on the losing end, horrifyingly unbelievable]

I will say that of the three title teams, this 2014 one was the worst. Not that they weren’t just as fun. But looking at the 25-man rosters of each World Series team, I think it’s clear that this one had the least talent. Which makes appreciating it’s members that much more fun. Let's do it:

Madison Bumgarner. Start at the top. This was the best post-season performance for a pitcher of all time. That’s pretty much an objective fact. In all of sports, this has to rank up there as one of the all time “I got this” performances. He was Michael Jordanian. Completely put his team on his back and carried it to the promised land. We can argue all day about whether “clutch” even exists. Regardless, it’s so incredibly exciting to watch athletes perform their best when the stakes are at their highest. Makes you marvel that you’re even of the same species. I look forward to 50 years from now when people are still talking about how awesome Bumgarner was. Five shutout innings of relief on two day’s rest to close out Game 7 of the World Series. Stuff of legends. This is one of the most storied franchises in baseball. Madison Bumgarner is its greatest post-season pitcher, and he's 25.

I feel bad for Royals fans, who probably feel like they got beat by one guy. I hope they make it back.

Buster Posey. On paper, he had a pretty awful post-season. Not one extra-base hit, and he particularly struggled at the plate in the World Series. Doesn’t matter. He caught nearly every inning, including the 18-inning marathon in Washington. He’s a boss.

Brandon Crawford. I love having him as the shortstop. So consistently impressive. This play will go down as the most underrated of the playoff run. In an instant, he finds the ball in front of him and knows exactly what to do. His instincts are amazing. And how ‘bout that arm? (keep in mind that’s Lorenzo Cain running).

Joe Panik. I’m not as bullish on Joe Panik’s future as most people are. I think he’s a good candidate to regress once scouts get a book on him. And he’s not even that great to begin with: .711 OPS in the regular season;  .646 in the playoffs.  But second base was a black hole for the Giants most of the year. Remember Brandon Hicks? Dan Uggla?? Shudder. He filled in so darn adequately, it makes me smile. Plus if you love making bad puns, this guy is a gold mine. Coming into this season, he probably thought maybe he’d sniff a September call-up from the minors. As it turns out, he’s starting in the World Series, and making one of the most important plays in Giants history.

Lookie here:

At this point in time, it’s basically first and third with no outs. Everybody knows it, and it sucks. But because Joe Panik was born, it’s nobody on and two outs. I already mentioned Crawford’s instincts. Doesn’t seem like Panik’s are too bad either. On his from-the-belly glove-flip: "This is the first time I've ever done something like that. It was just instinctual. I couldn't get my bare hand to my glove." I love it.
Funny thing about this play: If Hosmer doesn't slide into first base, he's probably safe. OR, if Cain slides feet-first into second, Hosmer is probably safe. 

Yusmeiro Petit. In 2013, he was one out away from a perfect game. This year, he broke the record for consecutive batters retired, with 46, over 8 appearances. That's 1.7 perfect games. And then in the playoffs he was this year's 2012 Lincecum. What a BAMF.

Bruce Bochy. Without question, he’s now a #NoBrainerHallOfFamer. I think the coolest part about Bochy is this: Usually when analysts tout a great manager, they talk only about his resume—his win totals, his titles, his longevity. With Bochy, they actually talk about his decisions. They specifically mention how he out-smarts his counterpart. He’s out-managed his opponent in every series in the last five years. Not only does he have the resume, but you can be sure he contributed to those accomplishments himself—not just his players.

The rest of the coaching staff. Dave Righetti and Mark Gardner have to be the most underrated pieces of this era of Giants baseball. And let’s not forget about bench coach Ron Wotus. As I understand things, he’s responsible for positioning players in the field. And if Juan Perez isn’t hugging the line in the 5^th inning of Game 7 with a runner on second, he doesn’t catch Aioki’s line drive.

Advanced Scouting Department. I have no evidence to back this up, but I bet the Giants’ major league scouts are some of the best in the game. Whomever the Giants play in the playoffs, they always seem to know how best to play them.

The rest of the front office. This era of Giants baseball is built upon homegrown guys, which is ideal for a fan. The 2014 team in particular was littered with ‘em. And the rest of the roster was filled in via savvy trades and picking out unseen talent from the bargain bin. They’ve built this dynasty with three different aces and three different closers. Nice work, Sabes.

I don’t know if it’s an organizational philosophy to get this kind of personnel, or if the coaching staff deserves even more credit than they already get. But these Giants teams seem to have a calmness about them. A quiet confidence. Look at all of those elimination games in 2012. Or in Game 4 of this World Series when they went down 4-1, and were staring at a 3-1 series deficit. In short, unlike me, they did not freak the fuck out. They trusted each other, as if they knew things would fall into place. Thanks again, Giants. See you in 2016.

Don't forget to check out McCovey Chronicles for other crucial 2014 playoff videos, including some under-appreciated moments.