Diamondbacks Bullpen

TAP

Grace rejoins Thom and PigPen contributes whimsy.

whatuwant · Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 10:16 pm Post subject:

considering that Grace is headed into the final year of his contract, i hope that this doesn't mean he won't be with us after this year
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"He that speaks much, is much mistaken. " BF

DesertKnight · Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 10:30 pm Post subject:

I hope it does. I'd rather have Matty in the booth full time--at least he talks baseball and not the immature moronic stuff Grace churns out.

whatuwant · Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 10:35 pm Post subject:

csktech · MLB Rookie Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 104

matt · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 1:07 am Post subject:

I'll give Grace another chance this year. Although Thom grew on me a lot last season, he had no control over Grace. However, when Grace was with Schulte (I can't stand him), Greg kept him restrained and he was better. The same thing happened with Traber.

DesertKnight · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:34 am Post subject:

NJ-DBACKS-FAN · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:50 am Post subject:

EvilJuan · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:36 am Post subject:

I'm with DesertKnight: I hope that Grace moves on, if not during the year (is there a trade deadline for color commentators?) then after the season ends. The broadcast team is there to describe the game -- and how much description is needed for a telecast? Baseball trivia, a la Matt Williams, and even Joe Sr. (except for the non-stop tobacco rants) is much more preferable to the interminable descriptions of what he's had to eat (and so on) that we hear constantly from Gracie...
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Is It Next Season Yet? Sad

csktech · MLB Rookie Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 104

charlie · AA Prospect Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 43

Couldn't resist taking the time to bash Grace. I'm with DesertKnight and EvilJuan. Grace is a dis-Grace in the booth, IMO, with his 12-year-old's mentality and juvenile behavior. Unless, of course, one has no baseball sense at all and tunes in just for his kind of crap as "entertainment". Wonder how his goofiness is going to set with the new guy, Sutton?

Baseball is what I call a seriously entertaining business but one still can have good fun and be entertaining without being so completely ridiculous, as Grace often is. Thank God for the mute button.

I wonder, where has his desire to become a manager gone, anyway? Traded in on becoming a TV idol?
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formerly ROF

moviegeekjn · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 9:36 am Post subject:

Prosopis · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:57 pm Post subject:

I like Gracie and I hope he stays.

Dre · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:41 pm Post subject:

It'd be a disappointment not to hear Gracie on the broadcasts beyond this year, but the national route may be what he's best suited for. I still think he has coaching in his blood though. I'm amazed he's been look past in our organization and others for bench or hitting coach duties.

TAP · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:33 am Post subject:

TAP · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:36 am Post subject:

Counsell · MLB Rookie Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 220

It would be nice to find a balance between Williams and Grace. They are at the extremes - Williams is very dry and analytical, while Grace is completely irreverent.

One theory - if you know enough baseball maybe you don't NEED to hear the analysis that Williams provides - you can already see for yourself what he points out.

So different viewers have different needs.

whatuwant · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:17 pm Post subject:

anybody read the republic today? Gracie's contract was extended
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"He that speaks much, is much mistaken. " BF

TAP · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:27 pm Post subject:

whatuwant · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:37 pm Post subject:

matt · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:38 pm Post subject:

I wonder if he still has the out clause for the Cubs.

DesertKnight · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:42 pm Post subject:

EvilJuan · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:33 pm Post subject:

baldmaga · Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:56 am Post subject:

To defend Grace, the only times he would go on an "irreverent tirade" is when the team really was out of the game. Yes, he always has an off-topic story, but it doesn't continue for the whole game, unless that game was one of those few 6+ run deficit games.

shoewizard · Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 12:02 pm Post subject:

I think when Mark is focused he does a good job. Sometimes he lost focus when the game was out of hand, sometimes when he and Thom were fooling around a bit much. They seemed to really have a good time together, and it indeed got silly sometimes.

But when Mark focuses on what he is supposed to be doing, without distractions....(Ok...Beverly Kidd in the booth that night was a distraction no man should have to ignore), then he is a good analyst.

I think everyone noticed that he was much more "down to business" when he did games without Thom. And my guess is he will be a bit more serious when he does games with Sutton.

Don't forget, we here represent less than 1/100th of 1% of the fan base.
The average fan finds Mark very entertaining, and if that were not the case, he would not have gotten a 3 year extension. So don't expect him to stop playing to his core audience.