September 5th, 2006 → 8:18 am @ Seth Mnookin
There was a lot to be happy about last night: the return of the inscrutable and delightfully coiffed Manny Ramirez, Trot Nixon swinging a bat without doubling over in pain, the vacuum cleaner known as A-Gon patrolling the infield, tight shots of Jason Varitek warily eyeing the batter from behind the plate, a possibly teary and always excitable Julian Tavarez auditioning as the ace of the staff, Carlos Pena’s 10th-inning walk-off (in case you tuned out these last few weeks, he’s one of the approximately 400 players who’ve suited up for the Sox over the past month), and, of course, Tina Cervasio struggling for the 54th time this season to figure out a new way to ask a player, “So what was that like?”
There’s also one of my favorite aspects of Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo’s broadcasts on NESN. When there’s a dramatic event on the field — Matt Clement being beaned in the head, any one of Papi’s million game-winners, Pedro returning to Fenway — Remy and Orsillo know enough to keep their traps shut and let viewers enjoy the engulfing sounds of the fans at the game. It’s how sports broadcasts should work: for those of us stuck watching the game on TV, we want to get as close to the action as possible. And in the most dramatic moments of the game, that means hearing nothing more than the sounds of tens of thousands frenzied fans reacting to another seemingly transcendent moment on the diamond.
Post Categories: Don Orsillo & Jerry Remy
July 22nd, 2006 → 1:18 am @ Seth Mnookin
“I tell you what, if you fell asleep on the couch tonight you’re not missing much.”
— Jerry Remy, 1:11 am EST, July 22, in the middle of the top half of the ninth inning of the first game of the Sox’s West Coast swing. The Red Sox, who beat the Texas Rangers at home on Thursday afternoon, were leading Seattle 8-4 at the time.
“He’ll do this the rest of the night!”
— a clearly exasperated Remy, 1:32 am EST, after Ichiro fouled off the 10th pitch of his at-bat in the bottom of the ninth in what was now a 9-4 game.
“This is unbelievable.”
— Don Orsillo, 1:33 am EST, after the at-bat’s 12th-pitch.
Post Categories: Don Orsillo & Jerry Remy
June 20th, 2006 → 9:08 pm @ Seth Mnookin
SCENE: The bottom of the fourth inning of the July 20 Red Sox-Nationals game with Boston leading, 8-0.
SETTING: NESN broadcast booth, Fenway park.
CAST:
* Red Sox color analyst Jerry Remy
* Red Sox play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo
* A three-inch plushy of Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster.
Remy: We all have parties–birthday parties, crews go out and have parties. Wally likes to attend those parties and he has a heck of a time, but the next day I’ve got to put up with that. He’s miserable, not feeling well, cause it’s hard if, you know, when he goes out people take care of him.
Orsillo: See, I thought he was all done with that. I thought that was another life for Wally. I thought the whole rehab thing took care of that.
Remy: The thing about it is, he’ll look the same tomorrow, but he won’t feel good.
Orsillo: He’s always gonna be green.
PAUSE
Remy: The women love Wally.
Orsillo: I can see why. They’re only human.
It makes you wonder what Ron Gant would have come up with…
Post Categories: Broadcasting & Don Orsillo & Jerry Remy & Red Sox & Ron Gant & Wally the Green Monster
