Last night Red Sox fans were reminded, again, what they would be missing come the 2012 season when former manager Terry Francona stepped in for the ailing Tim McCarver and took over color commenter duties on Fox Sports.
Francona worked with Joe Buck covering game one of the American League Championship Series and if there were some who were skeptical the former skipper would be up to the task, only a few moments of listening to him probably put those fears to rest.
Beginning the broadcast by joking about a few weeks ago he was stressing about baseball and now pretty women were putting makeup on him, Francona reminded Red Sox fans of his quick wit in interviews and set the stage for an amusing and informative evening of baseball. Francona brought insight to the game that many have been clamoring for especially given his intimate knowledge of not only the American League players but the managers as well. Â Not many sports broadcasts can boast having a commentator fresh from being in the thick of things. Francona has a familiarity with the game that broadcasters like Tim McCarver don’t (the last time McCarver was active in Major League Baseball was 1980). Â That doesn’t take away from McCarver’s knowledge of the game but last night’s broadcasts was improved greatly by having someone in the booth who not only knows baseball in the general sense but is still close to the game.
Francona will be in the booth for game two and McCarver returns for the third game, so if you missed him last night, at 7:45 tonight on Fox begins your last chance to experience his broadcasting style before McCarver takes over again and the ALCS becomes just another series the Red Sox aren’t in.
(Originally published on Examiner.com)