Memories Of Bobby Murcer

Baseball was still unknown to me in 1965 when Bobby Murcer first donned the Yankee pinstripes, and by the time I discovered the game, he'd been traded to the San Francisco Giants. So when he returned in 1979 I had no fond memories of him. But I remember how happy everyone was to see him back in a Yankee uniform, and I remember feeling jealous, because I hadn't been able to experience the good times that he'd given to Yankee fans in the past.

Those next few years, which proved to be the last of his career, were not terrible ones, but they certainly were not all-star caliber. Being a relatively new baseball fan, I was unimpressed. I didn't understand why he was so beloved. I didn't understand that he had earned that love back in those glory years of the late '60s and early '70s.

Then he retired and moved into the broadcast booth. To me, he seemed in over his head. He was a fish out of water. He'll never make it, I thought. I was alone in my thoughts, it seemed. Even in the broadcast booth, he was the Beloved Bobby Murcer.

Yesterday, after the YES Network announced his passing, Joe Girardi and several players talked about Bobby. The common thread running through all their thoughts about him was that he was always positive and always smiling. YES Network commentators echoed those sentiments and it was difficult for them to maintain their composure as they did so. YES played clips of his playing days and his days in the booth. I was particularly taken with a clip of what was probably his last Old Timers Day appearance. He played left field and wore a mic, sharing the experience with all the viewers. I smiled as I watched, because it was then that I finally began to understand. I could finally see what a great human being he was. I was no longer alone in my thoughts. He was, indeed, the Beloved Bobby Murcer.

The Lady

The Dish on The Dish

Extra Innings, anyone? If the answer is yes, I hope you're allowed to have a satellite dish where you live. If you know what I'm referring to you know that I mean the Extra Innings Package offered by MLB, whereby fans, when they purchase this package for their cable system, can watch out-of-town baseball games whenever they choose to. If you have this package you probably know that Commissioner Bud Selig and his people are working on a deal to offer the package solely through DirecTV.

I've been listening to sports-talk radio shows about this issue all week. I've heard Selig say that the move to DirecTV would only affect a few people; he claims the percentage is very small. I've also heard talk show hosts and callers complain about how this move would affect a larger percentage of people, including people who get their cable, DSL and phone service in one package; there would be the hassle of, perhaps, having to change their phone numbers and/or email addresses. There are even grass roots efforts springing up, an interesting one being Screwed By Baseball.

There is only one thing about all of this I don't understand: When did Major League Baseball become the NFL? I know that an NFL fan will gladly watch just about any out-of-town game. When did it become popular for a Detroit Tigers fan to watch a Devil Rays-Royals game? I'm a big Yankee fan and I care about what the Red Sox are doing, but I don't think I want to watch Red Sox-Rangers on a Tuesday night. I'm perfectly satisfied with seeing the highlights on Sportscenter. Baseball is a regional sport. That's part of the reason why World Series ratings are so low these days. Fans will only watch it if their team is in it.

Maybe this is the reason Selig feels the move to DirecTV will not affect a lot of people. I don't know. I only know that it never occurred to me to purchase the Extra Innings Package, and I never thought it occurred to that many other people either.

The Lady