From an O's fan perspective, the TBS coverage is horrific so far

[BehindTimes]

I never like the national media guys anyway. The only reason I would make an exception is for Cal. And he lost me on Friday already. The Local radio broadcast is doing a nice job with TBS muted.

Just be glad you can do that. I live in the NY region and have John Sterling for the radio broadcast. Worst thing is, I had season tickets so I have post season tickets for the O's, and came down with pneumonia a couple days ago which cancelled the trip down to Baltimore.

[JimDH]

Gameday audio actually. And I always choose the BAL broadcast

[Il BuonO]

I actually like Smoltz, his analysis is informed unlike Cal's. At one point, Johnson was commenting on the strike zone and Cal chimed in with a favorable comment about it being due to "good pitching" by CC. Then Smoltz seemed to question that by saying it was more likely due to an enlarged zone. I can take or leave Johnson and his stories about being cut as a walk on. Really Ernie? Just tell Cal he's not auditioning for a lifetime contract with TBS.

[Orioles2012]

They need to take cal out of the TBS Booth for orioles games. He tries to be neutral and by doing that he overcompensates and ends up praising the opposing team. Its not his fault really, hes just not a good commentator.

[Trackmaster]

I think Cal is trying too hard to appear like he's not favoring the Orioles. He's overdoing it and it's coming off very strange.

To make matters stranger, he even owns the IronBirds, an Orioles affiliate. So he's even part of the organization. It's strange that he would be bashing them considering that.

[LA2]

I actually like Smoltz, his analysis is informed unlike Cal's. At one point, Johnson was commenting on the strike zone and Cal chimed in with a favorable comment about it being due to "good pitching" by CC. Then Smoltz seemed to question that by saying it was more likely due to an enlarged zone. I can take or leave Johnson and his stories about being cut as a walk on. Really Ernie? Just tell Cal he's not auditioning for a lifetime contract with TBS.

Who knows--Maybe Cal is looking for a new career and Billy's told him it wd be a good gig.

People keep mentioning the slight of Brooks, but there was also the line about how the A's have had a more impressive season than the Orioles.

One thing people who are defending Cal are missing is that a lot of TBS viewers did not have the chance to see Brooks play. And if someone who grew up watching Brooks and is steeped in Orioles lore rates him below Beltre they'll take it as authoritative. Potentially now, every time someone asserts that Brooks was the best ever, what the Ironman said--the former player that fans around the country identify more than anyone else as symbolizing the Orioles--can be quoted to end discussion: "That's not what Cal said!," perhaps accompanied by a self-satisfied Bronx smirk.

Cal asserted in detail in the days leading up to the playoffs that he felt he was being tested for whether he wd identify with the O's--especially whether he would use the word "us" when refering to the O's. That there are ways in which he could have expressed deep appreciation for the great season the O's managed to accomplish AND not be a turn-off to the national audience (and his broadcast booth colleagues and new bosses) seems to have escaped him.

I'm very disappointed. And this type of disappointment is something even Yankee fans understand. Last night I was standing in line for my "beer can chicken" to be grilled when I got into a conversation with a group of three young Y's fans behind me. The one in the Y's jersey remarked on how it was interesting that Cal was part of the broadcast team. I said I was disappointed in what he said about Brooks and the Y's fan's eyes opened wide and he blurted out, "Yeah, I saw that. WHY did he say that?! Even if that's what he really believes he could have easily found some way not to insult the Oriole fans!" I agree.

[Frobby]

And if someone who grew up watching Brooks, played beside him (albeit during his decline), and is steeped in Orioles lore rates him below Beltre they'll take it as authoritative.

Cal and Brooks never played together. Brooks retired after the 1977 season and Cal was drafted in 1978.

[George]

I wouldn't expect them to have cut away from the end of the Cardinals-Braves game but we miss the beginning of the O's game including the first run that they score.

The beginning of that O's wild card game was broadcast on TNT. Try TNT when the O's game is starting before the first TBS game is over.

[LA2]

Cal and Brooks never played together. Brooks retired after the 1977 season and Cal was drafted in 1978.

I've gone back and corrected my inexplicable memory slip. I hope it didn't detract too much from the points I made.

[Ohfan67]

I don't think the broadcast team has really been biased, it's just that they suck. Smoltz was decent last night, but the play-by-play guy and Cal are brutal (and Smotlz was pretty bad Friday night). Cal is terrible at banter and only a die hard Orioles fan really wants him to keep talking about midfielder positioning and the like (well, and even that gets old and boring for a diehard o's fan). Cal is just not good at this. If he was good, then he would be working for ESPN or Fox, not TBS. Cal is basically a dull guy. I don't mean that as an insult, but just as an observation. He's always been a low energy guy and has always seemed like a Joe Morgan kind of baseball guy. Those guys brought zero drama to that game last night. If that game had been on Fox, then Joe Buck would have ramped up the drama on so many of those pitches. There were a ton of tension filled moments last night and the broadcast team wasn't up to the moment. They're just third stringers. Heck, TBS is probably more like fourth string.

[SeaBird]

In fairness to TBS showing "Big Bang Theory" and not airing a baseball or Orioles related featurette, keep in mind that during the regular season during a rain delayed start, even MASN would just cut back to ESPN News.

As for missing the start of the game on Friday, it was clearly announced that the game would start on TNT and then move over to TBS.

[method man]

I like this broadcast team a lot. I've been following the O's since 1996 but I never played the game.

Cal and Smoltz do a good job of talking about things from a hitter's and a pitcher's perspective I don't think of top of mind (ex. whether to look down at the catcher for signs, living to fight another day as a pitcher with an at-bat, etc.). From the TNT coverage, I've always liked Ernie. He is not overbearing as other play by play guys are like the ESPN guys like Tirico and Berman and I like his self-deprecating sense of humor.

[Orange_Crush]

I like the broadcast team, minus Ernie johnson.

[sevastras]

I told my dad who was at the game about Cal kind of being a bummer, he told me that during the rain delay they could text 1 to see last years last game of the season or 2 to see 2131 highlights. Everyone knew Cal was there, but it was the last game of last year that they ended up playing. He guessed that Cal might have felt a bit butt hurt. He use to get tons of respect from Bmore and now he gets the abligatory clap. The town use to go crazy about him, now it is just a respectful clap.

[Orange_Crush]

I hate to say it but Cal is too much about Cal these days, always promoting his baseball league, etc. Too much of an ego now it seems.