Fox & MLB release statement on exclusion of Tony Gwynn tribute @ A.S. game

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http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-b...n-tribute-during-all-star-game-031640507.html


This is just so lame on all parties involved...
Yes we all love and adore Derek.........
but do you think they could have had a 2 minute tribute to Gwynn and Kiner, Zimmer, Coleman...etc ??

It would have been the right thing to do considering they had a moment of silence @ 2010 A.S. game for George Steinbrenner

I guess they didn't want to spoil the 3+ hr Jeter lovefest

I said this elsewhere, but I was watching the game on ESPN UK, and Gary Thorne (and whoever was with him not sure who that was) did brilliantly in my opinion. Not only did they mention Gwynn multiple times, they also mentioned other people who passed and were not totally up Jeets ass the entire game. It really is a stark difference between him and Joe & Co, and I honestly wonder how much longer Fox is going to stay with them before they realize how terrible they are as announcers.

Yeah their announcing was horrible.

SydBarrett said:

I said this elsewhere, but I was watching the game on ESPN UK, and Gary Thorne (and whoever was with him not sure who that was) did brilliantly in my opinion. Not only did they mention Gwynn multiple times, they also mentioned other people who passed and were not totally up Jeets ass the entire game. It really is a stark difference between him and Joe & Co, and I honestly wonder how much longer Fox is going to stay with them before they realize how terrible they are as announcers.

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You really think Buck had anything to do with no mention of Gwynn during the broadcast?Come on.I would imagine the producer of the broadcast (David Hill, Ed Goren, or someone else at FOX) calls the shots.Pretty sure Buck mentioned Kile's death at the '02 All Star Game, so the hate for him is unwarranted.He just follows the cue of the producer.

How does one in the US have access to this other ESPN telecast?

Well I do think Kruky and Bergman mentioned Gwynn several times. Even threw in Pucket. I even recall video footage. But that for some odd reason was only during the HR derby?

So Buck can't break script ? **** that. That's such a ***** way out, there.

Do they announce when All Stars or HOF'ers die each year? No hardly ever.

Yes it was sad he was lost so early on. However, they did talk about him during the other aspects of the All Star weekend and did in the pregame show. I don't see the issue with not discussing him during the game.

I do agree with everyone saying that Buck is a god awful announcer. It probably would be nicer to have the game on mute than listen to him LOL!

AmishDave said:

So Buck can't break script ? **** that. That's such a ***** way out, there.

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Hell yes! Agree 100%

If he mentioned it and the producer had a problem with it, screw the producer. Thats crap that he cant mention it.

I don't know how I feel about all this. I'm surprised he wasn't mentioned at all. I am also in the camp that I don't think he really needed a segment or honoring but after seeing that it was a 3 or 4 hour honor of Jeter, then I do think they missed it here. Too bad... terrible overlook.

For all those saying it was a three or four hour lovefest of Jeter, clearly you weren't watching the All Star game shown on ESPN. Sure they gave Jeter his dues and made it special just like Mariano last year. But it was hardly Jeter all the time. They discussed him when he was batting or making a play in the field. Other than that it was mentions here and there but hardly talking about him all the time. Once he came out of the game, there was not much discussion about him.

Obviously, when they interviewed managers and players they asked a question about Jeet as well, but it was hardly all Jeet all the time.

It was a much bigger love fest last year for Mo.

SydBarrett said:

I said this elsewhere, but I was watching the game on ESPN UK, and Gary Thorne (and whoever was with him not sure who that was) did brilliantly in my opinion.

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(kicking myself) I didn't know MLB International showed up for the All-Star game. I thought it was a postseason-only thing. It's usually Rick Sutcliffe working alongside thorne and they kick TBS and FOX's
ass in how much better they commentate the game! That's why I like to watch MLB International
when I can. I know now to look for it next all-star game so I can have an improved all-star game
experience.

Yes, disappointing FOX U.S. couldn't mention Gwynn. I suppose what needs to happen is make a list of
Hall of Famers (and other significant deaths) and break them out over the course of the game -- no
more than one per half-inning - with a mention and maybe even a funny or cool story. Since Joe Buck
gave over the all-star telecast shoutouts and happy birthdays to people the viewing audience does not know, I can't
see why they can't do some rememberances during the all-star game of deceased significant baseball related people who died from the end of of the world series to the all-star game. Use the world series platform to shout out remembrances for those from the all-star game to the world series.

SINFULONE said:

You really think Buck had anything to do with no mention of Gwynn during the broadcast?Come on.I would imagine the producer of the broadcast (David Hill, Ed Goren, or someone else at FOX) calls the shots.Pretty sure Buck mentioned Kile's death at the '02 All Star Game, so the hate for him is unwarranted.He just follows the cue of the producer.

How does one in the US have access to this other ESPN telecast?

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That's because Buck is a homer for the Cardinals.

DaleMurphyCollector said:

That's because Buck is a homer for the Cardinals.

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So when he paid tribute to Steinbrenner he had bias to the Yankees too, right?What about when Adenhardt died?Oh yeah, he's on the Angels payroll too now.And why do Reynolds and Verducci get a free pass?

SINFULONE said:

So when he paid tribute to Steinbrenner he had bias to the Yankees too, right?What about when Adenhardt died?Oh yeah, he's on the Angels payroll too now.And why do Reynolds and Verducci get a free pass?

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Because they don't quite suck as much as Buck does. He's terrible.

maxe0213 said:

Do they announce when All Stars or HOF'ers die each year? No hardly ever.

Yes it was sad he was lost so early on. However, they did talk about him during the other aspects of the All Star weekend and did in the pregame show. I don't see the issue with not discussing him during the game.

I do agree with everyone saying that Buck is a god awful announcer. It probably would be nicer to have the game on mute than listen to him LOL!

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This is the entire point right here. I don't think the MLB dropped the ball here at all. The argument I've heard on sports radio is it isn't hard to take a few minutes to honor Gwynn and the other people associated with baseball who died, that's why they should have done it. Just like they do on the Oscars.

Well, this isn't the Oscars. The All-Star game doesn't have that segment. And just because a star player died at a relatively young age doesn't mean they should change their format add that segment.

It's like someone getting upset you didn't have a 3 minute slideshow at your wedding for your grandpa who just died.

I heard on the radio the day after the AS game that the word "Jeter" was said over a hundred times during the broadcast. I'm sure they could have changed a few of those to "Gwynn".

Kile was an active player and passed about two weeks before the game while Gwynn was retired and passed a month before the game so it's not quite the same although Gwynn is clearly more well known

Ghumbs said:

Well, this isn't the Oscars. The All-Star game doesn't have that segment.

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I think the All-Star Game and the World Series are appropriate platforms for remembrances. the most casual of sports fan is most likely to watch baseball when it's the all-star game or when it's the world series, since you assume the all-star game has the best players in the game playing in it and you assume the world series has the two best clubs that season playing in it.

It doesn't have to be an OSCAR "In memoriam" reel, but I think during a players at-bat, Joe Buck should work in a mention a significant baseballer who passed (Zimmer, Gwynn, etc) and maybe tell a story about that person. Limit it to no more than 1 per half-inning or full inning and I don't think it makes the remembrances that bad.

Juan Gris said:

I heard on the radio the day after the AS game that the word "Jeter" was said over a hundred times during the broadcast. I'm sure they could have changed a few of those to "Gwynn".

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This is the clincher for. Yes, honor Jeter. He's had a tremendous career and is an icon. However, during the course of a 3-hour broadcast it would have been easy to at least mention one of the greatest hitters of my generation, as well as Zimmer and the rest who passed.

TNP777 said:

This is the clincher for. Yes, honor Jeter. He's had a tremendous career and is an icon. However, during the course of a 3-hour broadcast it would have been easy to at least mention one of the greatest hitters of my generation, as well as Zimmer and the rest who passed.

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I did notice during the introductions that one of the players had a ZIM patch on his jersey and he made a hand gesture to that when they introduced him. Can't recall his name or team...