I was watching a ballgame the other night, and at one point the graphic on the screen listed the presumed keys to the game for an Orioles victory. The first two were that the starting pitcher needed to throw strikes and keep the other team off the bases. I was disappointed when the third one wasn?t to score more runs than the other team.
An ex-player was doing the commentary, and it wasn?t Jim Palmer.
I?m bringing this up because the other morning, a local radio station invited listeners to call in and name a public figure they wanted to “just shut up.” Rosie O?Donnell had a lot of support on that one, asdid Bill O?Reilly and the other political blowhards you?d expect. But then, a guy called up and said his candidate was Jim Palmer.
The caller blathered: “Oh, he?s always talking about ?when I played? and ?we did it this way? and so on. I?m so sick of that.”
Just for the record, Jim Palmer pitched 19 seasons in the big leagues, all with the Orioles. He won 268 games, had 211 complete games and threw 53 shutouts. He pitched almost 4,000 innings to a career ERA of 2.86. Six All-Star selections, three Cy Young Awards and a first ballot Hall-of-Famer. Think he might know what he?s talking about?
It never ceases to amaze me when I hear fans criticize Palmer. Here?s a genuine all-time great, no question about it, that for the dumbest reasons many locals choose to denigrate. Invariably, when I hear someone knock Palmer, they bring up the Jockey underwear ads he famously posed for many years ago, as if doing so in some way sullied his credibility as a commentator. They?ll throw in something like: “Oh, he thinks he?s so good-looking,” or some such drivel.
Well, men, chances are that, even at 61, he looks much better than you do. If that?s the motivation behind your resentment, then I?m guessing you also prefer your presidential candidates to be no smarter than you are. Or less smart, as the case may be.
It seems rather shallow to allow someone?s looks to shade your opinion of their ability, but maybe Palmer should work with a bag over his head. I don?t think I?ve ever come away from listening to him do a game without learning something I didn?t previously know. Not to pat myself on the back ? though I?m sure some will take it that way ? but I think my own knowledge of baseball is above-average to start with. So many ex-players belabor the obvious, as if they?re talking to children just learning the game. To his credit, Palmer assumes you?ve got some basic knowledge of the game to start with.
As thisis written, Palmer hasn?t worked a game yet this season, but he?ll do about 100 or so before it?s over. So if you?re sure you already know all you need to about this game, go ahead and turn down the sound on your TV. And you just shut up. I want to hear what Palmer has to say.
Phil Wood has covered sports in the Washington-Baltimore market for more than 30 years. You can reach him at [email protected].
