When Words Collide, Sentences Form

Scooter...Spare Me

Why did Fox bring back "Scooter," the stupid talking cartoon baseball that teaches you about pitches, for the 2005 playoffs? He wasn't cool in 2004, and one of the oldest tricks in the sales handbook - putting a piece of inventory into action to prove to a potential sponsor that it's worth the money - didn't work. "Scooter" doesn't have a sponsor in '05, so what is the point? I'm not 6 years old (and I'm guessing that the majority of the at-home spectators aren't, either). Even if I didn't know the difference between a slider and a fast ball, I would rather have a human show me how the ball is held and actual footage of the two pitches in action. Not a crazy, joke-cracking cartoon.

Shoot some b-roll and stick one of the 26 pitching coaches or hundreds of pitchers that aren't working in October on a mound somewhere to talk about the pitches instead. Give me a reason to have a connection to a coach or player, that way when I see them in 2006 I have a reason to think that they know what they are doing. Use the MLB players and coaches, rather than a pathetic graphics team.

By the way, I turned off the volume on my TV set when Tim McCarver, Joe Buck and Lou Pinella started their love fest in the booth.

posted by Steph @ 6:23 PM