There's Your Score

That was one of the signature lines of Curt Gowdy, legendary broadcaster from the 50's, 60's and 70's, in referring to a score he saw put up on the screen.

I mention this because ESPN is in the process of allowing some blasts from the past to broadcast parts of their Wednesday night games, starting with Gowdy on tonight's Yankee-Red Sox game, appropriate because he broadcast for both teams; weird because ESPN telecasts are blacked out in home markets, which means most Red Sox and Yankee fans won't hear him.

Gowdy sounded pretty good for an 83-year-old man who's been out of the business for 20 years. The problem is, when he was in the business he sounded pretty much the same -- like a bored old man. I never liked Gowdy -- he was NBC's lead baseball and football announcer for a decade, from 1966 to 1975, and he always sounded like he wanted to be somewhere else. I was almost floored when I realized he was only in his mid 50's when NBC put him out to pasture after the '75 season. Hearing him again tonight reminded me of what we haven't missed all these years.

I also mention this because I was trying to avoid talking about the Cubs' really bad-looking 5-2 loss to the Pirates. Jeff D'Amico, tonight's pitcher, has had the Cubs' number his whole career, going back to his Milwaukee days, and the Cubs made some more bad fielding plays, including the sight of Kenny Lofton scoring from third on an infield popup, for cripes sake.

And just when is Dusty finally going to throw in the towel on Tom Goodwin, who struck out pinch-hitting tonight with the bases loaded and nobody out in a ninth inning that appeared it might be going the Cubs' way. Goodwin can't hit, Dusty. Give it up. Then Eric Karros, who probably should have been the pinch-hitter for Damian Miller (if you wanted to hit for Miller -- I'm not sure I would have), hit into a game-ending double play.

Matt Clement, who is a Pittsburgh-area native, will throw tomorrow as the Cubs try for a split. They really need a win -- this is their first three-game losing streak of the season, which is actually saying something.

I guess I could blame it on my son's baseball team again, which as you know is the Pirates. I went to his practice this afternoon; no game, but the team looked really solid. It's sure not baseball weather here though -- low 50's. It's almost June. Time for summer!