Learning Baseball Better

If you are a real baseball fan and have an interest to learn while watching or wagering on baseball, you should be watching Monday night's on ESPN. Play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman is one of the best in the business. Always prepared, insightful and never afraid to interject a well thoughtout opinion. Joining him are Steve Phillips, former Mets GM and Orel Hershiser, a long time MLB pitcher, who also served as pitching coach for Texas and later worked in the front office for the Rangers.


Phillips is the key ingredient, with a different perspective than typical analysts. He not afraid to offer an opinion and will go after a player for not hustling or what he perceives as poor judgement by a manager. He will tackle issues concerning team's front office work, though occasionally will take on sorrow grapes persona from his previous work. Nevertheless, no shortage of keen insights on the various aspects of baseball.


Hershiser's expertise is pitching and is able to explain what he sees much like he pitched, with precision. Hershiser can go quiet in the booth and does much better with a strong play-by-play guy like Shulman. Additionally, with Phillips bringing up thought provoking topics, he engages Hershiser to share his thoughts, which are often excellent.


While a big fan of Jack Buck paired with almost anyone, I can't imagine anyone with a real interest in baseball not coming away with three-to-five really intriguing bits of information, they would not have learned if they had not watched.