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And look how he runs the Bengals
Take is away Capozzi:
Reading this was worse than watching a game.
Take is away Capozzi:
Leo Nunez threw an 86-mph changeup and Reds rookie Dave Sappelt smacked it for a game-tying double. Watching at home in Boca Raton, Marlins fan Mike Brown was about to yell at his television set.
Instead, Marlins TV analyst Tommy Hutton took the words out of Brown's mouth.
"I'll be honest. That's an awful pitch selection to a guy who's new to the big leagues. You give him a pitch he can pull, an 86-mph changeup? Blow the fastball by Sappelt and then go after Jay Bruce,' Hutton said on the television broadcast during Nunez's ninth-inning meltdown Tuesday night.
"You've got a guy who's never hit a home run. You give him a pitch he can pull, an 86-mph changeup - and you can throw 97 miles an hour. Doesn't make sense to me.'
The criticism was sharp, but Brown found it refreshing - and validating.
"When he got on Nunez for throwing that stupid changeup, I thought he was dead-on,' said Brown, 52, a software company owner.
Brown said he watches at least 130 Marlins games a year on TV, and he was quick to point out the fact that Hutton is not always critical of the team and never unfairly bashes them.
Hutton and partner Rich Waltz add insight to the game, offer detailed descriptions of the action and might even crack a joke or two at each others' expense - all a part of giving Marlins fans an enjoyable viewing experience.
So when they do fire off an occasional barb of criticism, it carries weight for viewers like Brown.
"They're not 'homers.' So when they get on somebody, you know it's a legitimate gripe. I think it adds credibility to them. I don't want cheerleaders," Brown said.
Hutton is in his 15th year with the Marlins and 30th as a broadcaster, a career he started after 17 years as a player - a résumé that carries weight with viewers.
Hutton's remarks about the team's decision to option Logan Morrison to Class AAA New Orleans this month raised eyebrows in the front office. But Brown thought Hutton was "dead-on again" when he told viewers that 'moves are supposed to make you a better team. This move doesn't do that.'
To their credit, the Marlins never have censored Hutton or Waltz, whose observations are based on in-depth interviews with players and coaches.
"They're with the team every single day. They feel the same frustrations and they experience the same joys when things are going well,' said P.J. Loyello, the Marlins' vice president for communications.
"We don't expect them to be wearing pom-poms in the broadcast booth. As long as the criticism is based on fact and they have their facts straight, then we're fine with it."
Like all baseball broadcasters, their arrangement can be tricky : Waltz and Hutton work for the Marlins, yet they also feel an obligation to offer criticism when it's warranted.
"You tell the truth. Fans aren't stupid. It's television. They can see the same things you see,' said Waltz, who's in his seventh year with the Marlins. "You have to be honest with them. They'll see right through you if you're trying to sell them stuff."
Broadcasters for other teams, however, don't always feel comfortable offering the kind of frank and candid observations that Marlins viewers get. Criticize too much, you can be out of a job.
The Washington Nationals fired analyst Rob Dibble last year after he made critical comments about phenom Stephen Strasburg. Former Cubs radio analyst Steve Stone had come under fire from players angry at his on-air criticisms and resigned after the 2004 season.
Both Stone and Dibble, however, had a history of issues and controversy with their teams. That's not the case with Hutton and Waltz.
"When Tommy makes an observation, it's a very, very educated observation,' Waltz said. "Oftentimes, it's his opinion but it's a very educated opinion.
"If you've done your homework, you have a pretty good finger on the pulse of both ballclubs," Waltz said.
Instead, Marlins TV analyst Tommy Hutton took the words out of Brown's mouth.
"I'll be honest. That's an awful pitch selection to a guy who's new to the big leagues. You give him a pitch he can pull, an 86-mph changeup? Blow the fastball by Sappelt and then go after Jay Bruce,' Hutton said on the television broadcast during Nunez's ninth-inning meltdown Tuesday night.
"You've got a guy who's never hit a home run. You give him a pitch he can pull, an 86-mph changeup - and you can throw 97 miles an hour. Doesn't make sense to me.'
The criticism was sharp, but Brown found it refreshing - and validating.
"When he got on Nunez for throwing that stupid changeup, I thought he was dead-on,' said Brown, 52, a software company owner.
Brown said he watches at least 130 Marlins games a year on TV, and he was quick to point out the fact that Hutton is not always critical of the team and never unfairly bashes them.
Hutton and partner Rich Waltz add insight to the game, offer detailed descriptions of the action and might even crack a joke or two at each others' expense - all a part of giving Marlins fans an enjoyable viewing experience.
So when they do fire off an occasional barb of criticism, it carries weight for viewers like Brown.
"They're not 'homers.' So when they get on somebody, you know it's a legitimate gripe. I think it adds credibility to them. I don't want cheerleaders," Brown said.
Hutton is in his 15th year with the Marlins and 30th as a broadcaster, a career he started after 17 years as a player - a résumé that carries weight with viewers.
Hutton's remarks about the team's decision to option Logan Morrison to Class AAA New Orleans this month raised eyebrows in the front office. But Brown thought Hutton was "dead-on again" when he told viewers that 'moves are supposed to make you a better team. This move doesn't do that.'
To their credit, the Marlins never have censored Hutton or Waltz, whose observations are based on in-depth interviews with players and coaches.
"They're with the team every single day. They feel the same frustrations and they experience the same joys when things are going well,' said P.J. Loyello, the Marlins' vice president for communications.
"We don't expect them to be wearing pom-poms in the broadcast booth. As long as the criticism is based on fact and they have their facts straight, then we're fine with it."
Like all baseball broadcasters, their arrangement can be tricky : Waltz and Hutton work for the Marlins, yet they also feel an obligation to offer criticism when it's warranted.
"You tell the truth. Fans aren't stupid. It's television. They can see the same things you see,' said Waltz, who's in his seventh year with the Marlins. "You have to be honest with them. They'll see right through you if you're trying to sell them stuff."
Broadcasters for other teams, however, don't always feel comfortable offering the kind of frank and candid observations that Marlins viewers get. Criticize too much, you can be out of a job.
The Washington Nationals fired analyst Rob Dibble last year after he made critical comments about phenom Stephen Strasburg. Former Cubs radio analyst Steve Stone had come under fire from players angry at his on-air criticisms and resigned after the 2004 season.
Both Stone and Dibble, however, had a history of issues and controversy with their teams. That's not the case with Hutton and Waltz.
"When Tommy makes an observation, it's a very, very educated observation,' Waltz said. "Oftentimes, it's his opinion but it's a very educated opinion.
"If you've done your homework, you have a pretty good finger on the pulse of both ballclubs," Waltz said.
Reading this was worse than watching a game.
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