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May 18, 2022 8:59 pm  #1


Ben Wagner No Longer Going It Alone In Jays' Radio Broadcast Booth

I'm not sure if this is the first time it's happened this this season, but Jays' broadcaster Ben Wagner was no longer doing the play-by-play solo on the Fan 590 Wednesday night. He was joined by a guy named Caleb Joseph, who spent most of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher with Baltimore, but was with Toronto in 2020 - although I admit I have no memory of him being with the team. 

It ends a very long streak of Wagner doing the entire nine innings by himself. Joseph wasn't bad as colour analysts go, but he lost me when he uttered the most meaningless phrase in all of major league sports, talking about one of the players: "He just has to stay within himself."

This has to be the single biggest of the meaningless cliches in all of baseball-speak and while I've heard it hundreds of times over the years during player interviews, I have no idea what it's actually supposed to mean. 

 

May 19, 2022 7:50 am  #2


Re: Ben Wagner No Longer Going It Alone In Jays' Radio Broadcast Booth

A couple of nights ago Dan Shulman and Pat Tabler on Sportsnet TV were talking about Caleb Joseph joining Ben in the radio booth and the camera zeroed in on them. The TV guys were talking him up as a much loved Blue Jay even it were for only a short time.  

 

May 19, 2022 8:40 am  #3


Re: Ben Wagner No Longer Going It Alone In Jays' Radio Broadcast Booth

So does that mean this is permanent? I wonder what changed Rogers' mind. They seemed pretty committed to only paying one salary for a game day radio gig. 

     Thread Starter
 

May 19, 2022 9:23 am  #4


Re: Ben Wagner No Longer Going It Alone In Jays' Radio Broadcast Booth

Just guessing, but Covid protocols have shaken up the broadcast arrangements for TV, and with Jamie Campbell undergoing treatment for cancer, I suspect that Caleb has been brought in as a "swing man" - for TV and Radio,  He was the swing man on TV  recently when Dan Shulman was not on the broadcast due to covid protocol, then he and Tabby had some time off to attend their kids' graduations.  Caleb was really good on Tuesday night, and provided a terrific description of a technical issue, on radio, very clear....he adds a lot to the broadcast.  I hope that the brain trust at Rogers, keeps him on the broadcast, because Ben runs out of commentary after an hour or so.

 

May 20, 2022 12:40 am  #5


Re: Ben Wagner No Longer Going It Alone In Jays' Radio Broadcast Booth

RadioActive wrote:

I'm not sure if this is the first time it's happened this this season, but Jays' broadcaster Ben Wagner was no longer doing the play-by-play solo on the Fan 590 Wednesday night. He was joined by a guy named Caleb Joseph, who spent most of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher with Baltimore, but was with Toronto in 2020 - although I admit I have no memory of him being with the team. 

It ends a very long streak of Wagner doing the entire nine innings by himself. Joseph wasn't bad as colour analysts go, but he lost me when he uttered the most meaningless phrase in all of major league sports, talking about one of the players: "He just has to stay within himself."

This has to be the single biggest of the meaningless cliches in all of baseball-speak and while I've heard it hundreds of times over the years during player interviews, I have no idea what it's actually supposed to mean. 

Any coach will tell you it means to know your role and focus on it alone.  If you aren't a power hitter don't try to hit a homerun when a base hit will do, because you'll likely end up striking out.  Just try to get on base and let the next guy do his job to hit you home.  If you're in the field just play your position well don't get out of position and trust your teammates.

A perfect example of a player who didn't do that in recent years was Brett Laurie.  He ran all over the field trying to do everyone else's job and playing way too hard at times, injuring himself during situations that didn't require it, and pissing off his teammates who thought he was a hot dog.