Tim McCarver Awarded Ford C. Frick Award, You Have Got to Be Joking

Tim McCarver was awarded the Ford C. Frick award for excellence in broadcasting Wednesday morning. Pardon our French, but what the fuck is this world coming to.

[FOX Sports]

Rangers Meet Lance Berkman and Allen Craig, Drop World Series Game 1 to Cardinals

Chris Carpenter came up big over six solid innings Wednesday night -- including a nice diving defensive play in the first for which Elvis Adrus deserves a thank you gift for not crushing the pitcher's right hand -- to help his St. Louis Cardinals earn a 3-2 victory over the Texas Rangers in Game 1 of the World Series.

After three scoreless innings pitched by both Carpenter and C.J. Wilson, it was looking like quite the pitcher's duel. But with Matt Holliday on second after a double that moved Albert Pujols to third after being hit by a pitch to lead off the fourth, Lance Berkman nailed an RBI single to give the Cardinals an early 2-0 lead.

Terry Francona is too Cool to Manage, Opts for Commentating

Terry Francona, after being ousted as the Boston Red Sox manager last weekend, has been offered a job as an analyst with FOX during the first two games of the American League Championship Series this postseason. Obvioiusly, he accepted since he doesn't really have much else going on.

The two-time World Series Champion skipper and curse-breaker, who was with the Red Sox for eight glorious seasons, maintains that he wasn't exactly fired, but he did mention that owner Jim Henry didn't really ask him if he wanted to stick around last Friday, either.

And maybe this whole Boston Bust wasn't his fault anyway. Apparently players were pounding beers during games and packing on the pounds this season. Kinda hard to hit or throw a baseball when you're buzzed. Take it from me.

Moving right along. Since Tim McCarver will be out of commission due to some mystery medical operation (hopefully getting his voice box removed) Francona will take his place alongside Joe Buck. Tito seems a little nervous about his new endeavor:

"I’ve only broadcast one other game in my life, and that was in the Arizona Fall League about 13 years ago and it was on radio and there were probably 12 people [listening] and I sucked. So this is going to be interesting.’"

This will likely be a complete disaster, but we're going to watch it unfold with the volume up anyway.

Game 1 of the ALCS is scheduled for Saturday with the Texas Rangers either hosting the Detroit Tigers or facing the Yankees in the Bronx. We can't wait.

[Boston.com]