I HADN'T figured to wake up to a coffee and baseball kind of mood, but there was MARTY LURIE and BILL LASLKEY up early on KNBR talking baseball; I mean, really early, like a few minutes past 6 AM. A pre-game, pre-game for Giants baseball which was to commence from MIAMI around 10.
You don't have to love a certain West Bay team to love a certain part of their pre-game extravaganze and this is the case with one Martin Lurie and his cast of characetrs. Lurie is sort of a distinguished JOE FRANKLIN, the NY city TV talk host who had a variet show in the 70's and 80's, comfort food for New YAWKERS and massive bursts of laughter--Franklin was often lampooned on Saturday Night Live but I'm not lampooning Lurie, quite the contrary.
AS I'VE NOTED HERE, Lurie's brand of baseball schmoozing is sort of my radio chicken soup. Marty LOVES baseball. It shows. He's usually packed with good interviews and has a bevy of guests to discuss, first, baseball in general, the Giants of course and the spirit of the game. It's good for the soul, especially in today's nutty, pandemic, civil-unrest world. Lurie and his multiple sidekicks, including a very underrated Laskey, deliver the goods.
You don't necessarily have to love baseball to appreciate Lurie's morning minion but it helps the cause. Lets say you don't. Let's say sports is not in your pedigree, then Lurie is a good, must-listen anyway --think of a NY TIMES with local flavor; a coffee-infested morning with a healthy dose of BRUCE JENKINS, (Chronicle), BARRY BLOOM, (Fortune) and KERRY CROWLEY (BANG) for focus, schmoozing and insight.
Paydirt.
Lurie is boring as hell and supposed journalists like Bruce Jenkins are simply shills for the Giants and other local teams like the 49ers, where's Glenn Dickey when you need him?
ReplyDeleteHe does a good show. But they've rained it in a bit. He only does pregame, not the long post game extravaganzas he used to do. Maybe his choice. Laskey is ok. But not the same energy. I hope this doesn't mean Marty will soon retire.
ReplyDeleteOff Subject: I was just reading that the Animal Rescue Foundation ARF co-founder Elaine La Russa posted on social media saying her family has pulled out of the Walnut Creek-based animal welfare rescue foundation. Tony La Russa and his wire started ARF three decades ago. As far as I can tell there was no reason given. Maybe Rich can find out.
ReplyDeleteArticle from the Patch site:
Deletehttps://patch.com/california/walnutcreek/walnut-creek-animal-rescue-foundation-founder-decides-leave
sorry typo wife not wire
ReplyDeleteI hope Marty is soon put out to pasture. He's a feeble old man
ReplyDeleteLove listening to Marty but miss him interacting with callers on the post game show. Laskey just isn't very good, IMO. He constantly mispronounces player names and also talks over callers, makes me wonder if he has hearing issues. I usually turn him off after about five minutes,sorry Larry Baer.
ReplyDeleteMarty is fabulous. His critics couldn't fill 5 minutes of air time.
ReplyDeleteBack in 2010 I told him that I marveled at how he was able to stay on the air late on Saturday after a Giants game and return to the mic early on Sunday. He wrote back that "sleep is overrated." LOL! I guess the long hours were worth it. The Giants wound up winning the World Series that year.
Delete"Well, that's Baseball." Cringe-worthy.
ReplyDeleteWhere else will you get an interview with some guy you don't know who wrote a book about the history of the White Sox who you don't care about?
ReplyDeleteIf you look up the word, shill in the dictionary, there is a picture of Marty. He is almost as bad as Kruk and Kuip.
ReplyDeleteMarty Lurie is wonderful and easy to listen to whether you like baseball or not. Bill Laskey is a very nice sidekick for Marty and does a knowledgeable turn on the postgame show. He played the game, a good pitcher treats you as a baseball fan which he is as well
ReplyDeleteMarty is great throw-back radio. The history of Baseball is special and what separates it from the other sports. Marty celebrates this and I am glad he has this forum on KNBR. Re. Bill Laskey, geez can he do a little preparation. The stud pitcher for Colorado named German Marquez is pronounced mar--kez, not mar--kee. Anyone who follows Baseball knows this guys name.
ReplyDelete