The Eck Experiment

While Jerry Remy is recovering from his surgery to remove a small, low-grade cancerous tumor from his lung, Dennis Eckersley has stepped up admirably to fill his spot in NESN's booth covering Red Sox games. Now, Eckersley is phenomenal in the studio. I think most fans would agree he brings the hard-to-find combination of game experience, charisma, his own personal flair (and lingo), and a wealth of baseball knowledge to the table. Remy on the other hand, brings those things but in a way that doesn't really function as well in an environment outside the booth. Before the last few weeks I would've guessed the exact opposite was true for Dennis Eckersley -- that he was a great studio guy but he was better in short bursts and small doses, not over the course of a three-hour game. I would've guessed that and I would've been wrong. Eckersley has been great in the booth so far. He and Orsillo have a great chemisty and they haven't worked together enough to have gone through the paces so, although there's been a bit of a "feeling out" period, Orsillo seems genuinely intrigued to have Eckersley in the booth and engages him throughout the game. Watching the game last night, I thought the best parts of the entire telecast were what Eckersley brought to the table -- stuff that, I'm not afraid to say, Remy wouldn't have brought. Remy and Eckersley both played for the Red Sox for several years (Remy for seven, Eck for six) and really know the ballpark, the club, the fans, and the city. But last night in particular, I thought Eckersley brought his personal experience to bear on the telecast. He spoke extensively about what it was like to be a young player making your first start in Fenway, which Blue Jays pitcher Robert Ray was doing last night. He talked about the unique pressure a young kid has walking into a stadium like Fenway. But I thought the most impressive parts were how honest Eck was about his feelings about the umpires when he was playing and the pressure he put on himself in between starts. It was just little things like how he would work out harder than anyone, run four miles a day just to pitch one inning, because he felt if he did that then he deserved to win. Remy brings a lot, but that sort of honesty and experience as a top, top player, Remy just doesn't have. Now, this isn't meant to be a "Remy vs. Eckersley" post, but only one that shows what Eckersley brings to these telecasts. He doesn't have Remy's unique air, he doesn't have the experience calling games, the experience within the game beyond playing the game. He doesn't have Remy's unique ability to become completely bored with the game and still keep the show interesting. I had to have this pointed out to me, but the best part of most Red Sox games are when Remy goes off on a complete tangent about whatever is on his mind. He basically just leaves baseball behind and starts talking about whatever he'd like, and it works. I can't ever see Eckersley doing that. We're all pulling for Remy to get back as soon as possible and to hopefully beat this thing. But in the meantime, I'm alright with Eckersley bringing his own dirty, hairy cheese to the booth.