Steve Gelbs

[Centerfield]

Not very good.

[Guest themetfairy]

He's no Guys. I miss Guys.

Guys always knew how to break away from the sideline action to tell the viewer what's going on in the game. Gelbs can't even see the game because he's in the causeways.

[Centerfield]

I thought it was because of Burkhardt too, but even if you just judge him on his own performance, he's still pretty bad. I mean, the guy is just so dorky.

[Ceetar]

Centerfield wrote: I thought it was because of Burkhardt too, but even if you just judge him on his own performance, he's still pretty bad. I mean, the guy is just so dorky.

Kevin was pretty dorky too, but in a more jovial way?

They let Alexa do some interviews in Spring Training. Can we call her up or is there super-two considerations?

[Edgy MD]

I think they're waiting for warmer weather, or keeping her on a strict innings limit, or something.

[Guest d'Kong76]

themetfairy wrote: He's no Guys. I miss Guys.

Who was Guys?

[Guest themetfairy]

d'Kong76 wrote: themetfairy wrote: He's no Guys. I miss Guys. Who was Guys?

How soon they forget....

[Guest d'Kong76]

Must be a pet name from another place, not familiar with it.

[Guest themetfairy]

Oh, it was definitely from here. For sure.

[HahnSolo]

When there are already three guys in the booth (at least usually) I think the crowd guy (Gelbs, Guys) is superfluous. Like Gary has to throw it to him to justify the guy's salary.

[Frayed Knot]

Must be a pet name from another place, not familiar with it.

"... and that's how things look from here in the bleachers ... [back to you] Guys"

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think that a roving reporter can enhance the game. I remember thinking that the guy before Kevin (I forget his name) brought nothing at all to the table, but Kevin has shown that when done right, it can be a good thing. Steve Gelbs is no Kevin Burkhardt, but maybe he'll grow into the job. Or maybe he'll be replaced by someone better. Or maybe we're stuck with him for the next five or six years.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think that a roving reporter can enhance the game. I remember thinking that the guy before Kevin (I forget his name) brought nothing at all to the table, but Kevin has shown that when done right, it can be a good thing. Steve Gelbs is no Kevin Burkhardt, but maybe he'll grow into the job. Or maybe he'll be replaced by someone better. Or maybe we're stuck with him for the next five or six years.

I think the problem there is SNY/et all want the sideline guy, and that Kevin happened to be extraordinary with it was a lucky bonus and not something they're selecting for.

[Edgy MD]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think that a roving reporter can enhance the game. I remember thinking that the guy before Kevin (I forget his name) brought nothing at all to the table...

Chris Cotter, Fox Business reporter, damn glad to meet you.

[Frayed Knot]

The problem with sideline/in-the-stands reporters isn't that they exist it's that the networks now consider them mandatory (like maybe the other networks will all laugh at you if you don't have one or something). So now each outlet feels it necessary to have one whether they're any good or not, and then the booth is going to go to them when directed to whether there's something interesting to say at that particular moment or not.

I liked Kevin to the point where he was the one guy I'd actively pay attention to when they threw it to him. Other than that, if they all disappeared tomorrow I'd not only not miss them but it would probably take me a while to even notice as, more often than not, it's just white noise to me.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

The sideline guy is also the preferred vehicle for promotional-tie-in/celeb-terview delivery. We're stuck with NotGuys-- or something like him-- for a while.

I think the specific problem with NotGuys is his face/vocal intonation, really-- he's got this weird habitual mugging thing going on, like he's just delivered some punchline every time he speaks.

[Edgy MD]

In Kevin's second or third year, they went down to him with a sideline report, and it turned out to instead be a re-appearing Chris Cotter, filling in unannounced for the day. He finished his report with with a "Back to you, guys!" and Gary allowed two beats of silence to pass before saying, "Who the heck are you?"

[Zvon]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: The sideline guy is also the preferred vehicle for promotional-tie-in/celeb-terview delivery. We're stuck with NotGuys-- or something like him-- for a while. I think the specific problem with NotGuys is his face/vocal intonation, really-- he's got this weird habitual mugging thing going on, like he's just delivered some punchline every time he speaks.

He's too Howdy Doody for me. And yes, he looks smarmy.

[TransMonk]

Ceetar wrote: They let Alexa do some interviews in Spring Training. Can we call her up or is there super-two considerations?

I don't really care about Alexa (I think the sideline reporter is mostly unnecessary), but it does seem as if a lot of the Fox-y networks are moving to Erin Andrews-esque eye candy to deliver the fluff in baseball and all sports. Ms. Andrews even bumped out Pam Oliver a couple of years ago as the #1 sideline reporter on FOX NFL.

If one Googles "sideline reporter", the words "hottest", "beautiful" or "sexy" appears in the majority of the top results.

If it gets more folks watching (for whatever reason), it's hard to see SNY not eventually following suit with a young blonde.

Oh, and I'm not a fan of Gelbs.

[Ceetar]

TransMonk wrote: Ceetar wrote: They let Alexa do some interviews in Spring Training. Can we call her up or is there super-two considerations? I don't really care about Alexa (I think the sideline reporter is mostly unnecessary), but it does seem as if a lot of the Fox-y networks are moving to Erin Andrews-esque eye candy to deliver the fluff in baseball and all sports. Ms. Andrews even bumped out Pam Oliver a couple of years ago as the #1 sideline reporter on FOX NFL. If one Googles "sideline reporter", the words "hottest", "beautiful" or "sexy" appears in the majority of the top results. If it gets more folks watching (for whatever reason), it's hard to see SNY not eventually following suit with a young blonde. Oh, and I'm not a fan of Gelbs.

Little bit of catch-22 here. Need more women in prime roles in baseball, but not because of how they look. But does that make it hard to give Alexa, or someone else, the job?

Of course, it's not _really_ tricky, as long as you make the decision for the right reasons and make the job as in depth as it's been and not demote it to eye-candy fluff.

The Mets didn't actually seem to interview for this job though. They just kept it internal and went with Steve. I wasn't even aware Alexa was a SNY employee, if she even is, until this Spring. I figured she worked for the Mets. But of the only two (three, I'm forgetting Eamon..) to try out I liked her best.

[TransMonk]

I seem to remember Alexa doing some "Free Shirt Friday" promo commercials and some-such last season, but nothing more.

Gelbs was Kevin's backup last year, right? If so, it's only right that he got the job with Kevin's departure. Maybe Alexa is Gelbs' backup now.

[Ceetar]

TransMonk wrote: I seem to remember Alexa doing some "Free Shirt Friday" promo commercials and some-such last season, but nothing more. Gelbs was Kevin's backup last year, right? If so, it's only right that he got the job with Kevin's departure. Maybe Alexa is Gelbs' backup now.

will be interesting to see.

Yeah. she, along with Cristina and Brandon are the 'in-game promo entertainment guys' or something like that. But I thought it was a Citi Field/Mets promo not an SNY one. Not that those lines aren't blurred.

[Edgy MD]

Oh, you sell Branden Wellington short when you describe him a an "'in-game promo entertainment guys." What he actually is is an Actor/Host/Model/Spoken Word Artist/@Mets InGame Host/@TravelChannel Alum.

[fimg=400]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/443537174395650048/4xmo69dw.jpeg[/fimg]
For Booking Contact: Manger: Alison Rinzel || Agent: Seth Mayeri

That's "Branden" with E. Learn it.

[Ceetar]

well, oops.

getting ready to do Simon Says with Cuppy

[Lefty Specialist]

Gelbs looks and acts like that kid who regularly got beat up in high school for being too smarmy. He's developed no chemistry whatsoever with the 'guys'.

Alexa would be fun if only to give Keith an aneurysm. This is after all the man who, when seeing a shot of the Padres' assistant trainer during the game exclaimed, "Wait, what's a GIRL doing in the dugout?!?!?"

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I finally got on the Steve Gelbs Sucks And Should Be Fired bandwagon last night when he ruined an entire inning asking Anothy Recker a bunch of softball questions that nobody wanted to hear the answer to.

His postgamer with Mayberry was stupid too. "Tell me John, when it's extra innings do you try extra hard?"


It's like the stupid camo uniforms. Nobody likes them, they're embarrassing, but people get accustomed to them being a part of the show when all they really do it detract from it.

[HahnSolo]

FWIW, Alexa did the sideline duties for Fordham Basketball on SNY (yes, I'm the guy who watched), and she wasn't bad.

Then again I have little use for sideline reporters of any variety. it's very Mushnick-y of me.

[TransMonk]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: It's like the stupid camo uniforms. Nobody likes them, they're embarrassing, but people get accustomed to them being a part of the show when all they really do it detract from it.

Perfectly stated! I tune out when they throw it to Gelbs.

[ashie62]

The Recker wasted half inning turned me from neutral on Gelbz.

[Frayed Knot]

And the thing is, interviews like that aren't even all Gelbs' fault. Yeah it was inane, but what are you going to ask a guy early in a game he's not playing?
The main fault lies with station mgmt who hires guys like this because they think they have to (after all, everyone else has one) and then feels obligated to use him to justify the hire. Bottom line is, just because you CAN do something ('hey, we've got the backup catcher cornered - get Gelbs over there quick!!') doesn't always mean it's a good idea.