Keith: Coach or Commentator

[Guest cooby]

It occurred to me that both the former NY First Basemen counterparts, Keith and Mattingly, have some nice MLB jobs.

Do you think Keith sees Mattingly managing and thinks "I should be doing that"?

Or do you think he's happy on TV, where he can still troll for wimmen, and such?

[Frayed Knot]

Keith has made it quite clear over the years that he had no interest in investing the time or discipline it takes to be a major league coach or manager. "It would interfere with cocktail hour", he once said.
He only reluctantly warmed up to the idea of broadcasting after some time spent away from the game. I think he enjoys it now that he's doing it but especially enjoys the fact that he's be able to keep it to a 100 or so days per year gig leaving the rest of the time for relaxing, enjoying cocktail hour, and trolling for wimmen.

[seawolf17]

Frayed Knot wrote: Keith has made it quite clear over the years that he had no interest in investing the time or discipline it takes to be a major league coach or manager. "It would interfere with cocktail hour", he once said. He only reluctantly warmed up to the idea of broadcasting after some time spent away from the game. I think he enjoys it now that he's doing it but especially enjoys the fact that he's be able to keep it to a 100 or so days per year gig leaving the rest of the time for relaxing, enjoying cocktail hour, and trolling for wimmen.

I think that's exactly it. He'd be both a wonderful (unsurpassed knowledge and insight) and awful (doesn't have time for this crap) coach.

[Guest El Segundo Escupidor]

Yeah, Keith goes into this "giggly schoolgirl" mode every now and then, which can't abide well for a such a role.

[Lefty Specialist]

Keith groans about the hard work involved in being a broadcaster. He'd never be able to handle the grind of being a coach or manager. After all, someone's got to tend to that English garden out in Sag.

[Edgy MD]

The fact that a part of him will always be as juvenile as a 25-year-old ballplayer would certainly help him transition back into the locker room smoothly, and allow him to forward some of his more colorful and less tenable opinions without them becoming part of the public record. But no, he's not likely to put the uniform back on.

But he's strangely intellectually restless. Had he gone to college, he'd be switching majors and exploding labs, talking back to teachers, getting way ahead with independent reading but blowing off the assigned reading, getting low grades despite being the star of the class. It's probably good that he only works two-thirds of the time, because if he was clocking in every day, I'm certain he'd go on a reckless rant just to blow up his job out of boredom.

I'm torn between seeing this as characteristic of his innate personality or a vestige of his addiction. It's fascinating to watch like a high-wire act, but some nights, you know we're always an arm's length from something ugly, and I fear that Gary and Ron worship him too much to keep a lid on him.

[Ceetar]

you hear comments about him talking to the players some (thought you also here him say he doesn't want to impose or disrespect the current coaches). I'm sure he enjoys dropping the occasional wisdom bomb about batting or fielding to a Mets player, but that's the extent of it.

The best parts of the broadcasts, Ron too, are often the ones where they're coaching us. I swear they have a better grasp on what's going to unfold on the field than the players do sometimes.

[Lefty Specialist]

Edgy MD wrote: I'm torn between seeing this as characteristic of his innate personality or a vestige of his addiction. It's fascinating to watch like a high-wire act, but some nights, you know we're always an arm's length from something ugly, and I fear that Gary and Ron worship him too much to keep a lid on him.

I've always thought this, too. There seems like a part of Keith that still wants to binge on coke. He's kept it under control admirably (so far as we know), but it's part of that restlessness.

But that restlessness also brings out some great television when Keith gets impatient with lackadaisical play or bad games in general. Sometimes it get him in trouble ("Hey, what's a GIRL doing in the dugout?"), but usually, we're the better for it, like when laughers allow them to wander far afield into '60's TV shows or other trivia. That's where Kevin Burkhardt would be fun- he'd do something silly that Keith could go on about for innings. The Gelbs Era has robbed him of a bit of that. He's not goofy enough for Keith to play off of.

[Edgy MD]

Keith : Us :: Cocaine : Keith

[seawolf17]

Ceetar wrote: you hear comments about him talking to the players some (thought you also here him say he doesn't want to impose or disrespect the current coaches). I'm sure he enjoys dropping the occasional wisdom bomb about batting or fielding to a Mets player, but that's the extent of it. The best parts of the broadcasts, Ron too, are often the ones where they're coaching us. I swear they have a better grasp on what's going to unfold on the field than the players do sometimes.

I think you're right on both parts.

It seems like Ronnie is right on his little predictions 98% of the time. It's awesome.

"He's going to want to use that backdoor slider here."
/pitcher throws backdoor slider

[Guest cooby]

seawolf17 wrote: It seems like Ronnie is right on his little predictions 98% of the time. It's awesome. "He's going to want to use that backdoor slider here." /pitcher throws backdoor slider

I love when that happens!

[Benjamin Grimm]

It used to be that way with Tim McCarver too. He'd tell us that an outfielder was playing too deep right before a single would be plunked down in front of him.

[ashie62]

Keith can kinda set his own schedule as commentator.

A fulltime manager or coach gig, with all the travel and responsibility would be rough. Personally, I don't think is physically ok for a fulltime on field baseball job.

There was a photo posted on the forum a couple days ago of Keith in line at Citifield for free candy. It moved me to see him as a happy child. Lets keep him that way, off the field.