Don Orsillo has seen the Dave Matthews Band 19 times…and that just about explains everything.

Actually, Kevin Costner being his favorite actor just about explains everything. Don Orsillo is the Kevin Costner of baseball broadcasting. Not all-time great, and worthy of occasional mockery, but dependable.

I've actually been surprised how well he transitions from NESN Red Sox work to TBS playoff broadcasts. I've seen other broadcasters trip up on the different players' names, not know anything about them, etc., although now that I think of it I see that more in basketball than baseball.

That said, our job really did not change much....

...basically, spend several innings trying to coax my fellow broadcaster into boring stories, break into hysterics over those stories, giggle, say "Fenway stands as one," miscall a few obvious plays by guessing what was going to happen before it happened, more giggles, the end. That's about it.

The best work Dave Matthews has done in the last 15 years was his role in Just Go With It, in which he played Nicole Kidman's husband who invented the iPod and hadn't accepted he was gay.

say "Fenway stands as one,"

And describe every throw to 1B as "fires to first", even if it's an underhand lob. (Which he didn't do during the playoffs. I was surprised.)

The "stands as one" thing I don't mind so much. It's his thing; he says it when it's applicable, and it's fairly innocuous. Calling him out for that seems like calling out Mel Allen for saying "How about that!" all the time. The "fires to first" thing bugs me because he says it when it's not applicable. It's so Sterling.

Who is the John Cusack of sports broadcasting?

I think "fires to first" fits under the miscalls things by anticipating category.

John Cusack: He'd have to be pretty average but beloved my generation because he was THE guy when we were younger. Tim McCarver?

John Cusack: He'd have to be pretty average but beloved my generation because he was THE guy when we were younger. Tim McCarver?

I think that fits.

Vin Scully is the __________________ of sports broadcasting.

a. Jack Nicholson
b. Robert De Niro
c. Clint Eastwood
d. Dustin Hoffman

My first instinct was to say Paul Newman, but Vin is, thank heavens, still with us.

Vin Scully is the __________________ of sports broadcasting.

a. Jack Nicholson
b. Robert De Niro
c. Clint Eastwood
d. Dustin Hoffman

My first instinct was to say Paul Newman, but Vin is, thank heavens, still with us

Jimmy Stewart

Yeah all of those guys have too much of an edge for Scully. Stewart is good, but dead. If we want not dead, then...I dunno. Tom Hanks?

Robert Redford.

And Joe Buck is Nicolas Cage.