Crazy Like a Fox

The synergy of Fox and The Wall Street Journal was in full view on the national stage last night during the 2008 All-Star Game on the Fox TV Network.  Tim McCarver, the long-time baseball analyst and former major league catcher, provided a good three minutes of commentary to a recent Wall Street Journal piece on the rise of great young pitchers from the Dominican Republic.  The July 11 story, by James Wagner, is a look at the young arms coming out of the Dominican, including Edinson Volquez, now an All-Star starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds.  Wagner also went into some detail on the emergence of the change-up as the ”preferred” so-called out pitch of young pitchers in that country.  McCarver cited the Journal (”of all places”) as the source of the examination of the trend.  Indeed, Wagner’s story is fascinating and a great read (particularly for sports fans).  I’m now wondering if McCarver knew he was extolling the virtues of a sister company!  Masterful, indeed.  By the way, Volquez went on to give up a two-run bomb to my man, JD Drew of the Boston Red Sox.  As an aside, Josh Groban’s rendition of “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch was incredible, in my humble opinion.  Check it out if you get a chance…