Dear ESPN,

In regards to the hiring of Steve Phillips? NBC's usage of Matt Millen does not provide you the requisite political cover for this move. Why?

Because even if you remember him for his core incompetencies, he was still talented once. Steve Phillips was an incompetent general manager as well. But that being said? He brings absolutely nothing to the table as an analyst.

Now, way back when we were young and this blog was more fun than real life, we didn't find Steve Phillips annoying. Why? He didn't register on our radar. He was just kind of there.

We knew he signed such players as Kevin Appier and Mike Bordick when they were toast based life-forms. We knew he (Edit: Sorry, his lackey) traded Scott Kazmir when he was a spectacular prospect for Victor Zambrano when the Mets were on the distant outskirts of the Wild Card. We missed his forced Soul-sucking of David Cross soundalike Buster Olney and Jeremy Schaap. So, we were just kind of nonplussed ny his presence.

However? Now I'm hearing that he's the third man in the booth with Jon Miller and to a lesser extent Joe Morgan. And this is crap. You have an ex-General Manager that Chuck Lamar looks at with disdain. You have a color commmentator that was so bad at analysis that Mose Schrute gained more fame by breaking him down point by point than by being the creepy quiet guy with the beard.

And this is your Flagship baseball game? God! I know more by just purchasing Baseball Prospectus and Ron Shandler. And with my manic bipolarity, I would bring more to the baseball table than any other announcer. Anywhere.

I know I'm not spoiled by having Bob Uecker broadcast the games. There are good baseball announcers out there. But yet for the flagship games? We get stuck with nothing.

Fuck that noise.

Love,

Andrew