Fine Young Cannibals.

In an interminable week it's important to keep reminding myself that baseball is nearly here. It's almost time to get back into the habit of being sure to get home before 6, finding a comfortable spot on the couch, and flipping on NESN (I was going to write turning on Tom Caron but that's not quite right.) With a notable exception, I find myself generally enjoying the product that they put together.

My favorite companion for Tom has to be Dennis Eckersley. He's very emotive and into the game. He doesn't hold back in his commentary. At times it seems like he was ready to run out there during a particularly hairy game and demand to be give the baseball. Eck does have his gig moonlighting for TBS but when you have the option of Don and Jerry why would you go anywhere else?

When one is forced to watch a game on TBS it gets the ESPN treatment (television muted and Joe C. summarizing a few seconds later), so I'm not too familiar with the commentary regularly provided by Ron Darling. In a conference call to promote Sunday MLB on TBS, though, he sounds like a keeper:

"I think (the Red Sox) have the intangible in (manager) Tito (Terry Francona). He just seems to have his hand on the pulse of that team since he’s been there. He plays that team (oriented) offensive baseball. It doesn’t hurt when you’ve got the reigning MVP (Dustin Pedroia) on your team who is just about as gritty a player as you’re going to get. He’s a guy that refuses to lose. When you have players like that, guys like Pedroia and (Kevin) Youkilis, who will bite your leg and won’t let go. That’s a great combination for a sixth month season.”

So there you have it, Ron Darling's guide to MLB success: a steady diet of gastrocnemius muscle. Also, Eck is going with the home town team to win the division.