Interesting Dynamic of Third Party MLB Broadcasts - Steve Stone is a Homer

It would be interesting to someone on the inside who could talk frankly to Rick Manning.  I watched the game on Peacock yesterday and everything Stone said seemed to either be a slight against the Guardians. From his point that the suspensions from the fight will hurt the Guardians more than the White Sox since the Guardians are still in the playoff hunt to his comment at the end of the game about Calhoun ('well that's what you get when you play people out of position') he just seemed like he was a walking, talking, apologetic advertisement for the White Sox.  I wonder if Mannng would have that same take as some of Manning's comments appeared to be barbs against the veiled slams against the Gurdians and dismissive comments about the performance issues with the White Sox this year and even with their responsibility for the brawl. 

It could just have been the mood I was in yesterday but like Costas during the divisional series last year with his incessant (even to Yankees fans) regaling of Yankees history, Stone was a White Sox homer on what is supposed to be a professional, somewhat neutral broadcast since it is a 3rd party provider.  

I don't know if anyone else noticed but there seemed to be a tension in Stone's voice about the brawl, similar to that in Grifol's voice and in his actions during the brawl, that would indicate that there was a much deeper issue going on between the White Sox and the Guardians that seemed to imply that during their winning years that the Guardians were taunting the White Sox about how they weren't any good, in essence disrespecting the White Sox.   I don't know if that happened but it sure appears that the bad blood between the teams could likely be from one team trying to minimize the abilities of the other and the other taking offense at being minimized like that. 

But I never have liked Stone.  I don't think he is a good broadcaster and he is clearly a homer.  I mean, listening to Manning every day he tells it like it is when a player or Francona screws up.  Don't see that so much out of Stone the times I have heard him.