If you google "Steve Physioc" you will not have to scroll down to be treated to links to MY rants about the longtime sub-par announcer for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The best day of the offseason, in my opinion, was the day the Angels let Steve Physioc go. I had my say, but let me have it one last time to celebrate the impending absence of the misery he brought us.
The Angels have replaced the Grand Phyzzard with Victor Rojas. In one simple exchange in the booth tonight, Victor Rojas revealed a quality of character and intellect that places him eons ahead of Steve Physioc.
During his 2nd game as an Angels announcer, in the bottom of the 1st inning tonight with Hideki Matsui batting, Rojas and his partner Mark Gubicza were discussing the Angels new power hitter. Gubicza waxed effusive about Matsui's Homerun totals. Unlike Physioc, Rojas was hardly behind the microphone to be a homer to the team. He pointed out that Matsui's advantage of playing half of his games at Yankee Stadium might have inflated those totals a bit. Need I remind people of Physioc's endless boosterism of our players? Had I not been immune to his charms, Physioc's waxing over Steve Finley in 2005 would have convinced me that the aging outfielder was the second coming of Mickey Mantle. No matter how wrong Frosty' on field mediocrity proved Phyzz wrong, our announcer always broke out the pom-poms for the big free agent signing ahead of what seemed like every at-bat.
But it gets better about Rojas. Within two minutes of the Matsui discussion, Matsui's numbers are displayed across the screen and Gubi politely gloats over the fact that Matsui's HR totals on the road last season were equitably ahead of his bombs at home.
What would Physioc have done in the face of being shown that he was incorrect in his stated hunch over this minor quibble? Steve Physioc would have yammered a self-centered rationalization to minimize any possibility that his being incorrect was of consequence. He would beat the subject to death over how the consequence of 18 homers on the road over 15 at home is not a stat to be held against Mister Nitpicky-Perfection. He would yammer us into Phyzzmission at the expense of discussing the game.
So tonight, when presented with the facts, what was Victor Rojas' response?
Silence.
A refreshing gust of silence indicating the character of a man who knows he is here to talk about baseball, not himself.
Prayers. Answered.