XM or Mir?

Did Ed Randall sound like he'd been handed control as all others abandoned ship?

Nice guy, and absolutely no business hosting the morning drive. No alternatives though as Buck Martinez "vacationed" and Mark Patrick paddled safely to shore.

ED NOTE: If you have not been following our rants on the shake-ups at XM Radio's Homeplate (XM 175) see our more recent posts, and go to XMFan.com to learn more.

So the satellite is out of proper orbit and heading back to the level of local broadcast. Mel Karmazin is at the helm along w/ Sirius Commonauts Scott Greenstein, Steve Cohen and Chuck Dickemann, and one can only hope at present they're too busy fiddling with dials and buttons to notice that they're reaching critical heat in re-entry.

And on their way to splashdown in (hungry) shark-infested waters.

And now, it's back to Radio Paradise.

What does my XM radio say @ 8:01 a.m. cst?

What does my XM Radio now say @ 8:01 a.m. cst each weekday morning?

"Click."

The last shows w/ Mark Patrick are airing on BBTM and I find myself getting up earlier to hear what's left in the tank. I am not excited about the prospect of listening to a Buck-only or substitute co-host on this program. This isn't just "switching Dicks" (Darren Stevens couldn't be reached for comment), it's ripping the heart and soul out of a three-and-one-half-year-old morning companion. Started the day right, got a replay in case you weren't having an early day, and learned something more about the great game. Ground-breaking stuff.

I genuinely fear this management snafu will cause me to cancel the service altogether. The music side has been seriously (or Sirius-ly) screwed with and about 100 really talented people picked up their severance checks today. Makes my time w/ Radio Paradise now all the more precious.

So they send the satellite back to Earth w/ local-broadcast mentality, shock jocks, listener calls and limited playlists.

And my finger responds accordingly.

Click.

More heads roll at XM 175

Well, they're being quietly circumspect at XM, leaving it to on-air hosts to reveal that they've been axed.

As we mentioned last week, morning glue and co-host of BBTM, Mark Patrick, was emailed (not spoken to, cause gosh that might indicate respect for carrying the mornings for 3.5 years) and told his contract would not be renewed.

And now, Chuck Wilson just announced his departure (as in "This is my last show") from the second morning offering. Evidently he was acting as Jim Duquette's training wheels until such time as they felt comfortable JD wouldn't be a total bust. He'll still bust because brilliant baseball mind does not translate to entertaining radio persona.

We're still waiting for the other heads to roll on XM 175 (as they have across the satellite battlefield as a new channel lineup plays out -- ugh), but it is strangely quite during some periods as several of the regulars are MIA.

A great recipe for success: take what makes satellite radio so cool, and bring it down to the level of regular broadcast radio. Not sure what you think, but they're crafting a mix of programs that seem to resemble all the crap I fled three years ago.

For the sake of the great game, hopefully many of the good guys will land on the upcoming MLB Network so they can continue to delight fans of all ages.

Smarter pitching analysis and instruction

Just read thru massive amounts of info today on Dr. Mike Marshall after hearing again on XM.

While I agree w/ the motion and simplicity of the movements, often times there's too much "noise in the communication" i.e. biomechanical ad infinitum instead of clear, concise explanation everyone can embrace.

More on Dr. Marshall soon, but if you have an ongoing interest in pitching mechanics, we'd strongly suggest you visit Kyle Boddy's Driveline Mechanics to really scour the topic.

XM Shaking up the Lineup

Just heard that XM Radio is shaking up the bedrock of it's daily feed on its MLB Homeplate ( XM175) channel.

Mark Patrick, the morning co-host (along w/ Buck Martinez) will not see his contract renewed for 2009.

While coming as a shock (although the Sirius merger is already cutting into many talent pools at XM's music offerings) it also shows us how little regard for real talent the new management has.

Armed w/ axes, but not much of a clue are the unholy trinity of Scott Greenstein, Steve Cohen and Chuck Dickemann. Together they've taken the hub of a hot wheel and cast it aside for a bunch of spokes that bring nothing unique (outside of Martinez, Charlie Steiner, Rob Dibble or Joe Castallano) to the programming. It's nothing more than sports talk masquerading as baseball talk w/ inane caller segments and "expert" commentary.

Yawn. Sports talk without any chemistry.

The magic of guys like Mark Patrick is that they know when to turn it on and off -- when to simply report and/or let the story tell itself and when to jump in and direct the action like a great sports bar buddy. If you've ever listened to the channel you hear how Patrick's style and energy shapes the proceedings. Listen in when he's out (likely spending time w/ Stanford phenom/son Drew Storen) and you hear a void. Even Martinez, w/ all his style and extraordinary know-how can't carry the show solo.

It's a team, and it feels like we've just been handed a note about next season being a rebuilding year.

I for one, am canceling my season tickets.

If you feel likewise, email these guys (see links above) an let them know what a knuckleheaded move this is.