Major League Baseball goes on a bit of a hiatus the next few days, with regular-season play replaced by tonight's Home Run Derby and tomorrow's All-Star Game.
The Minnesota Twins head into the season's halfway point - which is more a 60-percent point - just 6.5 games out of first place with a 41-48 record. They've won six of their last eight games. The record leaves much to be desired, but they're in it I suppose.
During the last few games, Fox Sports North broadcaster and former Twins pitcher Bert Blyleven was on vacation as he prepares for his Hall of Fame induction in the coming weeks.
Replacing Blyleven in the booth alongside Dick "Don't call me Richard" Bremer was Blyleven's former manager Tom Kelly.
I got to say I really enjoyed the TK broadcasts. And I'm not alone. As of noon today, 66 percent of Star Tribune readers felt Kelly did "a good job" and would "like to see more of him." Only 7 percent said they didn't like him.
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Broadcasting can be a real challenge over the long haul. It's been noted that fans often tired of the same voice over the years, so it's not out of the realm of possibility to think fans were simply embracing something new.
I think Blyleven does a good job. But it would be nice to see Kelly up there a little bit more, maybe even joining Bremer and Blyleven in an occasional three-man booth.
The thing I like about TK is that he will pretty much call out anyone, no matter the team. During what has been a trying season for the Twins, Bremer and Blyleven have not been very critical of anyone's play on the Twins, outside of some isolated episodes (i.e. Kevin Slowey's bullpen stint).
TK's stint in the booth was refreshing. Hope we haven't seen the last of him on the air.
