Hundreds of good guesses as to Joe's mysterious phone call (see post below if you are getting here late). Many suggested the caller was some combination of Billy Beane, Michael Lewis, or "the computer that wrote 'Moneyball.'" Other guesses ranged from Phil Mickelson to Osama Bin Laden. Here are a few of my favorites.
Joe was on the phone with his financial adviser. He didn't care about the amount of money in his account, he just wanted to know if his money was "hustling" or "gritty" and if it could hit to the right side with a man on second.--tomservo
Joe Morgan was making a trade in his intangibles fantasy league. He was getting rid of Alex Rodriguez for Bernie Williams. What a steal for Joe, since Bernie has won four championships.--Jake
[Thoughtjunkie had a similar idea:
Joe got wrapped up in making a trade for his Intangible Fantasy Baseball League...He came THIS close to unloading A-Rod (Hustle:5, Grit: 1, PlaysGameRightWay: 2) and Garciapara (4,3,3) for David Eckstein (9,8,11)]Here's a nice thought from Ryan:
I think Joe was just "phoning in" his next Sunday night broadcast.And Brian had a particularly harsh rebuke...of Mike Celizic:
HatGuy called and Joe abruptly hung up. Even Joe hates his crap.Ouch.
Joe’s not really sure who the phone call came from. It could have been his mother. It could have been his wife. It could have been his dog calling for more treats. The bottom line is that it’s all about execution. Joe answered the phone call promptly and courteously. And that’s what’s important. Tony Perez – who you might not know but was a teammate of Joe’s in Cincinnati - always used to answer phone calls efficiently. It didn’t show up in the boxscores, but there was no one better at answering phone calls than Tony Perez. --Paul
It was Dave Concepcion on the phone. they were having an argument on who was the best double play combo to play the game. They ranked Morgan and Concepcion number one, followed by Concepcion and Morgan.--Migue
I don’t think it was a phone call. Someone turned on an actual live baseball game on one or more of the TV screens in the room. Joe, rather than watch more than one game a week, had to be removed from the room and put on oxygen.--Zach
Joe found his daughter, with only a flashlight and a copy of Moneyball, under the kitchen sink. And she was supposed to be practicing gymnastics.--Adam
(That's my favorite of the "Moneyball"-related answers. It has a wonderful sense of optimism. It believes the children are our future.)
Here's a slightly less heartwarming notion, from Joseph:
Jeter called and told Joe he had 3 hours to get to New York and blow him.Eminently plausible.
And finally, my personal favorite, from Matt:
I don't know who it was, I just wish he'd call during Sunday Night Baseball.Amen, brother. Amen.
Labels: joe morgan, joechat, joemystery
...for your guesses as to whom Joe spoke with on the phone during his ESPN chat. There was a record-breaking number of responses. Since this is the first write-in contest of its kind, any number would be record-breaking, but still, there were a ton -- so many that it might take me a day to sift through them and pick my favorites. I will try to post the winners tomorrow, Friday, but please be patient.
And thank you all for writing in. They were a joy to read.
Labels: joe morgan, joechat, joemystery
We have gotten hundreds of responses guessing at Joe's mystery phone call. Really nice work from a lot of you. I'm going to set the deadline at midnight tonight, Thursday, to submit your guesses to the Ken Tremendous address above. Sometime tomorrow I will post our favorites.
Keep 'em coming!
Labels: joe morgan, joechat, joemystery
Sorry we haven't updated in a while...the last two JoeChats on ESPN Insider have been incredibly dull. Not even a string of "I haven't seen them enough to comment"s. Nothing. Boring answers to boring questions. But something very weird did happen at the end of today's session, so instead of critiquing Joe's answers, I am going to reprint the last chunk of the chat, and invite you all to write in with your best guesses as to what really went down. Take a gander.
Buzzmaster: Joe had to take an important phone call just now .. he'll be back momentarily .. he apologizes for the interruption ..
Buzzmaster: How's everyone doing? Sorry for the delay. But we'll get going again here in a minute. Be sure to stick around for the Mike Greenberg chat at 1pm. That's always fun.
joey: how yaaaa doin' Buzz?
Buzzmaster: Not bad! Hungry! But not bad!
Matt (DC): I had this great question for you Buzz, but then I realized you weren't on the schedule today and I forgot it... And then, after a bunch of questions for Buzz...
Chris (STL): Joe's not comin back is he?
Buzzmaster: This reminds me of junior high. waiting by the phone for a call that never comes. ; (
Dan (Boston): Are we going to get validated for parking since Joe hasnt come back? I feel cheated!!
Buzzmaster: Sorry folks. If we get Joe back, we'll continue to ask him more of your questions. So check the wrap later in the day. We'll keep it non-Insider until end of day.So, the question is: what was the important phone call that Joe took? Who was it, and what was it about? Send your best guesses to the Ken Tremendous e-mail address at the top of the page, and I'll print my favorites.
Labels: joe morgan, joechat, joemystery
