lamenting our lost brother

"Why does it always rain on me? Is it because I lied when I was 23?"
-Fran Healy

And while I am, in this case, taking advantage shamelessly of the fact that Fran "Look at that ball sail over the Budweiser sign right into the Pepsi Picnic Area" Healy shares a name with the lead singer of Scottish band Travis, I do think we owe a tribute to our dear friend Fran, who won't be joining us on SNY. Sure, we have Steve "Say Hello to My Little Friend" Berthiaume, Keith "I have to take two weeks off from color commentary on games every year to facilitate a new marriage, honeymoon and divorce" hernandez, Ron "I Went to Yale" Darling and Gary Cohen. But we lost something with Healy. We lost an annoying, whiny voice that had somehow been the staple of Mets TV for nearly twenty years. We lost a man who was a career .250 hitter in nine seasons as a Royal starter and backup catcher and as a Yankee backup. We waved goodbye to a fellow who'd advertise anything he could, even at the most inopportune time. He always said his "Come out to Shea and watch Jose Reyes run" or look at Geico this, Nikon that. He'd happily talk about the commercials that had just aired after the commercial break. How could you not miss his poorly produced interview specials, Mets Inside Pitch and Hot Stove Report. I remember a Hot Stove Report last year where the only guest was Rico Brogna. That was Franny's understated screw you to Metsland. You want Mike Piazza? Willie Randolph? David Wright? I'll give you Rico Brogna. And you'll like it, too! Fran would come on during rain delays with his grainy Barbara Waltersesque footage talking to some baseball man, if they weren't able to cue up a Kiner's Korner rerun in time. And he'd ask his usual softball questions, and then they'd take you back to Mets-Rockies, where Jose Santiago had loaded the bases in the eighth inning with Luis A. Gonzalez at the plate when it started to rain. But we love Sir Fran. You must, for this man is a saint in the land of mediocre announcing and baseball.

I'm just glad to see he's found another business opportunity.

"now that's a can of corn."

for another top-notch perspective, check out faith and fear's take.