TUBE TALK: No third wheel: Now in second season, Masur is rolling in two jobs

By JOHN MAFFEI - Staff Writer | Thursday, March 20, 2008 11:29 PM PDT ∞

Last year at this time, Andy Masur was the new kid on the block.

He wasn't exactly a scared pup backed into a corner, but he was careful about what he said and who he said it to.

But Masur ---- hired late in the offseason as the third man on the Padres' radio crew ---- fit in just fine. Through a long season, he proved to be a perfect fit with Jerry Coleman and Ted Leitner.

While last year's spring training broadcasts on XX Sports 1090 seemed strained as Coleman and Leitner felt out the new guy, the broadcasts this spring are as smooth, crisp and entertaining as spring games can be.

And this is while Leitner and Masur juggle baseball and college basketball commitments. Leitner is the radio voice of the San Diego State men on KOGO (600) and was in Gainesville, Fla., on Wednesday as the Aztecs lost a first-round National Invitation Tournament game to Florida.

Masur, as it turns out, got the better end of the basketball stick. He calls University of San Diego men's games on 1090. And the Toreros are in the NCAA tournament, set to play Connecticut at about 11:50 this morning in Tampa, Fla.

Masur left the Padres in Tucson on Tuesday and flew to San Diego to catch a cross-country flight with the Toreros to Tampa on Wednesday. He'll miss Padres games today and Saturday. And should the Toreros upset UConn, he might not be back with the Padres before Tuesday.

John Kentera, who calls USD home games with Masur, has joined him on the road for today's game.

For those with access to a TV this morning, CBS has the Toreros-Huskies game live, with Tim Brando and Mike Gminski set to call the action.

"This season is like night and day for me," Masur said. "Now I know where to go. I know the people, the players in Padres camp. I'm just much more comfortable.

"Early last season, I didn't talk much when I was on with Ted. But as the year wore on, we both became more comfortable. The mood became much lighter.

"I learned when to let the game take over. I learned how Ted would react in certain situations. Basically, as the season wore on, we weren't strangers."

Leitner said it took about three games last season for him to feel comfortable with Masur, although it didn't sound that way on the air.

"For a guy that was hired late, for a guy neither Jerry nor I knew much about, Andy has been terrific," Leitner said. "Honestly, he has been a great fit."

He has been a great fit for USD right from the start, smooth and professional.

"I've done more basketball consistently than baseball," said Masur, who called Loyola of Chicago games for five seasons before moving to San Diego. "I love baseball, but basketball is fun.

"The situation at USD is almost the same as the situation at Loyola when I was there ---- a solid program that was in a building process."

Now, Masur wants to build on last year's Padres season.

"My main goal was to not make waves," Masur said. "But I really appreciate the way I was accepted by the fans, players, and Ted and Jerry.

"The three of us all have unique styles. But it worked. There wasn't a point where I thought we all got better, where it all came together. I just think we got better every day.

"We all got to know each other. Now, we have a great foundation for a great season."

Local notes

< Because of the USD game, today's Padres game can be heard on 1700 AM.

< Cox Communications announced that all 150 Padres telecasts this season will be broadcast live in high definition on Channel 704. Matt Vasgersian, who will also work the Olympics for NBC, will call the play-by-play for 126 games. Mark Grant will be in the booth for 136 games, while Tony Gwynn is scheduled for 26 home and seven road games. Steve Quis will fill in for Vasgersian.

< John Kentera had a interesting day last Friday. He was in Las Vegas to do his daily show on 1090 and decided to go to the Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament. He turned from fan to broadcaster when Tim Neverette of the MWC asked Kentera if he'd sit in as the color analyst on the Mountain West Conference Radio Network broadcast of the semifinal game between Nevada-Las Vegas and Utah.

Hoop scoop

< Every game in the NCAA women's basketball tournament will be carried on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. Coverage starts Saturday, but it will be a little different. Most of the games will be on ESPN2, but in some cases there will be several games on at the same time. So the network plans whip-around coverage, and may settle in on the most compelling game. ESPNU will carry several games in their entirety.

< The USD women play California at 1 p.m. Saturday ---- part of two games in that time slot on ESPN2. The other game is Wyoming-Pittsburgh.

< Ex-Texas Tech and Indiana coach Bob Knight is working in the studio for ESPN on the NCAA men's tournament. He has absolutely no presence on the air, doesn't know where the cameras are or where his fellow commentators are sitting. And he insists on wearing a sweater while everyone else is in a coat and tie. But does have some interesting stuff to say ---- for instance, that the tournament should expand to 128 teams so that best 64 are assured of playing.

Opening Day is early

The Major League Baseball season starts Tuesday and Wednesday, when the Oakland A's meet the Boston Red Sox in Tokyo.

ESPN2 has live coverage, but the games start at 3 a.m. on the West Coast. There is, however, a full replay at 11 a.m.

Gary Thorne and Steve Phillips call the action.

Tee it up

< NBC has coverage of the World Golf Championship's CA Championship at 11 a.m. Saturday and noon Sunday, as Tiger Woods shoots for his sixth straight PGA Tour win. The event is being played at Doral, where Woods has won three events in a row.

< Woods is definitely a TV draw. Last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational, won by Woods, drew a 4.2 rating and a 9 share for NBC. That's up 65 percent for the same event last year, when Woods wasn't in contention.

< CBS golf reporter David Feherty was hit by a truck while bicycling near his home in Dallas. He suffered a punctured lung and three broken ribs. He vowed, however, to be ready for his next event ---- the Masters.

Around the dial

< Chris Singleton, a six-year major-league veteran, has joined ESPN as a "Baseball Tonight" analyst.

< ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 have coverage of the world figure skating championships, starting at 4:30 p.m. today. Coverage continues Saturday and Sunday, then picks up again next Thursday and Friday.

< The ESPN family of networks also has full coverage of the NCAA men's Division I ice hockey championships. Coverage starts with the NCAA selection show at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Play begins a week from today. The Frozen Four ---- the national semifinals and championship ---- is scheduled for April 10 and 12.

< Wrestling fans are in for a rare treat, as ESPNU has extensive coverage of the NCAA Division I championships. Coverage starts this morning at 8 with Session 3 of the quarterfinals. At 4 p.m., ESPNU has Session 4 of the semifinals. Saturday at 8 a.m., ESPNU has the championship medal round. At 5:30 p.m., ESPN has the championship finals.

< ESPNU has a men's college lacrosse tripleheader Saturday, with each game featuring a top-10 team. Action starts at 11 a.m. with No. 1 Duke vs. No. 10 Georgetown. That's followed by No. 4 Johns Hopkins vs. No. 2 Virginia at 1 p.m. and No. 5 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Maryland at 3 p.m.

< Jose Canseco is scheduled to appear on "Late Show with David Letterman" on March 31.

< HBO Sports has begun production on a documentary that recounts the unforgettable finish of the 1960 U.S. Open golf championship, in which Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus battled to the finish at Cherry Hills Country Club. The 60-minute show is set to debut on June 11.

John Maffei's TV/Radio Column appears every Friday. He can be reached at (760) 740-3547 or jmaffei@nctimes.com. Comment at sports.nctimes.com.