This past weekend, Tim Russert's CNBC weekend interview show featured a panel of Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Jim Palmer, and Roger Clemens. The show was taped in front of an audience at the Yogi Berra Hall of Fame and Learning Center. Yes, no typo's, Yogi Berra has a learning center. Kind of like naming a Music School after Roseanne Barr, but I guess it really exists.

Anyway, the show was kind of disappointing, as Russert lobbed up batting practice to these guys he obviously idolizes, instead of asking some tougher questions like he would do when dealing with politicos. Still, there was some interesting stuff that came out of the show.

Since it was pitcher dominated, the discussion of staying in shape during the off-season was brought up. Clemens, who we all know is a work-out machine and the always in-shape Jim Palmer were on the modern players side of the argument. Ford brought up an interesting point that when he played, players had 2 month long spring training's, so they had more time to prepare.

Clemens is not one of my favorite guys, as I think he's a bully. He reminds me of guys like Ted Williams and Bobby Knight, who also just happen to have/had the same political view of the world. Like these guys, though, when he's around peers, especially one's who are older than him, he acts reverential and is a pretty interesting guy.

Of course, when Jim Palmer's sitting next to you, it's hard not to seem charismatic. I can remember the days of Palmer in the ABC booth, with Al Michaels and Howard Cosell. Palmer is articulate and opinionated, but he's just so monotone that he can put you to sleep.

No athlete has ever had so many hilarious quotes as Yogi Berra. Unfortunately, they are better read than hearing them said by Yogi, as he stumbles and bumbles his way through them. During Russert's first baseball show, which featured all catchers, Berra was the weaklink, just like during this program.

If you ever see that this catcher's show is on, I highly recommend it, as Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter, and Johnny Bench rounded out the panel. Listening to the three discuss baseball made me wonder why Tim McCarver is the big TV guy and these far superior players aren't in the booth, as they all were great. Bench and Carter have done TV in the past, but Fisk was really great, as his ego was only surpassed by his talent at discussing the game. (Kind of like a baseball version of Cris Collingsworth.)