WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY?
Erik,
I've been thinking a lot about baseball broadcasters. Why not? Ninety-some percent of our baseball consumption consists of radio or TV broadcasts, right? You've been a baseball fan for far, far longer than I, so broadcasters serve a slightly different function for me. For the first two of the last four years that I've followed the game, I relied on broadcasters to help me understand things that most fans learned when they were in grade school. Broadcasters were an important and necessary filter between my ignorance and the nuances of a contest.
It didn't take me long to figure out that there are good broadcasters and bad broadcasters. You know how I feel about Hawk Harrelson and Darrin Jackson, the idiots for the White Sox. Perhaps I wouldn't have known how bad they were if I hadn't been spoiled by 5 of the best broadcasters I've ever heard: 4 of them Giants broadcasters, 1 of them a Cubs broadcaster.
Since I was militantly indifferent about sports before the baseball angel touched me, I don't think I've developed any kind of rose-colored bias for Jon Miller, Dave Flemming, Duane Kuiper, and Mike Krukow of Giants renown. Jon and Dave, neither of whom appear to have any actual player experience, are damned good at what they do. Jon Miller bursting from my radio just sounds like a welcome guest sitting in a chair across the room, making snarky, but never malicious remarks about all kinds of things. He's got a remarkably broad sense of proportion and seems to know a little bit about everything. He's also very funny. Kruk and Kuip, on the other hand, are former players, so their commentary, which is always vibrant and energetic, appeals to technical listeners. They're all great, and I never experience an eye-rolling "God, that was corny" moment the way I do with sooooo many broadcasters.
The Cubs announcer who makes #5 on my list is Pat Hughes, who is not unlike Vin Scully, with one important difference—his booth chemistry with Ron Santo makes him a human being—something Vin Scully hasn't been since the 1600s. I also like Len Kasper and Bob Brenly, although they tend to go in one ear and out the other.
Charlie Slowes and David Shea are doing a bang-up job with the Nationals. This is—obviously—their first year there, but like the team they're charged with covering, they have a confidence that's never arrogant—always a little cautious, as if their good fortune could evaporate at any point in time.
Which brings me to the Dodgers Codger, Vin Scully, who is no relation to Dana Diesel. I know Vin has been broadcasting since the Reformation, and that he's been voted Supreme Sports Broadcaster of the Galaxy by all kinds of peer organizations. But I ask myself every time I'm forced to listen to him: Why doesn't this guy giggle? Or work with a color commentator? He's like Sarek of Vulcan with a grandpa streak. His frightening fascination with cute little kids in the seats worries me, not that I, of all people, would judge a man for what turns him on, but, hey, lay off the obligatory commentary on every cute little girl who's painted her face, mm-kay? It's just creepy.
What's your take on broadcasters?
I've been thinking a lot about baseball broadcasters. Why not? Ninety-some percent of our baseball consumption consists of radio or TV broadcasts, right? You've been a baseball fan for far, far longer than I, so broadcasters serve a slightly different function for me. For the first two of the last four years that I've followed the game, I relied on broadcasters to help me understand things that most fans learned when they were in grade school. Broadcasters were an important and necessary filter between my ignorance and the nuances of a contest.
It didn't take me long to figure out that there are good broadcasters and bad broadcasters. You know how I feel about Hawk Harrelson and Darrin Jackson, the idiots for the White Sox. Perhaps I wouldn't have known how bad they were if I hadn't been spoiled by 5 of the best broadcasters I've ever heard: 4 of them Giants broadcasters, 1 of them a Cubs broadcaster.
Since I was militantly indifferent about sports before the baseball angel touched me, I don't think I've developed any kind of rose-colored bias for Jon Miller, Dave Flemming, Duane Kuiper, and Mike Krukow of Giants renown. Jon and Dave, neither of whom appear to have any actual player experience, are damned good at what they do. Jon Miller bursting from my radio just sounds like a welcome guest sitting in a chair across the room, making snarky, but never malicious remarks about all kinds of things. He's got a remarkably broad sense of proportion and seems to know a little bit about everything. He's also very funny. Kruk and Kuip, on the other hand, are former players, so their commentary, which is always vibrant and energetic, appeals to technical listeners. They're all great, and I never experience an eye-rolling "God, that was corny" moment the way I do with sooooo many broadcasters.
The Cubs announcer who makes #5 on my list is Pat Hughes, who is not unlike Vin Scully, with one important difference—his booth chemistry with Ron Santo makes him a human being—something Vin Scully hasn't been since the 1600s. I also like Len Kasper and Bob Brenly, although they tend to go in one ear and out the other.
Charlie Slowes and David Shea are doing a bang-up job with the Nationals. This is—obviously—their first year there, but like the team they're charged with covering, they have a confidence that's never arrogant—always a little cautious, as if their good fortune could evaporate at any point in time.
Which brings me to the Dodgers Codger, Vin Scully, who is no relation to Dana Diesel. I know Vin has been broadcasting since the Reformation, and that he's been voted Supreme Sports Broadcaster of the Galaxy by all kinds of peer organizations. But I ask myself every time I'm forced to listen to him: Why doesn't this guy giggle? Or work with a color commentator? He's like Sarek of Vulcan with a grandpa streak. His frightening fascination with cute little kids in the seats worries me, not that I, of all people, would judge a man for what turns him on, but, hey, lay off the obligatory commentary on every cute little girl who's painted her face, mm-kay? It's just creepy.
What's your take on broadcasters?
posted by Andrew at
4:23 PM
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