Well, at least the Cowperson said, "I stand corrected." Of course, he said that in reference to tHom's assertion that a human vagina was much more pleasurable than a goat's.

Anybody remember the Dibble-Coffey feud from last year (or maybe 06)? What is it with idiot commentators disparaging the Reds for not being "clutch?"

I wonder what Baker's reaction was? He'll probably bench Encarnacion now for not getting down the bunt!

Brennaman, voice of reason?

*head explodes*

This was just a fantastic sequence of events. It seemed like Brantley and Thom were getting decently pissed at each other. Thom had already brought up Encarnacion's "clutch" numbers at the beginning of the at bat. Then Brantley started getting huffy after Encarnacion's terrible, terrible bunt attempts. The timing of the home run was great. It really was just a second or two after the "not clutch" remark.

I can't wait to see it on Youtube. Anyone know if it's posted there?

That is awesome.

Btw, I just watched this on mlb.tv; worth the price of admission.

Lost in all of this is just how awful Encarnacion looked trying to bunt, especially on strike 2. I don't think I've ever seen a worse attempt.

The whole scene couldn't have been any better.

You had:

- Dusty furiously entering signals into the 3rd base coach, obviously not even considering letting Encarnacion hit.

- Thom and Cowboy going back and forth on whether to bunt. Cowboy in favor, Thom anti but only because it was not a skill he thought Encarnacion had. There was no mention of the merits of the play from a tactical standpoint; that giving up an out when you have a chance to score three might not be the best move.

- Then the money quote - Cowboy just destroying Encarnacion for not being clutch.

As a buddy of mine said, best live baseball television moment since the NYM/NYY McCarver/Koo/Unit game.

So...what was Brantley's reaction to the home run?

"Happy to be proven wrong there...ha ha...eh...whooo..."

So...what was Brantley's reaction to the home run?

He said "I stand corrected!" The damned fool.

Earlier in the game, after Brandon Phillips' homer, tHom asked him to repeat the phrase he used when calling the shot. Cowperson replied that he couldn't remember. He said, "I just make it up as I go along." He eventually remembered that he dulcetly warbled "chest-high, good-bye." tHom just thought that was adorable.

Jeff: He’s not. He’s not…not…not a clutch hitter.

(home run)

Thom: Hammered down the LF line . . . is it CLUTCH? . . . <blather>

Jeff: You called it . . . I stand corrected.

He said "I stand corrected!" The damned fool.

If I were Brantley, I'd have downed a couple of beers after the game.

Just watched it on MLB.tv. Definitely the most entertaining moment of the season so far.

Heard from family who were watching on local TV (FSN). EE's attempts to bunt were laughable to second the prior comment.

But the pitch was Lyons was worse. Slider that rolled middle in. Yuck.

Video is here. Until it isn't.

Thom Brennaman and Jeff Brantley in one booth. It hurts just to consider it. I don't think I could get through a half-inning of that.

Brennaman should be banned from calling any game in any sport after his rancid BCS performance.

Thom Brennaman and Jeff Brantley in one booth. It hurts just to consider it. I don't think I could get through a half-inning of that.

Probably, though given some of the garbage that's out there, it's almost semi-impressive that (A) Brennaman actually recognizes asking someone to do something outside their skill set is unwise, even if it's the "conventional wisdom" thing to do, and (B) that Brantley was so gracious about being wrong, since there are guys who would be pissy and insist they were still right most of the time even though Encarnacion just hit the homer. A learning curve like that, and either could be competant-ish in 20-30 years.

The Gospel According to Marty has been tiresome for years, but when he sticks to PBP, Marty is still quite good. But Brantley makes Reds games unlistenable. He's a game show host/carnival barker. And a tool.

I love how the graphic on the screen to start the clip shows Encarnacion as a career .360 hitter with RISP, right before Brantley starts emphatically repeating how he is not a clutch hitter.

Well, this wasn't the first time they were crying for Encarnacion's head. He made an error earlier in the game and Marty/Jeff were crying for his head: "If he can't perform, get him out of there!" That kind of tripe. I hate listening to Reds' games for this very reason.

Ryan Freel has been busted for drunk driving and also for possession of marijuana. Supposedly he was an element of the Hamilton trade with one being a bad influence on the other (can't remember which).

Yet Freel is adored by Marty.

While a quiet kid like Edwin is reviled.

That SOB gives cranky old b#stards a bad name......

EE may be a clutch hitter, but he's obviously not a clutch bunter.

Well, Freel did sacrifice his body in the alter of left-center field, for the betterment of the team. I mean, come on, Encarnacion would never run smack dab into Norris Hopper like that! Besides, Freel is an oldtimey gamer. He drives drunk in a Model A, smoking Tijuana Smalls. with three aged flappers in the rumble seat...

EE may be a clutch hitter, but he's obviously not a clutch bunter.

Are you kidding? That was mega clutch. He knew that Dusty was being a dumbass, but he couldn't just come out and say that. So he bends his knees, looks like he can't bunt, all to lead Dusty to the right answer, which is to swing away. Then he hits his dinger. I mean, it doesn't come more clutch than that.

Great Moments in Jeff Brantley’s Mouth

There's a party in Jeff's mouth, and everybody's coming.

Topics with titles like these make me pine for the days of Primer 1.0.

I've never seen an announcing team hate its own players as much as the Reds announcers do. Adam Dunn should hold them down while EE beats the #### out of him, screaming, "Whose clutch now, #####!"

He drives drunk in a Model A, smoking Tijuana Smalls. with three aged flappers in the rumble seat...

that quote makes me like Freel.

Have fun Reds fans. You got an entire season of this.

No, I do not want to go to the party in Jeff Brantley's mouth, though I do love how, in his concession speech, he sheepishly works in that, still, it was Encarnacion's FIRST walk-off homer. If he's wrongly mistaken. Or something.

I am also relieved to see here that I am not the only person who has no clue how to differentiate between the Brennamen.

The real-time cutaway to Dusty signaling in the sacrifice added a lot to the whole scene for me. I really want to stress that.

In the video, just prior to the HR, what the hell is the Reds' runner on 2B doing?

I went to elementary school with Jeff Brantley's daughter in Clinton, Mississippi in the mid-1990s. That is all.

I went to elementary school with Jeff Brantley's daughter in Clinton, Mississippi in the mid-1990s. That is all.

Is she hot?

I've never seen an announcing team hate its own players as much as the Reds announcers do.

That's what I always think when I listen to a Reds game. Why don't they hire some announcers who, you know, like the Reds?

Robert:

They take their cue from Marty, HOF inductee. I have listened to him off and on for years and really only in the last few has he turned up the "crank-o-meter". Part of me sympathizes only because the Reds have been difficult to watch the last few years if you enjoy "clean" baseball games. Meaning that the Reds defense and baserunning has been dreadful. Just extra outs all over the place. 2006 was the nadir "highlighted" by things like Adam Dunn falling down in the outfield.

So while it's unfair NOW to someone like Dunn who really has worked to get better Marty's patience is razor thin. And remember, Edwin only got the chance to be the hero due to his complete ineptitude at bunting. Over the radio and via the report from the locals EE looked just positively ridiculous trying to bunt.

I think Marty has pretty much gone off the deep end in not "forgiving" Adam Dunn and others relating to their effort outside the batters box. But I understand the origins. This team would drive a sane man to drink if you watched them day after day over several years. Managers change, players change and they still can't catch and throw the baseball.

If that makes any sense..............

I never noticed on Baseball Tonight how much Brantley sounds like Stone Cold Steve Austin.

That's what I always think when I listen to a Reds game. Why don't they hire some announcers who, you know, like the Reds?

because then a bunch of people would complain about the homerism of the announcers. It's a lose/lose situation. From my guess at people talking about announcers, no announcer in any sport is universally liked, there are a couple of legendary ones that get some respect and are close(Vin Scully comes to mind) and then there are other ones that are so boring that people like them because in comparison to the rest they don't do anything stupid(Jon Miller) to get blasted, but everyone hates every announcers. I tell people I think Al Hrabosky does a good job after about 7 years of being poor and they still judge him exclusively from his Cub bashing early start instead of what he's done since...it's the same with every announcer out there, they are judged by the fans early and will always use that judgement when rating them.

It's to the point, just assume that the easiest thing to say about any announcer is "they suck" and you will be in the majority unless it's Scully, Miller(don't ask me why) or a legend that may or may not be good but has been around forever and so is thought of as better than they really are (pretty much any team with an announcer who has had over a 40 year career, most suck nowadays but it's politically incorrect to say that or sacrilege)

no announcer in any sport is universally liked

A's fans would each chip in $100 if it were possible to clone Bill King. In fact, it's time to update my handle...

They take their cue from Marty, HOF inductee.

And following-up on that, my take as an ex-Cincinnatian is that the locals actually LIKE the announcers for taking the team to task from time to time. Years ago -- even before Marty really turned up the "crank-o-meter", as Harveys mentioned -- people appreciated that he "told it like it is," and wasn't a complete homer who kissed all the players' butts even when they sucked.

Personally, as someone who grew up in Cincinnati, at this point I'd take the extreme homerism of Hawk & DJ over constantly bashing the players like the current Reds announcers do. Where's George Grande?

Marty has always been impatient with sloppy play, etc, and always ready to criticize a player. He was like that in the 70's. He was also in love with himself back then, too, but his delivery was solid enough that we could overlook that.

But it was the HOF induction that really gave us St. Marty. The little quips and asides turned into sermons, and became a lot more frequent. He's still a great PBP guy but his ego overshadows that.

I may be in the minority, but I really like the SNY team of Cohen/Hernandez/Darling, particularly Darling. Hernandez has a few WTF moments (what's a woman doing in the clubhouse?) and I don't agree with all his opinions, but he's both a fan and critical of the team when appropriate.

A lot of Met fans soured on Hernandez and Cohen because of the Milledge hate, and that's fair, but I think they generally are fine baseball announcers. They have found the right place between sickening homerism (Sterling) and neutrality.

because then a bunch of people would complain about the homerism of the announcers

Aren't home team announcers supposed to be kinda homers? That's what I expect, they are club employees. I was listening to the Pirates guys (whoever they are) during the first Braves-Pirates game and when Nate McLouth got picked off first on a routine ball in the dirt, the color guy said it was ok because early in the game you've got to try and be aggressive. Now obviously that is crap, but it would seem more appropriate for him to say that then to demand McLouth be immediately pulled from the game.

Ahhhh. That's better.

Bill King is the reason I'm an A's fan. I moved out here in '01 and was flipping channels in the car one day & came across an A's game. I now bleed green & gold and King is why.

I may be in the minority, but I really like the SNY team of Cohen/Hernandez/Darling, particularly Darling. Hernandez has a few WTF moments (what's a woman doing in the clubhouse?) and I don't agree with all his opinions, but he's both a fan and critical of the team when appropriate.

I like 'em, too. I don't know what happened to Cohen re: Milledge, though.

Bill King is the reason I'm an A's fan. I moved out here in '01 and was flipping channels in the car one day & came across an A's game. I now bleed green & gold and King is why.

Amen, Dave. I grew up with Bill and I wish now I hadn't taken him for granted. I just thought all annoucers were that good. The Giants had Hank Greenwald, the A's had King and Lon Simmons and at night I'd pick up Vin Scully from L.A. Holy Toledo was I spoiled.

Now obviously that is crap, but it would seem more appropriate for him to say that then to demand McLouth be immediately pulled from the game.

I think the TBS team back in the bad old 80s walked this line pretty well. They were definitely homers. They rooted for the Braves openly but if a Brave did something boneheaded, they didn't mince words. The difference, to me, was that they criticized the bad play without making character references or concluding that the guy was hopeless. They were also quick to note, and appreciate, good play on the other team.

(pretty much any team with an announcer who has had over a 40 year career, most suck nowadays but it's politically incorrect to say that or sacrilege)

Word. When I watched the '86 Series I was equally annoyed (nearly to the point of becoming irate) by both Scully and Garagiola, but in rewatching that Series I have softened considerably on Scully. I can't tell if that's because my perception of good announcing has changed in the 20+ years since or if it's a result of a growing reverence for Scully brought about by my having been insidiously convinced that he is a national treasure. I do tend to believe it's the former, though. It's certainly the more romantic notion.

I don't think Jon Miller is boring.

I can't imagine anyone disliking Bob Uecker as an announcer.

I really, really like the Tampa Bay radio guys. At least, I did last year -- I hope they're the same this year.

And, finally, I think the most underrated announcer to whom I had prolonged exposure was Bill White. Everyone focused (and still do) on Rizzuto's antics during the Yankees' broadcasts, but White was a fantastic counterbalance to the homerism and endless non-sequiturs. Plus, he had a great voice and gave every evidence of being a true gentleman. I also think Tony Kubek was underrated. I vote for both for the Spink Award every year.

You have to listen to Vin Scully doing a ballgame solo on the radio to really appreciate him.

I've never listened to Uecker, unfotunately.

I feel sorry for the Expos announcers. They might have had the greatest announcing team in the history of mankind and 99.9% would have had no way of knowing. (I don't speak French, but I did listen to one game just for kicks and the announcement of Brad Wilkerson bobblehead day in French gave me the giggles for much longer than it should have.)

I liked the old Angels' team, Bob Starr and Billy Sample. The Angels' new radio guys are not annoying but are ultrabland. I agree with bunyon about the old TBS crew. Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren were pretty good, and Don Sutton was OK. To me, the key with announcers is "don't be annoying." If they are insightful as well, great, but as long as they are reasonably pleasant and not boorish, don't overdo the "classy guy" stuff with players they like, and seem to enjoy the game, I am OK with them. With my work schedule, I catch parts of many Padre and Angel games on the radio, and Ted Leitner is just brutal. I mute a lot of games I watch on TV now--including all FOX October games (Although of course I did turn it up to hear those awesome Dane Cook bits. That guy totally rules).

You have to listen to Vin Scully doing a ballgame solo on the radio to really appreciate him.

I have, and I agree with that. I should have also mentioned that five years later I listened to Scully do the entire World Series on the radio, my favorite World Series to date. At the time I just thought it was the Series that was so great, but in retrospect Scully's talents had as much to do with it. The fact that I didn't acknowledge the talents at the time perhaps says a great deal about how really talented he is - he was so good I forgot he was even involved.

my brother's response when i sent him this link:

In the post-game interview, Encarnacion should say "Take him out of the booth! Take him out of the booth! If he can't announce intelligently, take him out of the booth. Put somebody else in there."

Personally I like Scully now, agreed about the radio comment, he works much better on Radio than TV.

I love Uecker, but I don't know if that is because he is good or if it's just that I like him as the dad from Mr Belvadere or even Major League, doesn't matter I like him.

Don't know the A's guys at all, seems like I'm missing something there.


My theory about the old timers came about because I remember the last few years of Jack Buck and he just wasn't any good, but nobody in the entire city of St Louis was allowed to say that or they would be burnt at the stake, Jack was so bad that he dragged Mike Shannon down with him, and so I developed a definate dislike for Shannon also, after Buck passed on I still didn't like Shannon for several years, but now I really like him, just fun guy to listen too pretty useless after the 7th inning but enjoyable up until that time.

Ernie Harwell was another, the guy wasn't any good anymore in Detroit but it was wrong to say that publically and heck the team got hammered for even attempting to replace him, but being an announcer is a skill and just because it's not an athletic skill doesn't mean it stays with you as you age.


I like who I like, and I insist on re-evaluating whenever I think I should, I'm watching a Cardinal game right now and I think both guys are doing a very solid job (Al Hrabosky and someone else I never really remember his name) I like Al most years but he can pull a Brantley from time to time---mention the Cubs.

I think cfb has a point. Most of these guys hang on at the end of their careers. And, like all of us (or most of us anyway), they get more preachy as they age. I think Scully is a definite exception and I'm sure there are others.

I think Scully is a definite exception and I'm sure there are others.

Scully and Bill King, for sure. Bill King was never canonized the way Scully was and, considering Scully's reputation, it's impressive that his ego stayed in check.

Shooty, agreed re: King. He was a classic. I was *shocked* when they announced his passing, he’d been on the Bruno-Radnich segment maybe 10 days before his surgery, and he was as quick witted and energetic as ever. But Korach and Cotroneo aren’t too shabby, I always enjoy listening to them. That being said, Fosse needs to be put to pasture; he rivals Ron Santo and Hawk Harrelson for sheer awfulness. His blatherings would be funny if they weren’t so pathetic, and his meltdown during the A’s/Sox series a few years ago was embarrassing.

Re: Miller. To really appreciate Jon Miller, watch him to TV, then listen to a couple radio broadcasts. His approach to each medium is perfectly suited to its kind. There is nobody better in the business, as far as I can tell (baseball wise; Ted Robinson is amazing, given how many different sports he can cover). Thank god for Miller, because, sans Greenwald (whose dry humor was perfect for the bad Giants teams of the early & mid-90s), we Giants fans are gonna need all the help we can get to make this season palatable.

And a big shoutout to the Brewers radio crew, they are a pleasure to listen to.

Now I was listening on XM radio, and it was Marty and some other guy. Almost the same story...said other guy was basically talking about Edwin's bunting style - "he needs to move up in the box to give himself more fair ground". And Marty, said "then he should be sitting over on the bench over there...2...1....boom!


I loved it.

bumpis, I just pretend Ray Fosse doesn't exist. IIRC, we had Monte Moore and Ray Fosse overlap for a while in the late 80's. That, my friends, was brutal.

And good luck to Kuip and Kruk this year in Ess Eff. They're are going to need all the joviality they can muster.

From my guess at people talking about announcers, no announcer in any sport is universally liked,

I've not heard a soccer fan bag on Martin Tyler before, but I'm sure they're probably out there.

I've heard Scully imitated and given some good natured mocking, but I'm having trouble remembering anyone actively disliking him.

My big gripe with announcing is that it seems to me to be, in many ways, an unnecessary distraction. I've said it before, but if you went to a game and sat in box seats down the third base line, and some jackass sat next to you giving you uninterrupted play by play for 9 innings...

...you'd punch him out by the 4th. If he did it by talking about things unrelated to the current game (as ESPN guys often do) you'd smack him by the third.

[The Braves announcers in the 80's] criticized the bad play without making character references or concluding that the guy was hopeless. They were also quick to note, and appreciate, good play on the other team.

Right on bunyon! Skip Carey and Pete van Weiren let you relax and enjoy the game. How excitable could they be with Rick Mahler throwing every fourth day? I still remember the day the Braves were getting blown out and Skip Carey said, "Well folks, if you promise to come back tomorrow, we won't blame you too much for changing the channel." He'd probably get fired now for saying that.

I actually became a Cincinnati Reds fan because of how Skip and Pete respected them, Dave Concepcion in particular.

I must have caught Skip on a bad day one time, because after listening to him one day completly screwing up the infield fly rule, and then worshipping his team, it became hard for me to ever listen to him again. He is about the only one that violated my rule of not re-evaluating my impression. I think the Carey name is probably the reason why.

Radio play-by-play is an artform.

I don't anyone has figured out yet how to do TV play-by-play right. They don't need to tell you about things you can see - but at the same time, they don't want dead air - but at the same time, you don't want them to be talking about extraneous things to excess.

[Skip Caray]'d probably get fired now for saying that.

Nope, he still says that all the time. Or variants thereof. If it's 9-2 in the eighth inning, he'll tell you, "You have our permission to go walk your dog." Sometimes he'll qualify it with, "If you promise to patronize our sponsors."

I've not heard a soccer fan bag on Martin Tyler before

I can't explain it, but I've rarely heard more than about 5 minutes from Tyler. I know it'll sound like an insult, but it's simply the truth. He puts me to sleep.

What little I do hear of him I like a lot.

My own personal fave is Jim Hughson (CBC hockey. Also did baseball for a few years. Not bad at it but not as good as he is at hockey)

I can't explain it, but I've rarely heard more than about 5 minutes from Tyler. I know it'll sound like an insult, but it's simply the truth. He puts me to sleep.

are you sure it's the announcer and not the sport?

My own personal fave is Jim Hughson (CBC hockey. Also did baseball for a few years. Not bad at it but not as good as he is at hockey)

ok, I take back something I said earlier, Hockey has good announcers that are liked by a majority of their fans generally. Yes there are some that aren't like, but of all the sports I've heard the most positive comments directed to hockey announcers. It's probably because they have a more fast paced sport that prevent long segments dedicated to something not about the game that is going on.

[Skip Caray]'d probably get fired now for saying that.



Nope, he still says that all the time. Or variants thereof. If it's 9-2 in the eighth inning, he'll tell you, "You have our permission to go walk your dog." Sometimes he'll qualify it with, "If you promise to patronize our sponsors."

Well, they tried for years to fire him. They eventually decided it would be easier just to stop covering the Braves.


cfb, to each his own. No one can be universally liked. To be honest, if he butchered the infield fly rule he was probably drunk. I think he was also better, or more entertaining, when the Braves were bad. Maybe it was just the comparison.

as I said, it was probably the only time I have ever violated my rule of not reassesing a guy, and I keep meaning to listen to him again to see how wrong I was, because he has a strong following of people that do like him.

I don't anyone has figured out yet how to do TV play-by-play right. They don't need to tell you about things you can see

This drives me nuts. They feel it's necessary to read EVERYTHING that comes on the screen. Someone might be telling a story, or giving an opinion, and if some stat or fact comes up on the screen, they'll interrupt themselves "-- and you see there, Shitforbrains now has 5 hits in his last 8 at bats -- so anyway, Palmer tells Weaver...." Yes, I do see it there, so I don't need it read to me! Just finish your story!

Also, it drives me nuts how the shot will cut away from something interesting in the field to show me a guy jogging in to score. That is where the play-by-play guy could actually be useful. Show the part of the play that actually has some drama and unknown to it, and let the announcer tell me "as Limpdick crosses home with the run..." No, instead we'll see the rightfielder bobbling the ball, the batter is going to try to stretch it into a double, and then the shot cuts to a guy scoring a conceded run, and we miss the real play. The moment of contact between spike and plate is not that important to see, guys, it's really not.

What bothers me the most is that nobody is willing to criticize Dusty Baker for making a guy who can't bunt, bunt. Yeah, EE should probably get some flak for not being able to bunt. Yeah, it's a "fundamental." Yeah, he should be able to. Blah blah. But what is the point of making a guy who can't bunt bunt? Even Thom Brennaman knew he couldn't bunt. I guess by making a guy look ridiculous you take all the blame off of yourself if it fails, but isn't it the managers job to put his players in a position to succeed?

The worst was Chris Berman a few years ago, on ESPN radio doing a postseason game. Don't remember the game, but I do remember yelling at the radio (probably scaring the guy in the car next to me) when, after the crack of the bat, Berman hollers, "LOOK AT THAT!" followed by a full second of silence.

Aggravating, but not entirely surprising.

cfb, you'd have to go back to get some vintage Skip - or even just a few years ago. One, he's hard to find on TV anymore and, two, he's not as good as he used to be. And he wasn't all that great on ESPN broadcasts. I think he had a hard time adjusting to the idea that he wasn't supposed to be a homer. Or maybe he just didn't do his homework on (relatively) unknown teams.

My own personal fave is Jim Hughson (CBC hockey. Also did baseball for a few years. Not bad at it but not as good as he is at hockey)

Is he the Canucks play-by-play guy? If so, I'd agree that he's very enjoyable and listen-to-able. Continuing with hockey announcers, the Blackhawks have had a string of good announcers -- Pat Foley (just watched the "BANNERMAN!" video on YouTube (linked below), what a great call) and now John Weideman (on radio). Then again, Dan Kelly sucks real bad. Gosh I hope Rocky can bring Foley back into the fold -- that would make next year (hopefully a special year for the Hawks) all the better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BhXVo2fb0M

Hughson is the Canucks announcer. And he is very good.

Back to bunting for a second--I only saw Encarnacion's second attempt, and it looked like he had trouble with a nasty curve. It actually seemed like a particularly tough pitch for anyone to bunt. Or maybe I'm unclutch and should go sit on the bench.

In all honesty, has Marty ever been worth a damn? In my 20 years of baseball fandom, he's been pretty much awful. He's cocky, snide, and doesn't really call a very good game. He isn't versatile, thinks he knows what good baseball is, and refuses to adapt. I think this is what makes Vin Scully so great. He's none of these things. But, perhaps I've only been afforded the opportunity to be chased off of the grass by old man Marty...

Brennaman should be banned from calling any game in any sport after his rancid BCS performance.

My only favorite moment in having to put up w/ TB's PBP during the playoffs was during (I think) the 2003 ALDS between Oakland & Boston. In the middle of one of the games, Manny takes someone deep, and admires his work (as he tends to do). Brennaman goes off on this sanctimonious over-the-top rant about what's wrong with baseball and how what Manny did was disgraceful, and the usual sort of talking points when it comes to that sort of thing. Later on (I think when Manny comes up again, or it might've been during the same inning), he starts to work up another frothy head of foam re: Manny's shameful act, but then he's cut off -- either someone in the production truck muted his mic, or he stopped himself -- and there's blissful silence for at least 10 seconds. Then he comes back on, and calls the at-bat as if he wasn't ready to leap from the booth and throttle Manny for his insolence. If there was a Fox producer behind that quick mute, I am forever grateful to that person.

Uecker is fun an all, but he's simply not very good at PBP. An inning with Uecker is more like going over to his house for dinner than it is like listening to a baseball game.

The amazing thing about Bill King is that baseball was his third best sport. Are there any other local play by play guys that are literally legends in three sports in the same city?

My big gripe with announcing is that it seems to me to be, in many ways, an unnecessary distraction.

I would love nothing more than a television broadcast where the only audio was the ambient noise picked up by handful of well-placed mics around the field.

I think it was 2002...the French CBC Announcers were on strike, so the entire Bruins-Canadiens series was done with no announcing, but all the sound still in tact.

That was the most enjoyable series I ever saw...although that was a bit because Theodore won it all by himself. Although, I think Zednik helped him out, until Kyle McLaren murdered him with that forearm...what a series!

Note: I may be confusing a couple different series' here, I have a terrible memory.

Early in the game that EE ended with the walk-off, Brantley told us that when Paul Bako calls a pitch, the pitcher should not bother thinking about whether he wants to throw it because it WILL be the perfect pitch. Later on, after Todd Coffey blew 2 fastballs by Danny Haren, then threw him a curve that Haren poked into right for a sac fly, Brantley ranted about the stupidity of throwing a curve, never mentioning that Coffey had thrown the pitch called by Bako.

Uecker is fun an all, but he's simply not very good at PBP. An inning with Uecker is more like going over to his house for dinner than it is like listening to a baseball game.

I love Uecker, can't imagine Brewers broadcasts w/o him, but this is somewhat true. I don't think he's bad at PBP, but it is not a strong suit. There will be a dozen times this year where he will describe a bunt as 'a beauty' and the lead runner will undoubtedly get forced out and perhaps a double play. I get nervous every time I hear the Brewers lay down a bunt because of this recurring error by Uecker. His banter with Jim Powell is precious and his story telling cannot be topped, but Jim Powell provides much better PBP during the 3rd, 4th and 7th innings. I do think Uecker does utilize dead air well, despite what we are all taught the first day we work in radio "no dead air."

This certainly seems strange, but my friends and I love the way Uecker reads the pre and post game advertisements. "Usinger's Famous Sausage, made in Milwaukee since...1880." "Carquest...Auto Parts."...."Diggers Hotline"....

The amazing thing about Bill King is that baseball was his third best sport. Are there any other local play by play guys that are literally legends in three sports in the same city?

Dick Enberg in Los Angeles, once upon a time. I don't know about a legend, but he did the Rams, the Angels and UCLA basketball, and was very good at all three and well-respected. And it's not like he was the only good announcer in L.A., either. Someone else mentioned being spoiled. I definitely was. I grew up listening to Enberg, Scully, Chick Hearn and Bob Miller (Kings), and then I moved to the Bay Area and got to listen to Bill King, Hank Greenwald and Lon Simmons.

Chalk me up as another A's fan who really, really misses Bill King. He was simply superb. I was truly shocked when I heard that he'd died. RIP.

Jon Miller is great on radio. Just a pity that he's commentating on such an awful, awful ballclub this season...