BBTF.org/m/announcers : Raissman: For Yankees announcers on YES Network ‘homer’ might be a dirty word in broadcast booth

Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Buzzfeed: The Killer Feature of MLB.tv.

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posted on April 02, 2013 at 09:18 PM by Infinite Joost (Voxter) to announcers, media, mlb.com, radio, television | 49 comment(s)

Turns out you can watch video with the radio announcer overlaid. I just tried it. Seems to work.

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1. Jose Can Still Seabiscuit posted on April 06, 2012 at 08:44 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

All local announcers are "homers" to some extent. I can't imagine following a team day in and day out for years and NOT rooting for them, that sounds like a pretty miserable existence. Still, there is a way to be a homer and still provide accuracy and fairness in your reporting.

2. Matt Clement of Alexandria posted on April 06, 2012 at 08:48 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

My experience is that the YES television announce team manages that balance quite well. I don't like Kay, but he's not terrible, and the other guys in the booth range from solid to pretty great.

The less said about the Yankee radio broadcasts the better.

3. villageidiom posted on April 06, 2012 at 08:50 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I've no problem with announcers rooting for the team they cover. Still, I want them to be objective otherwise. It's one thing to want your team to do well and to express your emotions. It's another to claim they were robbed on every close play that doesn't go their way, or to ascribe unwarranted character flaws to the opponent, or to ignore the obvious limitations of your favorite aging star.

EDIT: Agree with MCoA on the YES TV announcers, and on the Yankees radio team.

4. Jolly Old St. Nick Done Jumped The Ship

posted on April 06, 2012 at 08:52 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Other than sounding more excited when a play or a game goes the Yankees' way, there isn't anything particularly homerish about the YES broadcasts. Their announcers give credit to opponents when they deserve it and they don't ignore it when a Yankee's not producing. Of course they play up Jeter, but no more so than the broadcasters from other teams.

EDIT: coke to Matt

5. jmurph posted on April 06, 2012 at 08:55 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

It's one thing to want your team to do well and to express your emotions. It's another to claim they were robbed on every close play that doesn't go their way, or to ascribe unwarranted character flaws to the opponent, or to ignore the obvious limitations of your favorite aging star.

Hmm, you sound like you live within range of the Nats broadcasts.

6. Lassus posted on April 06, 2012 at 08:57 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

As annoying as the Yankees are in general, YES consistently does a very, very good job. Raissman should be sent out to pasture with FJM at this point.

7. kubiwan posted on April 06, 2012 at 09:24 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

So dumb question somewhat off-topic: whenever Yankees highlights are shown on SportsCenter, it seems that the vast majority of times they use the YES feed. Is there a particular reason for this (e.g., they are of higher quality or are made more readily available)? Or am I just imagining things (again)?

8. Randy Jones

posted on April 06, 2012 at 09:45 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I also agree with MCoA in post #2.

So dumb question somewhat off-topic: whenever Yankees highlights are shown on SportsCenter, it seems that the vast majority of times they use the YES feed. Is there a particular reason for this (e.g., they are of higher quality or are made more readily available)? Or am I just imagining things (again)?

I don't watch Sportscenter anymore, so I can't say if your observation is correct, but YES does seems to have higher quality feeds than many other channels so that might be why they use them.

9. Leroy Kincaid posted on April 06, 2012 at 09:50 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

YES consistently does a very, very good job.

Get rid of Kay. Pare down the 25 man announcer roster to just two guys (one of them being Singleton) and remind them that there is a game going on and to STFU once in a while. Ditch the sideline reporter(s)...and this might be true.

10. Jose Can Still Seabiscuit posted on April 06, 2012 at 10:08 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

remind them that there is a game going on and to STFU once in a while. Ditch the sideline reporter(s)

It is my experience that this statement is true of pretty much every team in baseball. Well, not the Dodgers when Vin is on but that's like complaining that not every shortstop is Honus Wagner good. Sideline reporters are useless and even the best announcers feel the need to be heard. Understanding when to shut the hell up seems to be a difficult thing for announcers.

11. jmurph posted on April 06, 2012 at 10:09 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

remind them that there is a game going on and to STFU once in a while.

12. JE (Jason Epstein)

posted on April 06, 2012 at 10:09 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Of course they play up Jeter, but no more so than the broadcasters from other teams.

Come to think of it, most TV broadcasters from other teams appear to fellate Jeter with greater frequency than Kay and his sidekicks.

13. jmurph posted on April 06, 2012 at 10:09 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Haha, excellent timing on our posts. Perhaps my few innings (of Vin Scully) last night were an outlier?

14. Lassus posted on April 06, 2012 at 10:11 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Get rid of Kay. Pare down the 25 man announcer roster to just two guys (one of them being Singleton) and remind them that there is a game going on and to STFU once in a while. Ditch the sideline reporter(s)...and this might be true.

Kay is the least common denominator and could be easily jettisoned. Prior to anything else you've written I still contend they are in the top three local broadcasts in the market. (I say this as having spent three seasons listening to every feed every night for work.)

15. Matt Clement of Alexandria posted on April 06, 2012 at 10:12 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

We're grading on a curve. Everything you're criticizing can be upgraded, but YES is still in the top tier of baseball broadcasts.

It's depressing that the model for broadcasting baseball (and most sports) has become the anchor-and-committee style, rather than the storyteller style. So you get guys like Kay, whose job is mostly to manage all the moving parts of the broadcast, secondarily to narrate events as they happen, and any actual narrative construction beyond that isn't really in view. He sees his job as anchoring the broadcast rather than broadcasting the game, as do most play-by-play guys these day. I don't like Kay - he seems like talk radio ate his soul. But I think I prefer him to Dave Matthews superfan Don Orsillo, who likewise sees his job as anchoring the broadcast rather than broadcasting the game, but further seems himself as, well, not exactly a stand-up comic, but more like the emcee for ladies night at the Chuckle Hut on Thursdays.

16. The Good Face posted on April 06, 2012 at 10:17 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Kay is the least common denominator and could be easily jettisoned. Prior to anything else you've written I still contend they are in the top three local broadcasts in the market. (I say this as having spent three seasons listening to every feed every night for work.)

I'm not a big Kay fan, but he's adequate, and to be honest YES could do much worse and probably would if Kay was shown the door. I wouldn't miss Flaherty if he left, but the rest of the YES team is pretty good. Singleton is probably my favorite of the bunch, although O'Neill is a lot of fun in small doses.

17. Repoz

posted on April 06, 2012 at 10:22 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Already this year Kay has parmed-out...

"Robinson Cano is better than Rod Carew!"

"Mark Teixeira is a lock for the HOF!"

But nothing tops Jack Curry from last year...

"I saw Robbie Cano without his shirt on...he's winning the MVP this season!"

18. Jose Can Still Seabiscuit posted on April 06, 2012 at 10:26 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Haha, excellent timing on our posts. Perhaps my few innings (of Vin Scully) last night were an outlier?

He's a great storyteller and I think talks over the game less than anyone you'll ever hear so even when he is talking a bit it's less intrusive. YMMV

19. Tom Nawrocki posted on April 06, 2012 at 10:27 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

"I saw Robbie Cano without his shirt on...he's winning the MVP this season!"

Most Voluptuous Player?

20. Moloka'i Three-Finger Brown (Declino DeShields) posted on April 06, 2012 at 10:29 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I was watching the Dodgers game last night and didn't previously have too much experience with Vin Scully. Does he ever stop talking, ever, for even a second? This is the standard of excellence in baseball broadcasting?

IIRC, Scully's a bit of a different situation, given he's doing the radio and TV broadcast (at least for the first few innings, I think). He painys the picture with words and doesn't rely on visuals or the graphics-heavy production of TV broadcasts these days. His work is awesomely quaint at times -- last night, the TV feed is showing the Home Depot starting lineups, and he never mentions the words "Home Depot." (However, he made some really odd errors, like referring to Jim Rivera and whatnot.)

21. bunyon posted on April 06, 2012 at 10:47 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

"I saw Robbie Cano without his shirt on...he's winning the MVP this season!"

Most Voluptuous Player?

Most Valuable Pectoral.

22. aleskel

posted on April 06, 2012 at 11:03 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

This possibly makes me a bad person: I was watching the Dodgers game last night and didn't previously have too much experience with Vin Scully. Does he ever stop talking, ever, for even a second? This is the standard of excellence in baseball broadcasting?

It's the legacy of radio (Kay is a radio guy too) - can't have any dead air. Personally, I like announcers who can keep a narrative going and don't just wait to react to what happens on the field, but I understand why, if you're watching TV, you might not like it.

I'm not a big Kay fan, but he's adequate, and to be honest YES could do much worse and probably would if Kay was shown the door. I wouldn't miss Flaherty if he left, but the rest of the YES team is pretty good. Singleton is probably my favorite of the bunch, although O'Neill is a lot of fun in small doses.

Kay's best talent is keeping his color partner involved and having a real conversation, so it means the broadcast rises and falls with whoever the color man is that day. Singleton is a pro, Leiter is great, Cone is smart but unpolished, O'Neill is fun but doesn't really care very much, Flaherty is just dull.

23. villageidiom posted on April 06, 2012 at 11:09 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Most Voluptuous Player?

Most Valuable Pectoral.

More Valuable: Pedroia

24. zack posted on April 06, 2012 at 11:17 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I wish Scully could do national games again, I don't get to hear him nearly enough living on the East Coast.

Having watched too-many away-team broadcasts on MLB.tv and such, the homerism is really grating. Perfectly happy for the announcing team to root openly for the team they cover, so long as they can stay objective about what happens on the field. Almost none of them can.

25. RB in NYC (Now Semi-Retired from BBTF) posted on April 06, 2012 at 11:17 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

O'Neill was more fun when his contempt for Kay was barely concealed, but he's still pretty good. He and Lou Piniella pretending to like each other during the broadcasts is fun too.

26. cercopithecus aethiops posted on April 06, 2012 at 11:46 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Catch a few innings of a White Sox game every once in a while, and your opinion of the objectivity of every other announcing crew in MLB will skyrocket.

27. PreservedFish posted on April 06, 2012 at 11:54 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I've criticized Scully for repeating stories and ignoring the game in favor of his adorable anecdotes about the visiting team. I was told that I was heartless and imbecilic.

28. cercopithecus aethiops posted on April 06, 2012 at 11:56 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Scully is about a hundred and fourteen these days. Everybody loses a step eventually. OTOH, that doesn't mean that you aren't heartless and imbecilic.

29. rlc posted on April 06, 2012 at 12:00 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

"I saw Robbie Cano without his shirt on...he's winning the MVP this season!"

Most Voluptuous Player?

Most Valuable Pectoral.

MOST VOLUMINOUS PIMPLES, MR PRESIDENT

30. Gamingboy posted on April 06, 2012 at 12:02 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

For all the grief I give the YES Network, it is more because I'm angry about the fact that I have to watch it whenever a team is playing the Yankees due to blackout and the fact that, well, it's the Yankees, not due to anything with the station itself. Kay is annoying, but, like said elsewhere, he's still way better than their radio broadcasts (and infinitely better than one Hawk Harrelson).

31. Dan posted on April 06, 2012 at 12:20 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

YES should fire everyone else and use Singleton & Cone every night. I saw a ST game on YES the other day via MLB.tv, and that pairing was fantastic. The other pairings (and sometimes trios) they put out there range from mediocre to downright offensive. Kay + O'Neill is pretty terrible, unless it's one of the games where O'Neill decides to openly mock Kay without him noticing it.

32. Hack Wilson posted on April 06, 2012 at 12:28 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

from #30

one Hawk Harrelson

The thought of more than one Hawk Harrelson is horrifying. (Is that where the phrase "excessive vomitting" came from?) And yes, I will be listening to Hawk in a couple of hours. When (if?) Hawk passes on I will be tempted to yell, HE GONE!!

33. The Id of SugarBear Blanks

posted on April 06, 2012 at 12:29 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I've criticized Scully for repeating stories and ignoring the game in favor of his adorable anecdotes about the visiting team. I was told that I was heartless and imbecilic.

I caught a few innings of the Dodger game on TV thinking I was going to just flip around (Knicks and Rangers were both playing) but stayed on the game just to hear Vin Scully. The guy's a national treasure.

34. Koot posted on April 06, 2012 at 12:42 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

If you ignore Michael Kay's crush on Derek Jeter and his open hatred for the Red Sox, YES is generally pretty good. Singleton's enjoyable to listen to, I like when Cone or O'Neil do a broadcast. Is Leiter is with YES? He was very knowledgeable, but kind of dull. Flaherty is very bland.

O'Neill was more fun when his contempt for Kay was barely concealed, but he's still pretty good.

I used to love when O'Neil sounded like he wanted to kill Michael Kay. I usually agreed with him.

35. Randy Jones

posted on April 06, 2012 at 12:45 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Is Leiter is with YES?

He's on one of the MLBN studio shows, but still does some games for YES.

36. The Good Face posted on April 06, 2012 at 01:21 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I used to love when O'Neil sounded like he wanted to kill Michael Kay. I usually agreed with him.

Yeah, a few years back, O'Neill used to talk to Kay as though he were pissing on him from a great height. Made for very enjoyable TV watching, but he's toned it down a bit lately. Pity really.

37. Bob Evans posted on April 06, 2012 at 01:49 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

When (if?) Hawk passes on I will be tempted to yell, HE GONE!!

We should take up a collection to get that on his tombstone.

38. Fred Lynn Nolan Ryan Sweeney Agonistes posted on April 06, 2012 at 02:50 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

last night, the TV feed is showing the Home Depot starting lineups, and he never mentions the words "Home Depot."

I didn't think it was possible, but this makes me like Vin Scully even more than before.

39. Dale Sams posted on April 06, 2012 at 03:10 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

WTH...the Rays either can't sell out an opener against the YANKEES...or everyone is getting Cuban sandwichs before sitting down.

Bud should just suspend the game now and move the team to NJ for the season.

40. Dan posted on April 06, 2012 at 03:14 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

In the pregame show, they said the game was sold out, and that tomorrow's game is sold out other than some single seats and obstructed view seats.

I agree with your 2nd point anyway.

41. Nasty Nate posted on April 06, 2012 at 03:20 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I caught a few innings of the Dodger game on TV thinking I was going to just flip around (Knicks and Rangers were both playing) but stayed on the game just to hear Vin Scully. The guy's a national treasure.

Yeah I was flipping around and noticed the game was on and then realized it was Scully. For some reason I found myself appreciating the way he says "ball four" - it's like audio honey.

42. Squash posted on April 06, 2012 at 03:32 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Hey, the Joe Girardi Intentional Walk Fairy is back. First inning of Game 1 of the season, Sean fricking Rodriguez at the plate with two outs, first base open, C.C. Sabathia i.e. The Team Ace on the mound ... IBB!

43. Squash posted on April 06, 2012 at 03:34 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Followed up of course by a Grand Slam. Well done Girardi!

44. Repoz

posted on April 06, 2012 at 03:35 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

and....BOOM!

45. Dale Sams posted on April 06, 2012 at 03:38 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

That was one of the craziest decisons I've seen. Pena definitly has weaknesses, but cmon...it's Sean Rodriguez.

46. Dale Sams posted on April 06, 2012 at 03:39 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

This is going to be like the 'crazy 8's' game the Yanks played isn't it?

And why is the Yankee chat thread never used?

47. Squash posted on April 06, 2012 at 03:40 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Girardi loves IBBs ... he thinks it's him Being A Manager.

48. Dan posted on April 06, 2012 at 03:56 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Come chatter in the Dugout.

49. Jose Can Still Seabiscuit posted on April 06, 2012 at 04:03 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Am I following this right, Joe Girardi ordered an intentional walk in the first inning on Opening Day with one of the best pitchers in baseball on the mound because Sean Rodriguez was at the plate?

50. Dan posted on April 06, 2012 at 04:03 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

That is correct.

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/m/announcers

Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Buzzfeed: The Killer Feature of MLB.tv.

Reader Comments and Retorts

Announcers Think Factory