rossiter@cornell.UUCP (David Rossiter) (10/15/84)
(this line to be stuffed by Vin Scully...)
Comparing NBC's bumbling idiocy and banalities ('the play that turned the
season around...', come on, fellas) to ABC's professionalism in the LCS
is very disheartening. Especially in the NL, with Reg-gie, Earl, and
Don Drysdale, they had some very knowledgeable and impartial BASEBALL people.
Vin Scully has been a shameless homer ever since he followed O'Malley in
the Exodus of 1958, and Garagiola has 0 brains. I didn't feel they were
pro- or anti-Tiger, just inept. It's an insult to baseball fans to have
to sit thru NBC. My trick is to listen to CHML, Hamilton, Ontario, with
the regular Blue Jay announcers (plus Buck Martinez!); typically Canadian:
very fair and accurate. Since this is Canada, CBS doesn't have the
exclusive radio rights. (CHML is at 900AM).
On the subject of GOOD announcers, I would nominate Ralph Kiner and
Tim McCarver of the Mets TV. Kiner is a true hall-of-famer in so many
ways. His announcing is impartial, although obviously he's a Mets fan.
He says what's good and what's bad with each team. After the game is
the interview with the star of the game, who is with the winning team.
Seeing a true great from one era (Kiner) interviewing, and obviously
empathizing with, a great from our time (like Ozzie Smith) is the
essence of baseball culture. McCarver is enthusiastic and really knows
pitching (he ought to!). I'm sure other teams' fans can say good things
about their announcers, too. P.s. they really screwed McCarver in the
LCS, what a trivial job (McCarver to Mrs. Jody Davis : 'what do you think
of that home run??', I mean really...).
Just to show how impartial I am, I'll say I enjoy Bill White and Bobby
Murcer of the (ugh) Yankees. White is totally class, and how he stays
around that den of thieves is beyond me. After all, Michaels just raised
his eyebrows at George and he was gone. Murcer is so popular he can say
whatever he wants. Rizzuto is truly a jerk.
This seems like a useful subject to while away the winter. Will anyone
have first-hand news from the Instructional or Latin leagues??rs@hou3c.UUCP (rs) (10/16/84)
With respect to the announcing during the LCS: The one thing that bothered me the most was the way the announcers (and I don't know which ones in particular) derided the minor league and college umpires every time there was a close pitch that a player balked about. In particular during the AL LCS, they would show a replay of a pitch that had be within inches of the corner(of the plate) and said things like "you can't compare these amateur umpires with those who have dedicated their lives to the game" (take a guess as to who said that one). Just because the umpire called it a strike and the player (who OBVIOUSLY KNEW BETTER :-)) complained! There is NO WAY that someone looking at a pitch from the center field camera can tell if that pitch has hit the corner of the plate! NO WAY! The long range lense flattens out everything so that you have no perspective, and secondly, the angle that you're looking at the plate prohibits you from seeing the pitch accurately! I know high-school umpires who (1) know the rules as well as and (2) can call a game as well as some of the major league umpires BY THEMSELVES. Ah well.... Bob Switzer