Best and Worst MLB announcers?

[mitlen]

"Gunner" (Bob Prince) and "Possum" (Jim Woods)

[CooperstownChris]

My favorite thing about Bob Carpenter is how when anything big happens he just says the person's name really loud and immediately goes back to a regular voice tone.

For example: ....aaand Josh Johnson delivers the pitch and RYAN ZIMMERMAN takes it to the house!

[Minty Fresh]

I really like Charlie and Dave but as for national coverage of games, I really like Dan (?) Schulman of ESPN.

I like Gary Thorne for hockey and not so much for baseball.

Locally, I like the Mets radio guys and I really like Gary Cohen of the Mets television crew. 

I disagree with Salty:  Michael Kay sucks and Jon Sterling could be a great PBP guy if he'd dump the schtick.  He calls a great game but it's all the ancillary bullcrap that renders Sterling ineffective.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

"Gunner" (Bob Prince) and "Possum" (Jim Woods)

Agree with you on Woods. Heard him in Boston.

[DPMOmaha]

I don't hear enough of them to know who's best or worst.  I love pulling up the Brewers radio broadcast with Bob Uecker when they play day games and listen to them in the afternoons at work.

I also like Pat Hughes and Ron Santo on the Cubs broadcasts.  Hughes is just really good.  Santo is pure entertainment.  I know a lot of people don't like him, but I think he's fun to listen to.

[Lintyfresh85]

Worst is Ken Harrelson of the White Sox.

He's annoying and he doesn't call the game when the Sox are losing.

Listen to an opponents home run call. Dead silence.

I hate the man with a passion.

[The Chief]

Kinda reminds me of how I felt about that game where Ron Darling was calling Dukes "a terrible human being" and other such over-the-top stuff.  I don't even remember what Dukes did, but it was nothing to warrant that kind of language.  And these slanders from the guy who owes the gov half a million dollars.  What an idiot

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Worst is Ken Harrelson of the White Sox.

He's annoying and he doesn't call the game when the Sox are losing.

Listen to an opponents home run call. Dead silence.

I hate the man with a passion.

"You can PUT IT ON THE BOOOOARRRRD!"  You can put it right up your ass, Hawk, you insufferable homer.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

John Sterling is the most annoying tool I've heard. From his stupid nicknames for Yanks players to the "The Yaaaaaankeees win!" call, I'd rather have chalkboards implanted in my skull and have people scratch me in the ears than listen to his homer-rot.

I hate it when MLB Homeplate has sound-bytes from that jag-off.

[PANatsFan]

Worst is Ken Harrelson of the White Sox.

He's annoying and he doesn't call the game when the Sox are losing.

Listen to an opponents home run call. Dead silence.

I hate the man with a passion.

Slowes flips out when the other team hits a homerun. It's pretty funny, he sounds so excited.

[soxfan59]

Worst is Ken Harrelson of the White Sox.

He's annoying and he doesn't call the game when the Sox are losing.

Listen to an opponents home run call. Dead silence.

I hate the man with a passion.

The White Sox have the worst play by play announcers in MLB, with Harrelson on TV (who was actually insightful in his early days, back in the 80s, but has devolved into a sad caricature of himself) and Ed Farmer on the radio.  Gawd, its painful.  But nothing beats listening to the Cubs on the radio, where Ron Santo grunts, moans, and contributes absolutely nothing to the analysis of the game.  You can play a drinking game with how many times Santo says "Absolutely."   

[tomterp]

The White Sox have the worst play by play announcers in MLB, with Harrelson on TV (who was actually insightful in his early days, back in the 80s, but has devolved into a sad caricature of himself) and Ed Farmer on the radio.  Gawd, its painful.  But nothing beats listening to the Cubs on the radio, where Ron Santo grunts, moans, and contributes absolutely nothing to the analysis of the game.  You can play a drinking game with how many times Santo says "Absolutely."   

SF, good to see you back.

RE Santo, you left out how all these grunts, moans, and other utterances are delivered in a way that could well make him the most severe "homer" among his peers.

[soxfan59]

SF, good to see you back.

RE Santo, you left out how all these grunts, moans, and other utterances are delivered in a way that could well make him the most severe "homer" among his peers.

You are so right.  There is a great audio when Brant Brown dropped a fly ball with the bases loaded which let in three runs and lost the game for the Cubs -- his "OOOOOH NOOOO!" was a classic.  But Cubs fans are generally too dense to notice -- he fits right in.

By the by, my whole reason for coming back on board was I saw the PECOTA projections for 2010 are out, and I'm looking for yours and other posters take on that.  Any threads on that yet?

[tomterp]

By the by, my whole reason for coming back on board was I saw the PECOTA projections for 2010 are out, and I'm looking for yours and other posters take on that.  Any threads on that yet?

http://www.wnff.net/index.php/topic,16544.0.html

Yep.  And of course, Kevin Goldstein's ranking and discussion of the top 11 prospects for each organization.  Nats aren't out yet, because they go alpha order by league, but the Sox have been out for a while.  Let me know if you haven't seen them yet, and I sent to you.

[soxfan59]

You are so right.  There is a great audio when Brant Brown dropped a fly ball with the bases loaded which let in three runs and lost the game for the Cubs -- his "OOOOOH NOOOO!" was a classic.  But Cubs fans are generally too dense to notice -- he fits right in.

Here's an audio example:

http://www.northtonorth.com/pages/soundclips/santoohno.mp3

[Lintyfresh85]

You are so right.  There is a great audio when Brant Brown dropped a fly ball with the bases loaded which let in three runs and lost the game for the Cubs -- his "OOOOOH NOOOO!" was a classic.  But Cubs fans are generally too dense to notice -- he fits right in.

By the by, my whole reason for coming back on board was I saw the PECOTA projections for 2010 are out, and I'm looking for yours and other posters take on that.  Any threads on that yet?

I wasn't listening to that game on the radio... but I remember watching the play happen clear as day. It was against the Brewers on WGN... and sheer panic broke out after Brown dropped that ball.

[PANatsFan]

I want to praise Gary Matthews again. He really makes the Phillies broadcasts interesting. Excellent color commentary. He comes up from the radio booth for a few innings and the difference is noticeable.

[PatsNats28]

Here's an audio example:

http://www.northtonorth.com/pages/soundclips/santoohno.mp3

he sounds like homer simpson there

[Nathan]

http://www.entertonement.com/clips/ftrqvrvkvf--Oh-no-Family-Guy-Family-Guy-Mayor-Bee

[ZIM4MVP]

Why all the hate against Buck?  He is about the only major network announcer that I can listen to

[Lintyfresh85]

I like Buck as well. He's not great... but I certainly don't have a problem with him.

[hammondsnats]

great thread.  Charlie Slowes is the best we've had. 

Love Jon Miller.  Vin Scully is great too obviously.

[PatsNats28]

Why all the hate against Buck?  He is about the only major network announcer that I can listen to

in which sport?

[soxfan59]

he sounds like homer simpson there

Homer Simpson and Ron Santo are basically interchangeable. 

"Absolutely, Pat."

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Jon Miller wins this year's Frick(en) award.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof10/news/story?id=4877543