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Post by callipygias on Dec 15, 2010 2:15:52 GMT -5
I just found out that a little over a month ago the great Dave Niehaus, the voice of the Seattle Mariners from game 1 in 1977, passed away. He was -- and is -- the defining voice of Northwest baseball. To my mind he's the voice of Seattle, period.
I remember going up for a game and leaving the Kingdome without a jersey because they didn't offer a "Niehaus" one.
Here's a short clip.
Any other cities out there with irreplaceable announcers, whatever the sport, that will leave an enormous void when they're gone?
Or maybe favorites you miss?
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Post by Mr. Atari on Dec 15, 2010 18:52:11 GMT -5
Growing up in Chicago, I got to experience the classic, drunken audio stylings of Harry Caray. No one could butcher a name or a call like Harry. There was the unforgettable year when the Cubs had Ryne Sandberg, Jim Sundberg, and Scott Sanderson on their roster. Or the time when an exasperated Harry said of shortstop Jose Vizcaino, "How does a player from the Dominican Republic lose a ball in the sun?"
After Harry died, the announcing of choice was the equally slurred ramblings of Ron Santo. Listening to his unfiltered homer-ism, especially during a close game in a pennant race, was an experience not to miss.
But to be honest, neither Harry nor Ron was my favorite. I am actually a huge Steve Stone fan. He not only put up with Harry's non-sequiturs, he held the whole circus together. No color man in the game is more knowledgeable about baseball than Stoney. I'm bewildered that he's never been given the chance to manage or be in a front office. He had the uncanny ability to predict what was going to happen next in the game, and he did it all the time. I'm not sure what sin he committed to be sent into exile on the South Side, slumming it with that blowhard Hawk Harrelson (who might be the worst announcer in all of sports, now that Joe Morgan finally got fired). But even on Sox broadcasts, Stoney brings a touch of class, a sense of ease, and a baseball IQ that's worth listening to.
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Post by mummifiedstalin on Dec 16, 2010 10:33:12 GMT -5
How can you hate Hawk?!?!? Not only was he the greatest GM in White Sox history, he also has a never-ending variety of catch-phrases.
Or, wait...I mean, he's a friggin' broken record. Even my son asked me once why he always says exactly the same things.
And I completely agree about Steve Stone...apart from your slumming "joke"! Didn't the Cubs fire him anyway because he had the temerity to suggest that they were just playing bad baseball and that Dusty Baker was just doing a poor job? He's been hard on the Sox in the last couple of years, too, but to their credit, some of the changes they've made are actually things he's suggested (in general, of course) during the season.
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Post by continosbuckle on Dec 16, 2010 13:34:19 GMT -5
Lots of people know him because he does football and basketball games for CBS, but when Kevin Harlan was the local play-by-play guy for the Minnesota Timberwolves in KG's early career, he was tremendous.
The local guys are great because they can be a little looser, more enthusiastic and more silly. (And can also be homers, which is a benefit because they can more easily editorialize) Harlan's lost a lot since he went to a national audience.
The T-wolves used to sell T-shirts featuring Harlan's most famous exclamations.
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Post by theroadtodeep13 on Apr 9, 2011 22:10:21 GMT -5
Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf, and Frank Gifford, the BEST MNF announce team in the history of the broadcast. Case closed.
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Post by Mod City on Aug 19, 2011 1:22:59 GMT -5
But to be honest, neither Harry nor Ron was my favorite. I am actually a huge Steve Stone fan. He not only put up with Harry's non-sequiturs, he held the whole circus together. No color man in the game is more knowledgeable about baseball than Stoney. I'm bewildered that he's never been given the chance to manage or be in a front office. He had the uncanny ability to predict what was going to happen next in the game, and he did it all the time. I'm not sure what sin he committed to be sent into exile on the South Side, slumming it with that blowhard Hawk Harrelson (who might be the worst announcer in all of sports, now that Joe Morgan finally got fired). But even on Sox broadcasts, Stoney brings a touch of class, a sense of ease, and a baseball IQ that's worth listening to. Just had to add that I'm very, very glad I haven't had to listen to Hawk for years. My god, he is infuriating. Every time I hear "catch some bench" or "can of corn" I want to throw something. It all came from the early 90s Twins and White Sox matchups. Back then it was Hawk and Wimpy. I liked neither, but Hawk needed to be taken out back somewhere. Joe Morgan is easily the worst behind him. I only really heard Hawk for one or two seasons and I hated him, but every time Morgan came on the air on ESPN over the years it was upsetting. With Hawk it was always about how much better the White Sox were against the division. With Joe it was how much better the 1975 Reds were than everybody in history. Both are amazingly arrogant. The Twins have Dick Bremmer and Bert Blyleven on TV. That's all the upper plains niceness and accidental foulness you need. Bremmer is actually pretty good, but Bert took me about two or three years to warm up to, and he's still more a clown than great color man. Their radio guys are marginal at best. Dan Gladden sucks. Jack Morris is horrible. Ted Robinson is OK as a replacement for John Gordon, but he has a long way to go. |
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 20, 2011 20:48:48 GMT -5
Thought I'd bump this thread to say that this afternoon I watched a game called by Joe Buck, then a game called by Jim Nantz, and now a game called by Al Michaels. Wow, what a difference. Michaels has long been the best in the business, but after the mundane stylings of the other two, he especially stands out as the gold standard.
Also, Brent Musburger during a college game is a must listen.
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Post by theroadtodeep13 on Jan 2, 2012 23:30:12 GMT -5
You should have heard Brent do NFL Wild Card games with Dick Vermeil from 1990-1995. Vermeil complemented Brent well.
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Post by mrcleveland on Jan 22, 2012 14:02:20 GMT -5
Since I'm from Cleveland...I must nominate Herb Score who did all the announcements for the Cleveland Indians.
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Post by jkazoolien on Jan 25, 2012 2:40:55 GMT -5
In Pro Wrestling announcing, nobody beat Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon.
Also of Note:
Gordon Solie
Jim Ross
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2013 8:31:36 GMT -5
In Pro Wrestling announcing, nobody beat Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon. Also of Note: Gordon Solie Jim Ross Yep, loved The Brain. Also Ed Whalen from Stampede Wrestling. I'm showing my age here but I sill have a fondness for the old school guys: Pat Summerall on CBS Curt Gowdy on NBC Jim Mckay on ABC |
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Post by GarrettCRW on Jan 22, 2013 2:14:08 GMT -5
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Post by silentseason on Feb 1, 2013 13:32:48 GMT -5
In the early days of WTBS before it jumped the shark getting to hear the combo of Skip Caray, Ernie Johnson and Pete Van Wieran always made watching a usually horrible Atlanta Braves team enjoyable. They never took the game too seriously yet called it with a professional slant. Sadly Pete is the last alive of the trio.
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