XM Subscribers (mostly): best/worst MLB announcers

[CaptainHawk1]

This question is primarily for XM subscribers who have access to all of the different announcers/color announcers are in the game. But if you have some insights with your experience with other announcers, chime in.

I am a Mets fan and I've been spoiled for 20 years by having Bob Murphy, Gary Cohen, Howie Rose, Ed Coleman, Tom McCarthy and now Wayne Hagan. After having XM I've realized that most of the announcers are absolute crap and/or complete homers. Now, I've got no problem with an announcer obviously being the "team's" announcer and showing enthusiasm when their team does something good but what I can't stand is a lack of objectivity. Except for the absolute worst at the very bottom none of these are in any particular order and mind you, my experience is limited to mostly the NL.

Best
1. NY Mets: Howie Rose, Wayne Hagan and Eddie Coleman when necessary. objective, informative, they tell great baseball stories, have vast amounts of knowledge about the particulars of the game and have an enthusiastic broadcast even when the opposition does something exciting.
2. Phillies: they suck except for Tom McCarthy who's one of the best broadfcasters in the game so it makes up for a lot.
3. Nationals: don't know their names but they're objective, informative, a lot of fun and they call a good game.
4. LA Dodgers: Vin Scully can talk for 7 innings straight non-stop with great stories and insights about statistics and perfectly and smoothly squeeze the play-by-play in. There's a reason why he does play-by-play and color by himself dor both TV and radio. Charlie Steiner is great, too.
5. Brewers: Gotta love Eucker... he's still one of the best announcers in the game.
6. Giants: Jon Miller... 'nuff said.
7. Marlins: not the best but their definitely improving and their becoming more entertaining.
8. Yankees: John Sterling calls a pretty good ballgame although he often sounds like he wished he was somewhere else.

Worst

1. Yankees: Susan Waldman... just awful and shrill.
2. Reds: boring, awfull... their announcers sound like they may die before the 8th inning.
3. Braves: They suck all around and Skip Carey is the second biggest homer in the booth in all of MLB.
4. Pirates: boring crap
5. Padres: boring crap
6. D-Backs: boring crap
7. Astros: dreadful, boring crap

And the award for the absolute worst radio announcers in MLB goes to:

The Chicago Cubs: Besides the fact the broadcasts are boring as hell with nothing contributed by anyone (Pat Highes: 7 time Sportscaster of the Year... you've got to be kidding me. Talk about setting the bar low), Ron Santo is so busy being a homer and rooting for the Cubs that he either forgets to tell the audience what's going on during the game or he cuts off the guy who is trying to do the play-by-play by either A.) cheering or B.) moaning and crying.

Ron Santo is the worst piece of crap announcer in the game and Cubs fans treat him like he's a lovable little fuzzball. He's a flippin' disgrace.

-Shawn

 

[Starbreaker]

Well, now that Skip Caray is dead I guess you don't have to worry about that anymore.

I really like listening to the Dodgers, Braves, Cubs, and Brewers.

I think the Pirates and Diamondbacks announcers are dreadfully boring. You can't even hear the game when the someone is playing the Pirates. It's like the two guys are in a coffee show. The Diamondbacks announcers have a horrible habit of mispronouncing every other name. It doesn't hurt to ask someone what the proper pronunciation is!

 

[Tim]

I don't like the ESPN announcers for the "big" games. Some of their side commentary is just the most boring crap I've ever heard.

For me, a Red Sox game on the radio just doesn't seem right without Joe Castiglione.

 

[Tom Servo]

I don't like the ESPN announcers for the "big" games. Some of their side commentary is just the most boring crap I've ever heard.

For me, a Red Sox game on the radio just doesn't seem right without Joe Castiglione.

Yeah, without him its not the same. I do like Dale from WEEI's the Dale and Holly show doing the games with him, because he is a local guy. I do miss Trupiano though, and his:

"THERE IS A DRIVE TO DEEP LEFT! WAY BACK, WAY BACK! CAUGHT...on the warning track."

Got that was great.

 

[CaptainHawk1]

Well, now that Skip Caray is dead I guess you don't have to worry about that anymore.

I didn't realized he passed away... how sad.

Well, I wasn't worried about it anyway. Just pointing out that he was an awful homer for an announcer.

The Diamondbacks announcers have a horrible habit of mispronouncing every other name. It doesn't hurt to ask someone what the proper pronunciation is!

Amen to that. You would think with a largely Hispanic population in Phoenix these jokers could get make an attempt to get the names right.

-Shawn

 

[CaptainHawk1]

I don't like the ESPN announcers for the "big" games. Some of their side commentary is just the most boring crap I've ever heard.

For me, a Red Sox game on the radio just doesn't seem right without Joe Castiglione.

I used to think that about Bob Murphy but the Mets over the years have done a great job of having pros in the booth with him so when he was calling games less and less and then ultimately passed away, the team that he left behind was ready to take the reins.

Yeah, without him its not the same. I do like Dale from WEEI's the Dale and Holly show doing the games with him, because he is a local guy. I do miss Trupiano though, and his:

"THERE IS A DRIVE TO DEEP LEFT! WAY BACK, WAY BACK! CAUGHT...on the warning track."

Got that was great.

Kind of like listening to a Cubs or Astros game. I love it when the announcers can't estimate the distance and height of a fly-ball especially when their watching the same game on their monitors that we're watching at home.

-Shawn

 

[The Lady Eve]

1. Yankees: Susan Waldman... just awful and shrill.

Gotta disagree with you. I think she's terrific. *shrugs* Hey, that's why there are horse races. I don't know where you're getting "shrill" from.

 

[Tom Servo]

1. Yankees: Susan Waldman... just awful and shrill.

Gotta disagree with you. I think she's terrific. *shrugs* Hey, that's why there are horse races. I don't know where you're getting "shrill" from.

Now see, I always thought most Yankee fans didn't like her either. Huh.

Speaking of Susan Waldman, here is a classic moment from Boston's sports radio show "The Big Show" on WEEI:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PePGaKx1JpQ

I remember hearing that first hand on the radio, and I almost had to pull over to the side of the road I was laughing so hard.

 

[Deadpool]

1. Yankees: Susan Waldman... just awful and shrill.

Gotta disagree with you. I think she's terrific. *shrugs* Hey, that's why there are horse races. I don't know where you're getting "shrill" from.

Now see, I always thought most Yankee fans didn't like her either. Huh.

Speaking of Susan Waldman, here is a classic moment from Boston's sports radio show "The Big Show" on WEEI:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PePGaKx1JpQ

I remember hearing that first hand on the radio, and I almost had to pull over to the side of the road I was laughing so hard.

I hate Waldmen and Sterling but the one I despise is Michael Kay. Oh God, he makes my ears bleed. I`d rather listen to Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and ESPN`s Sun night crew then listen to Michael Kay.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I wish there was a way to listen to the game without any announcers - just as they would hear it in the ballpark itself.

 

[Starbreaker]

Then you wouldn't know what's going on.

 

[CaptainHawk1]

1. Yankees: Susan Waldman... just awful and shrill.

Gotta disagree with you. I think she's terrific. *shrugs* Hey, that's why there are horse races. I don't know where you're getting "shrill" from.

It's OK... everyone is allowed to not have any taste. I think Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp is one of the greatest shows of all time, so what's that say about me?

I've been listening to that dope Suzyn Waldman for over 20 years now since when she was the Yankees reporter for WFAN and she's never contributed a damn thing. Her voice is obnoxiously annoying and it's obvious that John Sterling can't stand her either. She fakes it on everything because she never has really known the game that well and she's an even bigger homer than Phil Rizzuto was.

She's a big baby and she can't take criticism and she uses the gender card to defend herself against her critics because she has nothing else because she's so awful..

In an online poll by Newsday, Waldman was voted the worst commentator in New York by the fans. [9][10] WFAN-AM hosts Chris "Mad Dog" Russo and Mike Francesa have poked fun at her over-the-top reaction to the Roger Clemens signing in which she repeatedly exclaimed "Oh my goodness gracious!"[11] Suzyn eventually confronted the duo in a long expletive-laced tirade, in which she expressed her obvious embarrassment of the situation. After the conversation, Mike and Chris vowed never to play the clip again, only to play it repeatedly later on in the evening.[12] The clip is also played to mocking effect on Boston sports radio WEEI[13][14][15] and for comedy on The Howard Stern Show, The Opie and Anthony Show, and ESPN Radio's The Herd with Colin Cowherd.
Waldman was roundly criticized for her breakdown on the air following the Yankees' 2007 Divisional Series loss to Cleveland.[16] She openly cried on the air for WCBS 880 AM while reporting about the morose atmosphere in the Yankees clubhouse on the post-game show. Waldman made reference to her emotional nature, the sight of fellow coaches in deep emotion, and their collective realization that Joe Torre's tenure as manager was likely at an end as reasons for her tears.[17] In response to the incident, Waldman stated:[18]
“This one's getting me angry, because I don't play this card a lot, but this is as sexist as it gets. What's the big damn deal? That I cried for four seconds of a 10-minute postgame? The idea that I can't choke up because a man I went through cancer with 11 years ago is going to lose his job and I was describing his coaches crying? It's absolutely ludicrous.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzyn_Waldman

I will say this for her though... she certainly has a face for radio.

Great clip BTW, Tom Servo.

-Shawn

 

[SmoothieX]

Waldman is beyond dreadful. I grew up in NY and had to deal with her for years on MSG and later WFAN.

I don't like Kay as an announcer but I like his radio show for the most part. Sterling is a windbag.

I do like most of the YES analysts though.

I too was spoiled on the great Mets radio tandem of Bob Murphy and Gary Cohen growing up. Murphy projected happiness and excitement and Cohen is intelligent and insightful. Even though Murph sounded like he was gargling water when he spoke in the later years.

 

[The Lady Eve]

It's OK... everyone is allowed to not have any taste. I think Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp is one of the greatest shows of all time, so what's that say about me?

I got great taste. is the matter with you? Huh? I'm a New Yawka and I love dis broad and her attitude. You gotta problem wid that?