Where is the next Vin Scully?

[frankbmd]

No one will likely ever equal Scully’s longevity as an announcer with one team.

I have not heard a young announcer recently who seems likely to survive 10 years.

The young guys are cookie cutter announcers that all sound the same and to me are boring.

I haven’t heard them all though.

Is there a current MLB announcer with five years or less on the job, that you think will last 30 years or more.

Not looking for a Joe Buck type, but a young guy starting out that has a future and who is entertaining, perhaps Ueckeresque.

The floor is now open for nominations.

[the 'stache]

Bob Uecker is 48 years in. I don't think anybody else will come close to that again, let alone Scully's 66 years. Uecker won't catch Scully because he was a Major Leaguer first. Ueck played until he was 33. Scully started with the Dodgers when he was 23.

[Jim65]

Gary Cohen has 30 years in with the Mets, he such a diehard fan, I don't see him quitting anytime soon.

[jp1216]

Indians' Tom Hamilton (age 64) has been on the radio call for almost 30 years. Worth turning the TV volume off during games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zbhgMLKAsU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oITByn-SpXw

[packs]

I find most announcing teams to be horrible. I used to think the Yankees had a goofy team and other teams probably had the same friendly atmosphere for their games, but boy was I wrong. When I lived in SF it felt like the entire purpose of the announcing team was to see if I could stay awake for a whole game.

[Promethius88]

I agree that I haven't heard them all but the majority of them really suck.

[frankbmd]

Let me reiterate.

I’m not looking for current announcers who have been around for 25-30 years already, that you have already named.

I’m looking for a young announcer (5 years or less) who you think has the potential to become a long standing legend. Personally I haven’t heard one.

Carry on.

[clydepepper]

certainly won't come from Atlanta.

[commishbob]

I had the sports add-on for my Sirius radio just to listen to Vin Scully...and I don't care for the Dodgers a bit ;-). His last season or so he had cut way back, just a few innings on radio, and I sure missed him.

I've still got the sports package. I try not to sound like an old guy yelling at clouds but very few of the radio guys I hear are very memorable. The Astros' crew seems to be very popular but I can't tell one guy from the other.

[pclpads]

Sadly, it won't be coming from San Diego. The two yahoos now calling Padres games after Jerry Coleman passed are pathetic. They spend more time telling jokes and playing grab ass than calling the games. They are painful to watch / listen to. Probably never heard of Vin Scully. As poor as their efforts consistently are, makes me wonder if the only reason they keep their positions is due to catching the owners in a compromising sitch in the exec shitter.

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by packs

I find most announcing teams to be horrible. I used to think the Yankees had a goofy team and other teams probably had the same friendly atmosphere for their games, but boy was I wrong. When I lived in SF it felt like the entire purpose of the announcing team was to see if I could stay awake for a whole game.

John Sterlings stupid nickname HR calls are the worst. It was clever with Bernie Williams but now he has to have one for every player, its really ridiculous.

[packs]

Originally Posted by Jim65

John Sterlings stupid nickname HR calls are the worst. It was clever with Bernie Williams but now he has to have one for every player, its really ridiculous.

I guess I was really talking about the booth. Paul O'Neill is always funny to listen to because he hardly talks about the game going on and has a great rapport with Michael Kay. I also love listening to David Cone.

Michael Kay is probably the answer to this question. He might have a lot of years already put in, but he's not an old guy and Sterling is still doing every game every day into his 80s.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Frank, I was thinking about this recently. Sadly, I don't have a name for you...wish I did.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by commishbob

I had the sports add-on for my Sirius radio just to listen to Vin Scully...and I don't care for the Dodgers a bit ;-). His last season or so he had cut way back, just a few innings on radio, and I sure missed him.

I've still got the sports package. I try not to sound like an old guy yelling at clouds but very few of the radio guys I hear are very memorable. The Astros' crew seems to be very popular but I can't tell one guy from the other.

Is this significant? Did Scully’s entertainment value promote more interest in the game than the current crop of “borons”? I think so.

Even as a kid I think my interest in baseball was enhanced by the Game of the Week announcing pair of Pee Wee Reese and Dizzy Dean.

Is there really more interest in launch angles and exit velocities from the “borons” than there is in Dizzy’s rendition of “The Wabash Cannonball” or Scully’s anecdotes about da Bums of the 50s from Brooklyn?

[1952boyntoncollector]

The Colorado Rockies have a great TV announcer actually.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

Is this significant? Did Scully’s entertainment value promote more interest in the game than the current crop of “borons”? I think so.

Even as a kid I think my interest in baseball was enhanced by the Game of the Week announcing pair of Pee Wee Reese and Dizzy Dean.

Is there really more interest in launch angles and exit velocities from the “borons” than there is in Dizzy’s rendition of “The Wabash Cannonball” or Scully’s anecdotes about da Bums of the 50s from Brooklyn?

Frank, I do believe it is significant and partially explains my occasional apathy for the current game. Putting baseball aside for a moment, let me use the NFL as an example. When I was growing up, NFC coverage was dominated by Pat Summerall and John Madden. They were the #1 crew for CBS for many years and then continued on Fox. I would literally watch any game they were doing, because they added something. Sure it helped that they as the #1 crew had the top teams, but it was more than that. It was the intonation of Summerall that still rings in my ears, as well as the interplay he had with Madden. But Summerall was THE guy (for me at least). He was an anomaly in that he was a former player, and most former players go the route of color commentator. He brought a seriousness and a tact to his games that I can't totally explain. I just know that Joe Buck and anyone else you want to mention fall far short. Kevin Harlan sounds like he is about to try and sell me a used car. FWIW, the AFC guys on NBC in the 80s were amazing as well. Dick Enberg was pretty hard to beat, and Charlie Jones, Todd Christensen, and Merlin Olsen were good as well.

Fast forward to now, Al Michaels started as a relative youngster and has endured. However, he even has lost something for me. Which leads me to conclude that it is just a different world and a different environment that these modern announcers are trying to do their jobs in. I think most of them feel the need to mostly be entertainers and social media aficionados, rather than masters of their craft. Also, most of the aforementioned announcers that started young in a prior generation and wowed us often worked radio broadcasts. It seems that is a different kind of announcing and would truly require an announcer to sharpen his skills in that he has to paint the picture because the listener can't see it for themselves. Announcers now have audiences that can see everything they can and sometimes more thanks to TV and "behind the scenes" looks that some athletes provide via social media.

[Snapolit1]

Frank, I do believe it is significant and partially explains my occasional apathy for the current game. Putting baseball aside for a moment, let me use the NFL as an example. When I was growing up, NFC coverage was dominated by Pat Summerall and John Madden. They were the #1 crew for CBS for many years and then continued on Fox. I would literally watch any game they were doing, because they added something. Sure it helped that they as the #1 crew had the top teams, but it was more than that. It was the intonation of Summerall that still rings in my ears, as well as the interplay he had with Madden. But Summerall was THE guy (for me at least). He was an anomaly in that he was a former player, and most former players go the route of color commentator. He brought a seriousness and a tact to his games that I can't totally explain. I just know that Joe Buck and anyone else you want to mention fall far short. Kevin Harlan sounds like he is about to try and sell me a used car. FWIW, the AFC guys on NBC in the 80s were amazing as well. Dick Enberg was pretty hard to beat, and Charlie Jones, Todd Christensen, and Merlin Olsen were good as well.

When you are growing up these guys seem magical. And the players seemed magical too. As did countless other things. Then when you are a grown man you realize it really ain't so magical. Just someone sometimes interesting and sometimes annoying.

Last night people were complaining on Twitter that Pete Alonso looked too joyous. He was goofy and acting like a fool. Sure. Give up trying to please people today. Every national announcer you think of is terrible if you listen to what people are saying. I'm no huge fan of Joe Buck, but you'd think the guy was from another planet and knew nothing about sports the way people carry on. Different times.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

I do think Joe Buck is terrible and has ridden his daddy's coattails. That doesn't mean I think everyone is terrible. And no one is "carrying on."

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Frank, I do believe it is significant and partially explains my occasional apathy for the current game. Putting baseball aside for a moment, let me use the NFL as an example. When I was growing up, NFC coverage was dominated by Pat Summerall and John Madden. They were the #1 crew for CBS for many years and then continued on Fox. I would literally watch any game they were doing, because they added something. Sure it helped that they as the #1 crew had the top teams, but it was more than that. It was the intonation of Summerall that still rings in my ears, as well as the interplay he had with Madden. But Summerall was THE guy (for me at least). He was an anomaly in that he was a former player, and most former players go the route of color commentator. He brought a seriousness and a tact to his games that I can't totally explain. I just know that Joe Buck and anyone else you want to mention fall far short. Kevin Harlan sounds like he is about to try and sell me a used car. FWIW, the AFC guys on NBC in the 80s were amazing as well. Dick Enberg was pretty hard to beat, and Charlie Jones, Todd Christensen, and Merlin Olsen were good as well.

When you are growing up these guys seem magical. And the players seemed magical too. As did countless other things. Then when you are a grown man you realize it really ain't so magical. Just someone sometimes interesting and sometimes annoying.

Last night people were complaining on Twitter that Pete Alonso looked too joyous. He was goofy and acting like a fool. Sure. Give up trying to please people today. Every national announcer you think of is terrible if you listen to what people are saying. I'm no huge fan of Joe Buck, but you'd think the guy was from another planet and knew nothing about sports the way people carry on. Different times.

i remember dick enberg calling all those Dolphin games with Marino...

i think everyone will say back in my day people are great ..including people 30 years from now saying how great people were today..

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

i remember dick enberg calling all those Dolphin games with Marino...

i think everyone will say back in my day people are great ..including people 30 years from now saying how great people were today..

I don't believe that Scully was ever regarded as mundane in the 50s and 60s. There should be at least one member of the current crop who isn't mundane. No?

Then again if the announcers (or bot announcers) in 2050 really suck a lot more, you may be right.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

I don't believe that Scully was ever regarded as mundane in the 50s and 60s. There should be at least one member of the current crop who isn't mundane. No?

Then again if the announcers (or bot announcers) in 2050 really suck a lot more, you may be right.

I personally find Jessica Mendoza interesting to listen to, because she's different. Last I checked me and 3 other men in America didn't find her existence to be one of the worst things that every happened to baseball ever. Somehow the fact that she was only one of the best softball players in the world makes her less qualified to talk about baseball than some 500 pound dude living in his mothers basement eating cheetos.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

While I don't get to hear very often any more, I think Jon Miller is as good as anyone out there these days. He makes the game fun too.