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Fangraphs ranks the MLB TV broadcast teams

  • gorocks99
    Teams of note:

    31. White Sox
    24. Indians
    Two Reader Comments• “I often turn on the radio while I watch.”
    • “Rick Manning once said that it would be better to allow a solo home run than a double that could lead to a rally.”
    Notes
    A lack of enthusiasm seems to be the definitive quality of the Cleveland broadcast team — both in the booth itself and among the fans who we’ve asked to write about them.
    #20 Pirates
    Three Reader Comments• “Walk and Brown are very good, Blass and Wehner are pretty weak. Neverett has the chops but lacks the personality in his short time on the job.”
    • “Tim N. and Wehner are probably the least annoying combo, but also the least frequent.”
    • “They truly detract from the experience of enjoying a game on TV, which is basically the worst thing one can say about announcers.”
    Notes
    There’s some disagreement among respondents as to whom, precisely, is most deserving of their scorn — besides Blass, perhaps, about whom readers are mostly unified in their scorn. Speaking anecdotally, I found this interview by Bob Walk with Charlie Morton from last May to be enlightening.
    #18 Reds
    Three Reader Comments• “For breaking down the game, that’s about a 4.5 for Welsh, who is quite good, and a 2 for Thom, who is talented at announcing but too thinly spread to have a strong grasp of the game.”
    • “Brennaman : Baseball :: Not Washing Your Hands : Bathroom Etiquette.”
    • “Unctuous, repulsively insincere and condescending: Thom Brennaman’s black heart routinely bleeds the life out of the game we love…. Chris Welsh isn’t so bad. He tries to understand the new numbers, but discussing them with Brennaman is like talking about the theory of relativity with a soap dish.”
    Notes
    Many of the reader comments confirm the one thing that those of us outside the Cincinnati market suspect about Thom Brennaman — namely, that he is very polished and, because of that, can appear disingenuous. Also, that one reader up there says his heart is black — which, that probably warrants medical attention.
    #5 Red Sox
    #4 Astros
    #3 Giants
    #2 Mets
    #1 Dodgers (Home)

    http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/broadcaster-rankings-tv-intro-and-31/
    http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/broadcaster-rankings-tv-30-21/
    http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/broadcaster-rankings-tv-20-11/
    http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/broadcaster-rankings-tv-10-1/
  • chicago510
    LOL, no love for Hawk Harrelson?

    Youuuuu can put in on the boooooooard, YES!
  • gorocks99
    Hawk Harrelson is so massively annoying.
  • GoPens
    I like listening to the Pirates when Bob Walk is doing the game. He's very insightful, and critical of the team when they pull a bone headed move (which is often). Every time the Pirates need a manager, I secretly wish they would give it to Walk.

    John Wehner is the worst of the worst. The guys on our local station that does high school broadcasting is better (and that ain't saying much)
  • Laley23
    chicago510;1101885 wrote:LOL, no love for Hawk Harrelson?

    Youuuuu can put in on the boooooooard, YES!
    The only people Ive ever met who liked Hawk were the Sox fans I am friends with from IU.
  • justincredible
    Love Chris Welsh. Do not love Thom, but can tolerate him. Anyone is better than George Grande.
  • chicago510
    Laley23;1102245 wrote:The only people Ive ever met who liked Hawk were the Sox fans I am friends with from IU.
    I'm a sox fan and I like his homerun call, but do not like that announcing team. Granted, I don't watch a ton of games other than the WGN ones.
  • Laley23
    chicago510;1102289 wrote:I'm a sox fan and I like his homerun call, but do not like that announcing team. Granted, I don't watch a ton of games other than the WGN ones.
    Yeah, that seems to be the trend. Sox fans like him, and thats it. The only thing I like that they do is the Pick to Click segment before the game. The "He Gone" strikeout is overly pretentious and unprofessional imo. The homerun call isnt bad, I just dont like it because I dont like the other things he does.
  • gorocks99
    There's "homerism" and then there's "Hawk Harrelson homerism." He takes it to a whole other level.
  • karen lotz
    Not too much love for Chip Carey, I'm shocked. He only does about half of the games, but he does suck. I enjoy listening to the other guys Atlanta has.
  • chicago510
    Laley23;1102306 wrote:Yeah, that seems to be the trend. Sox fans like him, and thats it. The only thing I like that they do is the Pick to Click segment before the game. The "He Gone" strikeout is overly pretentious and unprofessional imo. The homerun call isnt bad, I just dont like it because I dont like the other things he does.
    I don't like overly homer announcing teams in general, whether they are for my team or not. But that comes with the territory I guess in local/regional broadcasts, that must be what gets the ratings.
  • justincredible
    Chip Carey is awful.
  • karen lotz
    justincredible;1102355 wrote:Chip Carey is awful.

    I know.
  • ts1227
    gorocks99;1102311 wrote:There's "homerism" and then there's "Hawk Harrelson homerism." He takes it to a whole other level.
    Which is why CWS fans think he is a god, and the rest of Earth wants him to die in a fire.
    justincredible;1102355 wrote:Chip Carey is awful.
    I still laugh every time he says a batter "fisted" the ball into play if they get jammed on an inside pitch
  • hoops23
    Give me Tom Hamilton.

    Rick is ok, but Matt Underwood makes me want to punch orphans.
  • wildcats20
    hoops23;1102468 wrote:Give me Tom Hamilton.

    Rick is ok, but Matt Underwood makes me want to punch orphans.
    The best thing about going to Fab's in the summer is sitting out on the deck and listening to Tom do games.
  • chicago510
    wildcats20;1102471 wrote:The best thing about going to Fab's in the summer is sitting out on the deck and listening to Tom do games.

    Better than the beejs?
  • hoops23
    chicago510;1102492 wrote:Better than the beejs?
    I assumed this was simultaneous?
  • Laley23
    hoops23;1102468 wrote:Give me Tom Hamilton.

    Rick is ok, but Matt Underwood makes me want to punch orphans.
    Yep. Underwood is so bad. Manning is actually very solid, but completely wiped out of the discussion with Underwood on the mic. When the nerds at Baseball Tonight make fun of your HR call, you know you suck ass.
  • Classyposter58
    When I watch the Tigers/Indians series on STO I wanna absolutely just shoot myself. They are possibly the most boring broadcast team ever. I like the Reds team though
  • Footwedge
    Classyposter58;1103176 wrote:When I watch the Tigers/Indians series on STO I wanna absolutely just shoot myself. They are possibly the most boring broadcast team ever. I like the Reds team though
    Manning is just so weird that I actually enjoy him. Underwood is just plain old boring...like watching grass grow.
  • Footwedge
    chicago510;1101885 wrote:LOL, no love for Hawk Harrelson?

    Youuuuu can put in on the boooooooard, YES!
    Who is the radio announcer that always says "pitch is over the outside corner at the belt called a ball by (insert plate ump's name?). Made me LOL a few times.

    He does it about 10 times a game when his pitcher is on the mound. I think the guy is a former tribe pitcher to boot.

    edit...I remember him now....Ed Farmer. Only the true die hards...like BRF and HitsRUs will remember Ed Farmer.
  • royal_k
    Manning is actually very good and knows the game. But Underwood is the worst play by play man on earth, and is the reason why I have Hammy on quite often while watching them on TV.

    Hammy = GOAT
  • Laley23
    Classyposter58;1103176 wrote:When I watch the Tigers/Indians series on STO I wanna absolutely just shoot myself. They are possibly the most boring broadcast team ever. I like the Reds team though
    The reason breakdown:
    -Matt Underwood 99.9%
    -Rick Manning 0.01%