So many horrible broadcasters
I’m watching the White Sox-Tigers game, a great duel so far between two of baseball’s best pitchers - young gun Justin Verlander and cagey Cuban vet Jose Contreras. But the awful announcing is really turning my stomach.
Is it just me, or are Chicago White Sox’ television announcers among the worst in baseball? Certainly they have a lot of stiff competition around the game, with so many horrible broadcasters around these days (everyone who broadcasts for the Padres comes to mind), but Ken Harrelson and Darrin Jackson certainly have all their bad broadcasting bases covered, what with their blatant homer-ism (”At the end of two and a half, it’s Bad Guys 1, White Sox nothing”), their ridiculously inane comments (”The Detroit Tigers have a dangerous lineup. And those kind of lineups can be dangerous to pitch to - the lineups with a lot of guys who give themselves a chance to be dangerous.”), and Harrelson’s insistence upon using one of the lamer signiture home run calls ever invented (”You can put it on the boooooard…YES!”) on every single White Sox homer, whether important to the game or not.
It seems to me that that in this day an age of satellite TV and world-wide internet broadcasts, some of these broadcasters should consider setting aside the blatant rooting for the home team and think about cultivating a sort of professionalism that might appeal to the majority of baseball fandom beyond just the fans of the local team who don’t know any better and are already pre-disposed to love them.

























June 7th, 2006 at 11:38 pm
Right on the money Nick. See my note at the bottom of this previous post. You can also check out heavethehawk.com for proof that you’re not alone in that camp.
“You can put it on muuuuuuuuuttteee … YES!!”
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June 8th, 2006 at 12:11 am
The Phils have both the best (Harry Kalas) and worst (Chris Wheeler) commentators in baseball. Kallas, Mr. “Kiss that ball outtahere”, is in the Hall. Wheeler should be put in a home.
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June 8th, 2006 at 9:51 am
“Today is Father’s Day, so to all you fathers out there, Happy Birthday!” - Ralph Kiner
“All of his saves have come in relief appearances” - Ralph Kiner
“There’s a lot of heredity in that family.” - Ralph Kiner
“If Casey Stengel were alive today, he’d be spinning in his grave.” - Ralph Kiner
“Mr. Steinbrenner, may we perform for you another reach around?” - YES Network Announcers
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