Actually here.

http://themoonman.blogspot.com/

That covers a ton of the magic that is Mike Shannon.

"I've heard it said that if you know English, Spanish, Italian, and I think it's French, you can go just about anywhere in this world...except China where they have all those derelicts."
After a pause, Joe Buck suggests that Mike meant to say "dialects."
"Yeah, dialects! That's what I mean...but they've got a lot of derelicts too!"

I remember listening to him say that. I about wrecked my car.

Shannon is interviewing Willie McCovey during today's rain delay. In the context of paying tribute to Ted Williams, McCovey is talking about how when the Giants played the Reds, Sparky Anderson was prone to pitching around McCovey.
The interview goes like this:
McCovey: "I never used to get mad, except one time. They walked me with runners on first and second and I yelled at Sparky 'Who do you think I am? Ted Williams?'"
Shannon: "You said that to Sparky?"
McCovey: "Yeah."
Shannon: "That's great. I'll have to ask Sparky about that the next time I see him."

about a week ago the st. louis home announcers were discussing great announcers, i don't recall why.  and after going through a few of the greats, they tried making some gratuitous comments about shannon that fell flat.  it was embarrassing to listen to even from 10,000 miles away.

Max wrote:

about a week ago the st. louis home announcers were discussing great announcers, i don't recall why.  and after going through a few of the greats, they tried making some gratuitous comments about shannon that fell flat.  it was embarrassing to listen to even from 10,000 miles away.

Shannon is more of an institution than he is an actual broadcaster. I think every city that has more than two professional teams has had at least one. The Celtics used to have a broadcaster for about 40 years named Johnny Most who was an unabashed homer, but in his prime he was about as good at describing a basketball game as anyone, and for most of his career he did the games alone (partly because Red Auerbach was too cheap to hire a second guy in the booth).
Toward the end of the Bird era, Johnny's health started failing him, and his work really suffered. The Celtics took a pre-season trip to Spain, and played a Yugoslavian team (back when there was still a Yugoslavia, obviously), and his play-by-play went something like this: "Noowww ... the guy with the beard gets it in to the guy with the long name ... who comes off a screen by the guy with the longer name ... now it's over to the little guy ... who shoots it over McHale ... no good ... wait, it's good ... Europeans trail by seven ..."
There was a game in the '80s during which he nearly immolated himself with his own cigarette, which is just about the funniest radio I've ever heard  "... Bird ... now over to McHale ... over to D.J. ... and ... MY PANTS ARE ON FIRE!!"

Max wrote:

i don't have any problems with Jack Brickhouse's and Harry Carey's routing for the home team.  But stupidity and ignorance don't deserve mention alongside the greats.

I understand these guys are going to be biased toward the team they cover. But some of these guys do very little but root. You've got a microphone because you're supposed to be informing me. You're not a cheerleader.
The other thing that drives me nuts is dumbing down for the "casual fan" (a term Durwood Sutton in Arizona uses about once every half-inning). Ninety-nine percent of the people watching know what the difference is between a fastball and a curveball.
You and Gracie don't need to explain it to me every night of a 3-game series when the Cardinals are playing the Diamondbacks.

I think network broadcasters are supposed to be neutral--that is obvious.  I also think home town broadcasters are expected to be blatantly partisan.  Stupid is another thing, of course, and it comes in many forms.  I think there is also the stereotype of the Harry Carey-style drunkard homey, and they can be as bad as stupid.  Drunk is approximately equal to stupid.

Prince was a character, and in hindsight a joy to listen to.  Just found this: http://home.mindspring.com/~gearhard/pigunner.html

Two nicknames they left out were Oopsy (Gene Alley) and Scoopsy (Mazeroski).  Ah, good times...

"I also think home town broadcasters are expected to be blatantly partisan."

The best ones aren't. Scully, the two guys in San Francisco, Jerry Remy here, and Ron Darling in New York come to mind. George Frazier in Denver is pretty impartial, but when he's not in the booth Jeff Huson is insufferable.
Harrelson is the worst. If the White Sox aren't playing well, he sulks and won't even talk. He's not even an announcer anymore. He's like a cranky old guy yelling at his TV set. It's too bad because Steve Stone is a good color guy, if he's given someone decent to work with.

Last edited by artie_fufkin (5/19/2011 11:30 pm)

artie_fufkin wrote:

"I also think home town broadcasters are expected to be blatantly partisan."

The best ones aren't. Scully, the two guys in San Francisco, Jerry Remy here, and Ron Darling in New York come to mind. George Frazier in Denver is pretty impartial, but when he's not in the booth Jeff Huson is insufferable.
Harrelson is the worst. If the White Sox aren't playing well, he sulks and won't even talk. He's not even an announcer anymore. He's like a cranky old guy yelling at his TV set. It's too bad because Steve Stone is a good color guy, if he's given someone decent to work with.

If I am watching the Cubs play on comcast I expect to hear there side of things but I would like to know something about the other team as well.  But then again they cant even talk about thier own teams half the time.