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The REDS are on the RA-DI-O!

I

Imlivinontheair

It seems kind of quiet out here...

I am going to post this again to see what people think of the broadcasts in 2023...

Is Thrall doing a good job? Does his style of announcing lend itself to chemistry with Cowboy?

Or am I trying to compare an old paring to the new(er) paring?

Would Chick and Cowboy pair up better? Or two other people not yet mentioned???

Just taking a poll on how it is going (???)

Thoughts???
 
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I like Thrall. The dynamic obviously is differently when everything in the booth doesn't revolve around Marty, and as a result the broadcast is more lighthearted IMO. I thought I'd miss Marty a lot more than I actually have, and I think a lot of that has to do with how increasingly bitter and sarcastic Marty often sounded toward the end. I didn't realize that part of it until after he was gone.
(And let's be honest, Marty hasn't gone anywhere. He's still very much in the public eye, as is his wife.)
I've never warmed to Brantley on play-by-play. He's at his best as an analyst, like he was on TV this weekend and might be for this upcoming series in San Diego unless he and Welsh swap spots. I never thought I'd say Chris Welsh is better at PBP than anybody, but I think he's much better than Brantley.
 
schmave said:
I like Thrall. The dynamic obviously is differently when everything in the booth doesn't revolve around Marty, and as a result the broadcast is more lighthearted IMO. I thought I'd miss Marty a lot more than I actually have, and I think a lot of that has to do with how increasingly bitter and sarcastic Marty often sounded toward the end. I didn't realize that part of it until after he was gone.
(And let's be honest, Marty hasn't gone anywhere. He's still very much in the public eye, as is his wife.)
I've never warmed to Brantley on play-by-play. He's at his best as an analyst, like he was on TV this weekend and might be for this upcoming series in San Diego unless he and Welsh swap spots. I never thought I'd say Chris Welsh is better at PBP than anybody, but I think he's much better than Brantley.
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Some good points here. Marty had such a great voice and delivery, but toward the end he almost became bigger than the team itself. I also agree that the Cowboy is much better in the role of color analyst than at PBP. Do his long pauses bother anyone else as much as they do me? And I think Thrall is pretty good, but frankly, I’m so disgusted with Reds ownership that I’ve gotten to the point where I just don’t listen anymore. I can no longer take the ongoing heartbreak.
 
I don't blame you. In Marty's last few years, he was basically the reason I listened because I knew I'd be entertained despite whatever was happening on the field. That and I love baseball on the radio.
Brantley is light years ahead of where he was when he first joined the booth 16 years ago, but yes those pauses can get noticeable. I wish they'd have found a way to keep Jim Kelch in the rotation, but I also like that the TV booth is far more stable than it was when Thom, Kelch, Welsh, Brantley, Jim Day and even Paul Keels were on the crew and you never knew who you were getting for a given series. They probably figured Kelch A) wasn't the guy who'd replace Marty and B) wasn't really needed as Brantley is serviceable on PBP if not spectacular.
 
In their heyday, Marty and Joe kept the audience entertained even when the team sucked on the field. I haven't listened enough to the post-Marty era to make a judgement, I'll try to check them out more.
 
^^^Agreed. I don’t think I ever heard Joe say anything negative, but Marty would often voice his disappointment.

My first experience was in the glory days of the big red machine as a board op at one of the affiliates. (75-76) I’m not a big sports fan, but the glory days were fun. Hearing Joe’s last game was a somber experience.
 
Meeting Joe when I covered for the first game at GABP as a sportswriter for the Lancaster newspaper was one of the highlights of my life. Not just personally or professionally, but period. And he couldn't have been a nicer man.
 
I miss Marty greatly, even though I'm not a Reds fan. Any chance Thom could someday join the Reds radio team, or has he been permanently banned from sports play-by-play due to his anti-gay remark caught on a hot mic several years ago?
 
I know lots of folks hate the THOM, but I'd love to hear him with Cowboy. Thrall has done a decent job trying to fill those shoes, but he sounds like a minor league guy.
 
If the Reds ever brought Thom back into the fold, I think he's done enough outreach and rehabilitated his image to the point that he'd be welcome. Cincinnati loves its own. I just don't see a place for him in the current setup unless Sadak leaves after a while. And by then, Thom might be past the point/age where he wants a regular MLB gig.
 
schmave said:
If the Reds ever brought Thom back into the fold, I think he's done enough outreach and rehabilitated his image to the point that he'd be welcome. Cincinnati loves its own. I just don't see a place for him in the current setup unless Sadak leaves after a while. And by then, Thom might be past the point/age where he wants a regular MLB gig.
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I think Sadak is wonderful. Thrall is the weak link, but agree that the day to day grind of MLB play by play may be more than Thom wants to deal with
 
partymarty said:
I think Sadak is wonderful. Thrall is the weak link, but agree that the day to day grind of MLB play by play may be more than Thom wants to deal with
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I think Cowboy has his own brand of personality/humor...and it seems to be lacking in recent times. Didn't Marty and he play golf together and goof around on the air? I was disappointed when they got rid of the Banana Phone and other side antics that make what can be a dry broadcast a little more entertaining (imho)

Thoughts???
 
Imlivinontheair said:
It seems kind of quiet out here...

I am going to post this again to see what people think of the broadcasts in 2023...

Is Thrall doing a good job? Does his style of announcing lend itself to chemistry with Cowboy?

Or am I trying to compare an old paring to the new(er) paring?

Would Chick and Cowboy pair up better? Or two other people not yet mentioned???

Just taking a poll on how it is going (???)

Thoughts???
Click to expand...
Thrall and Cowboy ok but Todd Frazier has John Smoltz disease. Thinks he has to comment after every pitch
 
Hi All,

Well it's 2024 and I miss the Banana Phone .....

Does anyone have any opinions on the broadcasts this year? Are there any elements that can be improved?

Never heard of John Smoltz disease. Is it curable???

Let's hear some chatter out here!!
 
The Banana phone is missed and so are Marty and Joe. I know things change but we lost a lot when Marty retired from the booth and Joe rounded third and headed for home
 
RadioBill said:
Anybody remember Waite Hoyt during Reds rain delays? He could tell stories for hours.
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His broadcasts predate me but apparently he gave stories of his famous career during rain delays. His rain delay chatter is reported to have been released on record. Pretty cool, I think.

I know Marty and Joe are part of the past...but I think it would be fun if they would do a Best of the Banana Phone or Best of Marty and Joe as a time filler. The Adam Dunn stunt is one that comes to mind first.

How does that sound as a "change-up"?
 
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