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Larry Andersen should not be doing Phillies play by play on the radio

J

Jul

Guest
Hello. The Phillies made a big time mistake by letting Larry Andersen do the play by play of some innings on the Phillies radio broadcasts on WPHT 1210 AM. His call of the Ryan Howard home run on Monday at the Mets was one of worst calls I have ever heard. They should remove him from play by play now.
 
It's true; Larry Andersen is not much of a play-by-play guy.

This is quite a high standard we're establishing here, though. One crappy home run call means you should lose the ability to do play-by-play? Why don't we start banning people from message boards over one off-the-mark opinion on a thread?
 
is L.A. any worse than others around the league? I don't think so. This new role takes time, perhaps he will get better.

why would you remove someone after 7 games....he isn't the manager after all.

on this subject, does any know the schedule for tv and radio broadcasts--this is what I figured out-

TV Innings 1-2-3 PxP-Harry Kalas w/Gary Matthews and Chris Wheeler
4-5-6 PxP-Chris Wheeler w/Gary Matthews
7-8-9 same as 1-2-3

Radio Innings 1-2-3 PxP Scott F. w/Larry Anderson (I may be wrong here)
4 PxP Harry Kalas w/Larry Handerson
5-6 PxP Scott F w/Larry Anderson
7-8-9 same as 1-2-3

Am I close?
 
I have no trouble listening to Larry do color or play-by-play. One call you don't like and someone should be fired?
 
Boy oh boy the Phillies really blowed it huh. I would complain but no one has given me a web site, email address or link to a story where I can send my complaints!
(the previous was sarcasm)
 
Julius:

Why are you repeatly asking that radio employees lose their job?

I am happy for anyone who can get a job in broadcasting, given all of the downsizing these days. To call for anyone to be removed from a broadcast booth, a station, or any other braodcast enterprise is wrong. Perhaps you are envious that you cannot get such a gig, but don't resent those who can. Support them. Encourage them. But stop wishing the worse for them.
 
Not to take Julius' side necessarily, but I think maybe he means that L.A. should solely do analysis on games. I don't think he was calling for his firing.

I haven't heard L.A. do play by play, but I can imagine he's not all that good at it. He doesn't have the right voice or style of delivery to be an effective play by play man. And, that's fine.

And to go further, there have only been a handful of baseball analysts who have made a successful jump to play by play (I think Garagiola and McCarver were analysts before they took on some level of play by play duties...not so sure about Jerry Coleman, Phil Rizzuto, and Don Drysdale).

L.A. isn't the biggest problem with the Phillies broadcast team. "The Sarge" is.
 
You are correct Jim.

I have heard L.A. doing play-by-play in the 5th & 6th innings on the radio, and in a word, he is BRUTAL. He is obviously also not very comfortable doing it.

Will he get better, probably. Do i want to sit thru him "getting better". Not really. I like him as a color guy and that is definitely the role he will always be better at.

As for his play-by-play, he shows no emotion and does not change the inflection in his voice when an exciting play has happened, which is what I believe Julius was alluding to. I heard him call a home run in the series against the Braves and I couldn't believe a home run was just hit!

All of that said, I love him as an analyst and think he adds to the broadcasts very well in that role.

Someone was asking for the "line-up" on the radio, here's what it is to my knowledge:

Innings 1-3: Franske & L.A.

Inning 4: Harry Kalas w/L.A. & Franske

Innings 5-6: L.A. & Franske

Innings 7-9: Franske & L.A.
 
I've tuned in to the radio broadcast a few times this week and managed to hear Anderson do play-by-play. He was really pretty bad. I don't really have an opinion on his color work either way, he's not the best nor the worst I've ever heard. But every pitch of the play-by-play work was called in that same monotone delivery using every cliche in the book. Vin Scully or Harry the K he's not. Why do they have him call the game when Scott Fitzke (sp?) is there with him anyway? Scott's much better and has better pipes as well.

Wheeler must be happy about the change; this should be taking some attention away from him being the worst guy in the booth!
 
Kyle D said:
I have heard L.A. doing play-by-play in the 5th & 6th innings on the radio, and in a word, he is BRUTAL. He is obviously also not very comfortable doing it.

Will he get better, probably. Do i want to sit thru him "getting better". Not really. I like him as a color guy and that is definitely the role he will always be better at.
Click to expand...

Agreed 100%. LA struggled mightily the other day with the Homerun Payoff inning. Totally missed the fact that someone won $1,000 until Franzke mentioned it.

Swapping Sarge for Scott Graham has meant an overall loss of quality for both the radio & TV commentary.

That's why I love the MLB Gameday Audio. I can listen to Scully / Steiner / Monday with the Dodgers (boy, are they good); Angel / Manfra / Hunter with the Orioles (partial to them since I lived in charm city for 3 years); Shannon and Rooney with the Cardinals...

Besides, with the Phillies season teetering (already!) on irrelevance, I simply enjoy listening to baseball on the radio.

Richard in Allentown
 
Richard, I agree. There's nothing like the smell of freshly cut bleeding grass, a tall iced tea, and the Phils on the radio. Or on the beach. Ahhhh...summer nap time.

I still miss Whitey.

Who wudda thunk this here thredd would no be blowed. Pretty good.
 
I would highly suggest that the fans of the Phillies should contact the team and tell them to remove him from play by play.
Write the Phillies:
Philadelphia Phillies
One Citizens Bank Way
Citizens Bank Park
Philadelphia, PA 19148

Call the Phillies:
Executive Offices (215) 463-6000
Tickets (215) 463-1000
Season & Group Sales (215) 463-5000
 
Jesus! It's his first year, gimme a break!!! Sure, he's not Whitey, but give the guy a little credit. I think he works great w/ Scott Franske. No way to bring back Andy Musser, that's a shame. It was nice to see him on the last game at the Vet tribute.
 
MAYORNOT said:
oh my....one track mind..why must you hate? maybe you can offer a suggestion to improve the product with out firing someone. firing someone in the manner you suggest will not happen.

can anyone recall a sports announcer getting fired or switched to another role during the season based on a post on a newsgroup?

it's all too funny....
Click to expand...
I don't want LA fired, I just want him removed from doing play by play and return as a full time analyst.
 
MAYORNOT said:
since you and I hold no actual power...what do you think L.A. can do to improve his skills?
Click to expand...

I'll bite.

1. Keep a checklist nearby for specific tasks in specific innings -- plugs, ads, etc -- especially if it's the Homerun inning. On that checklist, remind yourself that you are describing the game to blind people.

2. Get a three-minute egg timer like Red Barber used to use. Every time the egg timer runs dry, give the situation (outs, runners, score).

3. Sell the game -- remember the William Hurt character in the movie "Broadcast News" -- convince people that they should be at the game, it's so exciting...but if they cant, the radio is the next best way to experience it...

4. Get inside the player's heads...why do they do what they do...what are they thinking at the time...how do pitchers sort out the "stuff" they have on a given day? How do batters "cheat" in guessing pitches they'll see?

5. If today's players remind LA of players from his tenure, tell us...explain how they remind him of so-and-so...

6. Remember that you (LA) have one of the greatest jobs on the planet...getting paid to attend baseball games...treat that as a privilege.

Richard in Allentown
 
rdcuffpa1 said:
2. Get a three-minute egg timer like Red Barber used to use. Every time the egg timer runs dry, give the situation (outs, runners, score).
Click to expand...

In today's radio business landscape, the egg timer is now used in baseball games to drop another sponsor's name...
 
MAYORNOT said:
that is how you discuss things on a board....not asking for his removal...

some of us, think things can only be dealt with by calling management to complain but never offer a solution.
Click to expand...

"Don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution" has long been a credo for me. Not that I always take my own advice.

Having 25+ years of work experience helps...thanks for the call for action steps, not solely grousing.

It also helps that I run an e-group on shortwave radio / international broadcasting, and always exhort others to bring suggestions and insight, not just complaints.

Richard
 
now i realize it's a wacky situation, but Larry Andersen ended up doing play-by-play tonight against Washington. well hmm, the game has been over for over 5 minutes now. . .i know it ended in the bottom of the 15th inning. . .the problem. . .i don't know the damn score!!! someone scored for Washington on a sacrifice-fly, and the Nationals won the game. BUT, did Andersen announce the score before the commercial break, no! please, the team is bad enough, they put me to sleep. . .don't let the broadcasters put me in a coma. Frankze is fine. and Larry, you're great as an analyst on radio, T.V. and especially on the FOX boradcasts, but please, we can hear it. Play-by-play is just too quick for you. why not let Jim Jackson shuffle in for a few innings of play-by-play. what does he do for the 3 hours the game is actually being played? just my opinion. sorry.
if i was a betting man, i'd punch a hole in my radio without a FINAL SCORE being announced.

--D.C.--
 
Perhaps somewhere Scott Graham is smirking. The current Phillies broadcast team really almost requires another play by play guy, seeing how Kalas gets 2 innings off (presumably to drink, and with who he's working with, can ya blame him?).

Presuming that JJ travels with the team, I don't see how giving him a couple of innings could hurt.

I think the sad reality is the next noteworthy change to the Phillies broadcast team might not occur until Harry the K hangs up the headset (which should be sooner than later).

Anyone get the feeling we may see Todd Kalas come back to town at that point?
 
Xkrusdx said:
now i realize it's a wacky situation, but Larry Andersen ended up doing play-by-play tonight against Washington. well hmm, the game has been over for over 5 minutes now. . .i know it ended in the bottom of the 15th inning. . .the problem. . .i don't know the damn score!!! someone scored for Washington on a sacrifice-fly, and the Nationals won the game. BUT, did Andersen announce the score before the commercial break, no!
Click to expand...

You mean Andersen did pbp of that walk off sac fly? What were his vocal inflections like? Did he describe it like reading the phone book?

ixnay
 
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