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The 20 Greatest Baseball Radio Announcers

D

dialtwisty

Guest
http://tinyurl.com/as5xy
(National Poll Commissioned by XM Satellite Radio)

<font size="4"?
Regardless, this great gets MY top vote:
<img src="http://www.theolympian.com/home/specialsections/Mariners2004/20040628/84057-45979.jpg"
 
> http://tinyurl.com/as5xy
> (National Poll Commissioned by XM Satellite Radio)
>
> WHAT?! - where's Neihaus?...Rizz??...
> BOOOOOO!!
>
Rizzs doesn't even deserve it. I think he's really brought down by MushMouths Dave Henderson and Dave Valle. While both have a good insight into the game, they have no business being on the radio or TV.

However, ominously missing is Jerry Coleman of the San Diego Padres. He's been the voice of the Padres since their inception and is widely regarded as one of the best in baseball.

Neihaus should be right up there as well, but I wouldn't expect him to be in the top 20.

I remember Mel Allen from the old This Week In Baseball and I used to love hearing his voice. He's fantastic especially when compared to the Yankee announcers of today.
 
Niehaus SHOULD have made the list...

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The late Mel Allen did have a great vocal image ... but in my opinion is somewhat overrated as a day-in, day-out baseball announcer.
I had the opportunity to hear his Yankee broadcasts on Armed Forces Radio in the 40's and 50's, and they were pretty bland stuff.
Most of the guys in the top 20 have had the advantage of much more national exposure than any Seattle broadcaster.
Of course Harry Caray had especially great national impact because the Cubs were for years the only daily baseball on a Superstation.

I think Dave Niehaus deserves top 20 status because of his daily show prep .. and his high on-air entertainment value.
He especially shines on radio, compared with TV.

(Of course in my earlier life I thought Leo Lassen was the best in the biz!
So what do I know.)
 
Hard to argue with most of the choices, but here's one switch I'd make: Jon Miller for Al Michaels.

When has Al done MLB RADIO? He did plenty of excellent TV work (I'll never forget the earthquake 'game'), but I believe his last steady baseball radio gig was the Hawaii Islanders of the PCL.

You may know Miller from ESPN, but I spent a lot of nights listening to him call the O's back in the late 80's. Here's my litmus test: If the guy wasn't doing sports, would he be in radio? Miller would have been a heck of a morning man if he wasn't a future Hall of Fame announcer.

RJ
 
M's team is one of the best---bar none!

After traveling around the country(and living in various part of the nation) and hearing many of the other major league baseball broadcast teams....the M's have one of the very best in broadcasting.....Dave Neihaus adds to much to the game, and even people that don't like baseball enjoy listening to him. He is one of a kind!!!

I've heard NY, Boston, Atlanta, Florida, Colorado, Cincinatti and a number of others....but the M's are blessed to have the team they have broadcasting their games.....I know I thoroughly enjoy each and every Mariners game I listen to.

My only complaint is Ron Fairley......maybe it's Dave Neihaus showing his superior skills, but when "Red" is doing the play by play---it's boring and just lacks the excitement that Dave and Rick provide..

just my 2 cents.....and yes Dave should be in the Top-20 FOR SURE!!<P ID="signature">______________
Your Spokane & Seattle Radio Pal..and Seattle Moderator...

J.J. Hemingway</P>
 
Re: M's team is one of the best---bar none!

> My only complaint is Ron Fairley......maybe it's Dave
> Neihaus showing his superior skills, but when "Red" is doing
> the play by play---it's boring and just lacks the excitement
> that Dave and Rick provide..

>
JJ, I'm with you on Fairley (but he shouldn't be your only complaint...Henderson and Valle need to be gagged) He's absolutely terrible. I call him "Captain Obvious" for such classics as: "You know, the M's need to score some runs to win this game", and "In order to get batters out, you need to throw strikes".

Dave N. and Rick are very good together. Rizzs gets a LOT better when he has a decent partner for PBP, but he's also a spin doctor. He never says a negative thing about the Mariners even when they tank.

I listen to a lot of games on MLB.com and the M's have one of the most bland announce teams to ever call a game (Atlanta Braves guys excluded). Listen to John Buck and Joe Morgan on Sunday Night baseball. Listen to Jerry Coleman and Ted Leitner on XPRS with the Padres. Both Leitner and Coleman have had their own radio shows besides the Padres games.
 
Re: M's team is one of the best---bar none!

Look at the list again. Only five of them are still calling games today. Obviously, this is an all-time list. When you compare Neihaus to the all-time list, then I agree that he's not in that caliber. In the top ten of today's PBPers? Definitely.

There's even a direct comparison to Rick Rizzs within the list. Rizzs was hired as Ernie Harwell's replacement in the 90s. The Detroit fans wanted Harwell back, and Rizzs ran back to the Marinerzzs faster than a bolt of lightning.

I have a subscription to MLB.tv and regularly watch other teams games. One of the best out there is the Giants' Jon Miller (yes, the same guy on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball). Conversational, funny, plays to the strengths and weakensses of the guy doing color, sets up the scene well on both TV and radio.

But to compare and think Dave Neihaus is better than the likes of Harry Caray, Vin Scully, Jack Buck, Ernie Harwell and Jack Brickhouse is ridiculous.
 
> When has Al done MLB RADIO? He did plenty of excellent TV
> work (I'll never forget the earthquake 'game'), but I
> believe his last steady baseball radio gig was the Hawaii
> Islanders of the PCL.

He did TV work with the Cincinnati Reds in the 70s. I don't know if he did radio with Brennaman or not, but that was his last MLB gig.
 
Re: M's team is one of the best---bar none!

Dave Niehaus is very good, and better than several on the list -- Bob Uecker, Phil Rizzuto, and Ernie Harwell, to name three. I do think he was overlooked simply as a result of being in Seattle and not L.A. or a city on the east coast.

My top five: 1 - Vin Scully, 2 - Bob Costas, 3 - Mel Allen, 4 - Joe Garagiola, 5 - Dave Niehaus. The exclusion of Bob Costas invalidates the list IMO.
 
Re: M's team is one of the best---bar none!

> I do think he was overlooked simply as a result of
> being in Seattle and not L.A. or a city on the east coast.

Dave Neihaus worked with the California Angels before coming to Seattle.
 
Re: M's team is one of the best---bar none!

I am aware of that ... 30 years ago. Very few people will make the connection that he had anything to do with the Angels. If Niehaus cannot be recollected as a great announcer in Seattle, he certainly won't be recalled as an announcer of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim -- or something like that :). My understanding is that people in the Southland were mostly ignorant of the Angels until three years ago when they won the World Series. Certainly a far smaller percentage of fans will know Rex Hudler's name as opposed to Dave Niehaus. And its Niehaus, not Neihaus.

> > I do think he was overlooked simply as a result of
> > being in Seattle and not L.A. or a city on the east coast.
>
>
> Dave Neihaus worked with the California Angels before coming
> to Seattle.
>
 
Re: M's team is one of the best---bar none!

> > My only complaint is Ron Fairley......maybe it's Dave
> > Neihaus showing his superior skills, but when "Red" is
> doing
> > the play by play---it's boring and just lacks the
> excitement
> > that Dave and Rick provide..
>
> >
> JJ, I'm with you on Fairley (but he shouldn't be your only
> complaint...Henderson and Valle need to be gagged)

I disagree about Fairley. I think he's coming on well. Henderson and Valle should hang it up. Hindu was doing color for the Saturday game on FOX-TV a few weeks ago when the M's were playing the Rangers. Awful.

> Dave N. and Rick are very good together. Rizzs gets a LOT
> better when he has a decent partner for PBP, but he's also a
> spin doctor. He never says a negative thing about the
> Mariners even when they tank.

Great point. Rizzs is a pro. The Dave/Rick tandem is really great.

> Listen to Jerry Coleman
> and Ted Leitner on XPRS with the Padres. Both Leitner and
> Coleman have had their own radio shows besides the Padres
> games.

These two are the best in MLB right now. It will be a sad day when Coleman hangs it up. Leitner can call a great game though.

My top five include Vin Scully, Jerry Coleman, Michael Kay, Dave Niehuis, and the legendary Ernie Harwell.

Great topic guys.
 
> > When has Al done MLB RADIO? He did plenty of excellent TV
> > work (I'll never forget the earthquake 'game'), but I
> > believe his last steady baseball radio gig was the Hawaii
> > Islanders of the PCL.
>
> He did TV work with the Cincinnati Reds in the 70s. I don't
> know if he did radio with Brennaman or not, but that was his
> last MLB gig.
>
If I remember Michaels was Replaced by Brennaman in cincy
 
Re: M's team is one of the best---bar none!

Dave Niehaus is better than half those guys on the list. He is certainly better than that drunken mushmouth...Harry Caray.
 
Is George Grande still doing games for the Reds? I always thought he was terrific, as did ESPN when he was their first broadcaster.

As the All Star Game is on as I am writing this, I am reminded that Tim McCarver is not on the list. McCarver is the best baseball analyst EVER.

So lets see who is missing: Dave Niehaus, Bob Costas, Tim McCarver. The poll is looking stupider each time I think of it.

> If I remember Michaels was Replaced by Brennaman in cincy
>
 
McCarver is a walking disaster. I pray for the day that someone else gets the World Series so I don't have to hear McCarver's nonsensical ramblings.

> Is George Grande still doing games for the Reds? I always
> thought he was terrific, as did ESPN when he was their first
> broadcaster.
>
> As the All Star Game is on as I am writing this, I am
> reminded that Tim McCarver is not on the list. McCarver is
> the best baseball analyst EVER.
>
> So lets see who is missing: Dave Niehaus, Bob Costas, Tim
> McCarver. The poll is looking stupider each time I think of
> it.
>
> > If I remember Michaels was Replaced by Brennaman in cincy
> >
>
 
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