"Right through his wickets"

Gemmy10

That is what John Sterling said about this guy during his Play by Play after the baseball went, well, right thorugh his wickets. LOL

ctsoxfan

John Sterling is perhaps the biggest buffoon in sports broadcasting. An absolute idiot, who is very difficult to work with, and seems to always be a play behind with his "commentary" - he is simply terrible to listen to.

Read this -

The Self-Serving Announcers

By Scott (from widewordofsports.com)

Baseball commentators are a self-serving bunch. Especially when it comes to the most exciting play in baseball - the home run. The home run call should be a natural, free-flowing entity and yet some commentators have created their own tag-lines for the event that, in all honesty, takes something away from the home run itself.

I can only really speak for the New York broadcasters in this matter as those are the ones I hear most. Three egotistical, self-serving blowhards come to mind. But let's start with an example of how it's done right:

The Mets radio broadcast team of Bob Murphy and Gary Cohen is an absolute delight. And when the home runs are hit, the focus always remains on the action. About the only possible pre-conceived phrase you may hear is Bob Murphy's, "It may go..... gawn-a-home-runnnnn". And that's just about as generic of a term as you can get. Gary Cohen's famous call on Todd Pratt's home run was simply, "It's outta here!!! It's outta here!!!" Pure and natural, these guys describe the action as they see it - for the fans.

Now let's get to the bad. We'll stay on the radio, but move to the Bronx. John Sterling's pre-conceived home run call is God-Awful. It goes like this:

"Hmmmmmmmmmit is high, Hmmmmmmmmmmmmit is far, Hmmmmmmmit is gone."

Over-exageratted and over-blown, this call is probably the only call that is so poorly executed and contrived that it starts before the ball actually clears the fence. This occassionally leads to the following call:

"Hmmmmmmmmmit is high, Hmmmmmmmmmmmmit is far, Hmmmmmmmit is..... caught at the wall."

Additionally, the call gives the listener the feeling that every home run is hit 500 feet, even if it just clears the fence by inches.

One thing is for sure though is that when you hear this call, you immediately know that it's John Sterling. So, if that was his intent then by all means - congratulations, John. But I know that when I hear it, I immediately know that it's 'that idiot Sterling self-promoting again' - taking the attention off the game and placing it on himself.

Let's go back to Queens for one of the worst home-run call phrases of all-time. Howie Rose is a geek - I doubt he'd even deny that. But in general, he's a pretty good announcer that calls a very good game. That is of course, if the game has no home runs! Howie's home run call comes after the ball safely clears the fence (unlike Sterling's) when Rose yells, "That's a goner!!!!!" A goner? Are you kidding me, Howie? There's nothing worse than a forced phrase that draws your attention away from the action and makes you say, "Did he really say that???" Yes, he really called a home run 'a goner'. I told you - he's a geek. He can't help it.

And finally, everybody's favorite... Michael Kay. Of course nobody should be surprised that Kay has his own home run call. This guy draws attention to himself like a streaker in church. His home run call??? "See ya" But you have to hear it to get the full flavor. In itself, the phrase 'see ya' is fairly generic. But the tone Kay uses, along with the fact that you know he's saying it just to say it because it's HIS home-run call, leaves a bitter taste in your mouth as a fan. It's a horrible experience that sometimes drives me to change the channel.

Announcers these days want the spotlight. Unlike the generations of original broadcasters before them, today's broadcasters have predecessors to look back on and to mimic. Remember Mel Allen's "How about that"? And Rizzutto's "Holy Cow"? And Keith Jackson's, "Whoa Nellie"? And Kiner's "The Mets have gotten the lead-off batter on base only once this inning."? Well the reason these quotes are so memorable are because they came naturally. You can believe that what these guys are saying is exactly what they would say in general conversation! It doesn't draw your attention away from the action at all. You think that's not important? Ask Keith Jackson and he'll tell you this:

"I try to remember who the most important person is,'' he said. "That's the person who bought the television or the radio. The function of any sports announcer is to amplify and clarify, not to intrude on the game, but to say why a team is winning or losing. The sound of summer is the voice of the baseball announcer. It is just as much a sound of summer as is the voice of a mockingbird.''

Could it be said any better?

Gemmy10

I don't disagree with you but I thought it was funny what he said.