Felt the same way in Chicago after the 2005 season when the Sox let the local radio station not negotiate a fair deal with John Rooney, who promptly took his ball and left town to head to St. Louis. That radio station subsequently threw the Sox under the bus and now carries the Cubs.
Without re-raising the Don/Jerry debate, I'll just say that I also will miss their comfortable and easy banter, especially as someone who feels like announcers are often background noise in an era where there is so much sophisticated coverage elsewhere (SoSH.com, Speier at the Globe, Over the Monster).
am I the only person who thinks Tim Neverett sounds like a copy of Trupe circa 90s?
The free week of mlb extra innings on Directv is still going. I tuned in earlier to the Padres b'cast and heard two guys who were not Orsillo. Didn't somebody say that Orsillo was going to play the Tom Caron role for a while until one of the booth guys retired?
Yes. 81 year old Dick Enberg is the play by play announcer and he's retiring at the end of the year. Because of his age, he doesn't go on all the road trips and takes a couple breaks throughout the season. It's a perfect fit for Orsillo, really. The fanbase will get acclimated to him here and there before he becomes the full time guy.
on the Comcast MLB EI preview, I get the home announcers - so had the Rockies pbp instead
I thought part of his contract was to work on some Padre radio broadcasts...am I misremembering?
I do remember thinking Don was trying too hard to sound like McDonough at first (Sean actually complained about it IIRC), but he was a godsend over Kurtz.
I think the word you're looking for is professional. O'Brien is a very good, clear, professional announcer. Not big on being a character. Doesn't show a ton of personality. He does what his job is supposed to be, and that's pretty much it. If he came after a nitwit who imposed his personality on a game, we would feel refreshed right now. Instead he came after a guy who gradually became less professional and more of a character, but in a way that was endearing and not overbearing. We knew Orsillo was a quirky goof. He could out of nowhere spend minutes with Remy highlighting exactly how a fan got hit with a pizza slice. And most of us appreciated that. A straitlaced guy comes off very stiff after that.
I think you should stop watching NESN RS broadcasts, b'c Werner/NESN will push that down our throats, and DOB will have a awkward transition with that.
That I agree with. The transition part has been seamless and Remy's strong analysis from the past year has continued with DO. It probably helped that they have traveled together so much and had a good business relationship at the very least.
I noticed this, too. It reminds me of when Jack Edwards took over the Bruins play-by-play gig. Every player is the best, and it's just a slump, and they're so tough and strong, etc. Thankfully, Jack toned it down over time. I hope Dave does the same.
I'll piggyback on your piggyback. I agree, Jerry has had his fastball this year and his enthusiasm has been back. Maybe after all of the stuff with his health and family he is in a good spot and he knows it.
Really? That's "justified grounds"? O'Brien was presented with the most dramatic, series-altering individual performance since the same man did likewise 9 years earlier, and in being carried away by his emotions, he creatively musters up... repeating the guy's name a few times? I mean, I'd take "unicorns and show ponies" over something bland like that. A moment like that is one of the few opportunities where an announcer can drop the neutral pretext and get hysterical over the unbelievable events unfolding before them. And presented with one such moment, Dave O'Brien's innermost thoughts were... hey, that man is named David Ortiz! Hell, I'll say it: Joe Buck probably does better there. Orsillo certainly did.
Yes, really -- that is an example of what O'Brien does very well, describing dramatic moments with a little extra vocal flare, but without going over the top.
You're entitled to prefer lower-energy, more-dignified broadcasts. Certainly, you get that with O'Brien. But for me, I'll take someone who can intelligently comment on things most of the time, and make particularly-memorable moments that much more emotive on the rare occasions that call for it. As the history of baseball media coverage reminds us, narrative and storytelling is what builds an audience, not a dry recitation of facts. Making emotional connections to dramatic moments is what builds and sustains fans (and mythologies). It's certainly possible to overdo it - Hawk Harrelson being the worst in a long tradition of homers - but my tastes on the spectrum are much closer to Orsillo than to O'Brien. For over-the-top moments, like an Ortiz grand slam in a game that seemed like a funeral procession for the Red Sox season, I prefer an over-the-top delivery.
I kept my post on the topic. You've chosen to make it personal. I'll respectfully decline the invitation.
I'm pretty sore from biking 45 miles yesterday amid 32,000 new yorkers, on zero preparation. Apologies if my tone is more salty than intended - I have the highest of regard for every poster in this thread.
