This post is probably super-specific to Yankees fans who get the YES Network, but I just wanted to bitch anyway; for all I know, this is happening on your local cable sports network, too.Time was, when you tuned into the local TV coverage of your favorite team's games, there were two, maybe three, announcers, shuffling in and out to accomodate bathroom and hot dog breaks. Many times, the displaced announcer would work the radio side for a few innings. Either way, the team remained stable and familiar, like the warm summer days that are perfect for watching baseball.
But the YES Network doesn't seem to realize people like stability in the booth. Today, former Yankee backup catcher John Flaherty makes his debut in the YES booth, making him the (pauses to count on fingers and toes) eighth booth announcer the network has used this year.
Besides Flaherty, Yankees fans have expereinced various two- and three-person combinations of Michael Kay, Ken Singleton, Jim Kaat, Bobby Murcer, Paul O'Neill, Al Leiter, David Justice, and Flaherty. Yikes. Just the list of announcer combos for June alone is enough to make your head spin.
All of these combinations leaves no room for a particular broadcast team to get a chemistry and flow that improves as the season goes on. This is especially bad for broadcasting novices like Flaherty, Leiter, and O'Neill, as they get very limited chances to improve themselves over time. It also drives viewers nuts, because as soon as they get used to the flow that one team provides, they end up having to tune their ears to a whole different team (and if you've ever heard Murcer, Singleton or Kaat do play-by-play, you'll know how jarring things are when Kay, the main play-by-play guy, has a series off).
There is no reason why there needs to be this many people in the booth; the Mets' network, SportsNet New York, has one play-by-play guy, Gary Cohen (currently out because of appendicitis), who does each and every game. There are two analysts, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez, who split the games. No three-man booths, no new announcer every week. Why YES doesn't do this, I have no idea.
It almost makes me want to see the Phil Rizzuto back in the booth. For me, an 88-year-old Scooter would be better than this mess.
Does YOUR local sports network engage in this madness? Let me know in the comments.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-09-2006 @ 8:51PM
Sam Goldman said...
I'm not a fan of the three-man booth, Joel, not necessarily for the reasons you men tioned. It seems that in ALL sports now, it's not enough to just let the action unfold and call it as they see it. Everything needs to be analyzed and over-analyzed. The 3-man booth is an extension of this idea - the more people there are in the booth, the more "analysis" and "insight" they can bring to a game, as opposed to shutting the hell up when it's appropriate.
On the brighter side, at least John Sterling is staying on the radio side of things. God, I despise that man.
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6-09-2006 @ 10:55PM
doog said...
In Boston, it is a two man booth, always - Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy. They are ok, not great, but surely not bad at all. On the radio side, it is the same thing - Joe Castiglione and Jerry Trupiano. I like Joe, but I have always disliked Trupiano, mostly because he has the strange inability to judge when a long fly ball will be a home run or not. Of course he knows about the obvious ones, but half the time you'll hear his loud, "it's a long drive!", followed by the description of a routine fly out, often not even on the warning track. Weird.
John Sterling - ugh. You'd think that the Yankees could afford to hire a good announcer...
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6-10-2006 @ 5:50AM
Jason said...
i agree with joel the YES network switches up the teams too much for my liking. Also i cant stand Kay, i dont know what it is but his voice just pisses me off. but i dont agree with the posters, John sterling is the man, i find myself turing down the tv and putting on the radio just so i can hear him call the games "Bernie Goes Boommmmm!!!"
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6-10-2006 @ 4:26PM
Cross777 said...
I happen to like the different/changing voices, because none of them are great broadcasters. They are a "B" team. Who would you want as a steady team?
Kay, Singleton and Murcer have been here so long, we have heard all the stories and comments they have to offer. I like O'Neill, Justice is OK, missed Flahery but YES thinks he is a rising star, and Leiter is just horrible. He like McCarver just will not stop talking. He will fixate on thing and analyse it for the next 4 or 5 innings.
There is no play by play man here. I'm sorry but Kay just isn't. The Yankees don't have a Gary Cohen who is probably the best in N.Y. (although as long as SNY has Keith in the booth Gary's stock will continue to drop!)
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6-12-2006 @ 2:51PM
Hank said...
I am the only Mets fan among my friends, and not one of them can stand John Sterling. The man can't call a play, and makes up more bad catchphrases than Chris Berman. I ESPECIALLY like when he informs radio listeners to 'watch the replay'. It's radio!!!! DESCRIBE IT, YOU MORON!
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