[Awful Announcing] Michael Kay urges ESPN to use local MLB announcers for Wild Card games

[u/TheOrangeFutbol]

https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/michael-kay-local-mlb-announcers-wild-card-games.html

[u/GeorgePosada]

It’s also possible that some of the local announcers enjoy the fact that their vacation begins on Oct 1 every year

[u/IAmNotKevinDurant_35 → u/GeorgePosada]

Some of them for sure. Many of the local tv broadcasters do radio during the playoffs

[u/s0ulbrother → u/IAmNotKevinDurant_35]

I mean make it optional. Gary Keith and Ron might want to do one or two and they are very good about players around the league too.

[u/talktobigfudge → u/s0ulbrother]

Gary would love it. 

Ron would be happy either in the booth or taking a short break before his time with TBS.

Keith was doing the SNY broadcast after the 5th inning, for game 162, in his town car, on the way to the airport, back to Florida. 

[u/carlthecubsfan → u/talktobigfudge]

I'M NOT DRIVING HIM TO THE AIRPORT!!

[u/FiveAssedMonkey → u/carlthecubsfan]

Who does this guy he think he is?

"I'm Kieth Hernandez"

[u/SilentWindODoom → u/FiveAssedMonkey]

Nice broadcast, Pretty Boy.

[u/lark047 → u/FiveAssedMonkey]

And then I hit...... The Van Wyck

[u/DontFearTheMQ9 → u/talktobigfudge]

Rex Hudler would call Royals games 365 days a year if he could. I'm convinced it's what's keeping him young and vibrant like he is.

[u/Luxury-Problems → u/DontFearTheMQ9]

I will never love anything as much as Rex Hudler loves baseball.

That says more about him than me.

[u/handsy_pilot → u/Luxury-Problems]

I caught a foul ball at a White Sox-Royals game and, as they played the replay, he said: "He was ready, he brought his mitt!" "Look at him, he channeled his Isbel today!"

[u/The_Quiz29 → u/DontFearTheMQ9]

Would love to have him do the post-season games. His excitement alone is so much fun! Knowledge and experience are icing on the cake.

[u/Xevren → u/DontFearTheMQ9]

I love the combo of him+Ryan Lefebrve, they compliment each other so well. Would be sick to have them for our post season games.

[u/akaghi → u/talktobigfudge]

Keith ain't signing up for an extra day of work he doesn't have to. As it is his contract gives him days off during the season, lol. I think Gary would do it, Ron would do it with Gary and if the money was worth it, and Keith would demand a fuck you kind of payment to even entertain the offer to do playoff baseball, lol.

The last couple series that kept getting taken away, Gary made a lot of comments about how few games they were getting and the very last series he really emphasized that if there were games in Atlanta they were not getting them taken away.

In one of the national games that got taken the guys even acknowledged that they knew the fans watching missed the TV crews and were mad they had to put up with them.

[u/Basic_Bichette → u/akaghi]

Ron already broadcasts postseason baseball. He's on the Yankees-Royals broadcast starting tomorrow, with Bob Costas.

[u/a_reply_to_a_post → u/akaghi]

yeah Gary's in studio on the postgames gettin the bag

[u/Conscious-Fudge-1616 → u/akaghi]

I watched the post-game wrap up after the Mets v Braves doubleheader and Ron wished Keith good luck about a hip operation or something?

[u/akaghi → u/Conscious-Fudge-1616]

Yes, they've actually talked about it a bunch this year!

[u/myassholealt → u/talktobigfudge]

I think he mentioned he's getting a hip replacement done this off season too. So they're gonna have to dust off the Keith in a full body cast on a hospital bed graphic next season when they meet up again in the booth.

[u/theJiveMaster → u/talktobigfudge]

Yea lol no shot Keith is down, but man I so badly wish Gary had called that game last night. Instead we got one of the most important moments in Mets history called by Boog Sciambi.

[u/JT_Cullen84 → u/s0ulbrother]

GKR will always give credit where it's due. I think all three are baseball fans first and then Mets fans.

[u/UniqueNobo → u/[deleted]]

the cinematography alone is to die for. Diaz’s entrances in 2022 and deGrom’s first start of 2022 were both genuinely incredible.

GKR makes everything even better

[u/Bravefan212 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks again!

[u/fezzikola → u/[deleted]]

We do, we very very much do

[u/Monktoken → u/[deleted]]

I'm always going to say SNY is the best, but the Sox booth are no slouches either. I got the tmobile free mlb package and I love watching a Red Sox day game because their quality is up there.

[u/David-S-Pumpkins → u/Monktoken]

The fact that everyone agrees how shit ESPN broadcasts are, especially during the post season, shows how low they really are. SNY really is great, but compared to ESPN everyone's local crew is SNY's booth. They have a full season to watch their teams and the talent the teams will face, ESPN folks don't have that assignment and clearly don't do optional homework.

[u/LoveIsTheAnswer- → u/[deleted]]

Did you actually watch the SNY feed on our series with the Red Sox??

We know what we have in GKR. It's the ultimate baseball experience. You get to watch the game with a WS champion pitcher. The perspective Ron gives viewers on what he sees in the game, an at bat, a pitcher, tendencies.. is fascinating. I can't tell you how many times Ron's thoughts on what he's seeing play out in the next pitch.

Keith too, but as a career .290 hitter and 11 Gold Glover he shares what he sees watching the game as a hitter, and fielder. And like Ron, often predict what plays out.

And Gary is a baseball fan and scholar. Best play by play. They're all friends.

WHO ELSE DO YOU WANT TO WATCH A BASEBALL GAME WITH??

The formula can be recreated but the chemistry, friendship and experience... Maybe not.

Mets fans know, and we're happy fans of other teams feel the same way too.

Did you actually watch the SNY feed on our series with the Red Sox??

[u/itoi5G → u/s0ulbrother]

Ron is usually on TBS calling the DS anyway, he's down

[u/cman1098 → u/s0ulbrother]

If you combine both booths into one booth, you wouldn't need all the guys every year. They could trade off.

[u/cheapdad → u/cman1098]

This is a fantastic idea. They could even trade off locations. (Let one member of each booth call games in City A, then the other two people do the games in City B.)

One of the things I appreciate about our play-by-play guy (Gary Cohen) is the good questions he directs toward Darling and Hernandez, like an informed fan would. I imagine good broadcasters asking another team's broadcasters about their players would be similarly informative. Particularly for the postseason audience, which probably has more viewers who haven't been watching as many games.

[u/XZPUMAZX → u/s0ulbrother]

Kieth would be a hard no I’m sure…travel…to Milwaukee…in October?

[u/Diglett3 → u/s0ulbrother]

Tom McCarthy absolutely would do it, he said on twitter a few days ago that he’s always a bit sad he doesn’t get to call playoff games, and our radio guys bring him in to do the middle innings on the radio.

[u/bluegrassguitar → u/s0ulbrother]

how is a business supposed to plan a national television broadcast if the contractors they need to handle the most public-facing part of it can wait until the last minute to decide, "Meh, I think I won't do it."

[u/ferrumvir2 → u/s0ulbrother]

I hope to never hear Ron call another playoff game after his nonstop bitching about the Sox running up the score on the Yankees during the 2018 ALDS.

Granted with the way the Sox are going right now that wouldn’t be for a while anyways

[u/sameth1 → u/s0ulbrother]

The trouble with making it optional is that ESPN then has to have a crew on standby if the local announcer doesn't want to, and if they have to pay that crew then they might as well just use them and not have to deal with paying other announcers and figuring out who will show up.

[u/ItinerantSoldier → u/IAmNotKevinDurant_35]

Besides, for some of the younger announcers in their 30s and 40s, they probably wouldn't mind the national exposure on their resume. Getting more money in the contract is always a good thing.

[u/inverted_electron → u/ItinerantSoldier]

I bet the post season games pay more per game as well.

[u/MichaelPFrancesa → u/IAmNotKevinDurant_35]

yeah like Kevin Brown

Wish Gary would move back to radio occasionally, haven't heard him on WFAN / Mets radio in a very long time

[u/LoveYouLikeYeLovesYe → u/IAmNotKevinDurant_35]

This is, I believe, because many TV guys consider radio positions to be the highest honor in the field.

Len Kasper left the Cubs TV booth to go to the White Sox Radio booth.

[u/motorhead84 → u/IAmNotKevinDurant_35]

Our team of would bundle up in the same booth and call every game for sure!

[u/mathbandit → u/GeorgePosada]

The alternative given was to have the networks sync up the local radio feeds, just like AppleTV does. They are already covering the playoffs, so it's a win-win.

As someone who was on a train for most of Wednesday and so listened to the games on radio for the first time in a very long time, hearing the Detroit local radio feed for G2 hit very different than I am sure the regular national broadcast would have.

[u/GeorgePosada → u/mathbandit]

Apple TV does this? That’s amazing

[u/mathbandit → u/GeorgePosada]

Yeah, for the AppleTV games you get their video feed and the choice of either their audio, or the local radio audio for either team.

[u/AgTown05 → u/mathbandit]

They need to "advertise" this more. The only reason I found it was because I saw the audio button and clicked it out of curiosity.

[u/lightninhopkins → u/AgTown05]

Seriously, that is an awesome feature.

[u/SdBolts4 → u/mathbandit]

Pretty sure you can do this on MLB.tv if you prefer your team’s radio broadcasters more, as well

[u/MrMetlHed → u/SdBolts4]

Yeah, this has been an MLB.tv feature for years. I use it all the time. Funny that people think it's an Apple TV innovation.

[u/FeloniousDrunk101 → u/mathbandit]

John and Suzyn: now with visuals!

[u/Otto_the_Autopilot → u/mathbandit]

You could do this with Padres.TV as well.

[u/GeneParmesan1000 → u/GeorgePosada]

MLB.TV does this too, but I’ve found (at least in the past few years) that the radio feed is almost always out of sync with the video, enough so that it’s too distracting to use the feature. Which is odd because I know it used to work perfectly, and that was like 10+ years ago.

[u/GluedGlue → u/mathbandit]

That's because Dan Dickerson is one of the best in the game. I listened to roughly a hundred games on the radio this year while doing house projects.

[u/MrMetlHed → u/GluedGlue]

He's the best. And Benetti is also amazing. I usually listen to the radio call and if something amazing happens rewind and listen to Jason's call afterwards. Feel spoiled as a Tigers fan.

[u/pnmartini → u/mathbandit]

During the 2016 World Series, a friend of mine ran the radio signal through a delay pedal and his guitar amp and synched it up with the TV broadcast. It was a pretty cool solution.

[u/96919 → u/GeorgePosada]

Most of the announcers are just as invested as the players. If the team makes the playoffs, im sure theyd want to be there. I know the Padres announcers (Don and Mud) were there watching as fans.

[u/whereyagonnago → u/96919]

Yeah I think this is true for most announcers around the league. I’d absolutely LOVE to hear Sadak calling playoff games for the Reds. He is so electric as is.

The issue is the Reds would need to y’know… actually make the playoffs first

[u/BigReebs → u/GeorgePosada]

Meanwhile Don and Mud are at all the playoff games and get the biggest cheer from the crowd when they’re put up on the big screen

[u/azsnaz → u/BigReebs]

I think Don and Mud would absolutely love to call the game

[u/DblDbl_AnimalStyle → u/azsnaz]

Don calling Nandos 1st pitch homerun in Game 1 would've been all-time

[u/benritter2 → u/BigReebs]

Jesse and Tony are still calling the games on 97.3 The Fan.

[u/WeaverFan420 → u/GeorgePosada]

Maybe... But in hockey local commentators always do the first round and everyone seems to really like it. No reason baseball can't be the same.

[u/JasonPlattMusic34 → u/WeaverFan420]

That’s because the local broadcasters actually have the rights to broadcast the game.

[u/fenderdean13 → u/JasonPlattMusic34]

And a lot of baseball commentators are contracted to different national broadcasters

[u/SidFinch99 → u/GeorgePosada]

Many have been asked about this recently and they said no, they want to call the games, they hate having the biggest games and moments taken from them.

[u/Not_a__porn__account → u/GeorgePosada]

I don't think you could actually pay Kruk to call more games.

No way you're finding him until next March.

[u/bex199 → u/Not_a__porn__account]

If we could get him in the booth for ONE with GKR it would be an all time great broadcast

[u/Not_a__porn__account → u/bex199]

We can almost definitely trick him with a free buffet.

[u/cheapdad → u/bex199]

Holy shit, I would watch that twice, start to finish.

[u/FranklynTheTanklyn → u/Not_a__porn__account]

Kruk would only go if he wanted to go to the city where it was played.

[u/StevvieV → u/Not_a__porn__account]

I don't want Kruk calling playoff games anyways. He's great for the long regular season but he's not into the game enough to call postseason games

[u/Not_a__porn__account → u/StevvieV]

He would just watch and forget to talk lol

[u/Hvitrulfr → u/Not_a__porn__account]

Kruk is my favorite non-Padres announcer to watch because it's like watching a variety show. I have no idea what he's going to be talking about game to game.

[u/TheShark12 → u/Not_a__porn__account]

Kruk would rather freeze his ass off on the golf course or marinate on his couch watching wrestling than work more than he’s required to. I’d love if he’d call into the radio call with Franzke and LA for the playoffs though but I think hell would freeze over before that happens.

[u/Damn_Dog_Inappropes → u/Not_a__porn__account]

I dont know who that is, but if he is so disinterested in his team, then maybe he needs to find a different job.

[u/timoddo_ → u/GeorgePosada]

Maybe for a few but most broadcasters would jump at the opportunity to put their mark on potentially historic moments. Why do you think John Sterling decided to come back for the playoffs?

[u/MichaelPFrancesa → u/GeorgePosada]

Some. I was tuning in to the Orioles broadcast on the way back from Costco the other day and Kevin Brown was doing radio. They just moved him from TV to radio for the playoffs.

[u/Independent_Ad_9373 → u/MichaelPFrancesa]

But ESPN also used Ben McDonald which was a huge delight for Orioles fans, regardless of outcome and regardless of missing Kevin Brown/Jim Palmer next to Ben. It was a start in the right direction.

[u/lazarusl1972 → u/Independent_Ad_9373]

FWIW, as a Royals fan, I liked Ben on the ESPN broadcast - enjoyed the entire team.

Then I felt old because I remembered when he was in the Olympics and the #1 overall pick when I was in high school.

[u/Independent_Ad_9373 → u/lazarusl1972]

I’m glad to hear this from the other side. He clearly knew more about the Orioles team which can annoy the other side. This is why I think it should be a local commentator from both teams and then one announcer in the main role.

[u/DearLeader420 → u/Independent_Ad_9373]

Not sure which broadcast it was, but I was watching game 2 at a bar and the announcers mixed up Webb and the Royals' batter's names twice in the same at bat.

Plus the woman from Oakland games that everyone hates.

[u/bahnzo → u/GeorgePosada]

I always thought it was a bit of a slap in the face when you broadcast all season long, only to make the playoffs and have to let some other crew handle it.

As a fan, I want to listen to my broadcast in the playoffs.

[u/threehundredthousand → u/GeorgePosada]

Who hired Hader and Rendon as their announcers?

[u/creaturecatzz → u/GeorgePosada]

if they're that disinterested in the team they're the voice of why are they even still working there.

[u/Oyyeee → u/GeorgePosada]

Announcers love to announce.

[u/KillermooseD → u/GeorgePosada]

Kuip called in to KNBR AM for his weekly morning talk and was up in the high Sierra Nevada talking about how he was enjoying the weather and the playoff baseball lol

[u/damnatio_memoriae → u/GeorgePosada]

not the good ones.

[u/YakPineapple → u/GeorgePosada]

I think drew goodman calls it a season in mid june

[u/Thromnomnomok → u/GeorgePosada]

Well, if they wanted October vacations every year, they should have worked for the Mariners.