BREAKING NEWS: Buck Martinez and Pat Tabler signed to new 5 year contracts

[Boxcar]

There's laid back and then there's comatose. If I listen closely enough (and I rarely do) they make at least 5 mistakes a night either with the score, players names, the pitch count, what happened in previous innings and so on. They're just not professional enough for my tastes quite honestly.

 

I miss so desperately the halcyon era of Howarth and Cheek. They were simply the gold standard for baseball commentating in this market, although of course Jerry is still excellent.

 

I feel like the only person who is not enamoured with Jerry Howarth.

[Deadpool]

This is good news for https://twitter.com/buckblunders

 

Also, Jim Hughson or GTFO. Best Jays TV play-by-play guy there has ever been.

[Boxcar]

Scherzer had a 2.85/2.72/2.92 line at the time, Kuroda was 2.38/3.39/3.60.

 

I don't think Kenny actually was arguing that Kuroda is better, he was just trying to piss off Harold and make him look stupid with his own logic. Worked like a charm.

[KingKat]

I feel like the only person who is not enamoured with Jerry Howarth.

 

I appreciate Jerry. I wouldn't say I'm enamoured. Although I'm wary of who would replace him, I think it would be nice if he retired. The Jays could honour him properly and move on. One of my pet peeves with him is that he rehashes the World Series teams quite a bit. I'm really tired of people who do that.

[GeorgiaPeach]

One of my pet peeves with him is that he rehashes the World Series teams quite a bit. I'm really tired of people who do that.

 

It's a Paul Beeston quirk as well.

[NorthOf49]

I don't like Jerry as much as I used to. He has a great voice and all, but I find he crowds out the colour guy and isn't that interesting to listen to.

[shortstop]

Jerry seems to be getting old and cantankerous and you would think he's nearing the end of his run. He's been a very harsh Bautista critic and a fierce Cito loyalist and he annoys me on both those counts. But even if I don't share his opinions, I appreciate that he's an old pro and he does have a real skill for play by play when he sticks to it.

 

 

 

I think part of it imo is he's had to play down to the level of his rotating colleagues, if you will.

[NorthOf49]

They are both very very wrong lol.

I miss having Brian Kenny on MLB Network. Even though it was completely unproductive, the way he yelled at Harold Reynolds was really something. MLBN needs a new non-former player analyst.

[KingKat]

I don't like Jerry as much as I used to. He has a great voice and all, but I find he crowds out the colour guy and isn't that interesting to listen to.

 

The broadcast lost a lot when Ashby left. Nothing against Siddall but he's a more passive presence in the booth.

[reedjohnsonfan]

Seeing as the media always likes to put contrarian opinions into the mix, why not have a saber-friendly guy paired with a guy like Buck?

 

That way the audience gets a bigger picture look at what's actually happening in baseball?

 

That would be ok but having an ex ballplayer I find is more enjoyable. Buck and Tabler are laid back and goofy to an extent, that's the way you should watch baseball IMO. It's a relaxing past time.

 

One guy I liked was Darrin Fletcher, but he was part time. If he did it everyday we'd probably get sick of him.

[NorthOf49]

The broadcast lost a lot when Ashby left. Nothing against Siddall but he's a more passive presence in the booth.

It seems like Siddall just has trouble butting in. Jerry doesn't stop talking and usually only defers to Joe by asking questions he already knows the answer to, or has already partially explained.

 

I.e., by saying things like "Isn't that right, Joe?" or "Joe, What's your take on this?" Joe doesn't have many opportunities to start new discussions on his own.

[TheHurl]

Pretty sure you guys would find a way to complain about every broadcaster. Dan Shulman is really the only guy I would prefer they brought in. Apparently he lives here most of the year. But obviously does Sunday night Baseball and College Basketball for ESPN.

 

He coaches his son's 1999's team out of Milton (I think or maybe it was Bolton). I convened their OBA qualifiers and he was telling me that he flies out Saturday nights most weeks and returns Monday morning. For the extra money he probably gets that's probably better than working all 162 games.

[burlingtonbandit]

It seems like Siddall just has trouble butting in. Jerry doesn't stop talking and usually only defers to Joe by asking questions he already knows the answer to, or has already partially explained.

 

I.e., by saying things like "Isn't that right, Joe?" or "Joe, What's your take on this?" Joe doesn't have many opportunities to start new discussions on his own.

 

He is probably just really respectful of Jerry. It's Joe's first year in the booth with him so I can see why he doesn't feel right interrupting Jerry since he's been doing it for so long. Huge fan of Joe though as he actually uses his past experience to help the listener understand certain situations. His voice is fantastic too.

[burlingtonbandit]

He coaches his son's 1999's team out of Milton (I think or maybe it was Bolton). I convened their OBA qualifiers and he was telling me that he flies out Saturday nights most weeks and returns Monday morning. For the extra money he probably gets that's probably better than working all 162 games.

 

Lol Shulman probably makes 5 million/year. A lot more than the Blue Jays or any team would pay him as their every day guy. Add that to the fact he doesn't work nearly as much and I'd say thats a pretty good gig.

[KingKat]

He is probably just really respectful of Jerry. It's Joe's first year in the booth with him so I can see why he doesn't feel right interrupting Jerry since he's been doing it for so long. Huge fan of Joe though as he actually uses his past experience to help the listener understand certain situations. His voice is fantastic too.

 

I think part of this is on Jerry too. I think he's more accomodating to an ex player like Ashby or Morris. He doesn't work well with Wilner either.

[Deadpool]

I think part of this is on Jerry too. I think he's more accomodating to an ex player like Ashby or Morris. He doesn't work well with Wilner either.

 

Siddall was a player as well. Not one of consequence in the majors, but he had parts of 13 years in the minors and parts of 4 in the majors...

[GD]

You know who was briefly very, very good? Matt Devlin. Was awesome on the Kawasaki call. Very professional, has some energy, pretty knowledgeable and it's not even his main sport.

[Boxcar]

I miss having Brian Kenny on MLB Network. Even though it was completely unproductive, the way he yelled at Harold Reynolds was really something. MLBN needs a new non-former player analyst.

 

What happened to him?

[Boxcar]

No just no. Raptors fans don't really like him. I miss Chuck Swirsky.

 

Chuck was one of a kind, man. Probably my favorite Toronto broadcaster ever across all sports.

[KingKat]

You know who was briefly very, very good? Matt Devlin. Was awesome on the Kawasaki call. Very professional, has some energy, pretty knowledgeable and it's not even his main sport.

 

Oh man! I had forgotten about Devlin but he impressed me greatly. I didn't want him to leave.

 

(I have no idea how good or bad he is/was with the Raptors. Maybe he's one of those guys who does better when he knows less about the sport.)

[Orgfiller]

Oh man! I had forgotten about Devlin but he impressed me greatly. I didn't want him to leave.

 

(I have no idea how good or bad he is/was with the Raptors. Maybe he's one of those guys who does better when he knows less about the sport.)

I feel people underrate Raptors broadcasts, no one can top Chuck but they do a great job of combining basketball knowledge with excitement. It can get cheesy at times but they rarely ever botch calls and aren't afraid to cheer a well made play by either team, although they are somewhat biased towards the Raps which is to be expected. I like Leo Rautins and I might be in the minority, I think people find him boring but I appreciate the basketball talk he brings to the table, he knows the game very well.

[John_Havok]

Who really cares?

 

They're not THAT bad. Listening to Buck's drunken rants are pretty funny sometimes.

 

A lot of people on here probably don't remember the Rob Faulds/Rod Black/Jamie Campbell days.

 

Being marginally better than steaming piles of s*** doesn't mean it's okay.

[John_Havok]

Chuck was one of a kind, man. Probably my favorite Toronto broadcaster ever across all sports.

 

Onions baby! Onions!

[Jim_Ackers_balls]

Jim Hughson was my favourite play-by-play guy.

 

I can't even listen to the TV broadcasters. Thank God for MLB Premium, where I can pick the radio crew to listen to -- well, except when Wardo Weirdo is commentating, at which point I listen tot he "away" broadcasters.