Baseball, Old and New

I’m a big enough fan of baseball that I don’t mind watching other teams play when my favorite (the Brewers) isn’t playing.  Yesterday I watched the Cubs play the Cardinals, and of course that’s mainly because I hate the Cardinals enough that I want to see them lose no matter who they play.

One of the advantages of watching around the league is that you get to hear other announcers’ viewpoints and opinions.  It does take a little getting used to though.  I think there’s a prototypical baseball announcer – clear-voiced, comfortable, good banter in the booth.  But of course, it’s probably more about the voice to which you are accustomed hearing. Listen to enough of a guy and you could grow to love him even if he isn’t that good.

Interestingly though, although I grew up with Bob Uecker and Brewer baseball, I’m not really a Uecker fan any more.  He’s an absolute icon in the booth, but I think as announcers get older, they fall off a bit, and Uecker’s no exception.  Their speech loses its clarity and timbre (in Uecker’s case, more nasal).  Their attention slips. Maybe their vision and reflexes take a bit of drop.  This is usually made up for by the years of experience, but sometimes that works against them too – they get sloppy.  They fall back on familiar tropes. They get a bit long in the tooth.  Vin Scully got out in time.  Harry Caray did not. I don’t think Uecker is leaving on time either, but hey, that’s just my opinion.

I think I was really fortunate for a short while when I was stationed in Maryland from 1988 to 1990.  Baltimore had what I think was the quintessential duo on radio: Jon Miller and Joe Angel. They both had the voice and the experience and I loved listening to them.  You can still hear Miller with the Giants (since ’97), but Angel retired last year. 

The Brewers have a great play-by-play announcer in the TV booth in Brian Anderson.  He’s so good he does basketball for TNT and even golf too.  As for his partner, Bill Schroeder, as much as I like his folksy and humorous style, I’m not too partial to his insights.  He has them on occasion, but you can only hear “he really barreled that one up” so many times before it gets old. 

One of my favorites in the booth is the Washington Nationals’ F. P. Santangelo, and he’s the one who got me writing this post. I think his observations are especially helpful in understanding both the game that you’re watching and the game behind the game. He gave a good example during the Nationals/Braves telecast today by making some observations about a player who wasn’t even on either of the teams. 

The Padres’ Fernando Tatís Jr. has been a bit of a story over these last couple of games by going against some of baseball’s unwritten rules.  In addition to stealing third today when his team was up by 6 runs, he hit a grand slam yesterday on a 3-0 pitch.  Like most former players, Santangelo was able to remind us that swinging at a 3-0 pitch is against one of those unwritten rules.  But then he added this (paraphrased): “It’s the pitchers’ fault actually.  In a blowout with the bases loaded, the umpire is usually looking to call strikes, so there’s no excuse for getting down 3-0 in the count in the first place.”  I agree.  Pitch to the guy, and if he hits it, he hits it. But giving him an RBI without even having to swing the bat is on the pitcher. And getting down 3-0 in that scenario where he’s got to serve up a meatball is entirely his fault.

There’s something to be said for the easy traditions of baseball.  I can’t’ think of many things better than sitting on the porch or patio with a beer and a radio on a lazy afternoon listening to a ball game and chatting with family or friends. But Santangelo was getting at another point (and he said as much):  the game is changing.  It’s moving on.  Young and exciting players like Tatís aren’t going to sit back and let opposing teams snooze through a game.  They’re going to play the game.

Unwritten rules are just that – unwritten rules.  And with player protection gaining more traction, it’s getting even harder to “enforce” them (the Rangers’ pitcher who gave up the grand slam was given a 3-game suspension for doing just that when he went after the next batter).  Teams have to get a bit tougher though and realize that with these young players a lot more of the game is happening out on the field and not in their heads.  It’s commentators like Santangelo that are among the up-and-coming crowd helping us realize that.