A Rant About Fluffers

[DOUGHBOYS]

Nothing, nothing makes me swear more than baseball announcers on tv. They all make me swear. Nobody is immune. In my eyes, they have not created the perfect announcer. Sure, I have preferences. We all do. But in my case, these preferences only make me swear a little less than the others. And radio people do the same thing. Sometimes I'll be half listening to a human talking to me and half listening to the head set and accidentally tell the human that he/she is full of shit.
Hey, I'm old, that stuff happens.

My favorite announcers this year to hate on are the Braves announcers. They make it so easy! They are almost arrogant in their love for the Braves. They gush over each player as if touched by Midas. Last night, Brian McCann was walked by a right hander in a clutch situation, moving a runner to second base.
The Braves announcers said, 'That's ok, Ramiro Pena is a good hitter and only needs a single and the odds of hitting a single are a lot better than extra base hit!'
No shit?
But they didn't leave it at that. They put words in the pitchers or managers mouth by saying this, 'They're probably thinking who is this Ramiro Pena? They may not have heard of him. But WE know who he is.'
It was like Ramiro Pena was a secret weapon. Not a player lucky enough to be in the Big Leagues.
Pena made an out and they quickly went to commercial. Nothing more said about the decision to avoid McCann.
They gush over Gattis, telling his story every game. They gush and gush. Give them a Brave, they'll gush.
I like to think of these type of broadcasters as 'fluffers'. Like in the in the porn industry. They set these fans up as if Bugs Bunny himself couldn't get these players out. They get them so revved up about their players that failure becomes a WTF? for them.

But, enough of them, let's talk about others and if agreeing or disagreeing, feel free to chime in.
Has anybody heard the radio guy for the Astros? I, swear to God, if the Astros don't put you to sleep he will. I can't hardly cuss at him, because I can visualize him looking up notes frantically while talking.
The Indians radioand tv guys knows more than both Managers, four umpires, and all players. Just ask him.
Hawk, Vin, Bob U, and Mike S- thank you for not sounding like every other, 'glib in their own minds' broadcaster.
I know you're an acquired tastes and don't describe action quickly any more, but thanks.
The Giants, The Red Sox, The Mets, The Yankees....You guys are consistently the best at tv work.
The Red Sox, The Giants, The Yankees, the Mets, and Oakland...Best on radio
Without Santo and Brenly, the Cubs have gone from interesting to not interesting. On radio and tv.
Champion fluffers?
Atlanta, Cleveland, Colorado, and Detroit.

[Money]

A week or two ago the Tigers / Indians went to a rain delay on a cold night. It lasted about an hour and a half. When they come back Cabrera is up for Detroit and he hits a pop up on the infield that stung his hands. As he's walking back to the dugout these guys go on that Cabrera really isn't interested in playing tonight and that he would rather opt out than play. They state that he's like this all the time. What a crcok.

They go on to say that a lot of players are like that but not any of Cabrera's caliber and he should play it our for all of the fans in attendance. I could not believe what I was hearing. Nothing could be further from the truth. I doubt I'll ever listen to them again. I usually listen to the tigers but the game was in Cleveland and the Direct TV mix defaults to the home team, that's the only reason I got to hear that insight.

As visiting announces go I won't even try to listen to the White Sox and enjoy the Orioles guys.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Obnoxious aren't they, Joe?
They think they know it all....and when they don't, they'll make it up, just plain obnoxious.
I agree, the Orioles announcers are pleasant.

[Rog]

you haven't heard anything yet ,listen to a rays game on tv ,there announcers are the worst, if there hitter gets a bad strike call it is unjust and the entire league is out to get them because they want to see the yankees and red sox win the pennants. if a hitter against them gets a bad call (well they deserved it ) The rays tv announcers have made me resentful towards the rays.

[DOUGHBOYS]

That's right! I haven't listened to the Rays much this year, but if they're the same as last year, they're laughable.
Every umpire is a CIA Agent out to screw then in an underhanded manner!
My favorite is how they'll call the same play so differently.

Here is when Longoria is in the field...
OH MY! Evan Longoria with a SPECTACULAR, diving grab to his right, robbing Manny Machado of a sure triple down the left field line. He's a gold glover, Folks, and nobody makes that play like Evan Longoria!

Here is the same play, only Longoria is the batter...

OH MY! Longoria hit the ball so hard it almost seem to carry Manny Machado down the left field line! I think Machado was as surprised as anybody that he caught that ball! Well, Longoria did his job and hit the ball hard, sometimes it can't be helped in where he hit it! Wow! Longoria sure put a charge in that one!

[ToddZ]

I probably shouldn't respond since that debunks the myth of basement dwellers with their nose stuck in a spreadsheet and not watching games but....

While I agree with Dan about originality, I don't care for Hawk and Sterling. Hawk is too forced for me (almost like he's trying to be Ron Santo on play by play) and Sterling just too gimmicky. There's a fine line between clever and goofy.

Every time I turn on a Padre game on TV, I say to myself - holy shit, that guy sounds just like Dick Enberg.

With the disclosure I am a life long Bostonian, I think Orsillo and Remy have the when to be serious and when to have fun dichotomy down pat. And I REALLY REALLY dig Jenny Dell. Heidi who?

That said, a couple games ago, they had a newspaper guy subbing for Remy and I set the record for screaming STFU at the TV. The dude felt it was necessary to fill EVERY microsecond of air time with his voice. STFU!!! Sort of like calling a HR, I told someone there going to need a new microphone for this guy, he's going to wear out the one he had and BOOM, the broadcast goes off the air with technical difficulties.

I'm inside far more than in my car lately so I don't get as many radio games, but I really enjoyed the Orioles crew -- they reminded me of the 70's style of game calling which was when I'd do the classic transistor under the pillow trick so it hits home.

The Seattle team is either deadly dull and monotone or calling the play like a Game 7 WS walk-off, no in between.

Whereas, every play is a WS walkoff to the Cleveland announcer.

Ron Darling rocks.

Dan Schulman is by far the class of the national guys.

Giants probably my favorite late game team, even over the Vinster. Maybe its because I have been listening to Scully for years and he's lost a little off his fastball and is getting by on control, but the thrill is gone.