OTC: Tigers’ Voice Of Summer Falls Silent
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Sections
Jip
What will I remember about Denny?
“There’s a drive…and…Gone!”
Denny Matthews and Fred White filled my childhood every night, back when the Royals were competitive. I wish he showed more emotion these days, but I still love Denny in the booth and I wish Greg found him as endearing as he does Ernie.
MoCrash
Ernie Harwell was a classic. When I was in broadcast school, I was able to study tapes of his play-by-play (along with Red Barber, Vin Scully, Mel Allen, Graham McNamee, Waite Hoyt and so many other legends). Harwell’s gentle, amiable style stood out and his Hall of Fame induction was well deserved.
dp
I was born in Detroit and my first memories of baseball as a little kid were Ernie Harwell and the old Tigers Stadium, back with the Jack Morris, Kirk Gibson and Chet Lemon teams of the early 80s and the ‘Roar of ’84’….My old man listened to Harwell as a kid too, describing the exploits of Cash, Kaline, Horton and Lolich.
Dully Matthews couldn’t hold his jock in a suitcase. While Matthews is a good man and loyal servant to our piss poor franchise, he
MandDShagger
God Bless You Ernie Harwell. Job Well Done. Life Well Lived.
bottomline
what will they remember christopher for?
b.s. and a hatred of people.
MrOlathe
Unfortunately the last 5-10 years is what Denny is being remembered for. But prior to that, he and Fred were really good baseball radio. There are thousands of us who sat and listened to those 2 as kids in the glory years (75-85)and loved it. But the combination of Fred being fired (why was that anyway?) and horrible baseball has made for a sad conclusion to an otherwise wonderful baseball radio career.
smartman
Ditto what Mr. Olathe said.
Not too many new voices coming up that have the same passion for calling a game like the old schoolers did. It really is a dying genre of broadcasting.
Jon Cortese
My memories of sultry summer nights are filled with, “This is Ernie Harwell along with George Kell”, crackling from an old Philco radio on the night stand between my bed and my brother’s. We’d listen as long as we could until sleep overtook us, and then we’d dream of Kaline, Cash, Horton, and the game we all love so deeply. Thanks, Ernie.
DiggityDawg
RIP, Ernie.
And Hamblin, in case you’re reading this – you’re a jackass.
MoCrash
Truly stated, Mr. Olathe. For Denny, I remember a time …
I think, smartman, I agree that baseball play-by-play “really is a dying genre of broadcasting,” but disagree with your premise. There are many new voices, and will continue to be, with the passion for calling the game. Unfortunately, they’re strewn throughout the backwaters of small market radio and their love of the game alone can’t sustain them long while raising a young family. The opportunities are few, since it appears that MLB play-by-play is a lifetime sinecure — much like a civil service bureaucrat — in which merit becomes decreasingly important every year. And the rare opportunities tend to go to those with the most extensive network of acquaintances. Nepotism is rampant, with both the able (Joe Buck) and mediocre (Lefebvre) rewarded.
I’m all for tradition, especially when it comes to baseball, but the problem with longevity and stability is it tends to stagnate both the individual and the broadcast. A fresh voice every few years, an extended transition period to reflect both the past and the future is healthy.
The Royals’ problem is that they have never had to make that change, and have not been able to identify or attract the right young talent to fill the No. 2 chair in the meantime, since the franchise is still so relatively young in its 42nd season. Nor is local talent being developed for play-by-play by hosting talk shows; the skills are entirely different, like those of the anchor (host) and spot news reporter (PBP). Besides, I don’t think there’s anybody in the 610 programming department capable of coaching up young talk talent, much less play-by-play (KMOX/St. Louis was such a breeding ground for talent like Costas, Joe Buck and Rooney because of the presence of great teachers like Jack Buck and Dan Kelly; KMOX ain’t what it was and KC to my recollection has never had that type of operation for PBP).
But the passion is there.
Cliffy
Harwell was great.
Denny was never great, just a solid professional. We all just have fond memories of great Royals moments that he described for us.
Greg, you left Bob Gibson off of your list of old Cardinal greats, I assume because he snubbed you as a child. Get over it. He has always been an asshole but he’s still my all-time favorite Cardinal.
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GH: I just went with some position players — but I forgot McCaver as well — before he became famous as a poor-to-midland TV broadcaster. Gibby was one of my Omaha childhood heroes, along with Nellie Briles, Ray Sadeki and a big young lefty by the name of Steve Carlton.
Joey Gallo
Lefebvre is much more suited for television. I hated him on the radio, but TV is his domain. A real dry sense of humor. The problem with Denny is that he prefers to work alone. Yea, he always has a partner in the booth but they never work together and inner act with each other. One guy takes two innings and the next guy does three. Always talking solo. Even back in the day with Fred it was done this way. Boring. Ryan and Frank have a nice act together on the TV.
Cliffy
I was pissed when Carlton got traded. I also had Curt Simmons and Dal Maxvill bball cards. BTW, I think it was Dick Groat.
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GH: Groat is correct. I used to get so pissed when a trade was made and I had to move one of my baseball cards from one rubber-band-bound stack to a different team with a non-matching uniform. My dad always thought of Groat as a Pirate
MoCrash
A big omission on the list of mid-’60s Cardinals was Kansas City native Ray Sadecki, a 20-game winner in 1964. Then there’s Orlando Cepeda, 1967 NL MVP.
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GH: Cepeda was one of my first baseball heroes when he broke in with the Giants. I used to listen to the nightly Cardinal games top get the west coast scores of the Giants games. I was not happy that he was traded to the Cards but it was fun to get a chance to follow him on a daily basis for three seasons rather than through day-old box scores. Cepeda made $53K for the Cards his MVP season.