Bremer’s FSN Sidekick 2020

[Riverbrian]

 

Careful market studies need to be done (and probably have).

 

They have... It's why the Atlantic League is a current test balloon for potential changes. It's why they are trying to break through walls with the players union. 

 

 

[saviking]

Roy Smalley is by far the better option. Very knowledgeable and subtly humorous. Morneau is a nice guy and very knowledgeable as well but my god, he consistently rambles on in minute detail about everything with a monotone voice. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I like Morneau as an individual and respect his knowledge but talks way to much. They need to give him a word pitch count. LOL

[Darius]

I don’t mind Bremer. I’ve been listening to him for so long now that there some nostalgia, or something, that kicks in. It was the same for me with John Gordon. It’s just not the same without him.

 

I’m not a huge fan of Morneau or Hunter. Bert and Morris are OK, because those crusty old beer chugging pitchers are entertaining to me. If I had to choose a full timer, it would be Smalley.

 

It probably would’ve been Hawkins up until he shared his awful takes on Mike Fiers and the cheating thing a few weeks ago.

[theBOMisthebomb]

Articles from October 2018 state Bert will do 30 games in 2020. At Twins Fest, Kaat told my friend he is doing 12 Twins games in 2020. Bremer is too smug for my liking, although I will admit he is a competent broadcaster. Bremer is just a guy I have zero interest getting to know on a personal level and to me that's a big indicator if you enjoy a broadcaster. Morneau is too dry and boring and his content doesn't compensate for it.

[Nine of twelve]

 

 

 

Gladden just misses some things so blatantly when he's on play-by-play. You mention difficulty with names, and I agree. That seems like a given to be worked at. But there's other little things that also seem basic. I'm struck by the number of guys that score a run and are not acknowledged. If there's runners on first and third and a guy hits a single that advances a runner to third, it's a given that the guy scored, but it frequently won't even be mentioned that the score has changed and is now whatever-to-whatever. I'm not a broadcasting major, but one of the things I'm told is that you're taught that you really can't say the score too often. 

 

 

 

This is exactly what I was referring to. He almost never says whether the runner in the above situation advances to third or not. I just don't like the job he does, and this being his 20th or 21st season I don't think things will improve. If he were on the baseball side Falvine would do a non-renewal when his contract expired.

[USAFChief]

 

This is exactly what I was referring to. He almost never says whether the runner in the above situation advances to third or not. I just don't like the job he does, and this being his 20th or 21st season I don't think things will improve. If he were on the baseball side Falvine would do a non-renewal when his contract expired.

Gladden:  "There's a line drive down the right field line..it'll reach the seats."

 

...

 

 

Which seats, Dan? Was that a home run or was it a foul ball?

 

 

...

 

 

Gladden: "Yes."

[TouchEmAllGuy]

Gladden: "Here's a fly ball to center field...… annnnd Gone."

[Dantes929]

I like Bremer.    Only real complaint is he gets my hopes up on when Twins hit routine fly balls, acting like they might be gone or exciting when they end up short of the warning track.   I like Morneau.   I think he is smart and I like his sense of humor.   Its just his delivery that is low key but i got used to that quickly.

[nicksaviking]

 

I like Bremer.    Only real complaint is he gets my hopes up on when Twins hit routine fly balls, acting like they might be gone or exciting when they end up short of the warning track.  

 

He seems to have gotten worse at this over the years. Typically, determining how far the ball will carry is a skill that gets better with repetition, but from my perception, Dick has been increasingly off on this determination as the years go by. 

[Yoke]

I like Bremer. I think the newer color guys have helped him, too. Him and Bert start to get a little to much on schtick, and it gets old.

 

The only thing good about Bert or Morris doing games is that I can catch up on podcasts while they're on, since I've got to turn the volume down.

 

Smalley and Morneau do a good job. It'd be nice to get Perkins or Plouffe in there as well, as someone mentioned earlier.

[Nine of twelve]

 

  Only real complaint is he gets my hopes up on when Twins hit routine fly balls, acting like they might be gone or exciting when they end up short of the warning track. 

 

 

He seems to have gotten worse at this over the years. Typically, determining how far the ball will carry is a skill that gets better with repetition, but from my perception, Dick has been increasingly off on this determination as the years go by. 

It's not just overestimating Twins' fly balls. The opposite also happens. There have been quite a few times where an opposing player hits what Dick refers to as a popup, only to have the ball travel medium to deep into the outfield.

[dex8425]

This thread is interesting just because there are so many different views. My Dad and I have different views on this as well, though we both are sick of Bert in the booth. I think the different views is why FSN is using a variety. 

 

I go to a lot of home games (like 25), but when I watch on TV, I typically don't watch the game live and use DVR with youtube tv, so I don't listen to 100% of the commentary. That said, I'm young, and I really like Smalley and Morneau. Morris is good too. I really like Torii as a person and as a player but not as a commentator. Latroy isn't much better. I really did not like Marney Gellner the couple of games she did last year. I really enjoy Morneau's recent behind the scenes insight; Plouffe would be a great option along the same lines here as well. As others have said, Bert seems to be soured on today's game. I want someone who is excited about the changes or at least neutral. 

 

Dick is perfectly adequate. He prepares very well and takes the job seriously. He really knows the mlb team. 

[Yoke]

It's a really odd thing with baseball, where a lot of analysts and commentators are older guys that don't seem to enjoy the way the game is played now. And they make that very clear every time they talk about the game. So you watch a game and the older guy (like Bert or Morris) will bag on the players. Same thing for some national games, and I'm sure it happens on other local broadcasts.

 

Three and a half hours of someone telling you that what you're watching sucks.

 

Then they wonder why fewer people are watching.

 

Would you go to a restaurant after watching a food network show, and the guys says "this broth tastes like curb water"?

[Sam Morley]

IMO

 

Familiarity trumps skill in the booth, especially for the play-by-play/anchor. For TV, the job is Dick's as long as he wants it. All of the positive things people in this thread have said about Dick are true. Essentially, we know him, he knows the game, he's a Minnesotan, and he's a professional. Some of the negatives mentioned are probably true as well. Sometimes, his calling is inaccurate; he can be a poor judge of fly balls. The clamoring for perfection and accuracy in sports is obnoxious and bad for sports. The game is played and officiated by people on the field in present, real time; not in slow-motion review on computers by technicians and robots- nor by fans watching on television, playing fantasy, and/or gambling. The mistakes are part of the drama and the fun. Getting mad at Dick and yelling at the TV when he calls a routine fly ball like it's 20 rows deep is part of the fun.  Outcomes of sports games are not actually important (with all due 'respect' to fantasy players and gamblers). 

 

Jerry Coleman, the Hall of Fame radio guy for the Padres for decades, called this in a game:

 

"Winfield goes back to the wall. He hits his head on the wall and it rolls off! It's rolling all the way back to second base! This is a terrible thing for the Padres!"

 

Inaccurate and one of the most famous quotes from a broadcast booth of all time.

 

Perfection is one form of greatness. Dick is not perfect, but he is great. He's great because he's our guy. I could say I wish he had some fun tag lines like Hawk Harelson; "Put it on the board, yessss!" is a great tag line, but at the same time, Hawk can get pretty annoying, so maybe the grass isn't any greener after all. 

 

We won't even know how much we're going to miss Dick until he's gone and the new guy/gal is flubbing around trying to find their voice/identity. I have zero interest in replacing Dick before he wants to retire on his own terms, not with Marney Gelner or anyone. When Dick is ready to go, I think Marney Gelner is as good a candidate as anyone else I can think of. 

 

As for Dick's partner, the color commentator, I think there is some room for variety. The team of Dick and Bert is familiar and that goes a long way. But I agree with many who say that Bert has been unwilling/unable to adjust to trends and developments in the game, especially in pitching, which should be his forte. The on-going mantra of 'keep the ball down' in the zone despite the obvious adjustment of hitters' bat paths to 'down in the zone' and the relative success of pitchers up in the zone speaks the loudest to this issue. I think the color guy has two important roles. One is to analyze and inform; recognize details and trends in the game and tell us about them- this should be pretty objective, with little need for moralization. The other is opine about the game. Tell us about what has made the game great; what changes threaten it and what changes might improve it. This is more subjective, and will create disagreement and controversy- but also conversation and interest. Bert gets heavy on opinion and his opinionated style bleeds into the aspects of his performance that should be objective, and that's a problem. I like his opinions on the moral issues of the game, whether I agree with them or not. I do agree with his opinions about the threat of automated strike zones. And I've appreciated his willingness to voice it, because it seems like there are few who share and voice that opinion in broadcasting. It's a moral issue facing the game and opinions about it from multiple perspectives should be encouraged. "Pitchers should keep the ball down in the zone" or "batters should lead with their hands" are not moral subjects and more effort should be made to take evidence into consideration when analyzing gameplay.

 

Of the other color TV guys, I like Hawkins the best- but only because he calls Dick "Richard" instead of Dick. I'm not sure that would carry him through the whole season for me though. He's on rarely enough that I usually forget until it comes out and it's funny all over again.

 

I like Torii Hunter and I'm sure he has good stories, which would seem to be his strength in the booth, but he doesn't really seem comfortable enough to tell them or have a sense yet of what is appropriate. He has shown some really poor judgement about things he said to the media in the past as a player and never really seemed to understand what the problem was.

 

I like Jack Morris. He seems to combine the things that are likeable/good about Bert with a balance and objectivity that Bert lacks. But frankly, he's a Tiger.

 

The thing I like about Roy Smalley is that he seems to be a little more open to the rotational theory of hitting (which is correct) versus the hands first theory of hitting (incorrect) but I feel like I still hear him go on about "extension" so, I don't know. It's nice to have a hitter's point of view anyway, which Bert doesn't even attempt, not that he could. Smalley, as an infielder usually has good insight on defense too.

 

Morneau is good for the same reason as Smalley. He's a hitter and position player. A pitcher in the booth has such a limited amount of content they can talk about with any authority. I think Morneau is still getting comfortable too, and that he will get more interesting as he gets a feel for the boundaries of storytelling. I'd say his downside is that he's so dang boring; the word milk comes to mind...

 

If I got to pick someone who hasn't been in the booth yet, I'd want to try Ron Gardenhire. He's funny, media savy, knows the game, knows the Twins current and past, and he's part of the family. Mostly, I want to hear Dick, at least once a week, ask him "Why, Ron, would you ever let Matt Guerrier face Alex Rodriguez in the ALDS?"

 

Briefly, Radio: I loved John Gordon. It has taken me a while to get used to Provus and I just don't listen as much as I used to. Most of you guys seem to like him. He must be accurate. I like his rapport with Gladden. He's always asking Gladden if they should put a bunt on or a hit and run or a steal, and Gladden always answers him like it was the worst idea of all time- so funny. I hate when he says, "He gone" on strikeouts, which he seems to do for both the opposing team and the Twins (really annoying). It's Hawk Harelson's line. Get your own line. Bellyaching aside, he's fine. I'll like him even more in ten years. 

[bustedstuff88]

Bremer is a treasure....but Blyleven and morris never need to enter the booth again as far as im concerned. No one wants to hear yall incessantly whine about how different the game is now...Adapt or die. 

[amjgt]

 

He seems to have gotten worse at this over the years. Typically, determining how far the ball will carry is a skill that gets better with repetition, but from my perception, Dick has been increasingly off on this determination as the years go by. 

 

He was way better in 2019. Albeit because the Twins HR/FB rate jumped from 15.5% in 2018 to 26.5% in 2019

 

You're welcome, Bremer.

[raindog]

 

You make a good distinction on Gladden doing play-by-play and Gladden doing color. When I think of Gladden doing color, I don't have the strong feelings that I do when he's doing play-by-play. Realistically, in today's day and age, it's probably the rare exception that's doing play-by-play and isn't a broadcasting major of some sort, so Gladden really struggles on the play-by-play, particularly given that he's flying solo.

 

 

I love Gladden and Provus as a combo. I don't like when Provus disappears for innings and Gladden does play-by-play. Why on earth do they do that? Is that a normal thing in radio broadcasting? 

[Vanimal46]

If I got to pick someone who hasn't been in the booth yet, I'd want to try Ron Gardenhire. He's funny, media savy, knows the game, knows the Twins current and past, and he's part of the family. Mostly, I want to hear Dick, at least once a week, ask him "Why, Ron, would you ever let Matt Guerrier face Alex Rodriguez in the ALDS?"

 

 

Love your entire post. I’m just picking this little snippet to say if this isn’t already in the works when Gardy retires, it should. I would love to hear his stories, and of course, the Gardy-isms. I feel like he would gel with Dick right away.

[spanman2]

 

I'm hoping they use Kaat as much as he is willing to do. He is a treasure. 

Agree 100%  Kaat is fantastic!!!

[AceWrigley]

Living in New England provided the opportunity to listen to Jerry Remy and Dan Orsillo call Red Sox games. Those guys were like a show unto themselves. What a hoot. Even if you weren't a baseball fan, their banter on life and the world sometimes was priceless. From fashion to pizza to mascots, these guys had incredibly funny insights. Oh yeah, and called a good baseball game.

 

Confirming a promotional gig with Jerry Remy, “There’ll be food, right?” he asks. “I was told there was a sandwich.”

[nater79a]

 

Eh, keep 'em doing what they're good at. I want Provus on radio.

 

Yep.

I could see why folks would want CoryProvus on the TV side. 

But that almost seems like it's wasting his talents...he paints a picture of the game so perfectly on radio.  I'd keep him there.

[Squirrel]

 

Love your entire post. I’m just picking this little snippet to say if this isn’t already in the works when Gardy retires, it should. I would love to hear his stories, and of course, the Gardy-isms. I feel like he would gel with Dick right away.

 

Plus ... he's got the voice!

[IndianaTwin]

 

...

 

Jerry Coleman, the Hall of Fame radio guy for the Padres for decades, called this in a game:

 

"Winfield goes back to the wall. He hits his head on the wall and it rolls off! It's rolling all the way back to second base! This is a terrible thing for the Padres!"

 

Inaccurate and one of the most famous quotes from a broadcast booth of all time....

 

 

 

 

I think Coleman also gave us, "He slides into second with a stand-up double" and "(Somebody, I forget who) is throwing up in the bullpen." 

[IndianaTwin]

 

I love Gladden and Provus as a combo. I don't like when Provus disappears for innings and Gladden does play-by-play. Why on earth do they do that? Is that a normal thing in radio broadcasting? 

 

My son is a broadcast junkie, and his estimate is that about two-thirds to three-fourths of the teams do some sort of sharing with the play-by-play role. He said the current 4-5-6 arrangement for the backup is probably the most common, but not the only one. He said 3-4-7 is also fairly common. 

 

[TCali Bear]

I like Justin. He knows the ins and outs of the game and he always has something insightful to say.

[USAFChief]

 

 

 

Would you go to a restaurant after watching a food network show, and the guys says "this broth tastes like curb water"?

Depends. Is there a groupon available?

[Yoke]

 

Depends. Is there a groupon available?

Only paper coupons you can print off their Geocities website.

[DocBauer]

Love your entire post. I’m just picking this little snippet to say if this isn’t already in the works when Gardy retires, it should. I would love to hear his stories, and of course, the Gardy-isms. I feel like he would gel with Dick right away.

Oh my! I would absolutely love Gardenhire in the booth! Someone make this happen when he's done managing!

[DocBauer]

Comment/question and a thought:

 

1] Like them or not, I love the booth being so eclectic with past Twins. I often wonder if other teams take advantage and do the same.

 

2] I really enjoy a 3 man booth and how everyone seems to "come alive" and debate, share and reflect and tell stories. I'd like a little more of that.

[Nine of twelve]

 

2] I really enjoy a 3 man booth and how everyone seems to "come alive" and debate, share and reflect and tell stories. I'd like a little more of that.

Yes.