Least Favorite Twins Announcer

[DocBauer]

I am an absolute homer and will never apologize for being such. I absolutely delight in hearing former Twins in the booth, each and every one because they all bring something different. But I absolutely have opinions and preferences.

 

I really enjoy Bert, for the most part. I feel pretty much everything he says is smart and sound, but I do think it's a bit like a record that's had a needle run through one too many times. What fascinates me...and I really enjoy...is when there is a 3rd person in the booth. Bert seems to come alive and shift gears and I really enjoy that.

 

Smalley is very smart. I enjoy what he says and brings. But he just needs to say it and stop talking over himself.

 

I really like Morneau a lot, but he just needs to have a little more fun, change his pitch a little, not be afraid to be a little more entertaining.

 

Love Hawk and Hunter both, but they are the opposite of Smalley and Justin, IMO. I love their fun, but reign it in a bit here and there and talk the game with a little less humor.

 

Been a while now, but really enjoyed Thome in the booth. I just thought he bad a nice blend of fun and professionalism both.

 

On the radio side, with no apologies, I love Gladden. I was worried initially when Gordon retired....circumstances have made me a radio guy for most of my life until the internet brought game streaming...but he and Corey work very well together. (Sorry, but a moment of silence for Herb who was the ABSOLUTE BEST)! But Dan just isn't a play by play guy. I'll listen, of course, but Chris or SOMEBODY just needs to carry those middle innings and let Gladden do what he does best.

[peterb18]

I like Bert as he lends to some humor, etc. Morneau is probably the most boring, especially with that soft monotone voice. I have to turn the sound down very low as then his voice is just background grumbling. And he never stops talking like we don’t understand the game. He was a great player but certainly not a high quality Announcer. You would think that they(the producers,etc.) would give him some prospective on his role.

[psturnbloom]

Jack Morris, followed closely by Bert

[Nine of twelve]

 

(Sorry, but a moment of silence for Herb who was the ABSOLUTE BEST)! 

There was no one better. I will allow that Vin Scully was probably as good as Herb, though.

[mrtwinsfan]

 

I may be alone on this one, but man, is it tough to listen to Roy Smalley stutter his way through a game. He makes me want to listen to Monotone Justin Morneau.

Your not alone, to much stuttering, he lets his Brain get ahead of the moment, and cant seem to adjust on the fly,

[Brock Beauchamp]

There was no one better. I will allow that Vin Scully was probably as good as Herb, though.

I heard a lot of Carneal growing up but once I moved to LA and heard Vin on a regular basis, I realized how there was a level of announcing beyond anything I’d heard before and haven’t heard since.

 

Vin Scully was the greatest announcer in the history of sport, full stop.

[shortround81]

 

I heard a lot of Carneal growing up but once I moved to LA and heard Vin on a regular basis, I realized how there was a level of announcing beyond anything I’d heard before and haven’t heard since.

Vin Scully was the greatest announcer in the history of sport, full stop.

 

Quasi-UNrelated and I've never heard him announce a game outside of the movies, but I just heard that Bob Uecker will be celebrating his 50th year of broadcasting at the age of 86!

[a-wan]

Pretty sure the next time Bert does any prep will be the first time in the past decade.

[Twodogs]

My favorite is Hunter, Bert, Kaat, Morneau, Latroy, Smalley, Morris.

[Halsey Hall]

Can't stand Bert.  I like Morneau the best, he knows the game and predicts what pitch is coming next.

[dcswede]

This doesn't apply this year so far, since they've been calling games off TV screens, but has anyone else noticed that Bremer often seems to have difficulty with his depth perception? Fly balls to the outfield in particular: not just whether or not a ball is going to clear the fence, but balls "hit to the gap" that are corralled routinely by the center fielder.

[lwarring]

 

I like their TV people, and I enjoy the variety, although Bert could work a bit harder at keeping up with today’s game of baseball. Last year, during a broadcast, he asked Bremer what OPS was. Come on Bert, do a little homework. 
 

But my least favorite announcer is Mr. Gladden on the radio- only because they let him do play by play. I like him as an analyst, but the man’s command of the English language is nowhere near sufficient to enable him to successfully describe live action to a radio audience. He’s awful at that. 
 

Cory Provus is outstanding, but if he needs a three inning break, then I’d vote for a new female play by play person- it’s about time- and keep Gladden in the sidekick chair.

I like the idea of a female play by play announcer, but I suspect Dan wouldn't do well with it. He seems to need to constantly show he is the alpha male with Cory and I suspect would do the same thing with a female play-by-play announcer.

[FlauerPauer]

I'm in the minority, but I think it's time for Provus to replace Bremer.

 

Least favorite is Bert. Same old routine and game has definitely surpassed him. We get it, Bert, guys can pitch more than 100 pitches, but the science tells us they lose effectiveness rather quickly and leads to more injuries. 

 

Morneau is solid. I really like Galdden. Provus is my favorite. Smalley is OK. Hawkins is decent. Hunter is a little too much for me.

[Nine of twelve]

 

This doesn't apply this year so far, since they've been calling games off TV screens, but has anyone else noticed that Bremer often seems to have difficulty with his depth perception? Fly balls to the outfield in particular: not just whether or not a ball is going to clear the fence, but balls "hit to the gap" that are corralled routinely by the center fielder.

This has been going on for several years. Maybe he misuses terminology but he often describes fly balls to the medium-deep outfield as pop-ups. I think he tends to overstate the distance of balls hit by the Twins and understate the distance of balls hit by the opposition.

[theBOMisthebomb]

This has probably been discussed here in the past, but why did the network get rid of the "Circle me Bert" bit?

The true reason is that it was part of the strategy to slowly phase Bert out to pasture. If memory serves, 2020 is Bert's last year on contract and they won't bring him back.

Bremer is my all time least favorite. One more 'hometown story' and I will barf all over my shoes.

[D. Hocking]

I like the idea of a female play by play announcer, but I suspect Dan wouldn't do well with it. He seems to need to constantly show he is the alpha male with Cory and I suspect would do the same thing with a female play-by-play announcer.

 

I remember when Provus first started he was pretty deferential to Gladden and also take a lot of ribbing. Once he hit his stride he started to started to needle DAN back, albeit in a more subtle way. He is great and I think he and DAN have developed a good chemistry.

 

Not announcing, but I remember when Morris used to do a post-game show on 1500. The thing that used to bug me about that is that whoever was on with him for the week and about half of the callers had to go on about how great he was and make sure his complete WS game was mentioned at least 3 times. While I like the ex-twins announcers, and they were great players, sometimes I do think the non-player announcers or radio hosts feel they need to heap praise about what a great player they were more than is necessary.

 

I do like Justin, but he does need to be paired with someone with some voice inflection. Can you imagine if he and Mauer were paired up? It would be like those old SNL spoofs of NPR announcers.

[stdress]

 

I like each announcer and appreciate the uniqueness of each announcer, like I appreciate good food. Variety is the spice of life. Sometimes I am hungry for a thick, medium rare steak, grilled on my grill, but I don't want this every meal. I also like homemade crab cakes, a fresh garden salad, bacon and eggs and   chocolate milkshakes. I like a variety. Each of the Twins secondary announcers has his/her unique perspective to share. I enjoy them all. Dick Bremer   is a wonderful announcer and, after reading his book, "Game Used. My Life in Stitches with the Minnesota Twins", I can tell you that he is my all time favorite announcer in any sport. He is really a good man. He is someone I would enjoy having as a next door neighbor and as a friend. I highly recommend his fascinating and up-lifting book.

I wholeheartedly agree with you about variety in life and announcers.  I think we all get used to certain things.  I have been comforted by hearing the games recently.   Along those same lines, I also need breaks from too much of one thing.  I personally appreciate announcing on the radio far more than tv.  While I'm sure Dick Bremer would be a great neighbor, I sometimes wouldn't mind a different voice at times.  I have listened to him since he started with the Twins (when I was a teen).  He seems a little more negative/jaded at times, which might surprise some of you, because it's not always very noticeable.  Also, he may not be current with the times.  As far as favorites go - Herb Carneal was great and Joe Angel was entertaining growing up.  John Gordon annoyed the heck out of me, but he became a fan favorite.  I think we all experience the exposure effect - the more we are exposed to something, the more we think more highly of it.

[stdress]

 

There was no one better. I will allow that Vin Scully was probably as good as Herb, though.

 

As far as Twins announcing goes, I would have to agree.  Herb brought a passion to his calls.  You could tell he cared about the game and was as excited as the listeners were.  Combined with his knowledge and assurance, he was so easy to listen to.  After he left the game, we haven't had that depth to our baseball announcing since.

[stdress]

 

Whoever it is and whatever announcers for whatever network or team, I wish they wouldn't feel like they have to make continuous chatter no matter how irrelevant or nonsensical. Today's so called communications experts seem to think that any silence is like the plague. Sometimes they get so wrapped up in what they think are stories for the ages that they actually ignore the action on the field. Just call the game and don't feel like every pitch has to be analyzed or some topic explored having nothing to do with the game simply to make noise.

 

So true!  That is one of my biggest problems with modern announcing (in all sports).  They are compelled to fill all of the space, but instead of adding, they are detracting from appreciation of the sport.  Sometimes I'll have the game on in the background.  I will miss details of the game, because personalities are blabbering on about something that isn't happening on the field.  At least radio, will almost always pay attention to that.  "Younger viewers" (anyone under 25) - start paying attention to what is actually happening on the field vs. what is coming out of the broadcasters' mouths.  It's harder to do these days...

[stdress]

 

And Rex's boisterous rambling does not fit well with Lefebvre's low-key approach.

 

As far as Twins announcers, in order I like:

 

Bert, Jack, Hawkins, Smalley, Morneau,Hunter

 

I think Morneau has the most room for improvement but I prefer Bert's sarcasm and humor and Jack's angry old man routine.

 

BTW, we all love Kaat but he basically says the same things as Bert and Morris. He just says it in a kind grandfatherly way.

 

Kaat used to be one of the best commentators in the 80's (he went to the Yankees after us).  He was very insightful and funny and didn't say more than was necessary.  He's not quite the same anymore.

[stdress]

 

This doesn't apply this year so far, since they've been calling games off TV screens, but has anyone else noticed that Bremer often seems to have difficulty with his depth perception? Fly balls to the outfield in particular: not just whether or not a ball is going to clear the fence, but balls "hit to the gap" that are corralled routinely by the center fielder.

 

It goes to show you how different it is to see a game in person (especially in the Press Box) vs. TV.  When you watch on TV, you miss a lot of elements of the game.  You only get what FSN's producers and broadcasters decide to focus on (that's the industry).  I heard a Twins scout talk on WCCO about the same thing happening to scouts these days.  Covid is forcing us to look at the basics in many areas of our lives; this is one place we see it sports.

[peterb18]

 

I have a strong opinion on this topic, mainly because my wife and I have been watching almost every televised Twins game for many years. I think we all agree Dick is very good at what he does and is one of the best in the business. This topic though is about his "sidekicks". Without a doubt, Bert is our favorite. His pitching knowledge combined with his sense of humor and relationship with Dick make for "our" favorite tandem. On the other hand, although a very nice young man, Morneau is by far the worst of any of the many new sidekicks Dick has worked with. An earlier post mentioned "Monotone Morneau". That is what my wife and I call him. Monotone but also he talks and talks and talks....... He needs to listen to himself and learn he is there for some commentary, not non-stop commentary. We had started to mute the tv toward the end of last season. As for some of the others, I like Smalley a lot, my wife not so much. TK and Jack Morris would be next in line, followed by LaTroy Hawkins and Torii Hunter. 

Agree Morneau is probably one of the worst announcers that I listened to in my many years of Twins watching. He doesn’t realize that we’re on TV and we can see what is happening....and so boring. Where are the producers on this one? They should make him watch tapes of Vince Scully. I turn down the sound so low that his voice is muffled..can still hear Dick as his voice is sharper a more distinct.

 

 

 

 

[Jeff_M]

Maybe Smalley needs a bit time to find his rhythm this year?  I wouldn't fault him for an occasional stutter.  everyone speaks a little differently.  it's not like it's difficult to understand what points he's making. 

 

Wish Morneau would stop trailing off/ending thoughs with "but..."; it's always like, "but what?".  he managed to stop with his buts during the middle innings of the last Sunday game, then started up again near the end.  that's my most annoying thing about morneau, otherwise he offers good insights and I don't mind his longwindedness.   I think give him a break, he's only been doing it for a short while, and given his status as a former Twin, they're probably afraid to offer any real constructive criticism. 

 

I miss bert too.  That guy's one of the best.  Gets the most laughs per broadcast, at least for me.

 

I like LaTroy over Torii, the former says some funny stuff sometimes, while the latter's style at times can clash with Bremer (not exactly sure how to explain, but it does).

 

Be great to see Marnie in the booth.  That game she did with Gladden in ST last year was fantastic.  they played well off each other and seemed to enjoy working together.

 

So Bert, LaTroy & morneau (tie), morris, Smalley & Hunter (tie), Kaat (not a fan anymore, like stdress said).

 

Btw, I like Gladden's PxP very much.  Never noticed any problem whatsoever.  He & Provus have made nice progress over the last few years.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

 

Kaat used to be one of the best commentators in the 80's (he went to the Yankees after us).  He was very insightful and funny and didn't say more than was necessary.  He's not quite the same anymore.

I'm not quite the same now, as I was in the 80's, either. 

[Huskertwin]

Living out of state I grew up listening on the radio and agree that Herb Carneal was the best. But I have to add that listening to a game done by Herb and Halsey Hall was as good as it gets for me. They were an odd couple that made the game come alive on the radio. 

[Thebigalguy]

I like the rotation with Bremer as the anchor. Morneau is learning the ropes and could use a bit of coaching, I think, on tone of voice and slowing down his speed of delivery. He knows his stuff, as does Hawkins. Torii, of course, is great fun, probably because he's not online all that much. Bert is Bert: I personally enjoy his style and certainly don't think he's too old for the gig. He's obviously cut down on number of games since he became Hall of Fame Bert, but that's fair play. I see that Smalley has his supporters and detractors; I find him blah but he doesn't bother me. He has street cred from his longtime association with the team. It'd be interesting if they could get Mauer to do a few games, though I suppose he's so low-key that, like Bob Dylan, he might not be there when he's there.

[shortround81]

 

So true!  That is one of my biggest problems with modern announcing (in all sports).  They are compelled to fill all of the space, but instead of adding, they are detracting from appreciation of the sport.  Sometimes I'll have the game on in the background.  I will miss details of the game, because personalities are blabbering on about something that isn't happening on the field.  At least radio, will almost always pay attention to that.  "Younger viewers" (anyone under 25) - start paying attention to what is actually happening on the field vs. what is coming out of the broadcasters' mouths.  It's harder to do these days...

 

I know I ripped him earlier, but this is one thing I've heard people compliment Joe Buck on. He knows when to step back in the big moments and let the viewers soak it all in with the crowd (pre-Covid, of course.)

[jkcarew]

Like how this thread morphed from who we dislike....more to who we like. It’s mostly matter of perspective and taste. And no two of us are probably exactly the same in that regard.

 

Carneal benefitted from having grown up with radio...and only radio. Was a master at painting the between-pitch picture with his words. He also benefitted from average game lengths 2:15 to 2:30...way less time where nothing was happening. Meanwhile, I like Provus. I love Gladden. I usually watch with the TV muted. Not because I dislike the announcers, but because I don’t need anyone to tell me what I just saw, or read a graphic for me. And it’s too much to expect that people around me are going to stop living their life for the 3 1/2 hours it takes to play a game...day after day.

[SomeGuy]

Torii Hunter and Jim Thome should take over.  Both are smart and entertaining.

[Linus]

There was no one better. I will allow that Vin Scully was probably as good as Herb, though.

Agree wholeheartedly. Herb was a part of my childhood. I cried the day he died. BTW Cory Provus is well on his way to similar status. Great announcer