In Appreciation Of Dick Bremer

[Dave Overlund]

Since 1983, the year after I was born, Dick Bremer has been the voice of the Minnesota Twins on television. After nearly 40 years behind the microphone, I get the sense that some fans are ready to move on from Bremer, at least according to some of the chatter in the Game Threads here.  I am here to tell you that those fans are spoiled and don't know how good they have it with Bremer. 

Dick Bremer was born and raised in Minnesota and has been a Twins fan all of his life. There really aren't too many instances where a hometown kid becomes the announcer of his favorite team. 

Born in St. Paul and raised in Dumont, Minnesota, Bremer is the fourth-longest tenured radio or television broadcaster in Major League Baseball. He trails only the Royals' Denny Matthews (1969), the Brewers' Bob Uecker (1971), and Texas' Eric Nadel (1979) and is tied with Seattle's Rick Rizzs (1983) and Boston's Joe Castiglione (1983). 

On that list, only Bremer and Uecker are currently broadcasting games for their hometown teams. 

With such a long tenure comes an intimate knowledge of the team's history. Cory Provus, who I really enjoy quite a bit on the radio broadcasts, can look up stats and stories from the 1984 season when Kirby Puckett made his debut or watch videos of the 1991 parade, but he wasn't there and didn't live it the same way Bremer did. 

Not only does Bremer possess a nearly unprecedented wealth of Twins knowledge, but his personality is also a great fit for baseball fans in the Upper Midwest with a dry sense of humor and a large dose of humility. He seems to understand that viewers tune in to watch the games, not for him. That can be rare in today's world. 

When I was a kid I had two memorable interactions with Bremer. One at Spring Training where I was basically starstruck passing him in the concourse in Ft. Myers.  I managed to sputter out "How will the Twins do this year?" and he gave me a thoughtful, long answer and asked me what I thought. As a kid, I felt so cool having a real conversation with a famous adult. 

Years later in the 2000's, I was settling into my customary Upper General Admission seat in Section 212 for an afternoon game. I looked down the row a bit, and there was Dick Bremer reading a newspaper in the nosebleeds waiting for the game to start. I remember thinking that it was really neat that he would watch a game from up there on a day the game wasn't televised. 

In fact, I was in that very seat for one of my favorite Bremer calls: 

In other words, he strikes me as a real fan of the team. This can be bad (In my opinion Paul Allen takes this a bit too far, nothing against him he's great at what he does) but Bremer seems to know how to toe that line perfectly. 

I still get goosebumps when I watch this highlight from 2009, coincidentally featuring Kubel as well: 

That is not a forced home run call. That's not a planned out, "A-Bomb From A-Rod" corny home run call. That is a man who is genuinely excited about what he just saw. 

I think it is natural to get 'sick of' a broadcaster after this long of a time. If you hear anyone every day for over 30 years, they are probably going to wear on you a bit whether it is a spouse, boss, or sports broadcaster. 

For the folks who wish for a change in the broadcast booth, be careful what you wish for. There can never be another Dick Bremer. The man has seen it all. 

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[TeJayDubz]

I agree with this. I've always liked Dick Bremer doing play-by-play and I felt his duo with Bert was timeless. I think he's suffering from not having a consistent color commentator that he has good chemistry with. Roy Smalley just isn't it.

[spanman2]

I bet there is not a current announcer who appreciates/enjoys it as much as Richard (copyright Tom Kelly) even after all of these years.  He has certainly seen it all highs/lows.  Hopefully if he is near the end of his career he can see some significant highs which would be great for all of us!  I really enjoy it when Kaat is on with him and they reminisce about the game from those days compared to now.  Very entertaining conversation!   

[wsnydes]

I like Dick's style quite a bit.  He can get a little over zealous at times, but you know that he's enjoying himself in the moment and that can be fun.  I was at the Kubel game and his excitement fit right in with what was going on in the stands.  Every time I hear that call, it get chills because he puts me right back into that atmosphere for that moment.  

[dberthia]

I love the guy. How can you not appreciate his misplaced enthusiasm on such calls as "DRIVEN TO THE GAP- and he makes the catch." or "A LOOONG FLY BALL, WAYYY BACK and the catch is made on the warning track". What he COULD use is better partners. Smalley is unlistenable. I used to love Morneau, and he has great insights, but he's just an apologist when it comes to poor play. I swear if his wife told him she was leaving he'd respond with something like "Well, that's not an optimal development, but I'm sure next time things will work out better".

[jccracraft]

I'm a native Minnesotan now living in CT. So I need to subscribe to MLB.com to get the games. 90% of the time I listen to the opposition's announcers. I have no doubt he's a good person, and he has possibly the best library of Twins knowledge. I just am not a fan of his announcing style. It grates on me. Maybe too much of a homer.

[CRF]

I grew up a Mets fan in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, and we had Lindsey Nelson, Ralph Kiner, and Bob Murphy for many years there. All three were very good in their day. Even the Yankees announcers were pretty good, even though I hated the team. They had Frank Messer, Phil Rizzuto, and Bill White. I moved here in 83...the same year Dick Bremer started, and have enjoyed him as the broadcast voice/face of the team ever since then. He's knowledgeable, easy to listen to, and "one of us" (even though I'm really not). I've been a die hard Twins fanatic since I moved here and I hope Bremer is around for quite a while yet. He deserves to go out on his terms.  

[bighat]

I've always liked Dick Bremer and think overall he's a good fit. Agree that he was best paired with Blyleven. Morneau is solid, but he's a bit of a "golly gee whiz" type and so is Bremer so it's a bit much sometimes.

I think most of the criticism of Bremer comes when the team is not playing well. Fans are frustrated and he's the voice of the team. Sometimes we wish he'd say "GET IT TOGETHER OUT THERE!" but he's not that type.

[TeJayDubz]

11 minutes ago, bighat said:

Morneau is solid, but he's a bit of a "golly gee whiz" type and so is Bremer so it's a bit much sometimes.

I couldn't put my finger on why Morneau didn't do it for me but this explains it perfectly. I feel like we need someone a little more boisterous and charismatic. 

[spanman2]

19 minutes ago, TeJayDubz said:

I couldn't put my finger on why Morneau didn't do it for me but this explains it perfectly. I feel like we need someone a little more boisterous and charismatic. 

I could hear TK saying something like...Yeah that one right there is a play ya gotta make...Im sure the guys that handle that will show him that the next time they take infield/outfield.  Gotta have that one in the big leagues Dick.  

[CRF]

20 minutes ago, TeJayDubz said:

I couldn't put my finger on why Morneau didn't do it for me but this explains it perfectly. I feel like we need someone a little more boisterous and charismatic. 

There's no doubt that Morneau really knows the game. He's got a chance to be a very good analyst with more experience. However, he's got a tendency not to know when to stop talking. He goes on and on and on, when he should just make his point and stop. He also has a very monotone voice, which is annoying at times. He needs to be more animated in his speaking style. He doesn't have to be Bert, but he needs to liven it up a little bit. 

[Rosterman]

Being the play-by-play for television is quite different than radio, as your audience IS watching the game with you. Which is why someone like Dick works extremely well. He is drenched in Twins lore, does his pre-game homework, and tries his hardest to get the "other" person to be insightful about the game...yet still keep track of the action.

That doesn't mean that the "other" body in the booth can just sit back and wing it from Bremer's conversation points. They also have to do homework.

People often forget how much work goes into laying out a broadcast. You have to review player stats and make notes on when to talk about what, be familiar with pitching styles, have feeds on what is thrown and how fast and stay on top of the count, let alone the bodies on the field.

What is nice about having players in the booth is that they can talk about the game from the on-field standpoint. Tom Kelly is wonderful, but needs to be regulated by Bremer more often than not (have to get the plays in, as well as the ad breaks and plugs). Bert, like Gladden on the radio side, shows you that work and dedication improve you over time. Bert started to fallback on sameness, but often supplemented it with more humor than you usually get from a broadcast booth.

Dick has a wondeful deep voice. He looks good in his blazer. He is truly professional across the board. Yes, he has hometown giddiness, but he keeps it in check and doesn't let himself become the story of a game...never. At his best, he can be like the guy sitting with you in the stands and you talk all thru the game, and also keep score on your scorecard (who does this anymore). Verbally writing down what is happening. 

Dick was so lucky, coming into the broadcast market when cable was just beginning (and they were looking for "the cheap" for announcers. The real announcers were always the radio booth and WCCO where you ahd to be able to sell product besides the game. Not all games were broadcast on television like they are today. He became the hometown gem thru patience, hardwork, and too many broadcast partners to mention becoming the glue for the visual play-by-play for 40 years!

[PatPfund]

Dick Bremer is great, and I hope he keeps at it a while yet! Too young (hah! at 63 I don't type that too often any more) to know some of the early candidates, but off the top of my head, I can't think of anyone other than Herb Carneal that I'd rather listen to on the call. They have/had the same relaxed way of letting the game breathe around the call (and both have/had professional-grade pipes).

(Plus there was the 1987 'so did you hear about the Lindbergh baby, Harmon?' comment that knocked me off my chair with surprised laughter.)

[Linus]

I like Dick and I like him more now that he is not with Bert. He isn’t afraid to say nothing which is such a blessing in this day and age of talking heads. I like Smalley. He knows the game, makes his point and then shuts up. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

24 minutes ago, Linus said:

I like Dick and I like him more now that he is not with Bert. He isn’t afraid to say nothing which is such a blessing in this day and age of talking heads. I like Smalley. He knows the game, makes his point and then shuts up. 

I like Dick more now that Bert is retired too, but it was such a breath of fresh air when Marney called play by play in the spring games. She really needs to take over. 

It's not that I don't appreciate Dick Bremer, he's a very good play by play guy, it's just time.

[Obie]

Agreed. He is a professional. Some of his jokes are stale, but I like him much better than Gladden or John Gordon. I loved the guys in the early days--Ray Scott, Herb Carneal, and Halsey Hall.

[Dakota Diver]

Really nice article about Dick. Love listening to him and a wealth of knowledge. Visited with him twice at Ft Myers, true professional and true gentleman!

[Twins_Fan_For_Life]

Whether you're a big fan of Dick Bremer or not, you need to read his book! It is phenomenal!

[roger]

Add me to the list of those who enjoy games with Bremer on the tv.  Missed it last year, a lot.

[TheLeviathan]

There are worse.

[ashbury]

32 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

There are worse.

You're gonna make him blush.

[snellman]

Unfortunately it will never happen, but I really enjoyed it when Tori Hunter did games with Dick a few years ago.  They seemed to have a natural fit and Hunter really complemented him.  Morneau is getting better as he gets more comfortable, but you can tell that he is not a very outgoing person.  I thing it could be pretty good if they got Perkins in the booth.

[IndianaTwin]

6 hours ago, Rosterman said:

…, and tries his hardest to get the "other" person to be insightful about the game...yet still keep track of the action.…

Between being too cheap to purchase a package (compounded by the reality that I’m in a horrible black-out area — wouldn’t be able to get White Sox, Detroit and several other games), I see very little of Bremer. But you’ve captured one of the vastly under-rated aspects of good PBP people.

I don’t want to turn this into a “what we like/don’t like about other announcers” thread, but if you haven’t had opportunity to watch Jason Benetti of the AL Central team several hundred miles to the southeast but that shall remain nameless, know that he is particularly outstanding in that regard. It pains me to compliment anything about this particular franchise, but Benetti is really, really good, probably the announcer I most enjoy listening to these days. After the pain of the previous regime on that network (who shall also remain nameless), it is actually a joy to watch games Benetti and Steve Stone do (and I’ll do it this weekend). They have a camaraderie I have rarely seen elsewhere.

[Dave Overlund]

13 hours ago, Twins_Fan_For_Life said:

Whether you're a big fan of Dick Bremer or not, you need to read his book! It is phenomenal!

Agreed. I should have thrown that in the story! 

[Johnny Ringo]

I live out of market and I watch a lot of baseball through the MLB app. If you have a smart TV, it can be watched right on your screen. Sign up to support the Major League Baseball Alumni Association for $25 and you can get the app for half price. Great cause; great price.

I am sure Dick is a nice man. But the more I watch out-of-town ball, the less I appreciate our broadcasters. The allure of Gladden is just inexplicable to me. He is arrogant, pedantic and constantly contradicts himself in his criticisms. To me, he is the reason the mute button was invented.. 

I had to turn off Dick last year and have only periodically returned. Through the app you have the option of listening to the opposing team's feed. His nonstop excuses for the Twins 2021 train wreck were just relentless. This just in Dick; other teams have to contend with COVID, injuries and weather too. You don't have to be a bummer but the dog-ate-my-homework torrent is just unnecessary and insulting. To put it politely, Morneau (I can't take any silences!!) and Smiley are both a work-in-progress.

For my money, the Mets and Boston broadcast teams are the best. I guess this is unsurprising given their organizational commitment to excellence. Ron Darling is really a gem; brilliant in his knowledge and style but truly likeable too. He works terrifically with play-by-play guy Gary Cohen (no relation).  

The game is beautiful and can be told poetically. But sadly as Twins fans, we need to settle for the town crier. "All is well, people!! All is well!!"

 

 

 

 

     

[Trov]

It may be that I have only heard Bremer on the TV for Twins my whole life, but I do think he is good at what he does.  I have listened to some bad play by play guys.  In the early 2000's Dick and Bert were great.  However, Bert got old and did not adapt to the game, and just sounded like old man complaining that it is not like in his day. 

The partners Dick gets now are not very good, which is hard for Dick to really do well when he has nothing to play off of.  Dick has adapted to the game and gets his audience has adapted as well.  He still likes some old school style, but he gets the change that has happened. 

I just do not understand why broadcasts always feel the need to have the color guy be an ex player or manager.  I get they need to know about the game, but there are many trained broadcasters that never played in majors that know the game.  They could provide just as much incite but in a better way.  For some reason years ago it was decided in all sports broadcasts the color guy would be some ex player with name brand.  All too often they are terrible at the job.  Some are great at it, but many are terrible.  

[Whitey333]

I'm not a big fan of Bremer but you got to give him credit.  He has a great voice, is extremely knowledgeable and laid back.  He's not a shout in your face loud mouth like some others.  I really like that about him.  I do find him way too home ish at times.  Like Twins trailing 8-0, have made 3 errors only only have 3 hits yet he tells us they are playing great.  He tends to bend over backwards not to criticize players or managers.  I understand he has to deal with those people everyday so it's safe to be non critical on air.  And no I don't like the guys who question everything a player does.  Or the player analyst in the booth that acts like they never made a mistake on the field.  I do miss Bert on there with Bremer.  The color commentators on there now are pretty bland.  Even though I don't like his style, Dick Bremer is a true professional.  He has been a true ambassador to the Twins.  I hope he stays for as long as he wants.  He's earned that.

[BobAzar]

I like Bremer a lot. I think his best quality is his ability to change his style based on his partner. I was getting a little annoyed with him by the end of Bert's tenure, but then I heard him with Torii, Latroy, Justin, and I realized how good he is, he just played into Bert's "old time" baseball cliches. But with the younger guys, he plays off of their style impeccably. I cant imagine watching games without his voice, I literally dont know any other play by play TV guy (born in 1984). 

His book made me like him even more.

[Karbo]

1 hour ago, Johnny Ringo said:

I live out of market and I watch a lot of baseball through the MLB app. If you have a smart TV, it can be watched right on your screen. Sign up to support the Major League Baseball Alumni Association for $25 and you can get the app for half price. Great cause; great price.

I am sure Dick is a nice man. But the more I watch out-of-town ball, the less I appreciate our broadcasters. The allure of Gladden is just inexplicable to me. He is arrogant, pedantic and constantly contradicts himself in his criticisms. To me, he is the reason the mute button was invented.. 

I had to turn off Dick last year and have only periodically returned. Through the app you have the option of listening to the opposing team's feed. His nonstop excuses for the Twins 2021 train wreck were just relentless. This just in Dick; other teams have to contend with COVID, injuries and weather too. You don't have to be a bummer but the dog-ate-my-homework torrent is just unnecessary and insulting. To put it politely, Morneau (I can't take any silences!!) and Smiley are both a work-in-progress.

For my money, the Mets and Boston broadcast teams are the best. I guess this is unsurprising given their organizational commitment to excellence. Ron Darling is really a gem; brilliant in his knowledge and style but truly likeable too. He works terrifically with play-by-play guy Gary Cohen (no relation).  

The game is beautiful and can be told poetically. But sadly as Twins fans, we need to settle for the town crier. "All is well, people!! All is well!!"

 

 

 

 

     

I have to disagree with you. I watch a lot of out of market games and for the most part Dick compares very well. However, he does need a decent partner again. Kaat is the best. Now if they could find a younger version of Kitty it would be an awesome team IMHO.

[PDX Twin]

19 hours ago, Obie said:

Agreed. He is a professional. Some of his jokes are stale, but I like him much better than Gladden or John Gordon. I loved the guys in the early days--Ray Scott, Herb Carneal, and Halsey Hall.

I never loved Carneal, maybe because of the Southern drawl. But Ray Scott and Halsey were wonderful! Thinking about the latter takes me back to being a 10-year-old Twins fan!